FROG Penguin Spitfire Mk 1 Restoration. Cat. 47P

[TonyW]

Here's one I've been saving for this Group Build.

 

From 1939, One FROG Penguin Spitfire Mk 1.

 

It's a previously built model, stripped down for restoration. I've been itching to restore it but thought it would be perfect for this Group Build. Now it gets its chance.

 

 

I'm kicking off with this one as it's in very good condition with next to no distortion of the parts, and the parts are all there as well!

This is a bit rare with most restoration Penguins, there's usually all kinds of warping to deal with and parts to source or re-create. I got lucky with this one. It's got no paint to remove and there's minimal glue marks.

The canopy is usable, if not mint.

I need to either print, paint or find roundels and a serial number for the fuselage sides. The early roundels all have that very attractive yellow outer ring on them. Sticking with an early version means I  don't have to find codes, the first kits released didn't have any. The later issues with red/blue roundels had codes. 

It will be built as a Penguin Spitfire, rather than an accurate scale model. Minimal additions, all in period. The sand and spinach cammo will be mixed from primary colours as authentics were a while away from this kit.

 

I'm going to really enjoy this one.

 

Here's another Penguin Spit, a Mk XII,  that won't be getting built. A shame really as a built late model Spitfire alongside a built Mk1 would look the mutts nuts. It's only mint and boxed once though, it won't be me that builds this one. It's a post war kit, around 1946 or so. 

 

 

 

The early days of FROG have a bit of a hold on me. My pockets aren't deep enough to really get involved with the Penguin side of things. I can run to restorable models though and hopefully a few will make an appearance over the course of the Group Build.

 

Tony.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2019 by TonyW

[Rabbit Leader]

We can always rely on you Tony to unearth the impossible, so thanks for sharing this build / restoration with us here. This Penguin kit is where our fantastic hobby all began so it's just so right to have something like this on display for the world to view.

 

You really ought to consider opening a Modelling Museum, it would pay for itself quickly and preserve a significant part of our rich 20th Century history. 

 

Cheers and big thanks.. Dave 

[Jinxman]

I'll be dropping in, as and when if you don't mind?

 

The history of 'plastic' modelling possibly started with these kind of projects - those two kits certainly have something about them.

[TonyW]

  While we wait for the GB to start, a bit of background info to Penguin restoration wouldn't go amiss.

 

I mention above about the way Penguin kits can distort a bit.

The early plastic used was certainly unstable and it's unusual to find an example without some sort of warping or bending. It gets complicated as the warping can go in any direction, fore and aft, side to side and up and down, sometimes all on the same part!

 

Here's a restored Lysander next to one waiting its turn...

 

 

... check out the wings on the unpainted one!

 

And here's a couple of shots of a rather bent Hampden. The wing roots on this one are going to be hard work. The curve to the fuselage is an easy fix.

 

 

 

It's not a pretty sight.  Repair is possible though. Clamping the part back to straightness using whatever gets the job done, then heating the part followed by cooling it and repeating that as often as it takes to get things in order. The repeated temperature cycles seem to reset the plastic, even after all these years.

 It's very difficult to straighten wings when they take on a curve, as seen from above, not so hard to flatten out when seen from dead ahead.  All this takes time but it very satisfying when it works. 

 

Another thing to take into account is the finish of the model. Factory built models could be in bare brown plastic with green cammo over that or both colours painted. Factory finishes were to a high standard, they were also twice the price of a do it yourself kit!

 

Here's a factory built Hurricane, with both colours painted on. The underside is very neatly done in the black and white split early war scheme.

 

 

Sometimes when restoring, you get lucky and the paintwork is OK, most times there's paint needed to smarten things up a bit. How far to go though? A full paintjob, or a bit of matching? There's no hard and fast rule here and I like to do enough to make a restoration presentable without loosing the origins of the kit. Each model has different needs.

 

The MkI Spitfire above should, in theory, be a straight forward job. I'll see how that one turns out, then maybe have a pop at something a bit more involved.

 

Onward and upwards!

 

Tony.

Edited May 27, 2019 by TonyW

[bigbadbadge]

Wow Tony, the Lysander and Hampden look a bit daunting . The restored Lysander looks absolutely lovely. Good luck with the Spitfire .

All the best

Chris

[Rabbit Leader]

And I thought my banana fuselage Canberra was going to be an issue! That’s looks like tough work, however the end result would certainly make for a rewarding experience. Best of luck with these Tony, the BM membership will be all supporting you. 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

[stevehnz]

An interesting thread here Tony & one I will watch for sure. This would be as much as I've ever read about the Penguins, they obviously could look the goods, the Hurricane is a better looking shape than early Airfix ones (& a later one.  ) & the Spitfire you're going to build looks a better shape than the original Airfix BT-K. What sort of plastic are these & what sort of glue do you use, I'm guessing not polystyrene?

Steve. 

[TonyW]

5 hours ago, stevehnz said:

An interesting thread here Tony & one I will watch for sure. This would be as much as I've ever read about the Penguins, they obviously could look the goods, the Hurricane is a better looking shape than early Airfix ones (& a later one.  ) & the Spitfire you're going to build looks a better shape than the original Airfix BT-K. What sort of plastic are these & what sort of glue do you use, I'm guessing not polystyrene?

Steve. 

Peter Van Lunes book on the subject is the ultimate Penguin history and guide. A labour of love by the author and well worth a read if the subject interests you.

 

The BT-K Spitfire is light years away from the FROG one in terms of accuracy. The Airfix kit was also a line for line copy of the Aurora 1.48 scale kit! Airfix were a toy manufacturer at the time though, it was only their runaway success that got them moving towards doing a better job with their models. That and possibly a lawyers letter or two. The Airfix Gladiator looked the part and was released around the same time.

 

Polystyrene glue won't work. The plastic is a form of acetate, a bit like early Monogram kits although a fair bit harder. The early Monogram kits are also prone to warping.

Acetate will dissolve the plastic and fix it well. Balsa cement contains acetate and works as does superglue. 

 

Tony.

Edited May 28, 2019 by TonyW

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Is it bakelite plastic ? If memory serves that has a tendency to warp over time like wood ? 

[TonyW]

Not Bakelite, Cellulose Acetate, another early plastic. It certainly does warp!!

 

Here's a Wellington that has departed from straightness...

 

 

 

And here's a Dornier wing being shown the path to straightness again. Clamp it, heat it, cool it, repeat until straight. Then move on to the other wing. I use the brass as a heat sink and put the clamped wing onto a radiator for a few hours then put it in the freezer for an hour and repeat as necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2019 by TonyW

[TonyW]

The accuracy issues mentioned above got me reaching for a 1940 copy of Aircraft of the Fighting Powers to do a bit of comparison. I like to use what was available at any given time for my builds and restorations. This includes paint and glue as well as references. That's a lot easier for sixties and seventies kits, a bit more involved with earlier stuff. It's all the more enjoyable to me when period sources are found though.

 

Laying out the kit parts over the Spitfire II plan in the AFP volume see's things pretty close. There's a tiny bit of warp to the fuselage that stops it following the plan more closely. Once that is dealt with the plane and plan will be very close.

 

 

A further dig around found a contemporary head on photo that shows the cammo pattern well.

Setting that against the FROG plan and it can be seen that they nailed that one as well.

 

 

Colours used are a bit harder. Wills Whiffs to the rescue! It's not much, but it's a start.

 

 

This is all good news to me. I have a nearly straight and complete model to start with, and the period references show it to be accurate enough not to look foolish once done. Result!

 

Tony.

Edited May 29, 2019 by TonyW

[Ventora3300]

3 hours ago, TonyW said:

The accuracy issues mentioned above got me reaching for a 1940 copy of Aircraft of the Fighting Powers to do a bit of comparison. I like to use what was available at any given time for my builds and restorations. This includes paint and glue as well as references. That's a lot easier for sixties and seventies kits, a bit more involved with earlier stuff. It's all the more enjoyable to me when period sources are found though.

 

Laying out the kit parts over the Spitfire II plan in the AFP volume see's things pretty close. There's a tiny bit of warp to the fuselage that stops it following the plan more closely. Once that is dealt with the plane and plan will be very close.

 

 

A further dig around found a contemporary head on photo that shows the cammo pattern well.

Setting that against the FROG plan and it can be seen that they nailed that one as well.

 

 

Colours used are a bit harder. Wills Whiffs to the rescue! It's not much, but it's a start.

 

 

This is all good news to me. I have a nearly straight and complete model to start with, and the period references show it to be accurate enough not to look foolish once done. Result!

 

Tony.

Tony, I'm extremely impressed by your demonstration that you have all this excellent restoration work 'in hand' on the Penguin range - this must be your calling and career! You've mentioned one of the aspects that I thought was true about the older / vintage kits from any manufacturer and that was that surely it must be good in terms of accuracy given that they were produced nearer to the actual point in history when the subjects were alive and kicking? I am hoping that this is one of the things that we will get to appreciate about the original Frog kit designers - they got it right!

[John Masters]

Truly fascinating!

[TonyW]

I'm putting this one on hold for a while, I have a few later kits all on the go together and somehow I'm struggling getting my mindset right for the jump in timescales with the builds. I approach thirties modelling slightly differently to seventies builds.

 

I'm a bloke, I can't multitask!!

 

I'll be back on this one, and probably another Penguin or two once I've got the existing builds out of the way.

 

Tony.

[Johnson]

Tony,

 

This is an absolutely fascinating read. As someone who's spent more time than he should (and more money!) on plastic models, this glimpse of the early days is great.

 

I always assumed that in the scene in the film Battle of Britain, where Sgt Pilot Andy Moore (Ian McShane) gives his kids models of Spitfires, the 1/72 plastic model would have been wrong. But maybe not (I hope I remember the scene correctly!)

 

And the origins of the 1/72 scale...

 

On 5/29/2019 at 6:59 AM, TonyW said:

The accuracy issues mentioned above got me reaching for a 1940 copy of Aircraft of the Fighting Powers to do a bit of comparison

 

The model fits the diagram... which may not be a coincidence?

 

Charlie

Edited June 25, 2019 by Johnson

[TonyW]

The early days of model making push all my buttons Charlie, Modellers were every bit as keen as now but had far fewer references or supplies to hand. The aftermarket soon sprang up though and things picked up speed year on year. Fascinating stuff, and hopefully I'll be adding a bit of a taste during the Group Build.

 

Tony.

[malpaso]

Charlie,

 

Aircraft of the Fighting Powers drawings were 1/72 because that was the British standard aircraft modelling scale.  Frog Penguins, Airyda, Grace, Chingford etc followed the leader Skybirds.  Even the USNavy when they started their recognition model program after 7 Dec 1941.  Skybirds were so popular, their UK club was bigger than the current entire world IPMS many times over.  Skybirds were 1/72 because their designer James Hay Stevens decided to halve the scale of planes he built for himself (some of these still exist), which were 1/36 (not that unusual scale at the time).  At the same time as starting Skybirds, he wrote a book called Scale Model Aircraft with instructions and plans for 1/72.  This was 1932 and he was only 19!

 

Sorry TonyW,  I'm sure you know all this!

 

One day I will restore the Skybirds I've acquired, though the newest must be at least 21 years older than me - so I better show proper respect!

 

Cheers 

Will

[TonyW]

Thanks Will, that saved me a bit of writing!

It will take a bit of creative posting, but I'm sure that between us we can sneak a Skybird or two into the thread somehow.
 

I'll have to get cracking and finish the seventies builds I have on the go at the moment, the early stuff it what really floats my boat to be honest. The trouble is, once I get into whatever period I'm building from, I struggle to then change era's. I'm also inclined to get a bit over exited at the start of a Group Build!

 

So many kits, so little time...

 

Tony.

[Grandboof]

Awesome effort  I wonder if a restoration GB would have any merit 

Martin H

[bigbadbadge]

Wow, very interesting stuff indeed. Can't wait to see the early Spitfire kit on the go.

All the best

Chris

[TonyW]

The Spitfire returns!

 

The restoration proper started this morning after my Blenheim build hit a wall. The canopy framing on that one was starting to wear me down, so as a change of pace and scenery I thought I would get back on the Spitfires case.

 

Here's the kind of warping that is all too common with old Penguin kits...

 

 

... this one's not too bad at all!

 

One way to remove the warping, and the method I like, is to clamp the parts to a bit of metal and sit the thing on a radiator for a few hours. The hot bar and kit parts are then put in the freezer for an hour or two and the process repeated as often as it takes to straighten the parts.

 

The rudder is cast as one part on the port side and so sticks out a bit, preventing the port fuselage half clamping flat as it is. The solution is to use a bit of thin brass butted against the rudder to bring things flush This can now be clamped to another bit of heavier metal and the heating/cooling cycle started.

 

 

The starboard side just needs clamping as it's all flat on the joining edge.

 

 

Next up will be the wings. They need a bit of flattening to get them usable. There is also a sink mark on each top surface caused by the wheel well on the undersides. It's possible perhaps to heat and push the wing well back into flatness but I've checked the plan showing the cammo, and both sunken topside areas are painted green. This means I can get away with a bit of filler here, which will speed things up a lot.

I'll be trying to keep the brown plastic areas as they are, with no paint. Factory built models came this way and the colour is quite distinctive, you can spot a Penguin build quite easily this way. To keep things in period I'm going to follow suit. There's a possibility that I wont be able to finish the kit in bare plastic to a high enough standard if filler is needed at the wing roots for instance. If that happens, the brown areas will get painted.

 

More as it happens....

 

Tony.

Edited July 19, 2019 by TonyW

[JOCKNEY]

Really delighted this one has reached the front of the queue to be restored. 

 

It's like having Frog royalty join the GB

 

Look forward to the next instalment 

 

Cheers Pat 

[TonyW]

It took three hot/cold cycles to get the Spitfire fuselage nice and flat. The wings went along for the ride and are also straight now. So far, so good.

 

 

The port fuselage side is fine, the starboard has a bit of a bannana going on, with the nose rising somewhat.

 

 

A bit more worrying is the different lengths of each half! From the tail to the cockpit, everything is fine. The two cowl areas don't meet at the prop though!

 

 

I need to get both halves in line with each other first, then see how to start joining them.

Logic says fit the tail together as far as the cockpit and then start the hot and cold treatment to get the cowl in line. That does leave a short nose though.

If I start at the nose and then try to move things about at the tail end I'm likely to hit fit issues around the rudder area. The thinner plastic at the tail end will be easier to re-shape though.

I'm leaning toward fixing the tail first, as the plan further up in the thread shows the nose in green. That may well come in handy if I need to extend the nose area, filler will be hidden by the cammo.

I'll be matching the plane up to the Aircraft of the Fighting Powers plan and deciding how to continue from there.

 

Onward and Upward!

 

Tony.

[TonyW]

The Spitfire got a bit of attention today. 

 

The sunken areas on the wing tops have been filled and will be smoothed out once the filler has dried. The fuselage halves have had the forward areas packed with Milliput to assist gluing that end together with as strong a bond as possible. I've decided to heat and bend the rear fuselage into shape, rather than attempt the same thing with the nose.

 

The wing to fuselage and tail to fuselage joints are next up for attention, followed by a bit of assembly! 

 

I have two original canopies to choose from, both have a bit of a bend in them. I'll use the better of the pair as is, the clear plastic is rather brittle and I don't fancy my chances of successfully straightening either of them. A smash molded canopy would be easy enough to knock out, the shape is a simple as it gets but I want to use an original, warts and all. There's a danger of going too far with a restoration and loosing the models origin.

 

Here's the plane as it is at the moment. The bits of brass in one half are to hold things nice and straight, the other half will be modified to follow the shape of this one.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by TonyW

[Jinxman]

Lovely to see one of these type of kits being restored.