Lawzer Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Only just caught up on this.... Nice idea! 👍 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 7 hours ago, Lawzer said: Only just caught up on this.... Nice idea! 👍 Cheers mate - wingy things - more to your tastes I hope - with a bit of 'scratching' to boot - I hope you'll like the. I got the tops of the wings finally on.... Then I did a bit of measuring up and chopped one to fit the 'broken tailed' version... now the fuselage parts have completely dried I chopped back the struts to a 'realistic' length... I'm pretty pleased with them- against the new thinned fuselage. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 The next new experience for me will be cannon damage. This shots shows a couple of nasty looking holes in the rear fuselage... ...now I am told that holes in this area should go through both sides of the body - but if you take a look at the other side.... ...it looks pretty clean. Bushell - or BIG X said that the main reason for his crash was cannon damage to his engine - causing it to cease up completely - this shot - though heavily looted doesn't show any tell-tale damage... ...but what do we think of this shot from the other side - is that a whacking great hit on the top - just behind the prop... ...ouch. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveWilko Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 (edited) IIRC,Paul Klipch's Spitfire was excavated by the "Time Team" some years ago. Pat Learmond's Spitfire exploded in flames as the formation was bounced by the Messerschmitts(Bob Tuck got the leader). By a strange coincidence,when Peter Cazenove was shot down(P9374 24th May 1940)and had belly landed on the Calais beach, whilst walking along the beach, he happened upon the wreckage of Learmond's aircraft,no trace of the pilot was found only a badly burnt and melted parachute harness buckle......... Another name that surfaced in Bob Tuck's book(Fly for your life)as shot down on 23rd of May is "Flight Sergeant Wooder" also seen to be going down in flames. However,in 92's operations book for that day,there is no mention of a Flight Sergeant Wooder,only the names you mention above. A fine job Sir on the aircraft of a true hero. Edited March 4, 2019 by DaveWilko 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 20 minutes ago, DaveWilko said: IIRC,Paul Klipch's Spitfire was excavated by the "Time Team" some years ago. Pat Learmond's Spitfire exploded in flames as the formation was bounced by the Messerschmitts(Bob Tuck got the leader). By a strange coincidence,when Peter Cazenove was shot down(P9374 24th May 1940)and had belly landed on the Calais beach, whilst walking along the beach, he happened upon the wreckage of Learmond's aircraft,no trace of the pilot was found only a badly burnt and melted parachute harness buckle......... Another name that surfaced in Bob Tuck's book(Fly for your life)as shot down on 23rd of May is "Flight Sergeant Wooder" also seen to be going down in flames. However,in 92's operations book for that day,there is no mention of a Flight Sergeant Wooder,only the names you mention above. A fine job Sir on the aircraft of a true hero. Thanks Dave - as you probably know Mr Stanford Tuck ended up in Stalag Luft III with BIG X... ...though he wasn't a 'Great Escaper' - luckily for him. To the best of my knowledge 4 pilots from 92 Sqn were shot down on the day in question... In the morning P/O P.A.G. LEARMOND - KIA In the afternoon SGT KLIPSCH - KIA and SQN R.J. BUSHELL / F/O J GILLIES - CAPTURED It would be very interesting to find out more about FLT SGT WOODER. Sadly the Battle of France isn't as well documented as the BoB - but I'm sure someone on here will know more - let's hope eh. Thanks - Steve 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveWilko Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 18 hours ago, BIG X said: Thanks Dave - as you probably know Mr Stanford Tuck ended up in Stalag Luft III with BIG X... ...though he wasn't a 'Great Escaper' - luckily for him. To the best of my knowledge 4 pilots from 92 Sqn were shot down on the day in question... In the morning P/O P.A.G. LEARMOND - KIA In the afternoon SGT KLIPSCH - KIA and SQN R.J. BUSHELL / F/O J GILLIES - CAPTURED It would be very interesting to find out more about FLT SGT WOODER. Sadly the Battle of France isn't as well documented as the BoB - but I'm sure someone on here will know more - let's hope eh. Thanks - Steve Quite true Steve,he did indeed meet up again with Roger,John Gillies,and Norman "Green to Black"(I can't remember his surname offhand,possibly Ryder?) though he states that the old Roger was long gone and a much colder steely eyed very different character now occupied the man he once knew. As you say,those are the four pilots mentioned as shot down that day in the ORB.it is just possible that I may be confusing the combat with another around the same time in which Wooder was lost(I'm sure the name is Wooder,I'll have to dig Bob's book out). Certainly,Learmond's aircraft exploded and the ball of flame kept position in the formation for few seconds before falling away "Like a wilted fiery rag"(to quote the book) after the Messerschmitt formation's initial firing pass before 92 broke and engaged them in combat. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 6, 2019 Author Share Posted March 6, 2019 14 hours ago, DaveWilko said: Quite true Steve,he did indeed meet up again with Roger,John Gillies,and Norman "Green to Black"(I can't remember his surname offhand,possibly Ryder?) though he states that the old Roger was long gone and a much colder steely eyed very different character now occupied the man he once knew. As you say,those are the four pilots mentioned as shot down that day in the ORB.it is just possible that I may be confusing the combat with another around the same time in which Wooder was lost(I'm sure the name is Wooder,I'll have to dig Bob's book out). Certainly,Learmond's aircraft exploded and the ball of flame kept position in the formation for few seconds before falling away "Like a wilted fiery rag"(to quote the book) after the Messerschmitt formation's initial firing pass before 92 broke and engaged them in combat. Stirring stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveWilko Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 I posted this to Steve via PM,but he has asked one to put it up into the main thread,so here goes. The Time Team dig for Paul Klipsch's Spitfire: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 8, 2019 Author Share Posted March 8, 2019 Well I have completed my first week and I only have three left to get this build finished - so I better get a wiggle on... Progress has been slow all week - I've just been so tired after work - here are the tiny bits I got done.... I had another play with my new razor saw and chopped one of the three canopies into three sections... I'm quite pleased with the result actually and I may have my 'landed' Spit with the canopy open. I needed to do this though for the 'crashed' Spit though. I had a 'mare' with my 'cockpit green' initially. It's been a while since I did any proper aircraft modelling and I simply picked up a bottle of 'interior green' - which turned out 'way too dark'. I'm popping this picture in as a reminder to myself for future use... I like this and it is close enough to the old humbrol cockpit green for me. I sprayed the exhausts with the 'bronze' rattle can I used over Christmas for my 'bronze - age' aircraft collection... I'm going to give them a 'blue' wash to imply heat discolouration. Lastly - I got the props painted black... I've got a static prop / damaged prop / in flight prop - I just need to do the yellow this evening and plan some proper progress for the weekend - daylight is burning as they say in the old westerns... 21 days to go - and counting - Steve... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 SPITFIRE QUESTION - MY HEAD HURTS!!!!!! With a deadline to meet I have hit another snag as follows... I set off this morning - trying to find out what colour my wheel wells should be for these builds. Simple - just look at the Airfix instructions - even more simple - they quote the black with a black wheel well and white quite logically for the white - as per this picture... Then I had a quick look at the box art painting / decal instructions and noticed the rear stabilizer colour... It shows them in aluminium. Nothing too abnormal - but I had a nagging doubt that they should be black / white - as per the wings. I had a coffee and a ponder - then remembered a Hannants decal set in the stash. Hmmm - this quotes the same aircraft - I looked a bit further... ... it also quotes JUNE 1940... FINALLY... WHAT THE FLIP... N3290 was shot down in France on the same day as Bushell - 23rd May 1940... So the question that is hurting my brain now is - are the black / white wheel wells correct and what about the rear stabilizers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 As I 'await inspiration' about the stabilizers and wheel wells - i have been plodding along with some other bits... Should the grooved seat backs be black... I have no idea... I got the pilot for the 'in flight version' sorted - sort of... Not the neatest job I admit, but maybe a little wash will pick things out a bit better. The aerials are in 'wood'... and the exhausts got that 'blue hue' wash. more later - I hope... Steve 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 Time for another ponder on the underside. I found this that someone sent me a while back... ...it covers all the underside patterns for Spitfires - this one sounds accurate for the time frame and follows the Airfix scheme. 'Standard factory finish under surface scheme of Aluminium, Night and White used form 24th April 1939 to 11th June 1940'. It doesn't show roundels - but this is interesting... ...especially this bit... ...the bit about 'combat over France' could cover roundels on the scheme with the aluminium stabilizers. I'm happy with that and a lot more accurate than the Hannants decal scheme. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 BTW - The Italeri motorbikes have arrived... You get four motorbikes in total / a couple of side cars / a variety of figures and though they are tiny - they have a lot of detail. Anyway - I've actually got work to do... ...see you later - Steve 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 I got the wheels done to the next stage... and the under sides are now just awaiting their Aluminium coat at the front and the back... I got the amber underside lights done too. I reckon that will be it for this weekend. Thanks for having a peek - Steve 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 WHOOPS - Today I've made a very basic school boy error and beggared up my aluminium / black / white - undersides I haven't done any 'real' aircraft painting for maybe a year now - I've been too busy playing with 'toy tanks'. It's amazing how we can forget basic lessons we learned in the past and today I forgot to overspray with the colour being masked - such as white - before spraying on the black. Then I compounded the issue by trying to 'touch up' - and to add insult to injury I still tried to spray aluminium - without learning my lesson. The result is I've completely messed up the undersides of all three aircraft. I'm of for a quiet sulk now - see you soon Steve 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Fantastic progress mate! Can't help with the underside questions I'm afraid, but the motorcycles do look rather good. Turning out to be a compelling triple build. All the best Ben 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephLalor Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 On 3/2/2019 at 8:38 PM, BIG X said: A quick question - do we agree this is camo pattern B... I am going off the dark flash on the tail and hopefully because it has an 'even' serial number. I know the serial isn't a 100 percent guarantee - so I'm hoping the tail marking will confirm it. Thanks in advance - Steve I'd say pattern B too, going by the dark patch on the rudder and also those on the port wing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 On 04/03/2019 at 22:33, DaveWilko said: IIRC,Paul Klipch's Spitfire was excavated by the "Time Team" some years ago. Pat Learmond's Spitfire exploded in flames as the formation was bounced by the Messerschmitts(Bob Tuck got the leader). By a strange coincidence,when Peter Cazenove was shot down(P9374 24th May 1940)and had belly landed on the Calais beach, whilst walking along the beach, he happened upon the wreckage of Learmond's aircraft,no trace of the pilot was found only a badly burnt and melted parachute harness buckle......... Another name that surfaced in Bob Tuck's book(Fly for your life)as shot down on 23rd of May is "Flight Sergeant Wooder" also seen to be going down in flames. However,in 92's operations book for that day,there is no mention of a Flight Sergeant Wooder,only the names you mention above. A fine job Sir on the aircraft of a true hero. Just a bit of an update on this post from Dave Wilko - The reason Samford Tuck wasn't a 'Great Escaper' was that a week or two before the escape a number of prominent members of the 'X' organization and 'suspect characters' were removed from the North Compound - where the tunnel 'HARRY' was nearing completion. Apparently Tuck was lined up up to 'buddy up' with BIG X - as an escaping pair. This plan was scuppered and Roger teamed up with Bernard Scheidhauer. Scheidhauer was born in August 1921 and was a French pilot before becoming a member of the Free French Air Force serving in the UK. On 18 November 1942 he was returning to England following a raid in Bayeux France. He was flying his Spitfire (Supermarine Spitfire Vb EN830/NX-X) over Jersey when he ran out of fuel and crash landed in a field belonging to Dielament Manor, a short distance from a farm owned by the Binet family. The aircraft had been hit by anti-aircraft fire and its fuel limes were damaged, so that he ran out of fuel and was forced to crash land, wheels up, just missing a herd of cows. He initially thought that he was on the Isle of Wight and wanted to return to base, but when he was told where he was, he wanted to destroy the plane to stop it falling into enemy hands. As no petrol was available it proved impossible to destroy the plane. Lewis Binet was aged 18 at the time and had been with his father Philip at a neighbouring farm making “black butter.” He said he left his father around 4pm to return to his farm to tend to the cattle. On the way back he saw a Spitfire circulating overhead with its engine misfiring, as if running out of fuel. He saw the Spitfire land in a neighbouring field of turnips and he ran towards to it. As he got closer he saw the pilot get out of the plane, unhurt and walk towards him. On meeting they shook hands and were having had a general chat in which Binet wanted to know how the war was going. Scheidhauer had a good understanding of English. They were soon joined by a group of neighbouring farmers with everyone in high spirits as they gathered round the plane, which was undamaged. Surprisingly it took some time before a German soldier with a rifle appeared. He spoke good English and told the group that they were free to talk but as soon as his senior officers came they would have to go and leave the pilot with him. Soon after a number of soldiers arrived and took him away. After his capture Scheidhauer was sent to Stalag Luft III, which was a high security prisoner of war camp for airmen, deemed to be escape proof. Of the 76 who escaped only three reached their destination. It could be said that Scheidhauer was unfortunate to have been teamed up with Bushell, who had been threatened with death should he again attempt to escape. It is evident that whoever was captured with Bushell was likely to be shot with him. Hitler was so enraged by the escape that he ordered that 50 of the escapees be rounded up and shot, in total disregard of the Geneva Convention. Bernard Scheidhauer’s landing and short stay in Jersey is recognised, with due thanks to Ian Le Sueur who was responsible for erecting a memorial dedicated to him. The Memorial which is some 300 yards away from the initial landing was unveiled by Scheidhauer’s sister on 17 September 1999. Over 300 people attended the service, including Free French Air Force veterans. It is believed that Scheidhauer and Roger Bushell were taken to a quiet clearing in the woods and shot in the back of their heads. Their bodies were cremated without dignity and all evidence of their existence obliterated. Because the crashed aircraft was relatively undamaged, it was taken to Germany, where trials were carried out to assess its capabilities in relation to contemporary front-line German fighters. Once it was fully repaired the Germans went about assessing it and it’s Merlin 45 engine comparing it to previous captured Spitfire marks and to their own Bf109 and Fw190 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was painted in Luftwaffe test markings in order to avoid any frontline Luftwaffe pilot mistaking it for an RAF machine and attacking it. Once these tests were completed talk turned to assessing how the aircraft would handle with a German engine installed. The project was given the go-ahead in early 1944. The aim of the experiment was to establish whether the engine would dramatically improve the aircraft’s performance to the point beyond that of the Luftwaffe’s fighter. By the time this Franken-Spitfire had been properly tested the original material was already out of date with the Spitfire V having been replaced by the Spitfire IX. The experiment came to an end on 14 August 1944 when the aircraft was destroyed in a US air raid. The captured Spitfire in Luftwaffe markings, and, below, re-engined by the Germans. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Nice to get some background on these!👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 12, 2019 Author Share Posted March 12, 2019 I was feeling a 'little under the weather' yesterday - sore throat / runny nose / sneezing / coughing / glandy /aching all over - not pleasant for me or the folks in the office. So I made an 'executive decision' to take a day off. I must need it as I've only just got dressed and I feel like pooh... But I mustn't waste the day - so I'm going to have a bit of a blitz on the Spits. Daylight is burning as they say... Steve 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 1 hour ago, BIG X said: I was feeling a 'little under the weather' yesterday - sore throat / runny nose / sneezing / coughing / glandy /aching all over - not pleasant for me or the folks in the office. So I made an 'executive decision' to take a day off. I must need it as I've only just got dressed and I feel like pooh... But I mustn't waste the day - so I'm going to have a bit of a blitz on the Spits. Daylight is burning as they say... Steve executive decision......😁 just don't get distracted by crap (sorry CASH) in the attic or any of the other spiffing offerings on daytime tv 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 12, 2019 Author Share Posted March 12, 2019 21 minutes ago, Lawzer said: executive decision......😁 just don't get distracted by crap (sorry CASH) in the attic or any of the other spiffing offerings on daytime tv Damn... I better turn NASA's Unexplained Files off and get some work done 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 32 minutes ago, BIG X said: Damn... I better turn NASA's Unexplained Files off and get some work done But then they'll never be explained! 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted March 12, 2019 Author Share Posted March 12, 2019 Well after a dose of 'Bargain Hunt' - followed by 'Tat in the Attic' I have to say I am a bit 'icky'... Still I did get some work done - the IP decals - such a simple task - fought me all the way... Then it was time for etched seatbelts for the 2 versions without a pilot... OMG - WHAT A DRAMA... I can't remember what I paid for them - but after the hassle I had - they should be paying me After all that - I needed a lie down... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I do hope its Temporary Steve. I wish you a quick and speedy recovery. The Spitfire offices are looking great so far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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