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Paul B's Airfix 1/48 Spitfire I


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Yes, yet ANOTHER Airfix 1/48 Airfix Spitfire I..... we've got a whole squadron of them between us! 😆

 

50152697828_f46193ed1b_o.jpgAX05126-2 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

 

 

I'll be doing this one as a 19 Sqn aircraft in September 1940, the mount of S/L Lane:

 

50153480062_03d5a83c8b_b.jpgSpitfire-19Sqn by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

 

Just for a change, and flying in the face of instructions, I started with the wings:

 

50152694163_9e026e8854_c.jpgIMG_0268 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

 

50153242771_fabf902185_c.jpgIMG_0269 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

 

All went together quite well, though the trailing edges of the wings and ailerons are abysmally thick!  It took most of an evening's bench-time to thin them to something approaching reality.... 

I also had to sand down some unrealistically raised detail on the upper wings - three separate features that are not nearly as prominent on the real thing. This is not the first time I've seen this on the newest Airfix kits - the Hunter has the same. I think some designer not of an aeronautical bent is mis-interpreting LIDAR data, and not checking it against the features of the actual airframe before committing to the mould. One, the flap actuator panel, shouldn't be raised at all, while the other two shouldn't be nearly as high as they are - they'd have the aerodynamic properties akin to a brick if they were that big in real life! Still, mere minutes with a sanding stick restored reality....  One question, though - should the Spit Mk.I have bumps on the upper wings above the undercarriage wells?  I thought those were later marks only...

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Nice start Paul.

 

20 hours ago, Paul Bradley said:

One question, though - should the Spit Mk.I have bumps on the upper wings above the undercarriage wells?  I thought those were later marks only...

Yes it should over the wheel well (later marks had larger ones for the canons).

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Cheers, Peter

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I've completed the cockpit tub and the fuselage halves to go along with the wings, so I'll be able to assemble the complete airframe shortly. I need to touch up the paintwork a little, then add a shadow wash, and at that point I can insert the tub into the fuselage from underneath. The reason for deviating from the instructions here is that the fit of the fuel tank cover, just ahead of the cockpit, can be a bit fouled by the cockpit tub if you follow the instruction sequence. By assembling the fuselage first, then fitting the tank cover and allowing it to set, the tub can be inserted afterwards. A dry fit shows that it'll be a very snug, seamless fit. 
 

50167988328_1fd37fe36c_c.jpgIMG_0275 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

 

50168523071_7b26bcef0f_c.jpgIMG_0274 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

 

50168523061_c474caf764_c.jpgIMG_0272 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

 

This is OOB, the only additions being the Kabuki tape seat belts and a Mike Grant instrument decal for the compass, because Airfix doesn't provide one. 

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I had some time this weekend to put the airframe together. Inserting the cockpit tub to the fuselage went down a treat - no hang-ups and a good, tight fit with no breakages. Then it was time to put the wings on:


50182419167_b23efb752a_c.jpgIMG_0278 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr


 :poop: Seriously......?!

Those of you who followed my new-tool Airfix DC-3 build will recall my distress at the unfeasibly large gaps at the wing roots. I seem to have a curse with these new-mould Airfixes at the moment! 

I was able to fix that by 1. Taping up the wingtips while the glue dried, which also remedied the rather slack dihedral, and 2. Judicious use of filler.

That was sanded down and polished this afternoon and I just applied a primer coat which will reveal if I did a good enough job. 🤪

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The gap is the same all the way so should close up OK but I suppose that depends on how much dihedral that results in. If too much maybe add thin shims? Best of luck!

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Cheers, guys - a couple of crappy photos this morning just to show last night's work.

 

5 hours ago, Johnson said:

The gap is the same all the way so should close up OK but I suppose that depends on how much dihedral that results in. If too much maybe add thin shims? Best of luck!

 Dihedral is not excessive. I wonder if my lower wing part was slightly warped, and this action corrected it. 

 

50184661807_62b53ce7dc_c.jpgIMG_0280 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

IMG_0279 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

 

 

6 hours ago, Jabba said:

Like the cockpit and I am sure that you will sort out the wings good and proper.

 

I think it turned out OK. A couple of spots needs some remedial work, but a touch of PPP seems to have set it right.

 

50184407351_56e6fd6bd0_c.jpgIMG_0279 by Paul Bradley, on Flickr

 

5 hours ago, Seahawk said:

Glad it wasn't just me.

Me, too! There's always some smug bugger who says "I had no issues at all!" 🤣

Edited by Paul Bradley
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With the airframe complete and seams and other minor issues fixed, it's time for paint. I decided to try something new to me - the 'spatter' or mottle pre-shading, rather than the preshading of all panel lines that I've used in the past. The idea is to give a more random effect over the whole of the airframe. I've seen this done as white/lt grey mottling over  a black base, or vice versa, and as I'd already added a grey primer coat, I went with black spatters. Apparently, you can now buy these masks pre-cut, but I created my own mask using a piece of 10 thou plasticcard, and cut random shapes with a modelling knife. 

 

IMG-0290.jpg

 

 

And this is the effect it has:

 

IMG-0286.jpg

 

For the undersides, I went with a more 'traditional' panel line and other areas pre-shading, then added a coat of Sky:


IMG-0287.jpg

 

Which I think worked pretty well - it isn't quite as stark in 'real life.'

Then a coat of Dk Earth on the upper surfaces:


IMG-0289.jpg

 

I'll know more when I've added the Dk Green, but I think the spatter mask method has potential, though I'll need to work on my mask, I think.


BTW, the canopy is one of the spares in the kit, so don't be concerned that I forgot to mask it! I'll swap it out before I add the Green.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Cheers, Trevor!

 

Well, some stuttering progress due to other commitments, but a few minutes here, a few minutes there now sees me to the point where decals have been applied! 

 

I really dislike masking - it is perhaps my least favourite task in modelling - but here's the Spit masked and after a shot of Dark Green:

 

IMG-0292.jpg

 

Removing the masks revealed a few areas I needed to touch up, but - amazingly - no areas where paint had pulled up. Bit chuffed about that. The 'pre-shading' didn't work so well with the Dk Green - perhaps because the paint is so dark. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and I was able to modulate with a slightly lightened green later. 

 

Then I got busy with the decals:

 

IMG-0295.jpg

 

A mix of Xtradecals for the roundels and individual markings with the kit's stencils. The Xtradecals were a bit stiff and flaked in places, even with softener. Not the first time I've had that happen with this brand. 

 

Now it needs some weathering, a flat varnish coat and the fiddly bits added - nearly there!

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