zebra Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 My second Spit in this GB is one I've wanted to do for a while - a Spitfire F.21 in 1/48, using the Airfix PR.XIX fuselage and Seafire 46 wings. I'm going to be following a build by @CplPunishment - his build is here. Most of the parts I need are in the two kits and it looks like a reasonably straightforward conversion, although a bit of fettling is going to be needed to get the XIX and 46 bits to fit together properly. It'll go something like this: Cockpit - largely PR.XIX parts, omitting the cameras and other internals that are specific to the PR.XIX. Rear pressure bulkhead will be modified to represent the frame that would be in that place in an unpressurised aircraft. I've got a Yahu instrument panel for a IX - ok the wrong mark, but it'll look good enough with the canopy closed, which is how I plan to build it. I'll use an Eduard seatbelt and Quickboost gyro gunsight. Fuselage: PR.XIX with pressurisation intake removed, camera ports filled, and a little scribing to represent the door. I'll need a new windscreen - I have two options, the closed canopy from the Eduard Spit which will be build with the canopy open, or the windscreen from the 46. Wings and main undercarriage: Pretty much the full 46 assembly. Here's the traditional box shot - 2 boxes this time - complete with an assortment of the kids' mess on the table! Fuselage mods came first: This included the modification to the pressure bulkhead - basically I've just cut out the middle leaving the frame around the outside. I've also made a start on painting the cockpit by painting everything that needs to be interior green. From here, getting the cockpit assembled and painted and getting the fuselage together should be pretty straightforward. After that it'll be time to get the wings on, which will be a bit more interesting! cheers Julian 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Nice! I did the same a few years ago, but using the Hobbycraft XIV fuselage with various corrections and mods, those same Airfix Seafire 46 wings and lots of aftermarket resin and PE - a bit of a FrankenSpit! Yours' should be a lot less troublesome with the XIX fuselage to work with. Good luck! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Nice project Julian Ill be following with interest as this one is on my modelling to do list. Look forward to more progress. James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 You've picked a major project Julian and a worthwhile one at that I'll be watching your progress with interest as it's something I've considered myself and it seems I'm not the only one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 Great project Z,be popping in as it progresses. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CplPunishment Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 And I'll be most interested to see how yours turns out! Paul. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted February 16, 2019 Author Share Posted February 16, 2019 I've been neglecting BM for a bit but still made a bit of progress with the Spit. Fuselage is done - cockpit was more or less from the kit, apart from the mod to the pressure bulkhead and the Yahu instrument panel and Eduard seat belts. So far it still looks pretty much like a PR.XIX - apart from the filled-in camera port - but that's about to change - wings next! thanks for looking Julian 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Not been participating in or watching many GBs lately but just spotted this. I have one somewhere which is just about ready for painting, I used the Aeroclub conversion and the unfolded wings from the Airfix Seafire 46/47 kit. Looking good so far. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Good progress on your Spitfire F.21. Here are some photos of Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow’s F.21 LA198 taken last September. Regards Grahame 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted February 17, 2019 Author Share Posted February 17, 2019 Thanks Grahame and thanks for the photos. Didn't realise there were any F.21s left. One day I'll go and visit it. Quite a lot of progress today. First of all here's what you get when you first try to mate the 46 wing to the XIX fuselage: But it's not as bad as it looks. A couple of minutes' work with the sanding stick results in a much better fit. A wedge of plastic card to complete the trailing edge, a bit of filler, and I ended up with this: The lower wing piece on the XIX is about 8mm longer at the rear end than the equivalent 46 piece - there's a camera port there on the XIX - so that needed to be filled in with a few strips of plastic card. A bit of superglue and filler later and I ended up with this: Last thing for today was the carb intake. Here I had a choice of using the part from either kit, neither of which fitted very well. The XIX part fits the best at the front, and with a bit of minor trimming can be made to fit at the back quite well. It just leaves fairly large gaps either side which I've dealt with using a bit of perfect putty: At this rate I'll be painting next weekend cheers Julian 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 There is another mk 21 in Scotland, but as it belongs to No 1 Squadron at Lossiemouth it’s not seen in public that often. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 You're probably already aware of it, but that little ' wedge ' on the upper wings behind and inboard of the gun bulges needs to be removed. I believe it's supposed to represent the little door above the flap actuating mechanism which should be closed when the flaps are up. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted February 17, 2019 Author Share Posted February 17, 2019 19 minutes ago, Biggles87 said: You're probably already aware of it, but that little ' wedge ' on the upper wings behind and inboard of the gun bulges needs to be removed. I believe it's supposed to represent the little door above the flap actuating mechanism which should be closed when the flaps are up. John Already gone! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 Excellent work on your Spitfire and fantastic progress. The Kelvingrove Museum is well worth a visit for a vast range of exhibits and its free. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 Life has got in the way a bit over the last few weeks, and it's been nearly a month since I last posted here. Not a lot of modelling happened in that time, but I did get a bit done here and there and got to the point where I could get it painted this week. So here it is: cheers Julian 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 What paints did you use on your F.21? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 3 hours ago, Threadbear said: What paints did you use on your F.21? Mr Paint. I thought the green looked a little too brown at first but now I’ve seen it in better light this morning I’m happier with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 Undercarriage on and gloss coated, ready for decals 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 Surface finish looks good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 Most of the decals done. The Freightdog decals work very nicely, as you'd expect. Just a handful of decals left to do, then I really must get on with painting the props and exhausts. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 The decals give a good measure of colour to this one and a sense of identity. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted March 30, 2019 Author Share Posted March 30, 2019 Flat coat done and unmasked. Just the prop to do now. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 Nice work Zebra. Think I’ll be following suit with this conversion soon. James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 Almost there Z 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephLalor Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 On 2/17/2019 at 9:10 AM, Threadbear said: Good progress on your Spitfire F.21. Here are some photos of Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow’s F.21 LA198 taken last September. Regards Grahame That's a splendid exhibit. I wouldn't mind being able to see it hanging in Trinity College Dublin's Museum Building, the interior of which the Kelvingrove reminds me a lot, and which I believe is in Venetian style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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