1:48 Tamiya Spitfire Mk.Vb ‘Malta 1942’

[shortCummins]

 

While I’m impatiently waiting for the Grumman Hellcat STGB to start, approximately a month, I need something of a “quick” build, or at least something I can put down and pickup when I run out of time!

Its a well known fact that you can never have too many Spitfires so…

Recently I built a 1:48 Tamiya MkVb TROP in a grey on grey camo’ with azure undersides.

 

I really liked the look of the camo’, @bigbadbadge suggested that I could have given the entire top of the aircraft a light coat of the darker grey to give a better(?) overall faded look.

As the faded camo’ look was a really good idea, unfortunately a little too late for that build but certainly worthy of a build at some time, that’s what I’m going to do with this build!

 

Montex have a mask set, K48342, that allows a Mk Vb from Malta in October 1942.

 

For aircraft SV Montex suggest an overall Extra Dark Sea Grey with Sky undersides, so I’m going to start with a “normal” grey green camo’ and then "over paint" with the darker grey.

 

I’ll be using the venerable 1:48 Tamiya MkVb kit as the base

 

Apart from the Montex set I’ll be building this OOB.

 

So on with with build.

 

 

 

First I’ll start with the cockpit.

 

until next time

as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received.

rgds

John(shortCummins)

Edited June 10, 2021 by shortCummins

[bigbadbadge]

Excellent another Malta Spitfire John,  will look forward to this.  Thanks for the mention.  

Chris 

[Antb]

Nice subject John. I built this in 24th scale 4 years ago, it does look nice when it's done. 

 

Here's a few bits that might help? 

 

Pic of EP436

 

And some info from the thread I posted before I started the project. Some interesting things came up. 

 

My thread

[shortCummins]

4 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Excellent another Malta Spitfire John,  will look forward to this.  Thanks for the mention.  

Chris 

thanks Chris

 

I'll blame you if I cock it up 😁

 

2 hours ago, Antb said:

Nice subject John. I built this in 24th scale 4 years ago, it does look nice when it's done. 

 

Here's a few bits that might help? 

 

Pic of EP436

 

And some info from the thread I posted before I started the project. Some interesting things came up. 

 

My thread

thanks Antb

 

reference stuff is always useful

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[bigbadbadge]

1 minute ago, shortCummins said:

thanks Chris

 

I'll blame you if I cock it up 😁

Ha ha no worries,  I always get the blame and am in the wrong with the Domestic authorities so am used to it!!! Don't tell her I said that!!!

Chris

[shortCummins]

 

As “normal” I’ll be starting with the cockpit, first things first the various parts were identified and UMP/Stynylrez black primer applied.

 

I’m humming and haring weather to use the supplied pilot, as he’s not dressed for warm weather so I’ll probably not use him, I’ve found some “generic” RAF PE harness in the spares box so I’ll probably use those.

 

 

 

Next I’ll start with the cockpit colours.

 

until next time

as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received.

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[shortCummins]

 

The rear part of the cockpit was given a coat of Xtreme metal AK 479 aluminium and the front was painted with vallejo 71.305 grey green.

 

Various parts were masked with vallejo liquid mask.

 

The seat cushion was masked with Tamiya tape and then given a coat of XF-64 red brown.

 

The oxygen? cylinders were painted with Tamiya XF-19 sky grey.

 

 

Next I’ll add some “detail” paint colour to the cockpit.

 

until next time

as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received.

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[bigbadbadge]

Looking good so far John , cracking job .

Chris

[rob85]

Great start! Absolutely love a Malta based AC, and especially a spitfire.

 

Rob

[shortCummins]

 

With the “base” colours for the cockpit added the next job is to add some “detail” paint.

 

The only Spitfire kits I’ve built have been either Tamiya or Eduard, my Tamiya 1:32 Mk.IX is staring accusingly at me at the moment, I’ve tried explaining that I want to take my time enjoying building her but I’m not convinced she understands! Anyhow, from what I’ve experienced Eduard have the “upper hand” on the detail, especially the cockpit, whilst Tamiya have the “easier to build” version. Of the two, at least for 1:48, I’m leaning toward the Eduard offerings, neither is “perfect” but I believe they're the “best” we currently have.

So what was all that about?, well I’m looking at the seat, there’s something not quite right about it, the “cushion” is too big, it comes too far down toward the “seat” and I’m sure that the seat wasn’t as flat as Tamiya would have you believe?

So I’m going to use the supplied pilot, he looks a bit over-dressed for Malta however I’m sure it’d get cold once you were at operational height so he’ll have to do and he'll hide most of the seat.

 

For the pilot there was a bit of flash that needed attention, no flash on the rest of the parts?, and a mould-line that was scraped and sanded before he could be given a coat of primer.

 

Once the seat, control column sub-assembly is in place I’ll attach his arm and then have another go at “figure painting”, practice makes perfect I’m told.

 

Various boxes and equipment were picked out with Tamiya XF-69 NATO black and then Tamiya panel line black added to the top part of the cockpit and brown to the lower.

 

The instrument panel was dry-brushed and various switches picked out in red.

 

Frames and other components were dry-brushed and then treated with Tamiya black panel line.

 

 

The seat cushion was highlighted with a very dark grey.

 

 

 

Next I’ll be putting the cockpit together and then painting the pilot.

 

until next time

as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received.

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[bigbadbadge]

Good to see some progress John , don't get me wrong, I like the Tamiya kits but the Tamiya seats in their 48th Spitfires do look a bit wierd, the appear to short in the seat bottom.   I wish Airfix did a decent MkIX like there Vb , that's a cracking kit.

Got an Eduard MkIX to do in the stash that keeps yelling build me.

 

Chris

[shortCummins]

14 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Good to see some progress John , don't get me wrong, I like the Tamiya kits but the Tamiya seats in their 48th Spitfires do look a bit wierd, the appear to short in the seat bottom.   I wish Airfix did a decent MkIX like there Vb , that's a cracking kit.

Got an Eduard MkIX to do in the stash that keeps yelling build me.

 

Chris

thanks Chris

 

Tamiya must have made the seat to have the pilot "in place" as its just so wrong?

I've just received the Eduard MkI (early) and the level of detail is another level with both raised and recessed rivets, the exhaust stack is "one piece" in this version, the 3 or 4 piece exhaust in their MkIX & MkV's is, for me, way too over engineered.

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[Troy Smith]

17 hours ago, shortCummins said:

Of the two, at least for 1:48, I’m leaning toward the Eduard offerings, neither is “perfect” but I believe they're the “best” we currently have.

The OLD tool Tamiya 1/48th Spitfires, Mk.I and Vb (they share the same fuselage) while 'classic Tamiya' in they assemble fast, easily and and accurately,  have some shape issues, being slab sided round the nose and a bit fat, as the wing is too broad in chord.   

On it's own,  this is not obvious,  next to a correctly shaped kit,  it looks like it's overdone a bit at xmas.... 

 

HTH

[shortCummins]

 

Various boxes, tanks and controls were added to the fuselage sides.

 

The “seat” sub-assembly was put together…

 

…the pilot figure was placed in his seat and hid arm was glued “in place” holding the control column.

 

Both the control column and seat adjustor will be added once the pilot has been painted and nailed to the seat.

 

 

 

Next I’ll painting the pilot figure.

 

until next time

as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received.

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[shortCummins]

 

Previously I’d given the pilot a primer coat of UMP/Stynylrez black, and now I applied some “block” colours for his face and uniform.

The paints were a mixture of Alkan and Tamiya I, more or less, followed the mixing suggestions from the instructions.

Flying helmet - XF-1:1 black XH-10:5 flat brown (I may have overdone the XF-1)

Jacket collar - XF-57 buff

Leather flying jacket - XF-1:1 black XF-52:5 flat earth XF-64:5 red brown

Parachute harness? - XF-49 khaki

Trousers - Alkan 5-N Navy blue (should have been XF-50 field blue)

The gloves and boots were left UMP/Stynylrez black.

 

These were left for an hour or so to fully dry and I then added high-lights to his face, flying jacket and trousers.

Thinned white was added to his nose and cheeks…

Alkan dark earth was dry-brushed to the jacket…

And Alkan medium blue dry-brushed to the trousers.

 

Next various straps have been picked out with Alkan black with the harness release was picked out with mig metal steel.

 

He was then given a coat of Gauzy gloss and then a thinned wash to accentuate the material folds and then given a flat coat…

 

 

 

Next I’ll be closing up the cockpit.

 

until next time

as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received.

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[VT Red Sox Fan]

Best RAF pilot I have seen--thank you for including your paint mixes.  Following this build with great interest--outstanding work so far!  Best, Erwin

[shortCummins]

50 minutes ago, VT Red Sox Fan said:

Best RAF pilot I have seen--thank you for including your paint mixes.  Following this build with great interest--outstanding work so far!  Best, Erwin

Thanks Erwin

 

very kind of you to say about the pilot, I think this is my 5th or 6th pilot as most aircraft kits I build don't include them!, a "bug-bear" of mine, yes I'm looking at you Eduard!, as I'd like the option to include them or not rather than some manufacturer decide for me. I also think its a shame that "kit supplied" figures aren't really that good and that "after market" air crew are few and far between.

Perhaps with the advent of 3D printing we'll get to see some decent alternatives?

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

 

PS the paint mixes are there so that I'll have a permanent reference, I used to write these things down in a ledger, but I'll be blowed if I can find where I've put it now!

 

[shortCummins]

 

Before closing the fuselage there were a couple of bits’n’bobs that needed attending to.

I gave the IP a “glass” look with some AK gauzy agent dabbed where the instrument glass would be.

 

The pilots goggles were treated the same way.

 

Next the pilot and control column were attached to the seat sub-assembly.

 

Then the seat adjustment lever and IP were fixed to this sub-assembly.

 

Both fuselage halves and the rear cockpit bulkhead was fitted together…

 

…and then the cockpit sub-assembly squeezed into place.

 

 

 

 

Next I’ll add the cockpit glazing and wings.

 

until next time

as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received.

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[bigbadbadge]

Pilot does look good  John, what a splendid job fella.

Chris

[shortCummins]

14 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Pilot does look good  John, what a splendid job fella.

Chris

thanks Chris

 

I hadn't intended to spend quite as much time on this part of the build, I'm keen to get onto the paint job. Stuffing the pilot into his seat hides almost all of the cockpit detail so I'm glad (in a way) that I haven't "wasted" time super detailing, I'll save that for my next Eduard Spit or my 1:32 Tamiya Mk.IX

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[bigbadbadge]

Oooooo the Tamiya 32nd one, missing that one John, are you starting again soon ??? He days with fingers and toes crossed!!!

Chris

[81-er]

That cockpit is shaping up nicely, I'll pull up a chair for the rest of this too.

[shortCummins]

1 hour ago, bigbadbadge said:

Oooooo the Tamiya 32nd one, missing that one John, are you starting again soon ??? He days with fingers and toes crossed!!!

Chris

ha ha, my plan is to get back to it after the Hellcat group build as I've received the seat harness' that I was waiting for plus some other aftermarket goodies for the cockpit.

I'm not very good at building more than one kit at a time, I've tried it and both "suffer" as I make even more cock ups mistakes than normal. I've seen someone of YouTube building two Lysanders at the same time, I quite like that idea but as I don't have two kits the same it means I'll have to buy some more kits, perhaps 2 BOB Spitfires, that would be a good "reason" to acquire a couple of the "new" Eduard MK.IIs 

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[shortCummins]

 

The fuselage join was given was given a quick sand, I’ll “check” them later with a blast of primer however at first glance they look reasonable, no noticeable steps or gaps.

 

Before adding the windshield the gunsight was attached, the “body” of the gunsight was painted XF-1 black. I also painted the sides of the “glass” part with Tamiya X-24 clear yellow to try and give the glass a slightly coloured tinge, it doesn’t show up as much as I’d hoped, I might try clear orange next time?

 

 

I’m using a Montex mask set for the aircraft markings that handily provides masks for the cockpit glazing so they were added and then the windshield and rear canopy fixed to the fuselage.

Notice that some of the mask hasn’t stuck down completely, I’ll go over these with Mr Masking Sol before I add any paint.

 

 

 

 

Next I’ll be adding the wings.

 

until next time

as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received.

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[bigbadbadge]

Great progress John and it's great to know theat the 32nd Spitfire is not to far from being worked on again. 

Chris