Airfix - Spitfire MkVb, 249sqn Malta, George Beurling, 1942 EP706

[Murewa]

Spitfire MkVb, TL EP706 - 249sqn Malta, flown by George Beurling in the autumn of 1942 during the final blitz of Malta.

 

I'm midway through a Malta project on three 1/48 aircraft to match my signed print of Trudgian's painting (below). Spit Vb (finished), re2001 (started) and a 109G (in stash) that will eventually be altogether in flight on one long base with 'water' effects below and one or two 1/700 convoy ships.

 

Added Propblur and brass gun barrels. 

 

Malta colours, and indeed colours of EP706, are a can of worms... so I went for the colours represented in the painting.  Lots of different evidence on radio and IFF wires from different periods/airframes on the island, from what I can tell this airframe had neither. 

 

🙂 

   

 

 

[woody37]

Lovely finish, I'm looking forwards to the end result with them over the base

[Steve 1602]

Very nice - that’s a great finish and I really like the display stand 👏 

[Murewa]

37 minutes ago, woody37 said:

Lovely finish, I'm looking forwards to the end result with them over the base

 

21 minutes ago, Steve 1602 said:

Very nice - that’s a great finish and I really like the display stand 👏 

Thanks 😀

[RMCS]

Niiiice stuff 

[Whistlekiller]

That prop effect is very clever. Have you some more info on the procedure? 👍

[Murewa]

1 hour ago, Whistlekiller said:

That prop effect is very clever. Have you some more info on the procedure? 👍

Thanks, 

 

Absolutely, 

Purchase online form states, (just google Propblur). They come as photo-etch style metal cut outs in 1/144, 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32. Come in sets of 4 for 1/48. Nice guy, usually adds in a little extra from a different scale or another goodie. 

    

 

You need to fill the propeller hub. to complete the effect and to hide the join of the problur. 

 

I usually put in the propeller blade hub inside and cut off the blades, drilling a small hole into the cut off hub, this acts as a snug guide for the end of the propblur when inserted. I use little bits of sprue or photo etch cut out in the hole to keep it open during filling. 

 Works better if you leave the 'hub' to come as close to the hole as possible, this was a little to deep inside and made finding the hole with the hub a little tricky once it was filled (last time I took photos was a couple of builds ago).

 fill the hub from here, pull out whatever you've used to keep the holes open once mostly dry. If it pulls a little filler outwards as it comes that's not a bad thing as it makes the sanding to flat a little easier.  Sand down to totally flush.

 

You don't have to put the hubs inside and drill, you can just fill the empty holes thoroughly and then make a small slit for the propblurs with a sharp hobby knife/needle ... a lot easier and less faff. Probably also better to do this at smaller scales. I just prefer the hold that the hubs give. 

 

Painting - 

Paint them off the hub. Use 'tyre black' as actual black is just too dark. Try to paint in light layers across the proplurs so there is a slight 'banded' effect. On my current build (above) I also added some light grey bands for the first time across the blades to accentuate the effect of a translucent spinner. I think it works better so will start doing that from now on. 

Lots of pics and a similar guide somewhere on the actual propblur website. 

👍

Edited January 20, 2022 by Murewa