1/32 Spitfire Mk.Ia (mid), and (early) from Kotare

[Peter Roberts]

20 hours ago, Scooby said:

Well I’m in Alberta, so I still beat you! 😋

😕 Humpf, back to the model desk then….. 😉

[Simon Cornes]

I think we’ll have to be careful that the mods don’t shut down this thread as we’re getting a bit off topic - but it is all very exciting!!! 
I wonder if Hannants will be gearing up their Xtradecal range to accommodate the new kit? In theory everything already produced should fit perfectly but I always find it a struggle to decide on markings. That of an ace or a well known pilot or just a standard squadron machine? That’s where the Wingleader book will help a lot I think.

[Troy Smith]

Image removed by Admin

 

Jennings Heilig contacted BM late last year and stated quite firmly in his own amusing way that no images pertaining to his company are to be posted here.

 

We are happy to oblige his request, especially if it means we dont have to waste our time dealing with him, his tantrums or his sock puppet accounts.

Edited March 14, 2023 by Greg B
Image removed

[k5054nz]

A message to all those who preordered their kits from one who missed the cutoff 😇

 

Edited March 13, 2023 by k5054nz

[Scooby]

removed - see above

Edited March 14, 2023 by Greg B

[Julien]

Please gents no more comments about the Fundekals sheets for Spitfires. Its just taking up admin time removing them.

 

Quote

Jennings Heilig contacted BM late last year and stated quite firmly in his own amusing way that no images pertaining to his company are to be posted here.

 

We are happy to oblige his request, especially if it means we dont have to waste our time dealing with him, his tantrums or his sock puppet accounts.

 

[Scooby]

11 hours ago, Julien said:

Please gents no more comments about the Fundekals sheets for Spitfires. Its just taking up admin time removing them.

 

 

Wow.

Just got my shipping notice to Canada!

[Stephen Allen]

Hooray!

 

Mine arrived here in Canberra today without any preliminaries. At first glance it looks like a pretty nice kit, well thought out assembly etc. Well worth the wait.

 

Steve

[MrB17]

Wow! Just got mine delivered. That was very fast, wasn’t expecting it so soon. I have had a quick look to ensure that all is well, and it is.

The plastic is a darker grey, very crisp, no visible flash. If you were expecting drilled out rivets, I am happy to report that there are none. Skin stress appears to be accomplished by the accurate moulding of the ribs, spar, frames and stringers on the backside of the parts. Screws are depicted accurately with some dimpling where appropriate. The raised rivets are very delicate, and with the exception of the rear fuselage underside, all other components are attached on panel joints. The seat is the early metal one, and very nicely done, one with harness, one without. The resin exhausts are very very nice!
 

I am very “chuffed” as you say. I took the liberty of providing a snapshot of each side of the parts trees, wet transfer sheet, instructions, print and a very nice touch, an essay on Kotare and their story.

 

Enjoy

Cheers

 

Jeff

[DonH]

Oh boy! Mine is on an airplane between NZ and me. Happy days!

[Sabrejet]

Jesus wept: pages of "mine's on the way" have now turned into photos of the same kit! Maybe get on with making it?

[Julien]

2 hours ago, Sabrejet said:

Jesus wept: pages of "mine's on the way" have now turned into photos of the same kit! Maybe get on with making it?

Yes please can we stop both of these one shot of sprues is enough.

[Tiger331]

3 hours ago, Sabrejet said:

Jesus wept: pages of "mine's on the way" have now turned into photos of the same kit! Maybe get on with making it?

 

No surprise really.......this seems to be creeping in everywhere...............a 'competition' to see who can get theirs first with a degree of 'oneupmanship'.....all very tiresome IMHO. 

[Simon Cornes]

I’m afraid that I agree with Julien on this. Please, no more shots of every sprue in the box. I’ve got a kit on order. With luck it will turn up in a couple of weeks maybe and I will enjoy looking at it but I know that the design team at Kotare will not have produced a pup and I’ve seen various bits of it including the fully assembled kit at Telford last year so there really isn’t that much to see - it will be a great kit, I know that but one set of sprue shots is now enough isn’t it? 
(Stand by to be pilloried!!!)

[JohnT]

I just got a new 1/32 Copper State Models Bristol Scout if you all want a variation in sprue photos ………..

 

There is never a tongue-in-cheek emoji when you need one 

[Julien]

1 hour ago, JohnT said:

I just got a new 1/32 Copper State Models Bristol Scout if you all want a variation in sprue photos ………..

 

There is never a tongue-in-cheek emoji when you need one 

[k5054nz]

I for one am very thankful for @MrB17's post as a great chance to really see what's in the box, but I understand the fatigue some may be experiencing.

 

My rationale is I need this boxing because Al Deere and I went to the same secondary school and I'm friends with a nephew of his...but knowing my favourite mark (Vb) is on the way) reminds me there's no rush to experience the engineering...

[pacificmustang]

A question on the wings. Kotare have moulded beautiful raised rivets on the empennage, as per the prototype, however, the wings are bare save for panel lines and fasteners. I know the D section leading edge box of Spitfires was puttied and sanded, but was the whole wing?

I would have preferred Kotare make some effort to reproduce the flush rivets used. Their research may well be correct though as photos in the Wingleader book seem to show no rivet detail.

The kit is excellent. 
There have been, to my mind ,some compromises made, such as moulded on sidewall detail in the cockpit,which I don’t think will matter too much.

 

I can understand this. It’s a company run by hobbyists, this time they have no millionaire bankrolling them!

looking forward to their next releases

Bruce 

[Tbolt]

34 minutes ago, pacificmustang said:

A question on the wings. Kotare have moulded beautiful raised rivets on the empennage, as per the prototype, however, the wings are bare save for panel lines and fasteners. I know the D section leading edge box of Spitfires was puttied and sanded, but was the whole wing?

I would have preferred Kotare make some effort to reproduce the flush rivets used. Their research may well be correct though as photos in the Wingleader book seem to show no rivet detail.

The kit is excellent. 
There have been, to my mind ,some compromises made, such as moulded on sidewall detail in the cockpit,which I don’t think will matter too much.

 

I can understand this. It’s a company run by hobbyists, this time they have no millionaire bankrolling them!

looking forward to their next releases

Bruce 

 

So there's no flush rivets ( holes ) on the fuselage?

 

The Wingleader book doesn't seem to have any detailed, close up pictures that would show flush rivets on the wing.

[Graham Boak]

The flush-rivetted fuselage began with the Mk.XII, then proceeded to the Mk.VII and VIII.  It may have been introduced late into Mk.IX fuselage production, I don't know.  The wing will have been flush rivetted for smoothness.

 

My later experience involved three acceptable levels of finish on wings - very high standards on the leading edge for some way back, then high standards, then slightly relaxed for the rear.  This is because the boundary layer grows with distance so that small protrusions/steps/gaps will be in slower flows.  For the same reason the rear fuselage is usually built to the lowest acceptable standard.  I recall mention that the DC-9 has protruding bolts in this area, which was definitely have been a no-no on combat types, and would have been as early as the Spitfire.

 

It was a fairly regular demand from the production side: can we please build this aircraft with round-head rivets?  This did reach the stage at one time of trials being carried out with split peas glued to a Hawk (tunnel model, I hope!) .  No.  A more recent equivalent was that it would be impossible to assemble multiple parts from carbon/lithium and maintain the surface smoothness.  Can we have a relaxation?  No.  (Not if we needed to meet severe performance demands - which we did.)

[Tbolt]

5 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

The flush-rivetted fuselage began with the Mk.XII, then proceeded to the Mk.VII and VIII.  It may have been introduced late into Mk.IX fuselage production, I don't know.  The wing will have been flush rivetted for smoothness.

 

My later experience involved three acceptable levels of finish on wings - very high standards on the leading edge for some way back, then high standards, then slightly relaxed for the rear.  This is because the boundary layer grows with distance so that small protrusions/steps/gaps will be in slower flows.  For the same reason the rear fuselage is usually built to the lowest acceptable standard.  I recall mention that the DC-9 has protruding bolts in this area, which was definitely have been a no-no on combat types, and would have been as early as the Spitfire.

 

It was a fairly regular demand from the production side: can we please build this aircraft with round-head rivets?  This did reach the stage at one time of trials being carried out with split peas glued to a Hawk (tunnel model, I hope!) .  No.  A more recent equivalent was that it would be impossible to assemble multiple parts from carbon/lithium and maintain the surface smoothness.  Can we have a relaxation?  No.  (Not if we needed to meet severe performance demands - which we did.)

 

I was asking whether the model has the flush riveting represented on the fuselage or not or only just the raised rivets.

[Simon Cornes]

I would guess that the Kotare team lead by Richard Alexander would have done their research. I remember reading in Spitfire -the History by Norman and Shacklady that tests were done with half dried peas stuck to a fully flush riveted airframe to establish what areas could be dome riveted without impairing the performance. I'm not sure off hand whether that was done on the Mk I's or a bit later but the design team will have looked at Mk I's to establish there facts I'm sure. The Mk I at Cosford is the oldest airframe I think but whilst it may have been modified during its service life I imagine that the fuselage rivets are 'as originally constructed' but then the kit is a mid so will the riveting be different? Your best bet is to ask Richard Alexander to clarify the point but I have faith that they will have done a proper job so Im not worried, neither will I count! 

[pacificmustang]

22 hours ago, Tbolt said:

 

So there's no flush rivets ( holes ) on the fuselage?

 

The Wingleader book doesn't seem to have any detailed, close up pictures that would show flush rivets on the wing.

There’s flush rivets on the forward fuselage, as there should be. I had a close look at the kit parts today for the first time. Kotare have even moulded the ribs on the insides of the wings. This produces a very subtle rippled look on the wings. It will be interesting to see how the effect looks under paint

Im liking the kit, more and more .

Bruce 

[Tbolt]

1 hour ago, pacificmustang said:

There’s flush rivets on the forward fuselage, as there should be. I had a close look at the kit parts today for the first time. Kotare have even moulded the ribs on the insides of the wings. This produces a very subtle rippled look on the wings. It will be interesting to see how the effect looks under paint

Im liking the kit, more and more .

Bruce 

 

Thanks, that's good, the way you said it made it sound like there wasn't.

 

How are the access panel fasteners, anything like the early shots of them blending into the panel lines or has that all been fixed?

 

[wmcgill]

55 minutes ago, Tbolt said:

 

Thanks, that's good, the way you said it made it sound like there wasn't.

 

How are the access panel fasteners, anything like the early shots of them blending into the panel lines or has that all been fixed?

 

Fixed like this panel?