1/72 Heller Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVIe (reclaimed by the RAF)

[TonyOD]

Another little one dragged kicking and screaming over the line...

 

Clipped-tip Spit of 631 Squadron, RAF Llanbedr, 1946, Heller kit. Brush painted with Humbrol enamels as usual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually this kit has already made one RFI appearance in a different guise, I built it as a Belgian machine for the Heller Classic GB:

 

 

 

However I quickly decided I wasn't happy with it. My clumsy attempts at weathering ended up with it looking rather too shabby for a brand new, well-maintained peacetime aircraft so she spent a bit of time like this:

 

 

Version 2 is an altogether smarter machine that I'm happier with. It's been that long since I put these decals on that I can't remember whose they were, might have been Lifelike or Xtradecal, anyway the sheet offered two options for this airframe, the camo as here and a bare metal scheme. A photo of the Spit in camo from the period shows the rear section of the canopy having bare aluminium framing, but repainting this was a faff too far so I'm positing that this would have been a replacement for a damaged standard camo framed one.

 

I'm indebted to @Wez who helped me out with a new pair of wheel oleos after I snapped one of the originals... I snapped one of the new pair too put managed to repair it!

 

Thanks for looking in!

Edited August 6, 2021 by TonyOD

[Wez]

Good result Tony, the old Heller kit scrubs up well doesn't it?  Well done!

 

 

[TonyOD]

It’s a lovely old kit alright @Wez. It sits well enough alongside the modern tool Airfix P-40 that I did recently.

[Eric Mc]

Nicely done. One of my favourite kits. Although the thread title needs changing, its not a Mk XIV (14), it's a Mk XVI (16).

[TonyOD]

That’s how long I’ve been mucking about with this onE @Eric Mc… couldn’t even remember what type of Spit it was. Explains why I wasn’t able to turn up the decals on Google though… the stickers are indeed Xtradecal.

[Tempestwulf]

Nice work on the Spit Tony. I always liked this kit as a teenager. You did it real justice.

[Bertie McBoatface]

Nice one, Tony. 👍

[2996 Victor]

Really nice finish, Tony, very impressive! I was quite taken with the Belgian finish, but the RAF scheme always looks "right".

 

I had one of these as a nipper - one of my very few Heller kits as my LMS in those days didn't tend to stock many - and I remember my teenage self being well impressed with how it built. I've recently acquired another thanks to Steve @fightersweep (thanks, Steve!) that I'm looking forward to. Not sure whether to build it as-is, attempt to rescribe, or to try @opus999's technique of sanding smooth the raised panel lines and using pencil lines to represent them.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[TonyOD]

On 8/10/2021 at 10:18 AM, 2996 Victor said:

Not sure whether to build it as-is, attempt to rescribe, or to try @opus999's technique of sanding smooth the raised panel lines and using pencil lines to represent them.

 

Cheers Mark. I scribed this one and it turned out OK. It languished for many months in limbo between Belgium and Britain... somewhere in the North Sea... well actually on a shelf in my living room. If you look carefully you can see dust on the port wing that I missed. I also have the Heller Spit V in the stash, it will probably make an appearance... eventually.

[2996 Victor]

2 minutes ago, TonyOD said:

 

Cheers Mark. I scribed this one and it turned out OK. It languished for many months in limbo between Belgium and Britain... somewhere in the North Sea... well actually on a shelf in my living room. If you look carefully you can see dust on the port wing that I missed. I also have the Heller Spit V in the stash, it will probably make an appearance... eventually.

You've done a great job on the re-scribing, Tony! My efforts aren't up to scratch (!) yet, even using DYMO tape and straight edges as guides..... I'm increasingly keen on having a go at a few vintage Heller kits: the wonderful builds in the French Fancy GB are ever thus drawing my gaze  Looking forward to seeing your Spit V in due course!

 

Cheers,

Mark

[TonyOD]

Ah, @2996 Victor, here’s the thing: we might smirk at those angular 30s bombers so beloved of Heller back in the day, but what better place to work on your scribing? Not a curve to be seen!

[fightersweep]

Nothing against our Belgian friends, but I'm liking the Spit in her new RAF roundels. Nice work!

 

Nice to see another Heller kit in the RFI section. I think I'm still missing the Heller GB. Still building the large stash of French plastic I accumulated and enjoying every minute. The Mk XVIe is most definitely in the build queue. Will we see some more Heller goodies in the near future from you Tony?

 

Steve

[TonyOD]

8 minutes ago, fightersweep said:

Will we see some more Heller goodies in the near future from you Tony?

 

From time to time. One going on for the French Fancy GB at the moment (I mean, what else am I going to build?!) and I still have all my Musee kits and a few others but I've broadened my horizons a little stash-wise, got a lot of stuff in there that a few months back I said lacked "soul" 🤣. I did a new tool Airfix P-40 recently and it built so nicely I thought why make life hard for myself all the time! I'm concentrating on 40s stuff ATM so a few of them jets are now surplus to requirement...

 

PM inbound re. something you might find interesting.

[2996 Victor]

14 hours ago, TonyOD said:

Ah, @2996 Victor, here’s the thing: we might smirk at those angular 30s bombers so beloved of Heller back in the day, but what better place to work on your scribing? Not a curve to be seen!

You have an undeniably sound point there, Tony!  

[Richard Tucker]

Lovely work Tony. It reminds me that I have a few Spitfires in the stash and really must build one.