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A No.514 Squadron Spitfire PR.XIX - s/n RM637. ****My Last Project of 2022 is FINISHED****


mark.au

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I think you can fill in the rectangular panel under the right side of the cockpit. As far as I'm aware this was an openable cockpit vent carried over from the pressurised Mks VII and X to the type 390 XIXs. The unpressurised fuselages used by the 389s didn't have it.

 

Justin
 

Edited by Bedders
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8 hours ago, mark.au said:

Considering I don't like cockpits, and I'm not planning on an open cockpit for this one, I seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time on this one...  Anyway, it's done, I'll call it practice.

 

The cockpit looks excellent and at 1/48 I think worth it, even with the canopy closed.

 

5 hours ago, mark.au said:

Here's the current mock-up of the windscreen/canopy.  I'm not totally convinced but it seems to tick almost all of the boxes.  Both seem just a tad over sized though.  Am I overthink this one?

 

They do look quite large and thick but I'm sure with a bit of adjustment and the canopy framing on they will look OK.

 

For my 1/72 Airfix PR.XIX I used the Rob Taurus canopy which was great. But I see from the above that it should have a front flat screen and both the 1/72 and 1/48 are rounded.

 

RBT48074.jpg?t=1527081853

 

Cheers,

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In my mind this kit is one of the new line of Spitfire’s, a quick look on scalemates tells me it’s actually almost ten years old and only reissued once in 2016 through High Planes Models, so easy to see how it would be relatively rare now. I guess I just don’t see “Modern Airfix” as collectible, which is obviously just daft.

 

I would love to do Revells 1/48 Catalina but not enough to pay what is being asked by current sellers, hopefully it will get rereleased sometime soon.

I didn’t realise the PR Spits had a different windscreen, I assume without armoured glass for weight and aerodynamics. 

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23 hours ago, elger said:

The windscreen does look a bit chunky but I see what you mean about it having the right shape. Could it be from an early mk.I Spitfire kit?

 

Does this link work for you? This is a PR.IV windscreen posted by the folks restoring Spitfire AA810 on their Facebook page:
 

https://www.facebook.com/SpitfireAA810/photos/pb.100063595990930.-2207520000./3081306885426361/?type=3

 


Thanks for that, the link did work, there’s some good info there.  I found a pic head-on of the windscreen and as much as I don’t like the clunky one pictured above, it’s clearly the closest I have shape-wise.

 

21 hours ago, Bedders said:

I think you can fill in the rectangular panel under the right side of the cockpit. As far as I'm aware this was an openable cockpit vent carried over from the pressurised Mks VII and X to the type 390 XIXs. The unpressurised fuselages used by the 389s didn't have it.

 

Justin
 


Thanks.  Yep, I’ve got a couple of tasks remaining to for a Type 389.  
 

18 hours ago, Johnson said:

They do look quite large and thick but I'm sure with a bit of adjustment and the canopy framing on they will look OK.

 

For my 1/72 Airfix PR.XIX I used the Rob Taurus canopy which was great. But I see from the above that it should have a front flat screen and both the 1/72 and 1/48 are rounded.


I had a leftover vacform canopy from when I did my PR.X but the same issue as you found, wrong shape.

 

14 hours ago, Richard S said:

I didn’t realise the PR Spits had a different windscreen, I assume without armoured glass for weight and aerodynamics. 


I didn’t realise there was more than one shape until this one.  I love that about this place, always something to learn.

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Finagling on the windscreen continues, but I think it's getting pretty close to good enough.  

 

After trying to contour a couple of other windscreens with a sanding stick, I couldn't get any of them to a point where they had as good a shape as ol' chunky.  The solution was to put chunky on a diet; one comprising of scraping, sanding and polishing.  Which got me to here...

 

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In what turn out be fairly poor photos - sorry about that - I hope that the new fit, where the lower framing is sitting with the fuselage contour rather than atop it, is clear.  When that's glued I think it'll sit even flusher and will do the job nicely.  When it's painted I think it will look the part.  It ai a pity it is so thick but I can't do anything about that without losing the framing.  I could replace the frame with bare metal foil though, it's only two pieces, one at the bottom and one at the top...  🤔

 

I felt it was time to mix up some PRU Blue.  I used a Hataka PRU Blue as a reference to get close to a base colour.  Those that have followed my other builds know I tweak the shade as I go anyway, so at this point I just need a datum.

 

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I case you're curious, it's based on Sapphire Blue which I darkened with a touch of Carbon Black and then pushed towards grey with abut 10% Smoked Pearl.  I mixed enough to complete this Spitfire (...and perhaps a PR.XI, too).

 

Of course, it needed testing so I painted the spinner.

 

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Unweathered and neat except I did add a fade to the front 2/3.  I added the fasteners with one of my new toys, a punch set.  I like how they came out, too.  The spinner will get a wash and some grime but for a base colour I'm happy with that.

 

Not pictured is the glued fuselage which will need a little cleaning up but not much more than a swipe or two with a sanding stick.  Then it's the wings (already assembled) and we'll be off to the paint shop in no time.  

 

That's where I got to over this weekend.  Hope yours was/is a good one too.

 

Cheers.

 

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Oooops, late to the part I do hope there is still a front row seat. If not, I'll stand. I doo like the large engine Spit and Seafires and PRU blue is a great choice. That paint mix looks spot on Mark.

I'll go back and read the posts, see what I can learn.

 

Colin

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On 28/11/2022 at 10:39, Ngantek said:

Whoops missed the start as usual. Lovely work so far, the blue looks great!

Andy

 

On 28/11/2022 at 21:31, heloman1 said:

Oooops, late to the part I do hope there is still a front row seat. If not, I'll stand. I doo like the large engine Spit and Seafires and PRU blue is a great choice. That paint mix looks spot on Mark.

I'll go back and read the posts, see what I can learn.

 

Colin

 

Welcome, latecomers; in the words of Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner; just take a seat they're always free/no surprise, no mystery/

 

On 27/11/2022 at 23:53, bigbadbadge said:

...and the windscreen fettling has paid off, great work.

 

On 28/11/2022 at 00:09, AliGauld said:

...and the windscreen work has definitely paid off.

 

On 28/11/2022 at 17:18, Dunny said:

...impressive work on ol' chunky!

 

Well gents, consider the fettling complete.  Just prior to an unplanned two day work trip to Sydney I had a final fettle.  This evening I permanently attached the rear glass and windscreen and this is the result.

 

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I'm quite happy with that; hopefully the paint later on doesn't show any areas requiring further attention.

 

With the clear parts done, I could move forward with assembly.

 

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I like to use electrical tape for this as its elasticity provides manageable tension/compression appropriate to the task.  I will make sure to clean off the sticky residue that often remains from this tape though.

 

When the wing was set, I offered up the remaining flaps and was a bit disappointed in this...

 

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Operator error or Airfix's, I'm not sure but progress ground to a halt while I glued up some additional sheet styrene to extend them to their correct width.  Elsewhere I attached the lower engine cowl and carb intake where there will be more filling/blending work required.  That'll be for the next update.

 

Cheers.

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Lovely work wrestling it to shape Mark. Annoying about those flaps. Given the only variable is the outer flap length, unless you lopped off 2mm from those in your sleep, it's hard to see how it could be your error. You could also have a quick looksee if the 'flaps down' parts fit better with the locating stubs removed I suppose. I see lots of little suggestions that airfix's last few families of 48 spits aren't their best.

 

Andy

 

 

 

 

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On 02/12/2022 at 21:59, AliGauld said:

Shame about the flaps and I don't think it's operator error but you'll sort that out in a trice.

 

On 02/12/2022 at 22:03, Ngantek said:

Annoying about those flaps... You could also have a quick looksee if the 'flaps down' parts fit better with the locating stubs removed I suppose. I see lots of little suggestions that airfix's last few families of 48 spits aren't their best.

 

 

On 02/12/2022 at 22:48, Johnson said:

I'm not surprised. That's quite a gap. Has to be Airfix.

 

On 03/12/2022 at 00:51, bigbadbadge said:

...shame about the flap bits.

 

 

 

The flaps were a little annoying but relatively easy to fix (the "dropped" flaps didn't fit either, also too small). 

 

More annoying was the seam around the carb intake.  I'm puzzled as to why Airfix engineered it the way they did, with the carb intake sitting in a pocket in the sump cover rather than simply sitting on it.  The seam is very difficult to get to and harder still to fix.  I must admit, in the end I gave up and it's still quite visible.  So be it.

 

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Next, I completed the preshading and then started with thin coats of PRU Blue.

 

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After my usual back and forth, varying mixes and shades I ended up with this.

 

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I'm mostly pleased with the paint job but my airbrush wasn't cooperating at all (later, upon disassembly I found it to be desperate need of a clean and de-gunk).  Consequently, I wasn't able to get some of the fine variations in the paint finish that I like to attempt.  I may revisit that when the markings are on and I complete the finish.

 

Looking at the above pic I'm still annoyed about the carb intake.

 

You may have noticed it's been quiet in my model room for a week or so.  I'm employed, for want of a better description, effectively as an internal consultant at an intermodal rail company.  I'm lucky to have somehow become an SME in a fairly niche area of intermodal operations and most of the time I'm working with ops, vendors and service providers on a continual improvement goal in my area.  Things rarely get stressed, but when they do they get really stressed.  The last week or so has been a stressed week and my focus has been entirely on solving the issue at hand; it was finally resolved at about 11pm last night.  I'm very happy to be back at the bench, and will now take a look-see a what I missed around the grounds these last few days.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

Edited by mark.au
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Aye, that sounds like my life in Ops on the railway. 95% total boredom punctuated by high stress whilst trying to think six moves ahead.

 

The paint looks excellent. Looking forward to further progress.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

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Glad you're able to get through the work panic and get back to the bench Mark. Always a nice feeling when that happens, feels like a reward at the end.

 

Your paint finish is always flawless, that sheen on the gullwing section really shows it off. It's looking great I think you're just about right on the preshade.

 

The intake design hasn't really worked for them has it? A discontinuity where the curve meets the fuselage wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but not a seam or trench; and in that case they've got to realise that filling and tidying it would be nigh on impossible. I don't think yours looks bad by any means, but the design certainly doesn't seem ideal.

 

Lovely seeing the pru blue go on though, I'm looking forward to the next update.

 

Andy

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39 minutes ago, mark.au said:

Looking at the above pic I'm still annoyed about the carb intake.

Yes, the Airfix carb intake is a PITA, I bought the Barracuda resin one hoping that it would solve the fit and join problem.  Unfortunately, it doesn't fit any better and they made the intake razor sharp, so it has a tendency to break up when fitting it.  On the real aircraft it's a double skin affair so doesn't have to be so thin, as can be seen in this photo.

IMG_0111

I could kick myself for not taking any close-ups of the various interesting bits while I had the aircraft to myself. :doh:

Good fix with the flaps and it's looking great now you have the paint on. :like:

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11 hours ago, mark.au said:

an internal consultant at an intermodal rail company.  I'm lucky to have somehow become an SME in a fairly niche area of intermodal operations

 

Google got me most of the way there, Mark.  Leastways I think so, as for all I know it could have been telling me porky pies…. Anyways, sounds important and I’m glad the stressful week is over and the bench has beckoned.

 

Oh, and I’m also sort of pleased (sorry :blush:) that even a man of your painting abilities can occasionally  caught out by a gunked-up airbrushed.  Makes me feel a tad better about all the times it happens to me… :whistle:

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This one is coming along beautifully Mark. Neat fix to the canopy and inner flap undersides, and your mixed blue looks the part.

 

I reckon this one is going to be another cracker!

 

Terry

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