Spitfire Race 80 - DUN!

[Thom216]

...or do decalling! Decalling sounds like fun. So I'll do that.

There aren't that many on the kit and almost all of them go over flat surfaces, esp after taking the wing bulges off. Of course the most difficult would be the longest - so I cut it in half. Had the added benefit, when putting on the rear portion, of allowing me to adjust the location of the maple leaf over the closed over camera port. Just had to double up a little bit where the cut had been made. Makes me think that decal may have been a little over long... Try and spot it.

 

 

I also put the Imperial Oil LTD logo on the fuel tank cover, and now I'll let those dry before fiddling with the other side.

 

Model on!

 

Thom

Edited June 23, 2021 by Thom216

[Thom216]

Alright, all decals are on. And they reacted really well. Good on Airfix for these decals. A little Sol and Set and they bedded right down into the lines. A little finger pressure molded the red at the nose right to the rivets on the cowl too.

 

I'll hit those with the Set a little more, then splash with with some gloss.

 

Model on!

Thom

 

[Thom216]

But first, some gearage! Wanting to keep the tones different but still silver, I hit the legs with Tamiya silver Leaf. Once set, I'll paint the oleos chrome. I forgot to do that before they went on...

 

They slipped in real easy though. no fuss, no muss. Just some CA on the main plug going into the gear well and some Tamiya extra thin on the other contact points.

 

The tail wheel was also done in silver leaf, and the main wheel hubs were done in polished aluminum. I'll mask them and spray on some MM Grey Tire before they get glued on, flat spots down.

 

Now, where did I put those resin exhausts..?🤔

 

Model on!

 

Thom

 

 

[Thom216]

And she's up on her legs! Sans wheels...

I think I'm going to finish my first GB!!

 

Model on!

Thom

[Thom216]

I futzed it! Ugh! I was looking for the clear gloss and all I could find was a big can of Krylon. Won't hurt, right? Wrong! As soon as I sprayed it on, it looks like it turned the AK paint translucent! I could suddenly see all the color gradations, like splotches of shadows all over. On the plus side, I did it on the bottom first, so the damage was restricted to there. Still, shazbot!🤬

Ended up masking the decals, carefully, and then hitting the bottom with Tamiya silver leaf to cover it, and then going over with the AK Dark Aluminum again. Good thing there are no decals on the bottom.😑Still, damage was done. There are some areas of 'orange peel' now on the bottom... 

Not trashing it though! The top side looks really good and I have no plans to display this on its back.

The real kicker? After all that, I found a brand new can of Tamiya Pearl Clear - which looks great on the top side!🤪

[Thom216]

Yeah, no more with the Montex masks! As if I hadn't learned when they wouldn't stick to a curve, getting the flat ones off the windshield left a boat-load of residue on the plastic. 😒 

Any ideas to getting that off..?

[Thom216]

A little more done.  I hit the prop blades with Tamiya Flat Black, and then the wheels with Mission Models Tire Grey. The wheels will get flat coated and then the blades glossy in prep for the tip decals. I was thinking about painting them on, but there have been so many mistakes made thus far that i just want to finish it.

 

Get those done and then the exhausts and she'll be finished!

 

Model on!

Thom

Edited June 30, 2021 by Thom216

[Thom216]

I think the wheels came out alright. Took the masks off and added them and the gear doors.

 

And this is what I used for the mask. I bought these several years ago and finally had a use for them.

 

They won't fit every wheel hub, but in this case they were the perfect size for the resin wheels.

 

Model on!

Thom

[Thom216]

And getting close to the finish!

 

I had a little back and forth with the prop, but there is no need to go into those shenanigans. Except to say that the red/white decals for the tips could have been better. They are too narrow and shaped subtly wrong at the far end.

 

I didn't even try the red ones for the backside - as they are not reversed! C'mon Airfix, that's simple stuff!

One way to alleviate the narrowness of the front decals is to paint on the copper leading edge. If you are going by the ins they do not say to do that. but the pics do show it on the blades.

 

And tape off!

 

Not perfect sadly. as you can see a bit of gap between the decal and copper strip on two of them, but perfect went out the window a while ago!🤪

 

While those were 'drying' I turned to the exhaust. I had bought a resin replacement, but seeing how this is not as good as I had wanted it, I'm saving them for another Race 80 build. So out came the kit's.

I took a drill and opened up the exhausts, and then hit them with gun metal.

 

Then back to the prop. I have a second kit, and used its prop to help in aligning the blades, using CA which doesn't give much feddle time. I do have 60Sec CA... Oh well!

All scientifical!

 

And all of them set!

 

I still need a few more decals on the blades and then a clear to cover it all, but that's pretty much done.

And a test fit with the exhausts added, and a little wander 'round.

 

A little peak into the 'pit.

 

A check of the wheels to see if they are both on the flat spots.

They are!!

And getting there. Again, a little spritz of clear onto the prop, which will have to wait until I get to the hobby shop in a few days time, some weathering (not much) and we're almost there.

 

Model on!

Thom

 

[PattheCat]

Very neat job drilling out the exhausts (a thing I never try anymore). Can't see something wrong with the prop blades decals.

I like your shiny racer very much.

Congrats.

Pat.

[Thom216]

And she's DUN! Decided to finish her off today, which was just adding a few more decals to the props and light (almost invisible) dusting of exhaust down the nose.

 

 

More pics in the Gallery!

 

Model on!

Thom

[Brad]

It really looks great mate.