Convert Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire Mk VIII to Mk Vb Trop

[iSteve]

Here's the thing: I want to build a 1/32 Spitfire Vb Trop but the most accurate is the old Hasegawa kit with raised panel lines and very little else. The Hobby Boss kit is too inaccurate for my taste. I could rescribe the panels and replace the fasteners around the engine with rivet decals, but I was wondering how difficult it might be to take a Tamiya Mk VIII kit and use parts from the Hasegawa kit to make a Vb Trop. Is it just a matter of the Vokes filter and the exhausts, or is there a lot more to it? Would modifying Tamiya's Mk IX kit be easier?

 

Thank you for your input

Edited May 14, 2022 by iSteve

[Giorgio N]

Well, you would have some work ahead.. and I'd rather start from a Mk.ix using parts from the Hase Vb. With these you would have to:

- shorten the engine area (or better cut away the tamiya cowling at the firewall and replace with the Hasegawa parts)

- find the relevant intake with filter (from the Hasegawa kit)

- delete the Mk.ix box style radiator from under the port wing, fill the area, rescribe and replace with the round radiator of the Hasegawa Mk.V

- remove the gun bulges and replace with the Hasegawa ones.

- add the lower wing bulges

- move the location of the outer MG, including its spent cases slot under the wing 

- use the Hasegawa gun barrels and fairings

- use the Hasegawa exhausts and propeller

- modify the shape of the elevators (but some ix had the early elevators and some V the late ones)

And I sure have forgotten a few details here and there...

Doing a Mk.Vc would be slightly easier as the armament related work would not be required.

It sure is doable, how easily would depend on the modeller skills and will power. I did convert 1/72 Mk.ix kits in earlier variants so I have a rough idea of the work involved. I would however go for a Vc, the extra work needed for a B wing may sound relatively small but it can be a pain

[iSteve]

On 14/05/2022 at 15:07, Giorgio N said:

Well, you would have some work ahead.. and I'd rather start from a Mk.ix using parts from the Hase Vb. With these you would have to:

- shorten the engine area (or better cut away the tamiya cowling at the firewall and replace with the Hasegawa parts)

- find the relevant intake with filter (from the Hasegawa kit)

- delete the Mk.ix box style radiator from under the port wing, fill the area, rescribe and replace with the round radiator of the Hasegawa Mk.V

- remove the gun bulges and replace with the Hasegawa ones.

- add the lower wing bulges

- move the location of the outer MG, including its spent cases slot under the wing 

- use the Hasegawa gun barrels and fairings

- use the Hasegawa exhausts and propeller

- modify the shape of the elevators (but some ix had the early elevators and some V the late ones)

And I sure have forgotten a few details here and there...

Doing a Mk.Vc would be slightly easier as the armament related work would not be required.

It sure is doable, how easily would depend on the modeller skills and will power. I did convert 1/72 Mk.ix kits in earlier variants so I have a rough idea of the work involved. I would however go for a Vc, the extra work needed for a B wing may sound relatively small but it can be a pain

Thank you Giorgio! I think I'll just try and improve the Hasegawa kit.

[Cyberduck]

What about the Hobby 2000 Va (ex Revell IIa with resin bits) as an alternative starting point

[ilj]

I did a conversion of a 1/32 Tamiya IXc to a Vc trop (the Vc obviously has the same wings as the IXc so more of your model is Tamiya plastic), using the Hobby Boss Spit V-kit's Vokes filter, oil filter and engine cowling.  This was pretty easy.

 

The results are here:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/rcaf-spitfire-vc-malta-1942-1-32-tamiya-conversion-t524599.html

 

ilj

[Bell209]

That's an expensive way to get a Mk Vb Trop, IMHO. I built a Mk.VC from the Hasegawa kit many years ago and modified the wings using vacform blisters and I made the cannons myself from brass on a lathe (not too many aftermarket add-ons available then!). I'd be more inclined to add some of the excellent detail kits available now to the Hasegawa kit or wait until Tamiya release a Mk.V. It'll cost less.

[iSteve]

On 24/06/2022 at 00:06, Bell209 said:

That's an expensive way to get a Mk Vb Trop, IMHO. I built a Mk.VC from the Hasegawa kit many years ago and modified the wings using vacform blisters and I made the cannons myself from brass on a lathe (not too many aftermarket add-ons available then!). I'd be more inclined to add some of the excellent detail kits available now to the Hasegawa kit or wait until Tamiya release a Mk.V. It'll cost less.

It's looking more like I'm just going to detail the Hasegawa kit as best I can: new resin cockpit, brass guns, Archer fasteners around the engine cowling, even bought riveting wheels and might give them a try. We'll see how it goes. Could use a suggestion or two as how to improve the shallow wheel bays.

[Bell209]

Well, you could cut the tops off the bottom wings, thin the plastic and then glue the detail to the top wings. You can box the wheel wells with plasticard or brass sheet. I'll likely do that with my Mk.VIII conversion from the Mk.V (I bought the conversion kit years before the Tamiya Mk.VIII was released).

[iSteve]

On 26/06/2022 at 19:22, Bell209 said:

Well, you could cut the tops off the bottom wings, thin the plastic and then glue the detail to the top wings. You can box the wheel wells with plasticard or brass sheet. I'll likely do that with my Mk.VIII conversion from the Mk.V (I bought the conversion kit years before the Tamiya Mk.VIII was released).

Aires makes a wheel well for Revell's Mk IXc kit. I was thinking of putting that in.