Ralph's Maltese Five

[SoftScience]

You guys, it's here!!!

 

 

I ordered this kit from Megahobby on Tuesday night and it arrived this morning.

 

 

Big kudos to Megahobby and the US Postal service. Granted, MH is in New Jersey and I'm in Maryland, so it's not that long of a trip, but considering the covid crap, I'm impressed by the speedy delivery, and I'm grateful to both.

 

If there are any posties reading this - big thank you to all of you for the work you do during these dumb times. You are the glue holding us all together.

 

 

More to come soon.

[SoftScience]

And by soon, I meant right now. 

 

For an SH kit, this thing looks pretty refined. I understand it was a joint Special Hobby/Classic Airframes effort. For Classic Airframes, this thing is SUPER refined.

 

Surface detail is petite, there are few visible end-to-end joints, and the plastic isn't the soft soapy kind I've come to expect in short run kits. Sprue gates are reasonable-ish.

 

 

 

Word on the street is this is partially based on the Tamiya kit, but it's been ages since Ive seen one of those, so I can neither support or refute that comment. One thing is for sure, unlike Tamiya, these guys got the gull-wing right.

 

The interior looks adequately detailed and you get some PE belts and other bits.

 

 

Edited April 24, 2020 by SoftScience

[SoftScience]

Markings options are all Maltese defenders from Spring/Summer 1942. In addition the the boxtop markings, you get a second stone/earth muted with azure blue option, flown by 31 kill Canadian ace, George Beurling, a standard stone and dark Earth machine with two empty cannon ports, and a really strange looking Dark earth/dark green example with a wavy demarcation pattern and four 20 mm cannons.

 

 

I think I'll build Beurling's aircraft simpley because he was an interesting character (more on him during the build), and also because I have designs for a Mk VIII in desert colors and display space is limited, and because I'll be damned if I have to mask a wavy line.

 

But I need to verify if the suggested desert colors muted with azure blue scheme is accurate

 

 

So please, ladies and gentlemen, let's hear your thoughts (hopefully backed up with historic or forensic data) about how these Maltese spits were actually colored?

Edited April 24, 2020 by SoftScience

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning SoftScience

 I think that this book https://ospreypublishing.com/malta-spitfire-aces-pb

would be very helpful

All the best and have fun

Patrice

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

2 hours ago, SoftScience said:

But I need to verify if the suggested desert colors muted with azure blue scheme is accurate

I used a modified mediterranean blue of the standard desert colors on my build. I used 5 parts light Mediterranean Blue to 2 parts USN Gloss sea blue. 
My build thread will have links in from Tonyot and others. 

And theres this thread I started in Aviation.

Both should help with colors and info. If I can help let me know. I can run through my files and see what i can dig out. 
 

Dennis

[SoftScience]

Thanks for the info, Patrice and Dennis. 

 

The interpretation of one solid blue color rather than a blue tinted camo is interesting. I've been digging deeply though, and found some other photos which clearly show more than one shade. Still others say otherwise. I guess I don't have to think about it just yet. 

I've finally cleared some other projects off my bench, and will be digging into this kit. 

 

 

Tomorrow.

Edited April 29, 2020 by SoftScience

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

1 minute ago, SoftScience said:

The interpretation of one solid blue color rather than a blue tinted camo is interesting. I've been digging deeply though, and found some other photos which clearly show more than one shade. Still others say otherwise. I guess I don't have to think about it just yet.

Thats both the Beauty and Bane of Maltese Aircraft. There were so many permutations no one can be wrong or right 100%. Go with what your gut says and I dare anyone to prove your wrong. You’d have to find someone that knew the aircraft personally and maybe there is someone but maybe there isn't.  

[SoftScience]

A little experiment from this afternoon. I wanted to compare how temperate and Mediterranean schemes look with azure overcoats. I should add the later Euro scheme too, they were using those by 1942, weren't they?

 

 

Anyway, first results. The early temperate scheme overcoated does seem to produce relative differences in darkness/shade as seen on some of the black and white photos. I'm not going to claim that Maltese spitfires all had a dark Earth/dark green layer, but this mix is producing the look I'm hoping for.

 

 

Really need to try this with the grays now

Edited April 29, 2020 by SoftScience

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

1 hour ago, SoftScience said:

I should add the later Euro scheme too, they were using those by 1942, weren't they?

Day fighter scheme adopted late summer of 1941 I believe, so yes it was in use by this time. 

[alt-92]

This is another boxing of the same Vc kit I'm working on. 
Does need plenty of test fitting & benefits from some extra detailing inside

 

 

Good luck on yours, I'll take the tips onboard for the overspray as the Malta Vc is in the stash as well