1/72nd Airfix Spitfire Mk.Vc, 603 Sqn, Op Calendar, Malta 1942

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,

                 Yes I`ve built yet another Airfix Spit Mk.Vc,..... this time representing BR187M G-2 of 603 Sqn which took off from USS Wasp on 20th April 1942 as part of Op Calendar. Like many of the Calendar Spitfire`s this aircraft did not last long as it was crash landed by Sgt J.W. Connell of 601 Sqn on 4th May 1942 and written off on the 6th,...... but during this short time it was flown extensively and was used by Flt. Lt. William Douglas to damage a Bf109 on the 3rd May.

After delivery to RAF Abbotsinch in Dark Earth and Dark Green with Sky Blue undersides,.... the camouflage was converted on the airfield by covering the Dark Green sections with Middle Stone, the wing tips were removed and the aircraft transported to Glasgow docks to be loaded aboard the USS Wasp. While sailing for the Med the Spitfire`s below decks were repainted again on the upper surfaces because a blue-grey colour for flying above the blue Mediterranean waters surrounding Malta was preferable to bright desert colours and according to veterans who were aboard the carrier the paint used was the standard US Navy Blue Grey. As the paint teams made their way along the deck (which the US captain stipulated should remain spotlessly clean!) they began to run out of paint and so thinners and also black were added to eke it out,..... so those painted last were quite different to those at the start of the line!  

 

Here is a Spitfire Mk.Vb after being tropicalised in the UK, wearing Dark Earth, Dark Green uppers and Sky Blue undersides,.... the same colours applied to Hurricane`s being tropicalised and sent abroad in 1941 and early 1942;

 

Here are Spitfire`s being loaded aboard the USS Wasp in Glasgow, wearing their fresh desert colours after the Temperate Land Scheme was modified at Abbotsinch,..... a few veterans mention a tent being used as a makeshift spray booth into which the Spitfire was wheeled as soon as it landed,..... others that work was also carried out in a hangar;

And being stowed away on the hangar deck;

Ready for take off,.... now wearing their new Blue Grey colours applied below deck;

Note the US Navy Wildcat in the background wearing its own more faded Blue Grey scheme and that the Spitfire serial appears on a rectangle of the underlying desert scheme;

Here is a film still of BR187, G-2,.... the model subject,..... on Malta. Other photo` s can be found on page 29 of Steve Nichols excellent Osprey `Malta Aces[ book (Aces 83) and one shows that the outer cannons were later removed, leaving the inner cannons in place,..... although some Spit`s did fly in action with all four cannons fitted;

 A four cannon equipped Spitfire Mk.Vc inside a Maltese fighter pen; 

 

The Model;

For this Airfix Spit Vc (my 5th) I elected to represent BR187 still fitted with its 4 gun armament, as provided in the kit,.....but I modified the kit sliding canopy section by sanding the lower edges to make it look more accurate, the spinner was reprofiled to a more sharper shape and a set of wheels left over from an old Tamiya Spit were fitted as the hubs were more accurate looking, with a bit of old etched brass frame cut down to replicate a rear view mirror, which is sadly lacking from the kit. It was painted using old bottles of Aeromaster US Navy Blue Grey (as applied to the USS Wasp`s carrier group including the Wildcat`s which sailed with the 52 Spitfire`s) and Sky Blue was represented using Finnish Light Grey...... the model was brush painted as usual. 

And here it is with another Airfix Spit Vc wearing 79 Sqn RAAF colours which was built alongside this one;

 

Cheers

          Tony

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by tonyot

[celt]

The Spitfire looks well tidy in that colour scheme.

[IanC]

Superb, as per usual Tony.

 

I noticed that in some of the Op Calendar take-off photos you can discern a two-tone upper scheme - was this the original camo showing through thinned paint or did they paint out just the one colour on some aircraft?

 

That's tonight's homework essay for everyone.. 😄

[tonyot]

11 minutes ago, celt said:

The Spitfire looks well tidy in that colour scheme.

Cheers Celt,.... yeah I think so too mate! 

 

8 minutes ago, IanC said:

Superb, as per usual Tony.

 

I noticed that in some of the Op Calendar take-off photos you can discern a two-tone upper scheme - was this the original camo showing through thinned paint or did they paint out just the one colour on some aircraft?

 

That's tonight's homework essay for everyone.. 😄

Thanks Ian,.... I think you have just answered your own question there,..... as I said,.... thinners were used to eke out the paint and also black,..... so as well as there being darker Spit`s,.... I would say that the underlying camo would definitely show through on some. Different deliveries appear to have used different camouflage methods,....  

[swralph]

Very nice build Tony.😀

[Natter]

The great Sptifires just keep on coming.  The Vc bug really has bitten you hard.

[rob85]

Looks great Tony, another Malta based cracker from you.

 

Rob

[tonyot]

2 hours ago, swralph said:

Very nice build Tony.😀

Cheers Ralph. 

1 hour ago, Natter said:

The great Sptifires just keep on coming.  The Vc bug really has bitten you hard.

Thanks Dave,..... yeah I suppose it has,..... maybe a couple more and I`ll switch to something else,.... probably back to Hurricane`s LOL! 

 

37 minutes ago, rob85 said:

Looks great Tony, another Malta based cracker from you.

 

Rob

Thanks Rob,..... very kind mate.

[mick b]

Excellent once again Tony, interesting that the colour wraps around the leading edge?

 

Mike

[bigbadbadge]

Crikey another one and a cracking one at that, great to see a blue Malta Spitfire Tony. You've done a grand job there fella.

Chris

[2996 Victor]

Hi Tony,

 

Two more stunning Spitfires - I'm running out of superlatives! Both look absolutely superb: the 78 Sqn RAAF example is on my to-do list.

 

Glad to see you're keeping those elves busy

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Red Dog]

Something of a Spits specialist Tony.

Another nice model and great info on the early spits in Malta.

[tonyot]

43 minutes ago, mick b said:

Excellent once again Tony, interesting that the colour wraps around the leading edge?

 

Mike

Thanks Mike. 

 

43 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Crikey another one and a cracking one at that, great to see a blue Malta Spitfire Tony. You've done a grand job there fella.

Chris

LOL,... yeah what am I like eh!!  Glad you like it mate,.... cheers.

 

34 minutes ago, 2996 Victor said:

Hi Tony,

 

Two more stunning Spitfires - I'm running out of superlatives! Both look absolutely superb: the 78 Sqn RAAF example is on my to-do list.

 

Glad to see you're keeping those elves busy

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

Thanks Mark,.... yep still cracking the whip with those elves mate! 

 

15 minutes ago, Red Dog said:

Something of a Spits specialist Tony.

Another nice model and great info on the early spits in Malta.

Cheers mate,..... not really a Spit specialist,... I prefer Hurricane`s but there are so many good schemes to do out there! 

 

Cheers Fella`s,

                      Tony

[celt]

5 hours ago, tonyot said:

Cheers Celt,.... yeah I think so too mate! 

 

 

Hi tonyot, I am not a Spitfire fan[prefer the Hurricane] but the Malta Blue makes the Spit look cool.

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, celt said:

Hi tonyot, I am not a Spitfire fan[prefer the Hurricane] but the Malta Blue makes the Spit look cool.

I totally agree,.... I`m researching the Hurricane`s used by the Royal Naval Air Squadron Malta,.... a handful of Swordfish and Albacore pilots approached AVM Keith Park about flying some surplus Hurricanes on fighter bomber sorties etc and they were given a dark upper surface paint job,...... it has mostly been thought to be a Dark Blue with Azure Blue underneath,..... but I`m sure I can pick out faint camo demarcation lines so maybe some form of Temperate Sea Scheme or just the original scheme showing through as shadows? 

 

When I asked a groundcrew member of 249 Sqn what colour was used on the first Spitfire`s to arrive to cover the Mid Stone areas of the desert colour scheme he replied "Bluish Grey,..... just like we used on the Hurricane`s"!!!! I sent him photos of some Spit models that I had built in various probable  `Malta Schmes' and he picked out the one with Extra Drk Sea Grey applied,.........like this;

 

Now EDSG was readily available at the Seaplane MU at Kalafrana at the time,.... so it makes sense! I built this `spurious' Hurricane model using his info, using a faded EDSG alongside the Dark Earth;

Based on these photos;

Cheers

         Tony

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by tonyot

[Col Walter E Kurtz]

8 hours ago, tonyot said:

Hiya Folks,

                 Yes I`ve built yet another Airfix Spit Mk.Vc,..... this time representing BR187M G-2 of 603 Sqn which took off from USS Wasp on 20th April 1942 as part of Op Calendar. Like many of the Calendar Spitfire`s this aircraft did not last long as it was crash landed by Sgt J.W. Connell of 601 Sqn on 4th May 1942 and written off on the 6th,...... but during this short time it was flown extensively and was used by Flt. Lt. William Douglas to damage a Bf109 on the 3rd May.

After delivery to RAF Abbotsinch in Dark Earth and Dark Green with Sky Blue undersides,.... the camouflage was converted on the airfield by covering the Dark Green sections with Middle Stone, the wing tips were removed and the aircraft transported to Glasgow docks to be loaded aboard the USS Wasp. While sailing for the Med the Spitfire`s below decks were repainted again on the upper surfaces because a blue-grey colour for flying above the blue Mediterranean waters surrounding Malta was preferable to bright desert colours and according to veterans who were aboard the carrier the paint used was the standard US Navy Blue Grey. As the paint teams made their way along the deck (which the US captain stipulated should remain spotlessly clean!) they began to run out of paint and so thinners and also black were added to eke it out,..... so those painted last were quite different to those at the start of the line!  

 

Here is a Spitfire Mk.Vb after being tropicalised in the UK, wearing Dark Earth, Dark Green uppers and Sky Blue undersides,.... the same colours applied to Hurricane`s being tropicalised and sent abroad in 1941 and early 1942;

 

Here are Spitfire`s being loaded aboard the USS Wasp in Glasgow, wearing their fresh desert colours after the Temperate Land Scheme was modified at Abbotsinch,..... a few veterans mention a tent being used as a makeshift spray booth into which the Spitfire was wheeled as soon as it landed,..... others that work was also carried out in a hangar;

And being stowed away on the hangar deck;

Ready for take off,.... now wearing their new Blue Grey colours applied below deck;

Note the US Navy Wildcat in the background wearing its own more faded Blue Grey scheme and that the Spitfire serial appears on a rectangle of the underlying desert scheme;

Here is a film still of BR187, G-2,.... the model subject,..... on Malta. Other photo` s can be found on page 29 of Steve Nichols excellent Osprey `Malta Aces[ book (Aces 83) and one shows that the outer cannons were later removed, leaving the inner cannons in place,..... although some Spit`s did fly in action with all four cannons fitted;

 A four cannon equipped Spitfire Mk.Vc inside a Maltese fighter pen; 

 

The Model;

For this Airfix Spit Vc (my 5th) I elected to represent BR187 still fitted with its 4 gun armament, as provided in the kit,.....but I modified the kit sliding canopy section by sanding the lower edges to make it look more accurate, the spinner was reprofiled to a more sharper shape and a set of wheels left over from an old Tamiya Spit were fitted as the hubs were more accurate looking, with a bit of old etched brass frame cut down to replicate a rear view mirror, which is sadly lacking from the kit. It was painted using old bottles of Aeromaster US Navy Blue Grey (as applied to the USS Wasp`s carrier group including the Wildcat`s which sailed with the 52 Spitfire`s) and Sky Blue was represented using Finnish Light Grey...... the model was brush painted as usual. 

And here it is with another Airfix Spit Vc wearing 79 Sqn RAAF colours which was built alongside this one;

 

Cheers

          Tony

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

Love this build. .. Especially the exhaust stubbs colour. What did you use for this Tony?

[tonyot]

Just now, Col Walter E Kurtz said:

Love this build. .. Especially the exhaust stubbs colour. What did you use for this Tony?

Thanks mate,..... I painted them black,.... then dry brushed them with Humbrol Brick Red,.... then lightly dry brushed them again using Humbrol Metalcote Polished Steel,.... which was then polished with a rag.

[Col Walter E Kurtz]

Just now, tonyot said:

Thanks mate,..... I painted them black,.... then dry brushed them with Humbrol Brick Red,.... then lightly dry brushed them again using Humbrol Metalcote Polished Steel,.... which was then polished with a rag.

Thank you. I might try this method also. It looks very realistic indeed. Well done! love the references you've used as a basis for these builds. 

I'm going to try some exhaust soot from my 1:1 car exhaust on my next model.. the real thing ! lol See how this turns out!

[tonyot]

9 minutes ago, Col Walter E Kurtz said:

Thank you. I might try this method also. It looks very realistic indeed. Well done! love the references you've used as a basis for these builds. 

I'm going to try some exhaust soot from my 1:1 car exhaust on my next model.. the real thing ! lol See how this turns out!

I use MiG pigment powders for the exhaust staining etc,..... and put some on the exhaust stacks too,...... very similar to soot,.... just very fine. 

[Broadway]

Excellent build and including the Malta scheme background,

[112 Squadron]

Beautiful models Tony. I also appreciate how much research you invest into your projects. I learned a lot from this one about the often debated Malta schemes.

[tonyot]

4 hours ago, Broadway said:

Excellent build and including the Malta scheme background,

Thanks mate,

 

47 minutes ago, 112 Squadron said:

Beautiful models Tony. I also appreciate how much research you invest into your projects. I learned a lot from this one about the often debated Malta schemes.

Thanks a lot and glad it was of interest.

[djos]

Malta Spitfires.....always tricky for interpretation.

I like your interpretation...a lot. Beautiful model, and looks right for my eyes.

Best regards, Djordje

[heloman1]

Excellent work Tony, another cracker. Thanks for the images and history.

 

Colin

[tonyot]

6 hours ago, djos said:

Malta Spitfires.....always tricky for interpretation.

I like your interpretation...a lot. Beautiful model, and looks right for my eyes.

Best regards, Djordje

Thank You Djordje,.... I appreciate that mate,.... a definite minefield for sure! 

 

4 hours ago, heloman1 said:

Excellent work Tony, another cracker. Thanks for the images and history.

 

Colin

Cheers Colin,.... you are very welcome old chum!