First Flight - 5th March 1936 - CMR Type 300 - *!*!* FINISHED *!*!*

[Johnson]

Hooray - I can open the kit at last!

 

 

 

I bought the kit in 2006 when it came out. It looks really nice. Good panel lines, lovely gull wing profile and the wings look great with very good detail in the wheel wells. But as you may be able to see, the canopy hasn't aged very well - bright yellow! So I invested in the Falcon Spitfire canopy set (No. 41) which has a prototype canopy - but only one, so I'd better be careful cutting it out!

 

 

The kit decals weren't quite in register, so I got the Xtradecal set 075 which covers the prototype... which also aren't in perfect register .

 

 

OK, better get started! 

 

 

[Johnson]

A bit of progress, but not much.

 

We've got our daughter and grandchildren staying whilst the Covid-19 crisis goes on. Baby crying and 3 year old wanting to be pushed on the swing, which is great... but not much peace. Now I remember why I made so few kits 30 years ago!

 

I cut the resin parts from their blocks and cleaned them up. They look really good and the dry fit hasn't revealed any parts fit horror stories (unlike the next build, CMR's Mk.24).

 

 

A few gaps around the wings, nothing too bad. This is from an old thread (K5054 in 1:48 post Paragon (RIP) By Mike, October 11, 2011 in Interwar) and has an excellent post by Edgar Brooks;

  

On 10/12/2011 at 4:28 PM, Edgar said:

The best source for the wing panel lines is Harry Robinson's drawing in Alfred Price's "The Spitfire Story"; "clinker built" was how Michell's son described it. The shape of the upper cowling was more rounded than later airframes; the wingtips were not separate; there was no starboard inspection hatch; there was no transport joint in front of the tailplane; elevator trim tab pushrods were underneath, not on top as in all other airframes; impossible to tell from photos, but control surfaces might have been metal, rather than fabric, covered; pilot's seat was metal, and had no cartridge rack on the front; there was no armour on the headrest or behind the seat; there was no radio, or mast; there was no gunsight; there was no underwing pitot; the u/c retraction was the original push/pull type; there were no destructor buttons on the starboard cockpit wall; the joystick had no gun button; the compass was mounted in the instrument panel, not under it; the rudder pedals had only one crossbar; can't tell, for sure, but there might have been no oxygen.

Edgar

No problems there. The shape and panel layout conforms exactly to Harry Robinson's drawing, presumably what CMR used as it's the best reference.

 

 

Next for me is the cockpit and the ever ongoing question about the colour it might have been! Here's the only photo I know of;

 

 

Another excellent Edgar reference from K5054 By Monty Python, October 31, 2011 in Interwar;

On 10/31/2011 at 7:15 PM, Monty Python said:

1) Cockpit interior is Eau de Nil and not interior grey/green. Correct?

  

On 10/31/2011 at 8:28 PM, Edgar said:

1/. Probably not; it's likely to be the same (Supermarine's own?) interior green as used in the S6B, which is what Humbrol's 90 used to be, before it was "got at." Apparently Revell are advocating a mix of 75% Himmelblau + 25% Bronzegrau (that came from a fellow non-German-speaking friend, so I haven't a clue if it's spelt correctly, neither do I know the paint numbers, but he reckons it's about one shade darker than 90.)

 

Years later, in the same thread, someone asks exactly the same question! But receives a slightly different answer from Edgar;

On 3/1/2013 at 12:35 AM, Jennings Heilig said:

1) Cockpit interior is Eau de Nil and not interior grey/green. Correct?

  

On 3/1/2013 at 8:17 PM, Edgar said:

Actually unknown, but unlikely; going by photos (yes, I know) the cockpit of the S6B matches the green I saw in an early Mk.I; this begs the question, in between those two, would Supermarine have switched to a different colour, just for a prototype?

I've found a rather small S6B cockpit photo on the web;

 

 

I have to say that it looks fairly like 'interior green' to me. Anyone know if this is what Humbrol 90 used to look like? Is the seat the same green or NMF?

 

Cheers,

 

Edited April 13, 2020 by Johnson
More stuff

[stevej60]

Great to see the original Spitfire being done Charlie.

[Johnson]

At last a bit of progress...

 

The CMR kit i/p is incorrectly based on the later Spitfire Mk.1. The prototype's was very different and with the help of @Mr T I've been able to scratch build a new one based on the etched version that comes with the later kit. The cockpit is also missing the seat sub-frame that I assume would have been there, so I scratched that as well. I carefully drilled and cut a slot in the very thin and brittle seat for the lap belts.

 

 

Hopefully I'll be able to get the cockpit finished this weekend, but with two little ones in the house, who knows?

 

Take care everyone and thanks for looking,

[Mr T]

Coming on nicely and I am glad the panel worked. So far I have cleaned the major parts and put a coat of primer and my chosen interior colour on and added the photo etch to the cockpit. It does look as if it fits well. My kit is in a dark grey-green resin which is quite hard BTW. 

[Johnson]

Painted the cockpit but I'm not really satisfied with the colour.

 

 

We have no real idea what the cockpit colour actually was apart from Edgar Brook's analysis that it would probably have been the same as the other Supermarine cockpits of the era, i.e. the S6 series racers, something similar to Eau de Nil. Edgar said this was the same as Humbrol 90, which is no longer available. 

 

Anyway, it should be a lot lighter so I'll have another go.

[PeterB]

Hi Charlie,

 

I have an ancient tin of Humbrol Authentic "Duck Egg Green" which still works. I wonder if the "original" Hu 90 was something like that, rather than the current version which might be a little closer to "Sky". I do sometimes wonder why Airfix never added a "Sky" to their paint range along with the newer Luftwaffe and other colours in the "200" range, but then they still suggest using Hu29 and Hu 30 for the top colours.

 

Incidentally I read on another forum that Hu 90 was originallyproduced at the same time as the Airfix 1/24 Spit and formulated specifically to match it.

 

Pete

Edited April 19, 2020 by PeterB

[Johnson]

Hi Pete

1 hour ago, PeterB said:

I have an ancient tin of Humbrol Authentic "Duck Egg Green" which still works.

I have some Humbrol Authentic HB5 Sky Type S (which I'm assuming is lighter than Duck Egg Green). Which still looks OK, quite amazing its been in the paint box for what? 40 years? If I mix that with some Humbrol Authentic 158 'Interior Green'... Might that be close?

[Johnson]

Cockpit painted #2

 

 

Much happier with the colour, whether its right... I'd need a time machine to be sure.

 

I'll highlight the throttle quadrant and other bits in black. I think the box under the trim wheel is supposed to be a map case, as seen on the Mk.1, which I doubt was there on the prototype. A little bit of wash to give the ribs etc some depth but not much weathering as the plane hadn't actually been flown yet.

 

Cheers,

[Johnson]

Hi Folks,

 

I've taken the cockpit components about as far as I can.

 

The boxes and controls have been painted black with a light dry brush highlight and the greenish panels got a very thin dark wash to bring out the depth and detail a bit. The colour got a bit washed out in the photos, the pics above are a better representation.

 

I added a couple of under carriage controls made from stretched sprue on the starboard side and a throttle lever on the port.

 

The i/p is home made based on @Mr T's etched CMR i/p, and the only photo of the prototype. I'm guessing that the seat would have been unpainted (too early for the red/brown bakelite seats).

 

The seatbelts are Eduard's 'early RAF' and are steel which is far easier to bend and fix than the old brass ones. That's the good thing about them, but I didn't like their pre-painted colour and gave the fabric a coat of Tamiya 'Flat Earth'.

 

 

 

 

 

A dry placement just to see if they fit OK.

 

 

Next up is to join the fuselage halves together. Not having done resin before, I'm slightly apprehensive about this and think the best way will be to join them in sections, first the rear lower, then the front lower, etc, holding the rest with tape until they are fixed.

 

When the fuselage is joined, then the seat and i/p frames will be inserted. Or that's the plan! 

 

Cheers,

Edited April 26, 2020 by Johnson
More info

[Mr T]

My fuselage halves were quite flexible and some care was needed to make sure everything aligned. Doing it in stages is a good plan and it was I did and I still managed to get a bit of misalignment on the upper rear fuselage. 

[John Masters]

Crossed fingers!  This is looking sharp Charlie.  

[Johnson]

OK, the fuselage is all buttoned up, the wings and tailplanes on. Phew. You only get one chance with cryo/resin (I didn't use an inhibitor) so pre-planning the bond was essential.

 

The internal cockpit stuff; frames and bulkheads etc, is very tight to the floor (the wing under the fuselage) and I had to shave some off them to get the wings on.

 

 

 

I'm using cryo glue mixed with talc to do the filling which I'd only read about here on BM and it works really well and seems just right for resin which is quite a hard plastic.

 

I can now say I'm actually enjoying making this kit. CMR have captured the lines of the spit very well (it fits the plans I have OK), they have made good use of the one-piece wing with a paper thin skin above the wheel wells. The parts fit was mostly very good and I didn't have to use much filler, just a bit in the wing roots and where there had been bubbles in the resin. I did however have to build up the front of the rudder quite a bit with the same cryo/talc mix to get a good fit.

 

I guess next will be a coat of primer and I'm going to give Mr Surfacer a try, 1200 or 1500 - I haven't which decided yet. I'd have thought 1200, but the panel detail is quite fine, so 1500 might be better? Any advice gratefully received! More unexplored territory!

 

Cheers, 

[Johnson]

First attempt with Mr Surfacer 1200. Very impressed though its a bit whiffy (fully masked up to spray). Went on OK, a light wet coat which dried almost instantly and left a nice flat finish.

 

 

 

This was to see what flaws still need sorting. Some of the seams still need attention, panel lines re-scribing and the wing roots a bit of filler - and the dent.

 

Dent? The Spitfire prototype had a dent on its top port engine cowling that can be clearly seen, so I'll have to damage the model.

 

After that a (hopefully) final coat of Mr Surfacer 1500 before the real finish gets applied.

 

Thanks for looking, cheers,

[Cookenbacher]

I'm late to the party on this one Charlie. I've been looking forward to this build since you mentioned it in the chat before the STGB started, and it does not disappoint!

[Johnson]

Today I cleaned up the flaws that the primer highlighted, re-scribed lines, added the dent, the fasteners around the engine cowls.

 

Then a respray with Mr Finishing Surfacer 1500... and got a crap orange peel effect . Nothing like the nice smooth surface I got yesterday with Mr Surfacer 1200. Tried various amounts of thinner and pressures, all with much the same result. Maybe it just isn't a good idea to do 2 coats? Finally rubbed it down with 1200 wet & dry and now back to a smooth finish, hopefully will be OK.

 

Alclad aluminium tomorrow! There's a lot of masking coming up to get the finish I want, and we know what fun that can be!

 

Can't wait .

[Johnson]

Hi Folks,

 

Hope you're all well and enjoying the weekend. I can't tell the difference !

 

Light rub down with 1200 Wet&Dry got rid of the bobbly orange peel effect;

 

 

And a coat of Alclad aluminium. Went on really well, light coats so as not to soften the primer. Possibly a bit grainy?

 

 

Next up will be masking and some dark aluminium on various fuselage panels. But I'll leave the aluminium to harden till tomorrow so that I might just avoid the masking problems everyone seems to get with Alclad.

 

I'll have a look at the Mk.24 in the meantime.

 

Cheers,

[janneman36]

Looking good Charlie, it has a nice slick finish

 

Cheers, Jan

[Cookenbacher]

That's some fine work Charlie.

[Johnson]

Before it was painted K5054 was a patchwork of different shade aluminium panels, which I'm going to try to replicate.

 

This is just the first stage. What I'm trying to achieve here is the different shades. I've used Alclad steel for the darker ones, which is too dark, but the next stage - applying the green anodised paint - should sort that out, I hope.

 

 

As usual the masking took about 10 times longer than the painting. I let it all dry thoroughly, Alclad has quite a lot of solvent and unmasking too soon can peel off the previous layer of paint. Don't ask me how I know this .

 

 

So far, so good .  More fun tomorrow I hope.

 

Thanks for looking.

[Johnson]

'evening folks

 

More masking before the rear fuselage turns 'yucky green', the colour of the prototype as described to Edgar Brooks by a relative of R J Mitchell in about 1980.

 

I'm going to give the Alclad base coat a light coat of MRP Anodised Aluminium - thanks for suggestion @tank152

 

 

Which came out pretty much as I'd hoped . I could add more but I didn't want it too green. I'll give it a coat of clear matt when the decals are on.

 

 

 

The wings are left in Alclad Aluminium as they were thought to be polished, I could give them a coat of Polished Aluminium, but that may be a bit much? Any opinions?

 

The front engine cowlings are going to get a coat of white aluminium as that's what I think the photos show.

 

 

Something I've not been able to solve are the exhausts. On the early prototype they protrude very slightly from the cowlings, I suspect that Supermarine changed the cowlings before it received its coat of blue paint. But I'm flummoxed as to how I might do this .

 

Any suggestions, thoughts or opinions welcome!

 

Cheers,

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

13 hours ago, Johnson said:

Something I've not been able to solve are the exhausts. On the early prototype they protrude very slightly from the cowlings, I suspect that Supermarine changed the cowlings before it received its coat of blue paint. But I'm flummoxed as to how I might do this .

 

Any suggestions, thoughts or opinions welcome!

Depending on how much you want to modify the kit. You could use the Plastic tubing from a cotton swab. Drill the existing exhausts out, cut the plastic tubing to length and install. As its inserted in the exhaust opening it should take on the squashed oval shape. Something like the cotton swabs should do the trick.
 

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_menbo.jpg#mw-jump-to-license

Edited May 8, 2020 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[woody37]

Looking great, I’ve built a few of the littl CMR kits and whilst fiddly, produce nice results.

[Johnson]

2 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

You could use the Plastic tubing from a cotton swab

Thanks Dennis. I tried some of the tube from cotton swab, but was too big. I then bought the smallest plastic tube I could find; 2.0mm Maquett. It cut and squished perfectly! But was still too big, only 5 exhausts - a 10 cylinder Merlin !

 

I haven't given up, but time is pressing, I need to wrap this (and the Mk.24) up - and some other bloomin' GB looms!

 

Cheers,

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

6 hours ago, Johnson said:

Thanks Dennis. I tried some of the tube from cotton swab, but was too big. I then bought the smallest plastic tube I could find; 2.0mm Maquett. It cut and squished perfectly! But was still too big, only 5 exhausts - a 10 cylinder Merlin !

 

I haven't given up, but time is pressing, I need to wrap this (and the Mk.24) up - and some other bloomin' GB looms!

 

Cheers,

How about 1mm brass or aluminum slightly squashed to get the correct shape ? If you roll it under something heavy ? That or if you have a pair of smooth pliers, you can squeeze it ever so lightly to squash I’ve done that in the past.