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1/48 Special Hobby Seafire II


Doccur

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Hi all,

 

My last build in the Nordic GB took about 3 months, so with the looming deadline of this Group Build I will have to speed up my build to 3 weeks instead!

 

I have chosen the Special Hobby Seafire II in 1/48 scale. This is a nice typical multimedia limited run kit from the Czech manufacturer. Won’t be a shake and bake but should turn out very nicely. I got the kit of Fleabay for a bargain sum due to how there were no instructions and broken transparencies. A quick email to Special hobby solved the latter Issue as they quickly posted out a replacement clear sprue! Kudos to them! 
 

49905476693_858f1eb1ca_b.jpg

 

I have started assembly with the cockpit (where else) and wheel wells, spraying them with RAF interior green. Next I will pick out the finer black details with a brush, then drybrush and then give the interior a grey wash. The interior is very nicely detailed with lots of PE to liven it up so I will probably display the model with the canopy back and access door open. 
 

49905476758_196c2f0522_b.jpg


Cheers 

 

Ash

 


 

 

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Hi all,

 

The cockpit is progressing nicely. Detail picked out, drybrushed and then given a grey wash. Opted to paint the seat a Bakelite colour and went for a darker colour on the belts. I scraped off the paint to reveal the brass on the belts to save painting them. Next up, fuselage and wing assembly. 
 

49913096948_0d29cacf66_b.jpg

 

Ash

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Another update:

 

I have assembled the main parts of the airframe, fit wasnt the worst but conversely neither was it the best. A bit of filler and sandpaper required I think. 
 

49927259322_af8bc31f55_b.jpg 49927258702_95f3317e11_b.jpg 49926961841_d503548451_b.jpg 49926442923_0cfb773f6c_b.jpg

 

Ash

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That was my day yesterday, building the SH MkIII in the Spitfire / Seafire GB, and it will be my day next weekend building another MkIII for the Journeys end GB - but I am enjoying the build.  Yours is coming on well, hope you are enjoying your build too...

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Hi all,

 

Got the majority of the seams addressed. I also added the underside of the cowling and the lower fuselage insert for the arrestor hook. This build is going considerably better than I anticipated! Fingers crossed I haven’t jinxed myself...

 

49935509322_2d35532d12_b.jpg

 

49935207896_34e18f9601_b.jpg

 

Ash

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Nice job Ash, funnily enough the filler pattern on mine almost exactly matches the filler pattern on yours..  So we have either both done it right or both made the same mistake...

 

See you are a Saints supporter.  Leinster supporter here.

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54 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

Nice job Ash, funnily enough the filler pattern on mine almost exactly matches the filler pattern on yours..  So we have either both done it right or both made the same mistake...

If we’ve both filled the same places we can’t have both got it wrong 🤷🏻‍♂️😉

 

54 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

See you are a Saints supporter.  Leinster supporter here.

I’m a Northampton boy so I don’t have a choice!  Could be worse though... I could be a Sarries fan 😂

 

Ash

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Wel major assembly is basically completed, I added the ailerons and wingtips today along with the rudder. I have also cut off the plastic elevators in order to use the replacement resin ones. Then just a few odds and sods before painting can commence! 
 

49951725488_bbf5777f38_b.jpg

Ash

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On 17/05/2020 at 19:29, Doccur said:

I have started assembly with the cockpit (where else) and wheel wells, spraying them with RAF interior green.

two points,  which don't seem widely appreciated.

first. until 1944, Apart from the cockpit to seat bulkhead, and engine bearers, the rest of the internals were Aluminium paint.  Too late for that....

second, the wheel well, confusingly comes under internal and external paint guidelines,  the inner leg part (not visible when UC up) is interior colour. the outer wheel part, which is visible when UC up, is the underside colour.   which is easy enough to fix.

as seen here

2527522690_910bba0d4e_o.jpgSeafire by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

Looking good so far

HTH

 

 

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Hi Troy, 

 

thanks for the pointers 👍🏻
 

As you say, a bit late for the interior but I am fore-armed for my next Spitfire build in the spitfire GB... a Mark XVI. 
 

Ash

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24 minutes ago, Doccur said:

Hi Troy, 

 

thanks for the pointers 👍🏻
 

As you say, a bit late for the interior but I am fore-armed for my next Spitfire build in the spitfire GB... a Mark XVI. 
 

Ash

Since the XVI were all late airframes, they are probably all interior grey green. 

 

When the change from GG/Alu to all GG is debated, and may have varied between factories, there were photo of a recovered Australian Spit VIII that was built early 44 still in Alu/GG

if you want to check there is a Spitfire production list here

http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/production.html

 

which shows date of manufacture or first flown,  anything from mid 44 on I'd suggest was a likely to be all GG.   

the  Seafire pic is from here

https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=spitfire&user_id=8270787%40N07&view_all=1

 

which has lots of very useful pics. 

this highback XVI you can see the GG under engine oil tank

12121674534_032b3b9ab3_o.jpgSpitfire Mk.XVI     1945. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

 

HTH

 

 

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16 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

Since the XVI were all late airframes, they are probably all interior grey green. 

 

When the change from GG/Alu to all GG is debated, and may have varied between factories, there were photo of a recovered Australian Spit VIII that was built early 44 still in Alu/GG

if you want to check there is a Spitfire production list here

http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/production.html

 

which shows date of manufacture or first flown,  anything from mid 44 on I'd suggest was a likely to be all GG.   

the  Seafire pic is from here

https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=spitfire&user_id=8270787%40N07&view_all=1

 

which has lots of very useful pics. 

this highback XVI you can see the GG under engine oil tank

Spitfire Mk.XVI     1945. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

 

HTH

 

 

Thanks for this Troy. Most helpful. With regards the seafire undercarriage bays let me just get some clarification. The leg itself would be aluminium, the outer bay exterior colour and the inner bay interior colour. On my example would that be aluminium or GG? Also, the undercarriage doors themselves, would they be exterior colour on both sides?

 

cheers 

 

Ash

Edited by Doccur
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4 hours ago, Doccur said:

Thanks for this Troy. Most helpful. With regards the seafire undercarriage bays let me just get some clarification. The leg itself would be aluminium, the outer bay exterior colour and the inner bay interior colour. On my example would that be aluminium or GG? Also, the undercarriage doors themselves, would they be exterior colour on both sides?

 

cheers 

 

Ash

If you can, work from  a photo.

 

the Seafire in colour pic above had Sky UC legs and doors,both sides, , and outer well.  the inner well edges are sky, in you case, I'd just leave the inside of the wing bit grey green.

This seems standard AFAIK,  but from B/W pics it can be hard to tell unless well lit and and clear....

 

first plane is the one I posted above, 2nd plane shows the UC legs a bit better

2524770235_c400a86c48_o.jpgSeafire by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

same sequence

15676589572_14c798427c_o.jpgSeafire IIc,  c1942. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

more Colour Seafire images

https://www.flickr.com/search/?w=8270787@N07&q=seafire

 

thanks again to @Etiennedup  for his invaluable Flickr account of ww2 colour.

 

if you quote all the images I post, it does clutter up you thread though

 

HTH

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Thanks once again Troy. 
 

I have got most of the odds and sods on the airframe today, with maybe just the canopy as the last major piece of work to undertake before painting! It will be tight but I reckon I can make the deadline. 

49956576623_1b1aea2ecb_b.jpg

 

49957359827_d7444119a0_b.jpg

 

Ash

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Hi all,

 

mini disaster. I have sprayed on the primer (Vallejo polyurethane) and discovered a glaring seam line on the engine cover 😡

 

49980584436_493e4baf36_b.jpg

 

So I have broken the filler out again in the hopes of repairing the area. 
 

49980057003_ddd128d024_b.jpg

Ash

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Hi all,

 

issue with the nose has been rectified:

49984400843_2f0ed7c16e_b.jpg

 

Pre-shading rather hastily applied:

 

49985179917_13d50a4a58_b.jpg

 

49985179862_0f70623a89_b.jpg


Then Xtracrylix sky sprayed on the lower surfaces and wheel bays. I don’t know why I’m still using Xtracrylix paint over Tamiya or others as I never seem to get on with it, brushing or spraying. 
 

49984400743_102ba6a843_b.jpg

Ash

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Strangely both of mine, when they had been left for a week, developed a ridge along that seam.  Sanded and polished and they have gone but it is as if the glue had not full cured...

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35 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

Strangely both of mine, when they had been left for a week, developed a ridge along that seam.  Sanded and polished and they have gone but it is as if the glue had not full cured...

It’s very frustrating indeed! I think sometimes it’s just very hard to see seams without priming first! 

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4 minutes ago, Doccur said:

It’s very frustrating indeed! I think sometimes it’s just very hard to see seams without priming first! 

For me, that's actually my primary purpose of the primer...is finding the flaws that need touching up/correcting before paint.  Improved paint adhesion is just a secondary bonus.  :whistle:

 

I bet I've gone through a bottle of primer so far between the filling/sanding/priming process of filling rivet holes on my 1/48 RA-5C.  :blink2:

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