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Revell Mkix Spitfire in Soviet Colour's.


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Hi folk's,only half a year late this was meant to follow on from the Hobbyboss Vb and Revell Mkii in a trilogy

of builds started in January in what was going to be a year of 1/32 builds but life and GB's got in the way.

The kit was a bargain £19.99 free delivery.

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I loved this scheme when looking for something different with a decent weathering job it should stand out.

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Here's the first two builds.

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20210307_133333

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

I’m trying not to start any more Spitfires at the moment so I’ll watch this one instead. I have managed to resist buying any of the Revell kits so far, but it’s probably only a matter of time!

 

John

For the price John have a go,not perfect the Mkii can be picked up for as little as £18 but does need replacement wheel's( the ASR version

had replacement wheels and exhaust for the BBMF machine) The Mkix around £23 most places after this one I wan't a full D-Day striped

version for the collection.

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Hi folk's.I've devoted what time I had free this weekend soiely to this project so after building the wing sections first I turned

to the cockpit assembly and painting,masking tape harness as usual.

20210822_195933

 

20210822_200016

 

20210822_202014

 

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The Russians had a lot of LF Mk.IXe, as in the art at the top, but I don't think that I've seen a IXc.  other then the Lotnia kit, if you will excuse the language!  Which is certainly not to say that they didn't have any, a look or three in Spitfire the History (for example) will clarify that, but it will be interesting to see what scheme you come up with.  Or are you intending to change the armament at this late stage?

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23 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

The Russians had a lot of LF Mk.IXe, as in the art at the top, but I don't think that I've seen a IXc.  other then the Lotnia kit, if you will excuse the language!  Which is certainly not to say that they didn't have any, a look or three in Spitfire the History (for example) will clarify that, but it will be interesting to see what scheme you come up with.  Or are you intending to change the armament at this late stage?

Hi Graham,I need to do a bit more research so far no actual photo of this aircraft has come to light,it's odd but the decal sheet prophile

has the cannon placed opposite to Revell's instruction but the upper wing  bulges in the same place.

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3 hours ago, stevej60 said:

so far no actual photo of this aircraft has come to light

the only photo I know of is in the background of another plane,  which is tiny and lo-res.   I think I scanned it once years ago, but you really can't see much.  the I think is profile profile, copied enough to be fact.  

 

The profile date is wrong.   Repaints into VVS colours did happen, but summer 1945, I suspect something to keep ground crew busy, and/or for victory parades.   Previously to this they retain RAF camo.  RAF markinsg painted out with RAF paint before delivery, and red stars applied, despite what many profiles and a recent warbird may show with them painted out with Soviet paint.

 

There are Spitfire with lightning bolts, there are Spitfire in VVS colours.  I don't know of the combination though.  

 

I'll try to find the scan.  

 

EDIT can't find scan. Book not too hand, Red Stars In The Sky 4 BTW.    I'll dig it out. 

 

This, though is the only full shot I have seen of VVS Spitfire repainted, apart from the 2 seater conversions.

 

50483390351_dbc0b24939_c.jpgSpit vert no2_zps8sciyndv by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

note this is dated 1948 

 

I know of 3 VVS units that used lightning bolts of Spitfires,

 

26 GvIAP, these are some of the best known VVS Mk.IX image BTW

http://ava.org.ru/iap/26g.htm

 

35 IAP

http://ava.org.ru/iap/35.htm

 

and with Spitfire Vb's

57 GvIAP

http://ava.org.ru/iap/57g.htm

 

Bear in mind the VVS got about 1000 Spitfire IX's  but as they were with Air Defence units, (PVO) photos are very rare. 

But in 1945 27 out of 81 PVO units were equipped with Spitfire IX's, so a third of them,  and they were used until the late 1940's, so there must be more photos....   

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I've been looking in various sources (still some to try) and can confirm that the Soviets did receive Mk.IXc in the MJ, MK and MK serial ranges, but most of the ones they got were Mk.IXe.  Every photo (part from the one I've just seen above) shows them with clipped wings and in Day Fighter scheme and standard RAF Fighter Command trim.

 

Massimo Tesstori's pages do include one profile similar to this Spitfire, but it is green not grey, has no arrow.  See Spitfire LF IXE VVS ICM 1/48 (massimotessitori.altervista.org).  There's a suggestion that units were a little more imaginative after VE Day.  Maybe.

 

There may be something more in Kotelnikov, which I have, and in the various Red Stars by Guest, plus another profile of this aircraft in an Osprey.  Maybe I'll go look some more.

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OK, here's some more, but still no specific photographs.

 

The Osprey reference is Mellinger: Soviet Lend-Lease Fighter Aces.  It has this aircraft in green over light grey.  He says it is the commander's aircraft from 26GIAP saying the aircraft of the 26GIAP were repainted green after VE day.  There are two ofther green Spitfires in the Osprey, one claimed as 1944(!).  He says that 26 GIAP were the only unit to have the Guards badge behind the cockpit.  There is a photo, also familiar, of a DFS Mk.IX with a lightning flash, but this is not all white, but red(?) with a white surround.  This is also claimed for 26 GIAP, despite lacking the the badge behind the cockpit.

 

Red Stars 4 (Geust and Petrov) has this aircraft as a lightish brown over light grey.  They agree that 26GIAP had the Guards insignia behind the cockpit, and some people suggest that the familiar line-up of Soviet Mk.IXe (or 26 GIAP, according to G&P) have light coloured tails.  Having white rudders seems to be a regular comment about Soviet Spitfires, but I'm not sure that photographs are that common.

 

Kotelnikov has a similar collection of photos, and is of no help here (but excellent text).

 

So quite where Revell got their scheme from I can't say.  The markings are probably from the Osprey but the overall grey?  You could perhaps raise the question on Massimo's website.  Add to the previous posting rather than starting a new page, it might jar some of the previous posters into action.

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35 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

The markings are probably from the Osprey but the overall grey? 

I don't think the decals are by Revell.  I think the decal profile has washed out, and it is meant to be green.

There is debate about post war schemes,  if the one colour uppers are green or grey.

 

this is another post war shot, I think in Red Stars 4, which appears to show a repaint,  though looking at this again,  is that a camo demarcation across the fin,  and the plane behind looks to still have it's RAF serial? 

russian-spitfire-92-2.jpg

 

 

The UTI trainer conversions appear one overall colour.

russian-spitfire-92-4.jpg

 

Post war schemes are a matter of debate

https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/colors/1945-1950-newtypes/1945-1950-newtypes.html

 

50 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

There is a photo, also familiar, of a DFS Mk.IX with a lightning flash, but this is not all white, but red(?) with a white surround.  This is also claimed for 26 GIAP, despite lacking the the badge behind the cockpit.

this one?

russian-spitfire-1.jpg

 

the Guards badge on the 26 GvIAP was on the port side, see pics in link above. 

52 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Having white rudders seems to be a regular comment about Soviet Spitfires, but I'm not sure that photographs are that common.

It was a Leningrad area marking, the whole tail in white or silver.  

pics from http://www.venturapublications.com/news/publish/russian-spitfires.shtml

 

"White tails and spinners were a quick recognition sign for all VVS combat planes on Leningrad Front in 1944.
Hundreds of planes actually had white tails and spinners"

57 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Red Stars 4 (Geust and Petrov) has this aircraft as a lightish brown over light grey.

I think this is meant to be green over light blue,  

Spit.gif

 

the profile, is based on a very small image, in the background of another Spitfire IIRC,  in Red Stars 4.   I'll be able to get to the book later for more details.

 

all from here, http://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/board/index.php?topic=1683

 

Hope the digression is of interest @stevej60, apologies if not.

 

 

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23 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

Hope the digression is of interest @stevej60, apologies if not.

always great to have common sense discussion and input from both Graham and Troy, I can't recall where the decal's were bought probably

Hannants the profile suggests Green over Gray but no specific references are given,there is a masking set for the white flash.I wondered 

what your thoughts are on the cannon position profile v kit?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi folk's,finally made the LMS for paint so here we go,it appears that these aircraft(including this aircraft) were painted post war in

Green over light blue but didn't linger very long on the Soviet inventory so no overboard weathering to do.Primed in Humbrol gray

the undersides sprayed Tamiya light blue and post shaded in a couple of lighter and darker shades to break up the overall color.

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Next job was to spray the white tail ready for masking off for the green upper colour.

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Hi folk's,last weeks progress.Top colours on with a bit of shading to break up the solid green it will blend nicely under gloss,

sprayed the firs prtion of the white flash using the supplied mask so far so good!

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Hi folk's,after a few moments of terror both sides have their flashes painted and the rudder numbers added not being used to spraying

markings I can see the attraction as they really do look great the rudder numbers were a struggle due to the molded detail but worked.

20210926_123710

 

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34 minutes ago, Steve Coombs said:

There was a thread that got deleted about that.  In short, the scheme is cobblers,. As the lend lease British planes had their British markings over painted before delivery, with British colours, and red stars applied.  There are photos showing this, and if you look at the few photos of VVS Spitfires, you can see this is the case.  There are lots of profiles showing big patches of Russian green, and there are photos showing over paints done badly or with mismatched colours, but plenty show no trace of the RAF markings, with neat paint jobs.  One giveaway,. Upperwing stars, these were not used by the VVS in the war, but were applied by the British, and are visible on various photos.   One final point, the image of the salvaged remains of PT879 show no traces of big patches of bright green either...... I can link you to more info if you wish.

On 19/09/2021 at 21:09, stevej60 said:

but didn't linger very long on the Soviet inventory 

They served until the late 1940's, there is a photo of one in 1948, but they were frontline planes in peace time, so were maintained.

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Hi folk's she's up on her wheels and first decals added without issue,a lot of touching up on the rudder number as the mask was a 

nightmare over the molded detail and the paint bled.

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I figured when the Russians re-painted the undersides the wheel wells and covers would have recieved the same colour non of

that Western bourgious masking off!

20211003_171008

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi folk's,just a few finishing touches now including a final matt coat and the conopy painting,just a light wash in the panel lines

and a little exhaust staining was all I thought needed.

20211021_195643

 

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1 hour ago, bigbadbadge said:

Looks absolutely lovely Steve

Chris

 

38 minutes ago, opus999 said:

Oh, that is beautiful!  Simple, but lovely.

Many thank's folk's,she does look great under the matt coat about a sessions work to finish now should be finished this weekend.

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