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Wot I done when I wasn’t reminiscing on BertiePsmith’s thread


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The second of my 17 Sqn builds, a Mk XIVe Spitfire, meant to represent Ginger Lacey’s aircraft. Still many, many errors but I’m much happier than I was with the Hurricane. 
 

Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire


 

As always, criticism, hints and tips welcome. Next up, a Beaufighter TT Mk10. Should be fun - yellow and black undersides.

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Good morning old bean, I thought I'd drop in between anecdotes, dontcha' know.

 

I think the Spit is jolly good. I lost the ability to smoothly paint large areas with a brush many years ago. In fact that's what drove me to the airbrush and a life of muttered curses when that won't work either. So I appreciate your painting skill. I do wonder whether a thin coat of matt varnish might help unify the two colour camouflage though, the sheen is so different 'twixt green and grey.

 

I had no idea that dear old Ginger made it 'out East'. Did he survive the war? He's one of my favourite Battle of Britain pilots, mostly because he looks so much like George Formby and nothing like the steely eyed killer that he really was.

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There will be a coat of something at some point. Sadly, the “A” serial on the port side disintegrated when it sensed water - hence no photo of that side. I ordered a sheet of letters but the smallest was 5mm and I wanted 4mm, so a further hunt tracked down these and they are on their way. As soon as that applied, she will get the final finish.

 

If anyone wants a 1/72 kit that lends itself to lots of cockpit detailing, I recommend this (Hasegawa) as the kit itself provides none. Nada. Zilch. I made the parcel shelf myself otherwise just a big gap (can I tick the scratch building box for that?). Otherwise, a nice, simple build, right up my street.

 

Thanks for your interest

 

Bill

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He did indeed survive. Advised on the Battle of Britain film, ran an air freight business. Died in 1989. So many great stories about him! 
 

“On the 30th of August, Lacey was badly shot up over the Thames estuary. Considering that he had sufficient altitude to glide as far as land, when he reached the Isle of Sheppey he decided to try and get all the way home in a shallow glide. As he neared Gravesend he pumped his undercarriage down and did the same for his flaps. With engine lifeless he made a perfect landing and rolled to a stop immediately in front of a camera crew who had filmed the whole landing. Lacey's pride at having brought his shattered Hurricane home safely would soon be shattered by the Engineering Officer who, surveying the eighty seven bullet holes in the plane, tartly commended "Why the hell didn't you bail out?... I'd have got a new aircraft tomorrow morning! Now I've got to set to work and mend it."

 

As if a SEngO EVER got his hands dirty!

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“In November 1944 he joined No. 155 Squadron, but was immediately moved to take command of No. 17 Squadron, where he scored his 28th and final victory - a Japanese Ki-43 "Oscar" aircraft. This was his first aerial victory since 1941, and was scored in a Spitfire Mk VIII fighter. It took his final tally to 28 destroyed, five probables and nine damaged, which put him seventh on the list of RAF's top scoring aces of World War II.”

 

Hence his kill chart (port side, so not yet visible here😖) has a single red dot after all the swastikas.

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