David Mooney Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 Hello all, I managed to pick this kit up from a bootfair so i was expecting some issues with bit missing....and it turned out the most of the engine was missing, which wasnt a major drama but it would have been nice to be able to have this opened up. I used Tamiya paints for this one with MLT and they worked like a dream, then used Mr Colour varnishes to finish it off. It was straight out of the box with no additions. All comments are welcome but of note is there is no wire aerial attached due to travelling issues i.e. keep falling off 🙂 64 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eng Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 Beautiful work as always Dave. Grae 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod bettencourt Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 Nicely done David!! Thanks for sharing. Rod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 Great work, likes it Cheers Dennis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 Looks Great… Always a fan of the Grey Nurse schemes. But wasn't this an Mk.VIII ? Im sure its just a typo. 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 Beautiful work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 (edited) Very nicely done. 5 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: But wasn't this an Mk.VIII ? Im sure its just a typo. 😉 Agreed, a Mk VIII. And as you say, probably a typo. Edited June 19, 2022 by MikeC 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 great work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mooney Posted June 19, 2022 Author Share Posted June 19, 2022 6 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Looks Great… Always a fan of the Grey Nurse schemes. But wasn't this an Mk.VIII ? Im sure its just a typo. 😉 Good spot, I've edited the title 😃 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith in the uk Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 Wow , from a boot fair you say , dispite having no engine that still sounds like a bargain to me , superb job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 Beautifully created spitfire with such a schmooth and realistically weathered finish. And I do appreciate those slightly offset elevators… 😉 The third photo with the standing pilot is, in my eyes, a work of art. Kind regards, Joachim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maginot Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 Very good work. Just a minor matter; would the pilot figure best be shown wearing tropical kit? I'm tempted to pick up one of these, too. Recently, I grabbed the Eduard Mk VIII kit in 1/48, also containing decals for W/Cdr Robert Gibbes RAAF version, when I found it languishing on the shelves at my local supplier. Perhaps I should tackle this first. The aircraft as depicted dates from a controversial period of Gibbes career. It is notable that he was unable to add to his score of aerial victories after his Kittyhawk days in North Africa (see nationality of victory symbols below cockpit windscreen). After posting to the Dutch East Indies, he participated in the so called Morotai Mutiny, in which senior RAAF pilots objected to the relegation of fighter squadrons to ground attack missions that they considered not militarily justifiable and offered their resignations. Because of his grazier background, one mission which Gibbes found particularly rancorous was the strafing of cattle. In addition, ground attack was a role for which the Spitfire Mk VIII was ill suited. The findings of an enquiry supported their view and a change of higher command ensued. But Gibbes was then court martialled and temporarily reduced in rank for participating in a racket flogging alcohol to the Americans. Quite the character 🤓 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinK Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 1 hour ago, Maginot said: In addition, ground attack was a role for which the Spitfire Mk VIII was ill suited Hmm...I wouldn't agree with that. Mk VIIIs and IXs were very successfully used for exactly that purpose by Balkan Air Force (part of Mediterranean Allied Air Forces) in Italy and Yugoslavia, dive-bombing and strafing trains and trucks as the Germans were trying to resist the Soviet advance and the Yugoslav Partisan army. With 2 x 250 lb bombs, 2 x 20 mm cannons and 4 x .303, plus the use of a 30, 45 or 90 gal drop-tank, it had the performance, armament and range to strike at a wide range of targets over a good radius of action. As an example, my father flew them with 253 Sqn in 1944/45 and - at least one occasion - flew a 4-hour sweep from Prkos, Yugoslavia into Romania. His logbook shows squadron dive bombing accuracies of 17-50 yards, locomotives and trucks destroyed - with camera-gun photos. The only obvious vulnerability of the Spitfire in this role was the loss of the cooling system to minor damage, but this was exactly the same as for the Hurricane, Mustang, Typhoon and Mosquito, all of which were Merlin-powered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maginot Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 Apparently depends on the sub-variant @KevinK. Mk VIIIs came configured in three versions designed to operate at different levels; LF low-altitude with Merlin 66, F medium-altitude with Merlin 63, HF high-altitude with Merlin 70. A58-602 assigned to Gibbes was an HF Mk VIII. Thanks for your observation; you made me look into the claim. Scuse us @David Mooney if we're off on a tangent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mooney Posted June 20, 2022 Author Share Posted June 20, 2022 3 hours ago, Maginot said: Apparently depends on the sub-variant @KevinK. Mk VIIIs came configured in three versions designed to operate at different levels; LF low-altitude with Merlin 66, F medium-altitude with Merlin 63, HF high-altitude with Merlin 70. A58-602 assigned to Gibbes was an HF Mk VIII. Thanks for your observation; you made me look into the claim. Scuse us @David Mooney if we're off on a tangent. No, that's more than fine as this is great information for me and others. Some of these bits of information go along way to help with builds and the history of aircraft, so keep at it. As for the uniform, it's just the figure that comes with the kit....so blame Tamiya for that one lol! 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unfinished project Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 Stunning Spitfire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sohoppy Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 That is a thing of beauty. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuuurles Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 wow! This took my breath away, very insipiring work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 Very smart work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 Wow, what a fantastic find at a boot fair, looks lovely, great work. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRMRL Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 In agreement with the general feeling, I must be going to the wrong car boot sales, great find and a super build. We're the decals OOB? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 Very nice work old sport! Re the aerial wire, I believe they'd dispensed with the external wire by the Mk VIII and just had a short aerial which ran up the inside of the old plastic mast? I add the question mark because I'm not certain of my facts here and need corroboration. And we all want to know how much you paid for it in the boot sale! 😜 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedders Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Lovely bit of modelling, well done. I think Bertie's right about the aerial wire. No need to persist with it. Justin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mooney Posted June 22, 2022 Author Share Posted June 22, 2022 On 6/20/2022 at 6:40 PM, Bertie Psmith said: Very nice work old sport! Re the aerial wire, I believe they'd dispensed with the external wire by the Mk VIII and just had a short aerial which ran up the inside of the old plastic mast? I add the question mark because I'm not certain of my facts here and need corroboration. And we all want to know how much you paid for it in the boot sale! 😜 Well....(drum roll).....£45, which turned out to be quite a bargain 😀 On 6/20/2022 at 6:32 PM, MRMRL said: In agreement with the general feeling, I must be going to the wrong car boot sales, great find and a super build. We're the decals OOB? Decals are the ones straight out of the box, the worry from the get-go was the shark mouth....but it went on very easily 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bell209 Posted June 24, 2022 Share Posted June 24, 2022 Great job on my favourite mark of Spitfire in my favourite scheme. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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