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Spitfire PR.IV - Finished


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Hi all

 

For this unofficial GB with @AliGauld @Winded Penguin and our illustrious leader @mark.au at this time hopefully @Dunnymight well come on board with one too:whistle:, with others hopefully joining in, it will be good fun.  I will be building the Sword 1/72 Spitfire PR Mk1D designated PR.IV AA810 .

 

This Spitfire entered service on 19th October 1941 and was flown by several pilots but this build will hopefully honour the Brave (they were all very brave) Sandy Gunn(Alastair Donald Mackintosh) who was shot down by two ME109s on 5th March 1942 whilst trying to photograph the Turpitz.  The two fighters from Lade airfield were awaiting his arrival and he reported to colleagues that his engine was giving him trouble upon his arrival.  The fighters descended on to the unarmed Spitfire and one landed a hit damaging the oil system , Alastair dived away but more rounds found their mark an the Spitfire was soon on fire.  Leaving it as late as possible he bailed out suffering burns to hands and face .  He was assisted by locals but was soon captured  and after being part of a large and famous escape via Tunnel Harry, where 76 men left the camp before the Escape was discovered.   Riding underneath a freight train trying to get to the port of Sassnitz.  After repeated interrogations for all the captured men Alastair was called in one last time on 6th April 1944, where he was seen to be taken away in a Gestapo car and unbeknown to his colleagues was murdered later ghat day, his ashes being taken back to camp, today he rests in piece alongside fellow murdered prisoners in the Commonwealth War Grave Cemetary in Poznan Poland.

 

Brave persons all, :poppy:

The Spitfire was recovered on 2018 and some 70% of the aiircraft remained intact and remarkably preserved in the snow and Peat bog and is undergoing restoration. More info on this fascinating project and charity aims can be located here   https://www.spitfireaa810.co.uk/news

 

The potted history above , was taken from the instruction leaflet.

 

This is the kit, I purchased this kit from @2996 Victor

 

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Bringing PE set

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I wasn't initially going to do a thread on this but the pressure of the GB won through.  Fuselage joined after throttle quadrant and undercarriage selector built from PE

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Cockpit entry door cut out, I have a vacform canopy to add too

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Wings glued after U,C bay leg walls added

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Initially I made a schoolboy error in adding the armour behind the seat, however I was able to slice this off and clean up and repaint frame 11 ? 

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This is where I stand at the moment

 

Thanks for looking in

Chris

 

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You've made an excellent start, Chris, and I'll be following closely and using your and @AliGauld's builds as reference for when I (finally!) do mine! The mouldings and the etch do look nice, and I hope its an enjoyable build as I feel somewhat responsible! :D 

 

All the very best,

Mark

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44 minutes ago, Winded Penguin said:

Wow, another wonderful addition to the PRU builds. Looking forward to this one 👍

A rapid start, and intriguing historical reference.

Thanks WP, looking forward to doing this one, always wanted an earlier PR machine in the display.

This kit was a special for the Sandy Gunn Aerodpace Careers programme Charity, I did not get one unfortunately when they were released, but when Mark had one for sale, I jumped at the opportunity. 

 

23 minutes ago, 2996 Victor said:

You've made an excellent start, Chris, and I'll be following closely and using your and @AliGauld's builds as reference for when I (finally!) do mine! The mouldings and the etch do look nice, and I hope its an enjoyable build as I feel somewhat responsible! :D 

 

All the very best,

Mark

Thanks Mark, yes Alistair's build was key to me wanting one.   Yhe kit is very nice and so far fit is good.  The PE looks very nice and the Rob Taurus vac form canopy looks great too.  I recommend these additions.

Very much looking forward to your build .

 

Thanks guys

Chris

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35 minutes ago, AliGauld said:

And he's off as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed my build of this kit and it goes together well.

It gave me a love of Sword kits too.

Looking forward to see what a real modeller does with this one.

 

 

Cheers,

Alistair

 

Thanks Alistair, it is a lovely kit so far, it was seeing yours that made me want one.

Thanks fella 

Chris

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2 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

I wasn't initially going to do a thread on this but the pressure of the GB won through.

I'm glad that you are Chris as I have the same kit in the stash. I'll be interested to follow your progress.

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29 minutes ago, Johnson said:

I'm glad that you are Chris as I have the same kit in the stash. I'll be interested to follow your progress.

Thanks Charlie, so far the fit is good and looking forward to making some progress now  you'll enjoy it when you go ahead.

Chris

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What a great subject you’ve chosen Chris, both airframe and pilot.  Looking forward to following along as you work your usual magic.

 

6 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

and our illustrious leader @mark.au 


I think that title belongs to @Winded Penguin in this one, I’m just the chief cheerleader 📣 

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31 minutes ago, mark.au said:

What a great subject you’ve chosen Chris, both airframe and pilot.  Looking forward to following along as you work your usual magic.

 


I think that title belongs to @Winded Penguin in this one, I’m just the chief cheerleader 📣 

Thanks Mark, been looking forward to doing this one forward while, Chief Cheerleader, like it.  😄 

 

Chris

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Ahh yes the lesser spotted sword spitfire. I will follow with much interest! Lovely start, it's looking plenty spitfirish. 

 

Speaking of IVs I'm always reminded of this, which I believe was in a PR IV (sorry for the sidetrack), on the photographs revealing the Wurzburg and Wurzburg Riese radar. Shameless excuse to watch this series again basically.

 

 

Not a subject I know much about, but wiki seems to think the IVs didn't have an oblique camera though?

 

cheers,

Andy

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10 hours ago, stevehnz said:

I'll try to follow this one Chris, it's a great reason for a build & in a much more sensible scale for a change. ;)  You've made a great start. :)

Steve.

😄 Thanks Steve, they don't do one in 32nd scale unfortunately 🙄  I have been looking forward to building this one for a while.   Thanks fella.

 

9 hours ago, Ngantek said:

Ahh yes the lesser spotted sword spitfire. I will follow with much interest! Lovely start, it's looking plenty spitfirish. 

 

Speaking of IVs I'm always reminded of this, which I believe was in a PR IV (sorry for the sidetrack), on the photographs revealing the Wurzburg and Wurzburg Riese radar. Shameless excuse to watch this series again basically.

 

 

Not a subject I know much about, but wiki seems to think the IVs didn't have an oblique camera though?

 

cheers,

Andy

Thanks Andy and thanks for posting the clip, I will try and get a look later , not sure about the oblique camera, the only photo of this airframe is fron the front three quarters Starboard side view.  I note some decal sheets don't show a camera but will need to do more digging.

 

Thanks guys

Chris

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15 minutes ago, k5054nz said:

I really need to get this kit when finances allow - I sent an F.24 camera mount to be included in the 1/1 restoration. So I'm excited to follow along with your build!

It looks like it's still available from the AA810 website shop.

 

Wonderful that you could donate a camera mount to the resto, and such a specialised item. How fantastic that you could contribute a genuine component, absolutely amazing!

 

Cheers,

Mark

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2 hours ago, k5054nz said:

I really need to get this kit when finances allow - I sent an F.24 camera mount to be included in the 1/1 restoration. So I'm excited to follow along with your build!

Hi k5054nz.  Wow that's a wonderful gesture, very kind . You are very welcome,  it's great to have you on board. Let's hope I can do this lovely little kit justice.

 

2 hours ago, 2996 Victor said:

It looks like it's still available from the AA810 website shop.

 

Wonderful that you could donate a camera mount to the resto, and such a specialised item. How fantastic that you could contribute a genuine component, absolutely amazing!

 

Cheers,

Mark

It's great to hear it's still available, hmmm🤔

 

1 hour ago, k5054nz said:

Although it means my camera is now a handheld...🤣

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😄 I imagine that's not the lightest of cameras!!!

 

Thanks guys

Chris 

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Hi Chris,

 

I see that AA810 is featured in this months Aeroplane Monthly magazine;

 

am-dec-22-cover-shop_669x669.jpg?v=16669

 

Dunno if its any good, but ordered a copy online as its post free.

 

The AA810 FB page is also worth a look, lots of good photos;

 

https://www.facebook.com/SpitfireAA810

 

Cheers,

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1 hour ago, Johnson said:

Hi Chris,

 

I see that AA810 is featured in this months Aeroplane Monthly magazine;

 

am-dec-22-cover-shop_669x669.jpg?v=16669

 

Dunno if its any good, but ordered a copy online as its post free.

 

The AA810 FB page is also worth a look, lots of good photos;

 

https://www.facebook.com/SpitfireAA810

 

Cheers,

Thanks Charlie will look for the Magazine too.  I looked at the photos and they are wonderful,  I have been on the site as I ordered another AA810 kit the other day but could not locate all of those photos,  but am not on Facebook  myself.

The images do help as @Ngantek wondered if it had an oblique camera.  In one of the photos shows the camera being removed or added through the port hatch and this does show the glass porthole and shroud and that it is covered from the inside.  This means I will paint mine black inside.  

Also what is your enterpretation of the wheel colour.  The only stb side image they look blue or very dirty (bear in mind it was quite a short lived airframe) ?  But other aircraft pictured have silver wheels.  

Thanks for the info and the link.

Chris

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1 hour ago, bigbadbadge said:

Also what is your enterpretation of the wheel colour.  The only stb side image they look blue or very dirty (bear in mind it was quite a short lived airframe) ?  But other aircraft pictured have silver wheels.  

 

Hi Chris,

 

I'd probably opt for same as the underside, PRU blue, which I'm guessing they are in the b&w photo of AA797 below.

 

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Sandy Gunn seated in AA797 prior to his mission to Trondheim on the morning of the 19th February 1942.

 

 

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I think this is the only known photo of AA810, which has been colourised. It shows Tommy Tomlinson returning to RAF Wick in AA810 on 29 Jan 42 following a successful 5 hour mission to Trondheim to photograph the Tirpitz and Scheer.

 

Here's the b&w original;

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Not silver I think, though the legs look like they might be?

 

@Troy Smith is very good at colour interpretation. I wonder if he's around? 

 

I ordered my copy of December's Aeroplane Monthly here: https://shop.keypublishing.com/collections/aeroplane-monthly

 

Cheers,

 

 

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