Airfix Spitfire Ia 1/72

[KeithR]

This is my second finish in about 20 years. It’s the nice little Airfix Spitfire Ia starter set A68206 made as DW-K.

My eyesight sure has deteriorated in that time!

 

 

The Fundecals website has some info about DW-K and inspired some interesting variances from the Airfix instructions and decals.

Cutting the kit decals to size and researching Sky Blue No.1 for the underside made things a bit more interesting.

Whether my interpretation is accurate is debatable, but I really enjoyed researching and making the model after a long abscence from building.

Of course I’ve bought dozens of kits in those years!

This is my first attempt at weathering using black-basing and oil dot filters.

I used the double action on my airbrush for the first time to try the black-basing and a bit of post-shading. It sort of worked but I’ve got a lot to learn.

I take my hat off to those who can do mottling at 1/72 scale.

 

My cockpit was a bit crude, but you can’t see much through the six inch thick canopy. The canopy fit wasn’t great and I bodged it as best I could but its still a bit too wide.

Even the paint thickness makes a difference to the fit. Despite not using superglue anywhere near the canopy it still fogged somehow.

 

 

The main flaw in the kit as far as I can tell is that it is lacking in dihedral. My solution was to narrow the cockpit frames and file the fuselage wing root down a bit.

I used a lego jig to hold the wings in place while the glue dried and more by luck than good judgement it came out just right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camo on:-

 

 

Decals on:-

 

 

Some more pics of the completed model:-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The starter kit doesn’t have walkway or stencil decals so I scanned those from my Airfix Mk.I/IIa and printed them on clear decal film.

It worked OK but my printer is low resolution and they came out a bit too thick and dark to my eyes. Some of them got damaged by my oil wash.

I think that may be that I didn’t leave enough time for the Tamiya X-22 to dry.

I reduced the diameter of the fuselage roundels and the height of the fuselage codes on the basis of what Fundekals say and the evidence of photos of that particular aircraft.

One thing I failed to do was create a breakout panel for the canopy. I just couldn’t think of a way of doing it. Any ideas Britmodellers?

My printer is too low resolution to create a decal for it.

I used Uschi superfine thread for the aerial wire. Paints were Mr Color Aqueous for the underside, Tamiya and MRP for the upper surface camo, and Tamiya acrylic varnishes.

 

Here it is next to my previous build; Heller’s XVI built as a SAAF Mk.IX.

 

 

I’ve another three of these kits to make so please feel free to comment and criticise I’ve a lot to learn!

 

Happy modelling,

 

regards,

Keith.

[SAT69]

I see nothing there to complain about. That looks good! I found the gun smoke streaks and the exhaust streaks on the bottom most impressive. Nicely done!

[KeithR]

Thanks SAT69, It's my first try at weathering so I kept it understated.

I'm pleased with the result although I could have been a bit bolder on the upper surfaces and exhaust staining.

 

This is my first "modern" kit and I really enjoyed making it. It's inspired me to make the Airfix P-40B next I think.

 

[Wulfman]

Very good build on the Spitfire, looks fine to me !

 

Wulfman

[The_Lancaster]

That's a good looking 'Spit, made even more impressive by being your second in 20 years!

[Hairtrigger]

Superb Spit....

[Gordon J]

Cracking little Spitfire model - really love the paint job.

 

You really ought to try and be a bit more prolific than 2 in 20 years though! Judging by how good this one looks you could soon be building some jaw dropping models.

[Shark444]

A nice build.  Great hack on using a LEGO jig!

[KeithR]

Thanks for your kind comments everyone. As a newcomer to posting on Britmodeller I can tell you they are much appreciated.

Gordon, I've taken your comment about proliferation to heart and have therefore begun my Airfix P-40B starter set. It's the Neville Duke Desert scheme with codes GA-F.

I'm not at all knowledgeable about P-40s and the Airfix instructions are effectively useless for colour call outs, so any advice would be appreciated.

 

Happy modelling!

Keith.

[russ c]

Great looking Spitfire there, really nice work

[RichieW]

Top stuff, this is one to be proud of. Twenty years away too!

[Gordon J]

4 hours ago, KeithR said:

Thanks for your kind comments everyone. As a newcomer to posting on Britmodeller I can tell you they are much appreciated.

Gordon, I've taken your comment about proliferation to heart and have therefore begun my Airfix P-40B starter set. It's the Neville Duke Desert scheme with codes GA-F.

I'm not at all knowledgeable about P-40s and the Airfix instructions are effectively useless for colour call outs, so any advice would be appreciated.

 

Happy modelling!

Keith.

Spookily enough I have just started a P-40E and from what I can work out the interior would have been finished in either US Interior Green or Zinc Chromate and not the RAF Interior Green.

 

A P-40B in the desert would in all likelihood be finished in Dark Earth/Middle Stone on top with Azure Blue undersides. Might be worth doing some online detective work just to confirm that though. Hope this helps.

[Natter]

Errr... second build in twenty years?  Most of us would spend twenty years trying to get a model to look as good as that.

 

The 'light touch' aproach to weathering is generally the way to go (IMVHO), but if you want to have a go at heavy weathering the Spitfire is a good canvas, perhaps one of your other models.  Check out some of the on-liine refernce photos and you'll see that some of these aircraft got really worn and scruffy after hard service.

[Jeddahbill]

Well done!  Two decades away do not seem to have diminished your skills!

Bill