RAF No. 451 Squadron Spitfire PR.XIX - Airfix 1/48

[mark.au]

Hot off the bench, this one was finished yesterday and the glamour shots taken today.  I built it as part of a small [unofficial] PR Spitfire group build in the WIP section.  I also built it as this aircraft was flown by F/L R. Garvey when he outmanoeuvred a pursuing Fw190 such that it crashed into some trees.  Garvey was credited with the kill and received a Bar to his DFC for the action.

 

Here's the WIP.

 

 

TL;DR

The Airfix kit builds without too much trouble.  As I was building an early PR.XIX I needed to build it as unpressurised which required some adjustment to the rear canopy and windscreen.  There were also other airframe adjustments required, but none too onerous.  The markings were painted but I used decals for the stencils; the overall approach was based on representing the aircraft was it would have looked on 6th October when Garvey returned from that sortie.

 

The pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garvey survived the war and remained in the RAF.  Sadly, he was killed at Shawbury, England in January 1948 when his Mosquito crashed during landing.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by mark.au

[bigbadbadge]

Another beautiful Spitfire Mark, you can never have too many Spitfires 😉.

Love the paint work and effects on covering the stripes . Cracking work as usual. 

Chris

[Retired Bob]

A cracking model Mark, a beautiful rendition of a beautiful aircraft.  As Chris said, you can never have too many Spitfires.  

[AliGauld]

It's a corker, just beautiful.

I know a spit in PRU blue is always going to be special but not only did you raise the bar on this you attached it to a rocket and sent it into orbit. 

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[jackroadkill]

Lovely stuff, Mark.  Later Spits aren't my thing, really, but the PR airframes and the antics they got up to are always fascinating, especially when they extend to the besting of enemy fighters.  A very interesting story and a fitting tribute to a brave man.

[shortCummins]

very nice build, scheme and build log

 

I'd be very happy with that result 👍

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[Spitfire31]

My favourite Spitfire Mark, and what a beautiful rendering!

 

Those little touches really add life, such as the light wear of the leading edge invasion stripes. And yes, I did notice the drooping elevators… 😄

 

Also, those first non pressurised production series details look perfect, such as ingress hatch and the absence of the blower intake beneath the port side exhausts.

Perfection!

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[mick b]

Best XIX I’ve seen on here, great work Mark.

 

Interesting back story as well 👍

 

Mike

[Whitewolf]

A lovely model Mark! Could I ask which make of PRU blue you used?

[Ngantek]

Lovely work Mark, you've really done justice to what is a very fine looking mark of Spitfire. I particularly like the effects you've achieved through selective varnishing, it's an approach that we don't see enough of. True to form, superior modelling matched to fascinating history.

 

Andy.

[Winded Penguin]

Seeing this one completed, it just looks so nice 👍

Another reminder that the XIV to XIX high back period is by far my favourite looking and sounding Spit, these days.

 

[spitfire]

That is ever so attractive, nice work.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[mark.au]

Thank you all for the kind comments. Much appreciated.
 

9 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Another beautiful Spitfire Mark, you can never have too many Spitfires 😉.

 

9 hours ago, Retired Bob said:

As Chris said, you can never have too many Spitfires.  

This turned out to be a Spitfire year for me, four Spits out twelve models built.

 

8 hours ago, AliGauld said:

It's a corker, just beautiful.

I know a spit in PRU blue is always going to be special but not only did you raise the bar on this you attached it to a rocket and sent it into orbit. 

 

Hyperbole challenge accepted! 😉

 

7 hours ago, jackroadkill said:

but the PR airframes and the antics they got up to are always fascinating,

 

There are so many stories…. I have a good story for a PR.XI…

 

4 hours ago, Spitfire31 said:

Those little touches really add life, such as the light wear of the leading edge invasion stripes. And yes, I did notice the drooping elevators… 😄

 

Glad you noticed, I wanted just enough droop to be noticeable without fully dropping them (I spent waaaay too much time pondering that! 🤦‍♂️)

 

4 hours ago, mick b said:

Best XIX I’ve seen on here, great work Mark.

 

Interesting back story as well 👍

 

Mike

 

Too kind, Mike.

 

4 hours ago, Whitewolf said:

A lovely model Mark! Could I ask which make of PRU blue you used?

 

I mixed it.  I paint with fine art acrylic tube paint thinned with Windex so I need to mix almost all my colours.
 

4 hours ago, Ngantek said:

I particularly like the effects you've achieved through selective varnishing, it's an approach that we don't see enough of. True to form, superior modelling matched to fascinating history.

 

Andy.

The little stuff like varying the finish fascinates me, I probably overdo it to be honest but I think it adds a touch of realism.

 

1 hour ago, Winded Penguin said:

Another reminder that the XIV to XIX high back period is by far my favourite looking and sounding Spit, these days.

 

I reckon you’re on to something there WP, I’m becoming a partial to them myself.

 

 

 

[jackroadkill]

1 hour ago, mark.au said:

There are so many stories…. I have a good story for a PR.XI…

 

That sounds like fun.  I've got an idea in the back of my mind to do Adrian Warburton's Malta-based PR Spit at some point, and might partner it with the Vb(?) that he "borrowed" to strafe a flak battery that had caused him difficulty earlier that day whilst flying the PR Spit.

[mark.au]

2 hours ago, jackroadkill said:

 

That sounds like fun.  I've got an idea in the back of my mind to do Adrian Warburton's Malta-based PR Spit at some point, and might partner it with the Vb(?) that he "borrowed" to strafe a flak battery that had caused him difficulty earlier that day whilst flying the PR Spit.

 

Now that's a great story!

[Dunny]

Mark,

 

A lovely build and finish of a beautiful aircraft and scheme - top notch!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Fritag]

1 hour ago, Dunny said:

A lovely build and finish of a beautiful aircraft and scheme - top notch!

 

What Roger said.  Another beautiful model aircraft for the cabinet, Mark.

[wellsprop]

Just stunning! 

[Terry1954]

Cracking build Mark, well done!

 

Terry

[georgeusa]

"Am I blue, over you?"  Sorry got distracted by an old song and this build.  The overall blue color is done in such a way it is not a monotone, but the effect is just one shade of blue.  Very nice work and the build of the kit is great also.  Thanks for sharing.

[TheBaron]

Congratulations Mark. Superb piece of work.

[MACALAIN]

On 18/12/2022 at 06:39, mark.au said:

Hot off the bench, this one was finished yesterday and the glamour shots taken today.  I built it as part of a small [unofficial] PR Spitfire group build in the WIP section.  I also built it as this aircraft was flown by F/L R. Garvey when he outmanoeuvred a pursuing Fw190 such that it crashed into some trees.  Garvey was credited with the kill and received a Bar to his DFC for the action.

 

Here's the WIP.

 

 

TL;DR

The Airfix kit builds without too much trouble.  As I was building an early PR.XIX I needed to build it as unpressurised which required some adjustment to the rear canopy and windscreen.  There were also other airframe adjustments required, but none too onerous.  The markings were painted but I used decals for the stencils; the overall approach was based on representing the aircraft was it would have looked on 6th October when Garvey returned from that sortie.

 

The pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garvey survived the war and remained in the RAF.  Sadly, he was killed at Shawbury, England in January 1948 when his Mosquito crashed during landing.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

Well done.

 

Alain

[Navy Bird]

Very nicely done Mark! Superb finish and subtle weathering - she's a beaut!

 

I so wish the Airfix 1:72 PR.XIX was as nice as their 1:48 kit. I don't suppose they plan on re-tooling it either, so I'll have to live with it.

 

Cheers,

Bill

[mark.au]

The generosity of the BM collective continues to render me speechless.
 

I hope it shall therefore suffice in this case to say thank you to those of you who liked and made comments; @Dunny, @TheBaron, @Fritag, @wellsprop, @Terry1954, @georgeusa, @MACALAIN, and @Navy Bird. 
 

Cheers.