72modeler Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 (edited) When it comes to my favorite Spitfire, I'm not ashamed to say it's the Mk XII, and of all the 100-odd examples, MB882, EB-B is my very favorite. I know that many of the photos that are in the link I have posted below are not new, but having all of them in one collection, from DP485, the first of the few, to MB882, the last of the few, I would think would be useful to those of you that have the Mk XII on your build list. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I and reading the accompanying text! Mike http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?334 Edited December 11, 2018 by 72modeler corrected spelling 7 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Thanks Mike, interesting to see DP845 in her early form with the Coffs starter bulge between the cylinder head bulges & later without when she'd got a Seafire XV engine under the bonnet. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnAndersen Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 The XII was very well liked by Jeffery Quill and indeed the pilots fortunate enough to fly it. Quill spoke of it as being, compared to the Merlin spitfire, a powerfull sports car version of the Spit. A favourite of mine as well. /Finn 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 17 hours ago, 72modeler said: When it comes to my favorite Spitfire, I'm not ashamed to say it's the Mk XII That makes two of us Mike. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Finn, Xtrakit? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnAndersen Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 54 minutes ago, 72modeler said: Finn, Xtrakit? Mike No, Paragon/Hasegawa. I do have an Xtrakit, but gave up on the nose/engine and substituted a Paragon copy on it. I read somewhere that the moulds were those that Sword started their XIV on. /Finn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 4 minutes ago, FinnAndersen said: No, Paragon/Hasegawa. I do have an Xtrakit, but gave up on the nose/engine and substituted a Paragon copy on it. I read somewhere that the moulds were those that Sword started their XIV on. /Finn One of my buddies is about to finish the same conversion- looks like the Paragon/Hasegawa conversion is the way to go. I had to mix some sky paint for him so he could match the spinner and fuselage band to the Xtrakit decals- I have the Paragon conversion as well as an Xtrakit XII, and was very, very disappointed with the kit- horrible fuselage, so will use a Hasegawa Mk VII as I want to do MB882 with the retractable tail wheel. Your finished build looks very nice, BTW! Maybe in the future, Eduard will start doing Griffon-engine Spits and will do a Mk XII/Seafire XV. Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antti_K Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: That makes two of us Mike. And then there were three...😉 I was six years old when I saw that echelon formation photo in our encyclopedia for the first time and I was hooked for life. Mk.XII, no contest. It was great news when Airfix released their 1/48 scale kit but when I saw the first photos of it I wasn't impressed. Something isn't right about it and the model looks "funny". I still think that the best way is to modify from a Seafire Mk.XV. Cheers, Antti 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 I have an Airwaves conversion thats been in my pile for 15 years. Its due up for build attempt # 2 in the spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedders Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 That's a really great link, and I agree that the XII is very pretty. In terms of aesthetics I think the Seafire XV runs it close as it has the symmetrical radiators, but then again the sting-type arrestor hook version has a slightly bigger rudder which upsets the balance slightly. And the navalisation took a toll on performance too. The XVs that went to Burma had all the naval stuff taken off and look very shapely, but they didn't wear UK markings, so perfection is again not quite reached. So then for the ultimate I start looking at XIXs... Justin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 (edited) I still have an Aeroclub vacform fuselage, and clearly I must look again at the Xtrakit model because it didn't strike me as having a bad fuselage. But then mine hasn't got very far. I also have a Ventura Mk.XV which can be used as a comparison - and which offers a rather wider choice of colour schemes/markings. The Mk.XII is an appealingly stubby fighter, but it lacks the grace of a Mk.XIV and the choice of schemes of pretty well every other variant. I've just had a loving fondle of these three kits. The Xtrakit Mk.XII fuselage is a good match for the others in profile, although perhaps the canopy is a bit long. The fin/rudder is the smallest of the three, but only just and the Mk.XV is said to have a wider rudder anyway. It does however appear to be a little slim in the rear fuselage which is most apparent at the canopy, which thus appears too wide. So it would benefit from a strip of plasticard down the centreline, with a little reworking of the cockpit area and perhaps (haven't checked but it's usually a good idea anyway) a Falcon canopy. I do have plenty of spare "Mk.XII" rudders from other kits - if needed, if the other kits are better... Widening the fuselage may affect the wing root join, depending how far you take it, but that joint isn't too brilliant and will need some attention anyway, so it's little or no extra work. Edited December 11, 2018 by Graham Boak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonhoff Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Couldn't find an Xtrakit XII so used a Ventura Seafire XV to make one which is currently in the paint shop. Only problem is I now need a Seafire XV to make a Seafire XV..... IanJ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 47 minutes ago, Bonhoff said: Couldn't find an Xtrakit XII so used a Ventura Seafire XV to make one which is currently in the paint shop. Only problem is I now need a Seafire XV to make a Seafire XV..... IanJ The Sword XV isn't good? How about doing this one- see the links below. That's one gorgeous Seafire! Mike http://www.salute.org/Seafire.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TneYPcyGbbY 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Graham Boak said: I still have an Aeroclub vacform fuselage, and clearly I must look again at the Xtrakit model because it didn't strike me as having a bad fuselage. But then mine hasn't got very far. I also have a Ventura Mk.XV which can be used as a comparison - and which offers a rather wider choice of colour schemes/markings. The Mk.XII is an appealingly stubby fighter, but it lacks the grace of a Mk.XIV and the choice of schemes of pretty well every other variant. I've just had a loving fondle of these three kits. The Xtrakit Mk.XII fuselage is a good match for the others in profile, although perhaps the canopy is a bit long. The fin/rudder is the smallest of the three, but only just and the Mk.XV is said to have a wider rudder anyway. It does however appear to be a little slim in the rear fuselage which is most apparent at the canopy, which thus appears too wide. So it would benefit from a strip of plasticard down the centreline, with a little reworking of the cockpit area and perhaps (haven't checked but it's usually a good idea anyway) a Falcon canopy. I do have plenty of spare "Mk.XII" rudders from other kits - if needed, if the other kits are better... Widening the fuselage may affect the wing root join, depending how far you take it, but that joint isn't too brilliant and will need some attention anyway, so it's little or no extra work. I agree- the Seafire XV is one gorgeous airplane! The fuselage halves on my Xtrakit XII were badly warped forward of the cockpit and the cross section at the nose was elliptical, not circular...not sure if that was just my kit, but looking at some build articles, it seems others had the same problem. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welkin Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 9 hours ago, FinnAndersen said: The XII was very well liked by Jeffery Quill and indeed the pilots fortunate enough to fly it. Quill spoke of it as being, compared to the Merlin spitfire, a powerfull sports car version of the Spit. 'Winkle' Brown thought that the Mk.XII was all-round the best Spitfire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Yes, but as a naval pilot he had little interest in high altitudes and prioritised lower-level work where the Mk.12 excelled. Quill's favourite was the Mk.VIII. Too late tonight but I'll have another look specifically at the Xtrakit nose - it'll be likely to need some work anyway if the fuselage is widened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Thompson Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 Meh - I've got you all beat. I once tried to convert the Merlin Models Spitfire Mk XII into a Seafire Mk XV, with predictably horrid results... John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck1945 Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 The first Spitfire XII I built was the Aeroclub conversion for the Airfix Spit V back in the 80s. I was quite pleased with it then although my memory fails me with regard to the wing treatment since the Airfix kit was a Vb and the XII had ‘c’ wing. More recently I built the Xtrakit version and again was happy with the result. While I have a second Xtrakit, I would welcome a new mainstream injection version. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 5 hours ago, 72modeler said: The Sword XV isn't good? Try finding one for sensible money just now Mike. If you've got one in stock, lucky you. If Sword were to re-release it, I wouldn't grizzle. 6 hours ago, Bonhoff said: Xtrakit XII so used a Ventura Seafire XV to make one great minds think alike, I did same a couple of years ago. 6 hours ago, Bonhoff said: Seafire XV to make a Seafire XV. Another Ventura/Jays Seafire XV? Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedders Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 I have a Sword Seafire XV earmarked for conversion and combining with Print Scale decals (if the latter are any good?). Nevertheless I still look in vain for an original Xtrakit. Seems these really are the holy grail at the moment. My last (and only) XII is an Aeroclub nose mated to a Matchbox IX. Still on the shelf 35 years on.... Justin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnAndersen Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Bedders said: I have a Sword Seafire XV earmarked for conversion and combining with Print Scale decals (if the latter are any good?). Nevertheless I still look in vain for an original Xtrakit. Seems these really are the holy grail at the moment. My last (and only) XII is an Aeroclub nose mated to a Matchbox IX. Still on the shelf 35 years on.... Justin Tried to find an Xtrakit some time ago and failed. You will probably need to go to Ebay or similar. As I said earlier, I gave up on the nose; something weird about how it mated with the spinner. If I could get a new Paragon set, I'd try to mate it to a Eduard IXc early as I did with my BR114, where I have made a copy of an V nose and oil cooler from a Tamiya kit /Finn Edited December 12, 2018 by FinnAndersen Corrected picture link 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britman Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 Interesting thread. Now without too much thought going into this suggestion, I have gotten this idea in my head. If the restoration community so wished , would it be beyond the realms of fantasy to create a XII of sorts with a Griffin and a Mk IX ? Just a "light bulb " moment that's all. Keith. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnAndersen Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 8 minutes ago, Britman said: Interesting thread. Now without too much thought going into this suggestion, I have gotten this idea in my head. If the restoration community so wished , would it be beyond the realms of fantasy to create a XII of sorts with a Griffin and a Mk IX ? Just a "light bulb " moment that's all. Keith. Everything is possible, given enough funds. I'm not sure to what extent the XII was strengthened compared to a V or IX, so that could be an issue. /Finn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 A lot of interesting posts in this thread ! My Mk.XII was made by crosskitting. Well, of sort... the main airframe came from an old KP Mk.IX and the engine cowling was a shortened copy of a fujimi Mk.XIV. Back then I didn't use resin so the copy of the fujimi front fuselage halves was made by pouring a gloop of plastic melted into trichloroethylene into moulds made from sylicone sealant. Radiators and other bits came from the spare box and the propeller was an Aeroclub white metal part. Overall I was pretty happy with it and I may well use a similar approach again in the future, although this time I'd make a proper resin copy in a sylicone rubber mould for the cowling. Now that I think about it, I've got a spare Mk.22 fuselage from the AZ Mk.21, I may just chop this one... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 9 hours ago, John Thompson said: Meh - I've got you all beat. I once tried to convert the Merlin Models Spitfire Mk XII into a Seafire Mk XV, with predictably horrid results... John No way John, I first did a XII from an Airfix Mk.IX JEJ with a plasticine nose and a Mosquito spinner. On second thoughts, it must have been a Seafire XV. Maybe 1963? As for the real thing, the Mk.XII had a revised fuselage structure so you might be closer with a Mk VIII rear, but there aren't a lot of single stage Griffons around. However I think that there are significant bits of a Mk.XII still around. There's a poster over on Flightpath's Historic forum who calls himself MarkXII who really knows his stuff. In modelling terms there's more to do than grafting on a Mk.XIV or 22 nose, as the XII has a higher thrust line. I'm not sure whether this is because of a slightly dropped nose or it just ends up looking like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now