vppelt68 Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 Reserving a spot for an unarmed Spitfire with Stars and Bars. I think the Title and the Tags tell all I know about my build plans so far! V-P 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 Great choice and nice kit - mine was consumed by a CA tsunami but I must build its replacement! Looking forward to seeing how yours turns out. Cheers, Mark 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 24, 2023 Author Share Posted February 24, 2023 The build has started . There's something with Seafires and me... instead of continuing the SSD Seafire build, I was drawn to this fresh set of plastics seen here. What a great review of the kit here at the Britmodeller, with pics of the sprues etc. Thanks again, Julien! Also discussed are the minor flaws, that I might try to correct or then not. I spent some time looking at pics and videos of USAAF PR Spitfires to sort out some of the details/options in the kit. The shared Mk.X and Mk.XI instructions aren´t accurate in all of them, I'm afraid. Here's the obligatory pic showing what I have and is it started or not. Now IT IS started, but there's nothing yet to take pics of. The instructions and parts numbering are vague, very vague... I discovered that in attaching the four radiator faces underwing. If the instructions are vague, the parts themselves were "keyed" so that only one part fits in each location - brilliant, as soon as you have discovered that - by trial and error . I assembled the wheel well walls, and there seemed to be a mix up with two parts numbers, but in that case the parts were so clearly "handed" even I couldn't even try them on the wrong way. Here it goes then! V-P 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 Nice subject choice V-P Don't you be neglecting that Seafire though 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 26, 2023 Author Share Posted February 26, 2023 Here's a pic to prove I haven't only watched WW2 colour films by Dr. Savage. I have watched them quite a lot, though, and it helped me tremendously in choosing my subject 🙂 I have assembled the wings and opened the camera windows. On the port fuselage I have tried to fill in the recess of the oblique camera as this plane didn't seem to have one. I will delete everything behind the pilot's seat and won't scratch anything in its place either. The interior is actually finished except the few decals like IP and seat belts. Landing gear is assembled and painted, etc. So far so good 🙂 V-P 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted February 26, 2023 Share Posted February 26, 2023 18 minutes ago, vppelt68 said: Here's a pic to prove I haven't only watched WW2 colour films by Dr. Savage. I have watched them quite a lot, though, and it helped me tremendously in choosing my subject 🙂 I have assembled the wings and opened the camera windows. On the port fuselage I have tried to fill in the recess of the oblique camera as this plane didn't seem to have one. I will delete everything behind the pilot's seat and won't scratch anything in its place either. The interior is actually finished except the few decals like IP and seat belts. Landing gear is assembled and painted, etc. So far so good 🙂 V-P Nice start. Why are the fuselage halves still on the sprue, isn't it hard to work it like that? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 26, 2023 Author Share Posted February 26, 2023 1 minute ago, Tbolt said: Nice start. Why are the fuselage halves still on the sprue, isn't it hard to work it like that? I don't know, maybe, but it helps in keeping bits in order! As long as the sprue gates don't interfere the build, I like to keep them this way. All the other bits serve like a handle when painting something. V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted February 27, 2023 Share Posted February 27, 2023 Something slightly different for a Spitfire. Great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 27, 2023 Author Share Posted February 27, 2023 Here's a non-illustrated update, but with a lot of links! I did add the cockpit decals last night but that's hardly worth a picture... This post is dealing with the prototype I've chosen to build. Watching and watching again this fantastic, original colour film shot by Dr. Jim Savage, the Spitfire Mk.XI seen from 1:27 to 2:11, was MB948, later known as "Oh Johnnie". The KP kit has decal options for PA892, MB950 and PA843. I think I can decalbash the serial number from them. Last night I also took a closer look at what Mr. Roger A. Freeman wrote about the Spitfires of the 14th PRS, 7th PRG in The Mighty Eighth: Warpaint & Heraldry. Fantastic book, by the way! I believe the scheme that is seen in the film dates it to early 1944. It is a monocolour PRU blue scheme with a Roundel Blue spinner. The Spitfire is seen before the name or any mission markings were added. The 7th PRG group marking, that was a red panel around the exhausts, the 14th PRS marking, that was a green rudder and the spinner painted in Flight colour, appeared later, and there wasn't of course any clues yet of the D-Day stripes either. As close as I have tried to look at the film, I haven't seen the small bulges in front of the landing gear bays that the instructions tell you to add as parts #41 on the wings. Maybe they were Mk.X specific? Another thing that forces me to raid my spares box is the wheels. MB948 seems to have the flat disc, unspoked wheels. I have several of those, but are they of the correct diameter, needs to be checked. Regards, V-P 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Nice start, V-P! You may already have it bookmarked, but @AliGauld built a lovely SEAC Spitfire PR Mk.XI here which is well worth reading through. One point to note is that the solid rear bulkhead (Part 13) is really for the pressurised PR.X while the PR.XI had an open frame. I tried to open mine out on my failed build of this kit, but its easier to use lengths of square plastic strip to represent it. HTH! Cheers, Mark 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 28, 2023 Author Share Posted February 28, 2023 On 26/02/2023 at 18:12, vppelt68 said: I will delete everything behind the pilot's seat and won't scratch anything in its place either. 9 minutes ago, 2996 Victor said: One point to note is that the solid rear bulkhead (Part 13) is really for the pressurised PR.X while the PR.XI had an open frame. I tried to open mine out on my failed build of this kit, but its easier to use lengths of square plastic strip to represent it. Indeed noted and thought of already . Thanks for the tip and link, I had read it once but failed to remember where I had seen it 👴. V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 10 minutes ago, vppelt68 said: Indeed noted and thought of already Apologies - my eyes must have skated over that when I was reading your Sunday post either that or I've got short-term memory loss..... Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted February 28, 2023 Author Share Posted February 28, 2023 Well, my cockpit painting and detailing skills and wills aren't a reason for celebration at this forum of master modellers... (I noticed I have the lap belt decals applied wrong way and decided to delete the whole photo ) ...so I thought I'd better hide the results from view by buttoning her up, and then giving her the wings and rudder. The prop and spinner are there only for photogenic reasons. I have some seam jobs at hand next, but nothing serious. This is a very, very nice kit 👍. Oh, I started painting the flat disc, spokeless wheels from the Sword Seafire kit too. They look like a drop-in replacement for the KP wheels. V-P 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 Very nice progress, V-P, quick work and excellent results! Cheers, Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted March 4, 2023 Author Share Posted March 4, 2023 Thanks Mark, here's a pic of where my build stands now, including a Draken paint test shot! V-P 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 Good progress V-P Hmm, splinter scheme Spitfire Whiffs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted March 5, 2023 Author Share Posted March 5, 2023 In the end, I decided to use the kit supplied serial number for MB950 as she might have looked in late winter or early spring of 1944 before Group and Squadron colours were added. Just plain PRU Blue from a Hu 230 tin. I have just brushed another layer of Hu 135 satin varnish to seal the decals. I'll let her dry overnight before I maybe somehow spice the looks or not, and take the pics for the Gallery. Thanks to our esteemed group build hosts and the moderator for the show! 🙂 V-P 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted March 5, 2023 Share Posted March 5, 2023 Looks very nice and only in a few day! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 Beautiful build V-P, she looks very sleek and resplendent in her PRU blue finish! The lack of unit colours is actually really attractive. Great Work! Cheers, Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickE Posted May 8, 2023 Share Posted May 8, 2023 That was a quick build, well done it looks great. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 13, 2023 Share Posted May 13, 2023 Nicely done V-P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted May 14, 2023 Share Posted May 14, 2023 Bravo 👏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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