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ICM 1/48 Spitfire Mk.IX 'Beer Delivery'


BP85

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Hi all, first post here so please go easy! I have recently taken to scale modelling and after a few practice builds on a few Airfix starter kits I thought it was time to get my teeth into something a bit more challenging. 

 

After watching this brilliant video I decided to go for the ICM Spitfire Mk.IX 'Beer Delivery', so a quick trip to eModels and about £13 and a week later the kit arrived. I hope that some of you find this build interesting and am looking forward to receiving any tips. 

 

Boxing:

20181209_082800

 

Plenty of parts 

20181209_082922

 

First off I started building the engine block and cradle. The moulding is pretty poor with lots of flash and mould lines but the plastic is pretty soft so not too bad to sand down. I like the amount of detail though with about thirty parts coming together for the block alone. Interestingly there are very few locating pins on this kit meaning that the parts have to be manually aligned. 

 

20181209_082828

 

20181209_114342

 

20181209_122843

 

Next for the firewall and engine cradle (right word?) 

20181209_122853

 

After a good bit of sanding down the joins time to paint. Tamiya paints sprayed at 15psi and 2xpaint:1xthinner. Rubber black for the engine block and cockpit green for the cradle and firewall 

20181209_140227

 

Exhausts sprayed with flat iron and dry brushed with Humbrol rust acrylic 

20181209_164140

 

Bringing it together after drybrushing the engine block and cradle with Humbrol aluminium 

20181209_165703

 

That's all for now. Any tips or criticism are equally welcomed and hopefully I will get a chance to move forward with the cockpit and post an update at the weekend 

Edited by BP85
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Welcome to the forum. Looks like you are making an excellent job of it. I will look forward to seeing what you can do with it. Don't forget you are transporting the beer not drinking it.....

Just one suggestion. The exhaust always looks better in this scale if you drill out the ends a bit.

Edited by Greg Law
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35 minutes ago, Greg Law said:

Welcome to the forum. Looks like you are making an excellent job of it. I will look forward to seeing what you can do with it. Don't forget you are transporting the beer not drinking it.....

Just one suggestion. The exhaust always looks better in this scale if you drill out the ends a bit.

Thank you for your comment. What size drill bit works best here? 

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Excellent bit of plastic surgery there, @BP85.

Bringing back a vague recollection of doing something similar with an ICM kit.

So, Greg has a point on drilling ends, it works a treet on circular pipe ends.

But here you have flattened or "fishtail" stubs, which is a lot less amenable to the process.

Size wise, you're trying to get Max hole without breaking out the side, to represent the thin metal tube wall.

For this, do some practice runs on scrap before you decide if you want to try out on the kit parts.

 

What I mean is, you got to do 12, and it only takes 1 to go wrong...!

 

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Welcome to BM, you've not chosen the easiest kit for your first build here but I can see that you're not daunted by it. It's a shame it was let down by the quality control because until the Eduard version came along it was about the most accurate Mk IX around.

 

Waiting for more.

 

John

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Re. the exhaust stubs: When I’m drilling very small holes I use a hypodermic needle to start the hole off as it’s extremely sharp and accurate, and then I use progressively larger drills to open out the apature until the effect I’m after is achieved. The photo shows the exhaust off the new Airfix 1/72 Mk.1 Spit. which has been drilled out, but still needs tidying up a bit prior to paint.

 

45371294805_009c5df88a_o.jpg

 

 

 

Bill. 

Edited by Bill.B
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14 hours ago, clive_t said:

Great start, following this with interest. Oh, and welcome to the madness! :D

 

Thank you. I've been lurking for a while and thought it's about time I got involved!

59 minutes ago, Bill.B said:

Re. the exhaust stubs: When I’m drilling very small holes I use a hypodermic needle to start the hole off as it’s extremely sharp and accurate, and then I use progressively larger drills to open out the apature until the effect I’m after is achieved. The photo shows the exhaust off the new Airfix 1/72 Mk.1 Spit. which has been drilled out, but still needs tidying up a bit prior to paint.

 

45371294805_009c5df88a_o.jpg

 

 

 

Bill. 

Thank you. I like the sound of this technique - I will definitely give it a go on my next build.

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2 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

Welcome to BM, you've not chosen the easiest kit for your first build here but I can see that you're not daunted by it. It's a shame it was let down by the quality control because until the Eduard version came along it was about the most accurate Mk IX around.

 

Waiting for more.

 

John

Thank you. It does look a good kit apart from the quality issues, shouldn't be anything a bit of careful work can't resolve though. All in all I think it's a really good value kit at £12. Going to take my time and no doubt will be asking for plenty of adivce as I progress.

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The ICM kits have caught out a lot of folk.

I presume you are displaying with engine panels off?

 

One thing is that the firewall can cause the fuselage to splay out, messing up the dihedral,  test fit, scrape to adjust and recheck before gluing....

https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/icm/kit_icm_48061.shtml

Quote

 I ran into a snag that I didn't even see until after I completed the model - the firewall and/or instrument panel was a hair too wide and forced the fuselage sides to flare out slightly wider. When the wings were installed, there was no gap in the fuselage/wing joint, but there wasn't any dihedral left in those wings either! When I do this one again, I just need to dry fit the engine and cockpit assemblies into the fuselage and make adjustments to ensure a tight fit at the wing/fuselage joint without creating a flat Hurricane-type wing in the process. Live and learn...

the build mentioned https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/builds/icm/build_icm_48065.shtml

 

ICM decals are not noted for being great, this is a more recent boxing, but I'd experiment with some spares first.

54 minutes ago, BP85 said:

All in all I think it's a really good value kit at £12.


It should be noted that an Eduard weekend kit can be got for under £15, and proifipacks  have been around £20, and they are a big step up in detail, and are more accurate.  

I can list the ICM glitches if you want,  none are really bad,  so you just want to build, not obsess and be happy

 

HTH

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22 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

The ICM kits have caught out a lot of folk.

I presume you are displaying with engine panels off?

 

One thing is that the firewall can cause the fuselage to splay out, messing up the dihedral,  test fit, scrape to adjust and recheck before gluing....

https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/icm/kit_icm_48061.shtml

the build mentioned https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/builds/icm/build_icm_48065.shtml

 

ICM decals are not noted for being great, this is a more recent boxing, but I'd experiment with some spares first.


It should be noted that an Eduard weekend kit can be got for under £15, and proifipacks  have been around £20, and they are a big step up in detail, and are more accurate.  

I can list the ICM glitches if you want,  none are really bad,  so you just want to build, not obsess and be happy

 

HTH

Thank you for sharing this. Will definitely look out for these. I would be happy for you to list the ICM glitches please.

 

I am thinking about picking up an Eduard profipack/special edition for my next build - guess I just need to keep an eye out for good deals.

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Thank you for the responses so far. Working from home today so thought I'd sneak an hour in. 

 

First up was removing the panels so that the engine can be exposed. The plastic is nice and soft so this wasn't too much trouble. I also removed the cockpit door as I will be doing an open cockpit. 

 

20181213_124450

 

The result after quite a bit of scraping and sanding. There is a lot of plastic that needs removing on pretty much every surface/contact point 

20181213_132513

 

 

Time for my first ever non-kit addition - a bit of pipe on the tanks made from 0.5mm copper wire held with super glue. Even using tweezers I struggled to get a nice right angle. 

20181213_135045

 

A little disappointed that there are only four parts to add inside the cockpit walls. Everything fitted pretty nicely though

20181213_140339

 

Planning on making some seat belts so cut a hole in this bit that sits behind the pilot's head 

 

20181213_142335

 

The seat and armour plating all fit together quite nicely but again a lot of scraping and sanding was required to get nice edges. 

 

20181213_143929

 

20181213_143948

 

That's all for now. Hopefully more progress to come at the weekend. 

 

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On 13/12/2018 at 08:58, BP85 said:

Thank you for sharing this. Will definitely look out for these. I would be happy for you to list the ICM glitches please.

OK too many years on model sites and cross referencing kits list coming up....

 

prop blades a bit oversize.  they can be corrected but it's a faff

spinner too short, easier to correct

Ultracast and others do replacement spinners and blades, but unless got really cheap, you may as well go stright to Eduard

other problems

wheel hubs are poor, but if you drill them out, you can replace them with Eduard hubs, as all their kits come with 3 types, as well as two styles of wheel

cannon blister on are too shallow, but if you select the type you want, and then cut down through the door, you then get a deeper blister, take another door, (the kit has 3) and remove blister, and glue on new deeper one in right place.

it's noted for being a bit pinched behind the cockpit, though I suspect the entire upper nose  is a bit slim, maybe correctable by adding one of the spare Eduard upper cowls, and using one of the leftover Eduard canopies.

in the Falcon clear vax set they supplied correct canopies for the ICM Spitfire

http://falconmodels.co.nz/clearvax/set51.html

51-10.gif

Quote

The fixed rear of the canopy has been altered to a more accurate section. In order to fit this piece, cut away the kit fuselage down to the cockpit sill marked X; insert a 0.5 mm wedge between the fuselage halves as marked Y in the drawingfor 8 above.

 

IIRC the exhaust are poor. 

the cokcpit like most older Spitfire kits lacks the correct sidewalls, by this I mean tarditionally Spitfire kits have the inner walls sweep into the wing root..like this

46250323102_822924289b_b.jpg&key=1c0e5c5l

 

Problem is the wing root is actually a removable fillet

in this shot, they have been removed, and you can see the actual fuselage shape, as well as the formers the fillet attaches too.

4674411354_639b017b2f_o.jpgSpitfire boneyard. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

from @Etiennedup very useful Flickr of WW2 colour photos, these are the Spitfires 

this is why the newer Spitfire kits have seperate lower side walls.

All the above was the easiest route to a decent merlin 60 series Spitfire until the Eduard kit came out

 

If you are doing an open cowling, these might help 

12121674534_032b3b9ab3_o.jpgSpitfire Mk.XVI     1945. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

23237102691_4c73a59bae_o.jpgSpitfire LF Mk. IXe ,  1946. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

11119962003_7feac13528_o.jpgEngine overhaul   c1943. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

13959591660_06936b5d9e_o.jpg

"...bloody thing won't budge.." by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

Quote

 

I am thinking about picking up an Eduard profipack/special edition for my next build - guess I just need to keep an eye out for good deals.

Try MJW Models, @Mikemx is one of the owners,. 

  https://mjwmodels.co.uk/eduard-148--kits---profipack-562-c.asp  Note the Aussie Eight doublepack,  comes with a

Quote

Spitfire VIII kits with the following extras - canopy/wheel mask, Colour Photo etch metal parts, resin wheels, an illustrated 104 page book of RAAF Spitfire VIII's, poster and Cartograf printed decals for 31 different RAAF Spitfire VIII's.

weekend kits are here https://mjwmodels.co.uk/eduard-148--kits---weekend-563-c.asp  note the weekend MkVIII, so yuo can use up some more of the Aussie Eight decal options ;) 

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1 hour ago, Vladan Dugaric said:

Just a note: Spitfire Mk.IX did not have head rest cushion on the armour plate behind seat; you should remove it if it is not too late.

It's probably too late to remove it without making a mess now. Will keep that in mind for future builds 

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Thanks, @Troy Smith. The Flickr album is a brilliant resource; will definitely be helpful when adding detail to the engine as I am indeed going for open cowling.

 

I think I may well get one of those Eduard kits to cannibalise some parts. As they're all bits that don't need to be added later this shouldn't hold me up. 

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2 hours ago, BP85 said:

The Flickr album is a brilliant resource;

and, me losing sight of the wood for the trees...

Flickr, like so many other modern sites, have very annoying search facilities, 

this is a link to all the pictures in that Flickr of Spitfires

https://www.flickr.com/search/?w=8270787%40N07&q=spitfire

 

if you then in the address bar replace the 'spitfire' with another type

https://www.flickr.com/search/?w=8270787%40N07&q=hurricane

 

you get all those images up.

 

I mention this as there are some great shots showing subtle details not visible in B/W  or warbirds.

for example of a Spit IX

yes, in a training unit, but excellent for detail of wear, weathering and subtle details, 

7617060184_3fb64dd173_o.jpgSpitfire Mk.IXC      1945 by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

look at the exhusts, paint scratches on the cowling fasteners, slight oil streaking, and the little yellow creep markings on the wheel hubs and tyres

 

here are a pair in Italy early 44

9373658443_9dcd502271_o.jpgSpitfire patrol    1944. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

Quote

Two Spitfire IX's of 241 Sqn. above the dark slopes of mount Vesuvius, southern Italy on 24 January 1944.

 

It's really worth taking the time to 'read' photographs,   as the longer you look, the more you will see detail wise.

if you have not seen this either

Supermarine%20Spitfire%20Camo%20&%20Mark

https://boxartden.com/reference/gallery/index.php/Modeling-References/Camoflage-Markings/01-Supermarine-Spitfire

 

while old,  it still remains the best guide to the core of the subject, which is what changes happened when, and often why. 

 

HTH

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Little bit of progress made today. Started out with a dry fit of the fuselage halves and the wing sections. Even after a lot of scraping of excess plastic there are still some rather large gaps between the fuselage and wing roots. Hopefully nothing a little (or a lot of) filler can't fix. 

 

20181215_104956

 

Next primed the interior with Tamiya flat black

20181215_110816

 

And then on with some Tamiya cockpit green 

20181215_113936

And then some detail brush painting with Tamiya and Humbrol 

 

20181215_165708

Added a bit of wiring fixed with superglue. Not entirely accurate but brings a bit more life to the cockpit. It 

 

20181215_173109

 

 

 

 

I'd like to do a bit of weathering on the inside before I close her up but not too sure as I don't want to ruin it. Thinking some light dry brushing and maybe a clear coat and a wash. 

 

Also there is no instrument panel decal, tempted to leave it as is with maybe a bit of gloss on the dials rather than making a mess painting the instruments. 

 

That's all for now. Hopefully more to come tomorrow. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by BP85
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Managed to get an hour in at lunchtime working from home again. Thought I would tackle some of the sub-assemblies from further on in the instructions as I don't want to be rushed in finishing the cockpit are bringing the fuselage together. 

 

The spinner and prop blades aren't in very good shape off the sprue but I have come to expect this. There is something quite satisfying though about hand carving each individual part out of a solid block of plastic. 

 

20181219_122731

 

20181219_122748

 

After smoothing out the spinner I took another look at the instructions and they show the ring, is this actually a feature that I have removed? 

 

20181219_123732

 

Blades went together without much drama which was quite nice

 

20181219_124533

 

Next onto the landing gear and the smallest parts I have ever seen with the largest sprue connections

 

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20181219_130528

 

Managed to snap one of these when doing the required bending but sort of fixed it 

20181219_131055

 

20181219_131232

 

 

That's all for today, will get these bits and some others primed in the morning. Done with work for the year now so hoping to get a good sift in tomorrow while the other half is working - really fancy knocking up some masking tape seat belts so we'll see how that goes. Unsure about weathering the cockpit as while it may look good in pre-assembly photos I'm not sure much difference will be seen when it is all closed up, even with an open cockpit. 

 

Also just picked this up for £15 on Ebay (Inc free postage), didn't have time to do much research but looking forward to having a crack. Has anybody had a go at this one? 

 

Screenshot_20181219-195315_eBay

 

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On 16/12/2018 at 00:28, Crimea River said:

Looking good so far. Brings back memories of doing this kit several years ago. Yes, the plastic is VERY soft so keep your finger nails short!

Yup. Already taking a chunch out of one of the leading edges of one of the wing sections - nothing a bit of filler and sanding shouldn't fix. The super soft plastic is taking some getting used to. It is much less brittle than some of the other manufacturers which does make removing tiny parts from the sprue a bit easier without snapping them I find

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With the canopy open and the door folded down, there's a fair amount of visibility for the interior, so give it your best shot and then you won't regret missing things.

On the spinner, I think that line represents a front cone that's removable, but some would say the joint is so tight it wouldn't be seen at this scale.

So don't lose any sleep over it.

 

Finished for Christmas already...??

Slacker...!!

 

Enjoy....

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Hello and welcome @BP85!

 

You has a very good start with this Spitfire, I’m looking forward for your work 👍

 

On 11/12/2018 at 18:06, BP85 said:

Exhausts sprayed with flat iron and dry brushed with Humbrol rust acrylic

For the good rust effect I can suggest to use a brown Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color - it looks extremely well, especially on a flat metallic paint:

45667751944_2d693fd09a_k.jpg

 

Cheers! 🙂

 

P.S. Sorry for photo-bombing your thread 😶

Edited by Nikolay Polyakov
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12 hours ago, BP85 said:

After smoothing out the spinner I took another look at the instructions and they show the ring, is this actually a feature that I have removed? 

 

20181219_123732

yep

13959591660_06936b5d9e_o.jpg&key=723457b

12 hours ago, BP85 said:

Also just picked this up for £15 on Ebay (Inc free postage), didn't have time to do much research but looking forward to having a crack. Has anybody had a go at this one? 

Overall decent

google up some reviews,  the fit is VERY  precise, and there was something fiddly about getting the fuselage gun bays to fit. 

Basically, if something does not fit in a modern Eduard kit, it is builder error, but they are over engineered

this has some hints and tips

. the main being you MUST get the wing spar fit right, and pay attention to the fit of the fuselage sub assemblies, don't just glue them into one side, and the gun bay doors are a pain if you want them shut...

There was an Eduard article where they were specifying some unusual angle, like 93 degrees

 

also worth a read

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234977536-148th-fw-190d-9/

 

BUt have search for builds

 

HTH

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