German Spitfire MkIXc

[Adam Poultney]

So I had an Airfix Supermarine Spitfire MkIXc lying around that I picked up in May at the Hinckley model show, a 10 minute walk from home. If you know anything about this kit, it's from the early days of new Airfix, so the detail is somewhat lacking. The cockpit is better than their Bf109G6 as it at least has a floor, basic seat, back wall and instrument panel. There's even a gun sight included. However, all these 'details' are vague and inaccurate, there's not even an instrument decal included and the kit is missing a control stick entirely. 

Must say, the box art is the best part of the kit.

The schemes the kit comes with include one in desert camouflage and one in D Day invasion stripes. These are two schemes missing from my spitfire collection at present. I was considering the D Day one, but decided to do something different with the kit.... 

Anyways, on with the build!

 

Construction started with....... Ok well maybe I got a bit carried away and forgot to take many photos...

The cockpit and very basic interior was given a coat of Vallejo interior green over a black primer.

Then the wings and fuselage were assembled, fit isn't perfect but it's acceptable for certain. Filler and sanding followed. A few places needed repairing due to the thick sprue gates on the parts. 

The model was given a two colour coat of primer, black on the upper surfaces and white on the underside and nose. Then I got carried away again.... I love building spitfires, even though I prefer other subjects as the finished model, the Spitfire is hard to beat in pure enjoyment when building.

This is a semi historical build, so it's an almost 'what-if'. I'm not modelling a specific aircraft, just a reasonable interpretation of what a newly captured MkIXc would look like.

RLM 04 was applied first, and masked off.... With yellow tape.... Yeah, bad idea. RLM 70 was then applied over the remaining surfaces. All Vallejo paints. 

My preshade also failed, so I did something different, I mixed. RLM 70 with white to replicate the effect and painted it over the pure 70. I then added the rest of the tailplane that I had left off to simplify the masking process.

The RLM 04 sections were unmasked and the prop painted in RLM 70 with the hairy stick. Vallejo's RLM 70 Model Air paint applies beautifully with a brush.

So far the masking appears to have worked....

Seems to have worked under here....

I love the colour of RLM 04

Oh I left some tape on.... (Yeah these pictures aren't in the right order)

It's not tape..... I knew masking yellow with yellow tape was a bad idea...........

Arrrggghh!!!!!!!

Edited October 13, 2019 by Adam Poultney

[Adam Poultney]

Idk what went on with the title, I fixed it though

[Thom216]

At least it's an open area in which to repair. Could be lots worse!

 

Interesting subject, and odd how good the Spit looks in those colors.

[opus999]

I like this subject! Too bad the early new Airfix Spitfire was sub-par (I recently suffered through their Bf-109G-6 -- but I went into it eyes wide open having read some reviews).  I have an Airfix Mk.Ia and an Airfix Mk. 22 (both 1/72), and both of their cockpits seem vastly improved from what you describe here. I think they're both well detailed for being less-expensive kits.

[JosephLalor]

This'll be attractive.  JBr Decals do a sheet for Rosarius Spitfire IX T9+TK.

 

I actually like this kit, despite it being mid '70s in internal details.

Edited October 13, 2019 by JosephLalor

[Adam Poultney]

38 minutes ago, Thom216 said:

At least it's an open area in which to repair. Could be lots worse!

 

Interesting subject, and odd how good the Spit looks in those colors.

Almost like it had a German wing design.....

 

I made a start on fixing the masking mess up by lightly sanding down the paint, it will need respraying soon

 

23 minutes ago, opus999 said:

I like this subject! Too bad the early new Airfix Spitfire was sub-par (I recently suffered through their Bf-109G-6 -- but I went into it eyes wide open having read some reviews).  I have an Airfix Mk.Ia and an Airfix Mk. 22 (both 1/72), and both of their cockpits seem vastly improved from what you describe here. I think they're both well detailed for being less-expensive kits.

I too did the Bf109G6 recently, it's inaccurate but falls together nice enough. I'll find my build and link it.

I've built 3 (4 if you count my second or maybe third ever model) of Airfix's Mkia kit, in one form or another. One is an OOB Mkia (DW K), then I did a Mkiia (EB Z) and a Mki (DL N) which used after market decals. It's a great little kit, especially being so cheap. 

I've also built their PRXIX, which is so easy to put together I had it done in under 12 hours from starting to final touches.

 

[Adam Poultney]

1 minute ago, JosephLalor said:

This'll be attractive.  JBr Decals do a sheet for Rosarius Spitfire IX T9+TK.

I doubt I have the yellow bits right to start doing a real example. This is just something to make an otherwise substandard kit stand out, so I'm just going semi-historical with no aircraft codes applied.

[JosephLalor]

Indeed, no harm in doing this one your way for fun.  You can always take another approach on a later model if you wish.

[opus999]

4 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

it's inaccurate but falls together nice enough

I agree.  It's early in the morning here, so I'm not fully awake.  I should've said that I suffered through the inaccuracies of the BF-109G kit -- building the kit was actually a lot of fun as it fit together so well.

 

5 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

especially being so cheap. 

 Mine had a "50% off" sticker on it at the LHS so I picked it up.  For a whopping $3.50!

[Adam Poultney]

Bit of work tonight, decals from various sources in my folder of spares (yes my decal collection is organised in a folder)

The upper wing and fuselage balkenkreuzes came from an Airfix Bf109G6 (RFI on that kit just posted yesterday, in the Swiss scheme). The swastikas came from my xtradecal (I think) set and the underwing balkenkruizes- which are huuuuge- came from a Revell He70.

I don't care if these are remotely the right size, I love the comically huge markings. I also painted the wheel wells in grey.

The masking error is now sorted, a light sand, a bit of yellow and a wash in Citadel Nuln Oil fixed it.

Engine exhausts were also added.

Next up, the landing gear, matt coat and weathering. Don't think I'm going to do any more tonight as I'm sitting down watching TV enjoying a good glass of beer.

[Adam Poultney]

Bit of light weathering

Darkened by a wash of Nuln Oil

[Marklo]

Lovely work, I don't think it's a million miles from the real thing, I keep meaning to build the one that had a Daimler  Benz engine fitted. Apparently performance was superior.

 

On a semi related note Aldi are doing Airfix starter kits again ( at least in Ireland) time to bag another few dozen spitfires ?

Edited November 9, 2019 by Marklo

[Walter]

On 15/10/2019 at 07:58, Adam Poultney said:

Bit of work tonight, decals from various sources in my folder of spares (yes my decal collection is organised in a folder)

The upper wing and fuselage balkenkreuzes came from an Airfix Bf109G6 (RFI on that kit just posted yesterday, in the Swiss scheme). The swastikas came from my xtradecal (I think) set and the underwing balkenkruizes- which are huuuuge- came from a Revell He70.

I don't care if these are remotely the right size, I love the comically huge markings. I also painted the wheel wells in grey.

The masking error is now sorted, a light sand, a bit of yellow and a wash in Citadel Nuln Oil fixed it.

Engine exhausts were also added.

Next up, the landing gear, matt coat and weathering. Don't think I'm going to do any more tonight as I'm sitting down watching TV enjoying a good glass of beer.

This post is hilarious, semi historical build you say.... I like it.