Airfix 1:72 Spitfire Mk.I

[dr_gn]

2 hours ago, Johnson said:

There was a press day for 19 Sqn and they put up all their new Spitfires including one's that only had one roundel painted on the tops of the wings. So I suppose if your plane was one of these it would be historically correct. But the assumption is that they would have had the second roundel painted later. So if you did use two roundels, you wouldn't be wrong to do so.

 

And, as can be seen, some had none!

Low Res scan for study use. If there's a copyright issue, I will delete.

Dreadful photo, sorry, someone probably has a better one. But the nearest Spitfire, WZ-T has only one roundel, as per the Airfix kit. And the next Spit, WZ-M, only has one but this time on the starboard wing.

 

Which Spitfire are you making?

Thanks - WZ-T are the decals I have. Not sure if there are aftermarket ones available (some of the Airfix decals can be a bit temperamental).

[dr_gn]

Thinned the massively oversized radiator housing edges:

 

 

and opened up the intake on the port engine cover:

 

 

I noticed that my re-scribing of the panel lines at the filled wing root had got lost under primer...again, so re-scribed...again. This resulted in wavy lines, so I'm having to fill and re-ecribe...again:

 

 

This must be the seventh or eighth attempt at getting this right. I'm currently building three Airfix kits: Vulcan, Spitfire 22 and this thing. I can honestly say that these, along with the Swordfish I finished before begining the Vulcan, have pretty much put me off modelling altogether. I've not finished a kit since starting the Vulcan in 2021 - varying degrees of quality issues on all four of them (at least for anyone who likes things to be right). It's absolutely demoralising.

[Johnson]

1 hour ago, dr_gn said:

WZ-T are the decals I have. Not sure if there are aftermarket ones available (some of the Airfix decals can be a bit temperamental).

I did WZ-T a few years back and got on with the Airfix decals OK. They're much better than they used to be.

 

I found this photo useful when I made the kit. Not sure how far you want to take the painting, but note the darker brown paint around the fuselage roundel where the outer circle has been overpainted. Also the curved demarcation (not along the panel line) between the upper camo colours and the black of the underside on the lower engine cowl.

 

 

 

[dr_gn]

4 hours ago, Johnson said:

I did WZ-T a few years back and got on with the Airfix decals OK. They're much better than they used to be.

 

I found this photo useful when I made the kit. Not sure how far you want to take the painting, but note the darker brown paint around the fuselage roundel where the outer circle has been overpainted. Also the curved demarcation (not along the panel line) between the upper camo colours and the black of the underside on the lower engine cowl.

 

 

 

Thanks for that. 
 

To be honest all I want to end up with is a generic Mk.1, with typical - and plausible - features.

 

So I’d like to include the flat canopy, split pitot head, oval canopy aperture cover, ring and bead sight, anti-spin ‘chute fin guard and the rod type aerial. 
 

In some ways, if it was WZ-? It might be better I suppose.

 

For example, think I saw a photo of WZ-T with a later single pitot tube? And conversely, other WZ aircraft with the fin guard, but others apparently not.

 

I’m bound to get something wrong, that’s if I ever finish it - I’m seriously considering binning it like I did the last time I tried to build this kit, and getting one from a better manufacturer. I’m absolutely fed up of correcting duff mouldings on Airfix kits, especially re-scribing (which I hate doing).

[Graham Boak]

There isn't a better Mk.I. 

 

The easiest one to put together is the Tamiya, but it has a number of faults in the shape of the wings, fuselage, etc.  A good source of bits.  The AZ is fairly recent and quite nice but the span is a tad short.  That's the one I'd consider as second-best to the Airfix.

[dr_gn]

10 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

There isn't a better Mk.I. 

 

The easiest one to put together is the Tamiya, but it has a number of faults in the shape of the wings, fuselage, etc.  A good source of bits.  The AZ is fairly recent and quite nice but the span is a tad short.  That's the one I'd consider as second-best to the Airfix.

What’s wrong with this one? Surely can’t be worse than Airfix for fit and surface detail, and it even includes the rather obscure tail guard:
 

https://www.modelarovo.cz/spitfire-mk-ia-early-a-late-1-72-kovozavody-prostejov/

[Graham Boak]

 KP and AZ are the same company.  Same problem, but yes, quite a nice kit.  

 

I found the Airfix kit a good fit, after sorting out the usual (for that period Airfix) problem of over-tight tolerances, particularly on the fit of parts for the interior.  After years of making Eastern European short run kits where the designer had not made allowances for the thickness of the fuselage, this kind of problem was expected and fairly easily sorted.  The trenches can be filled with any filler of your choice.  The only problem I had with that was the lack of the wing/fuselage fairing join to the fuselage, which really does deserve a panel line if not a step.  At least the wing was the right chord and in the right place, unlike their earlier Mk.IX/XIX.

 

Not a lot of need for the tail guard, as it was something only fitted for spin trials and not a standard piece of kit.

[Johnson]

1 hour ago, dr_gn said:

What’s wrong with this one? Surely can’t be worse than Airfix for fit and surface detail, and it even includes the rather obscure tail guard:

 

I've looked at these KP Spitfires and wondered if I should. They look pretty good. But I've shied away from some E.European kit makers because the decals are often poor, and these look as if they might be. Looking at the completed kits on the link you posted, the roundel yellow and red both appear to be a bit light/bright, though pre-war markings were brighter. On DW-Q I would prefer the upper wing roundel (and other red markings) to be more of a brick red - Graham @Graham Boak may know more. Hard to tell - it may be the wash - but the panel lines look similar to Airfix, possibly not quite as canyon like. I'm sure they could be made into a quite reasonable model. There's also the price, nearly double the Airfix Mk.1.

 

Anyway, back to your model;

 

11 hours ago, dr_gn said:

I’m seriously considering binning it like I did the last time I tried to build this kit

 

I really hope not. You're clearly a good modeller and have done some really excellent work. I think if completed it would look very good.

[Graham Boak]

I do find it surprising how some modellers find certain kits difficult where others waft through them unmarred.  In my case it was the current Airfix Hurricane, which saw some with the cockpit parts forcing out the dihedral (as some did on the Spitfire).  I found that no problem, having tried dry-fitting (always a good idea) and filed the problem bulkheads.  However the upper and lower wings just didn't match.  Line up the tips, and the ailerons and gun positions didn't.   No simple solution - I lined up the details and sanded down the resulting excessive span and chord.  Few modellers seem to have even noticed this.  I also had a lot of work to do getting the Blenheim rear fuselage to fit into the wing.  Is this mentioned in reviews - no.

 

The AZ/KP kit has much less deep panel lines than the Airfix.  I have strong suspicions that it has been based on the Sword kits, which also suffer this odd span shortage. 

 

The interesting thing about the Airfix Spitfire Mk.1 is that it has a longer engine cowling than the competition.  So has their Mk.IX, but this is because it was made to accurate information (it matches the Monforton numbers) unlike all the others previously. I've been unable to find information of equivalent accuracy for the Mk.I nose, nor find a statement of just how much longer the 60-series engine was.  The best I can find suggests that the Airfix Mk.I may well be correct.  

[dr_gn]

The biggest issue I have is after filling the wing roots (due to poor alignment and fit) I'm having to re-scribe the panel lines all around this area. Usually not too much of a problem, but my scribed lines are far finer than the Airfix trenches that I've previously filled with Surfacer.

 

So basically I'm trying to add crude detail to make something I've added match the rest of the kit's crude detail. So frustrating. Without a wide scriber that I can actually fit into the wing root fillet area...it's pretty much impossible to get consistent.

[Robin-42]

Without getting into the argument over how big should panel lines be in 1/72, Airfix way overdid it with these kits. I actually prefer their earlier MKI with the raised lines for that reason. It needs help in other areas to be sure, but fighting with overdone panel lines does take the fun out of it. 

[Bedders]

11 hours ago, dr_gn said:

The biggest issue I have is after filling the wing roots (due to poor alignment and fit) I'm having to re-scribe the panel lines all around this area. Usually not too much of a problem, but my scribed lines are far finer than the Airfix trenches that I've previously filled with Surfacer.

 

So basically I'm trying to add crude detail to make something I've added match the rest of the kit's crude detail. So frustrating. Without a wide scriber that I can actually fit into the wing root fillet area...it's pretty much impossible to get consistent.

Something I've tried to sort this kind of problem is to go over the rescribed lines with a slightly blunted hard graphite pencil e.g. 7H. That works quite well on the soft Airfix plastic to round off the new panel ines and make them more like the original ones. Worth a go.

 

Justin

[Octávio Mântua]

Hi,

 

Nice build!

I am also building this kit but I did not have the courage to fill in the panel lines 😞 

I am currently putting on the decals.

 

Best regards,

Octávio

 

[dr_gn]

3 hours ago, Octávio Mântua said:

Hi,

 

Nice build!

I am also building this kit but I did not have the courage to fill in the panel lines 😞 

I am currently putting on the decals.

 

Best regards,

Octávio

 

 

That's looking great so far Octávio.

 

I agree about the canopy being thick; for me the main thing is the front that looks a bit crude, but I'm leaving mine well alone. I'm going to try and add an oval panel to the canopy - possibly acetate attached with dilute PVA (so I can remove it with water if it doesn't look right).

 

I'll be putting a ring and bead sight in place, and the double pitot tube. I think like you I'll paint it aluminium, although I'm not convinced it always had the early version - some photos look like it had a single pitot/static tube.

 

Other thing is on some photos, the front of the propeller spinner looks to be a different shade of black - I'm planning on finishing the blades and rear section matt, and the front slightly satin. I'm guessing this might have been an effect of different materials on the real thing.

 

I'll also be replacing the rod antenna with thinner brass tube - the kit version looks too thick to me.

 

I'm still struggling with panel lines, and am waiting for a new scribing tool to arrive. I might add some rivet detail along the upper wing fillet like you have done. I think there should also be a line of rivets at the wing side of the fillet - between the double panel line adjoining the wing? While I'm at it, I might also copy your llines in front of the windscreen.

 

Cheers.

[Octávio Mântua]

Hi, 

 

Thanks for your coments 🙂

 

As to the oval panel on the canopy, please check if you have an azmodel/kp spitfire. It normaly comes with this decal for the canopy.

 

As for the pitot tube, I will be sticking with the one provided by airfix. In this photo (please see following link: http://falkeeinsmodel.blogspot.com/2012/04/more-spits-moving-across-bench-airfix.html) you can see WZ-T using this pitot tube.

 

Thanks for the other tips and best regards,

Octávio

[dr_gn]

Finally got the re-scribing to a less unacceptable level.

 

Fitted the radiator and oil cooler housings:

 

 

Currently refining the fit of those.

[dr_gn]

I added a ring sight from Eduard:

 

 

and got the canopy fitted:

 

[dr_gn]

Made some progress on the undersides painting.

 

Off white pre-shaded with grey:

 

 

Then masked for black, again pre-shaded with grey:

 

 

Just the ailerons and elevators to be painted in aluminium now:

 

 

[Fritag]

Neat and precise as ever, Garth.

[dr_gn]

Control surfaces masked:

 

 

And painted aluminium:

 

 

[dr_gn]

Undersides masked:

 

 

Made a new rod type antenna out of brass; I thought the plastic one was too thick:

 

 

 

Dark Earth on, pre shaded with NATO black:

 

 

 

Started on masking for the Dark Green:

 

 

 

[Fritag]

9 hours ago, dr_gn said:

Made a new rod type antenna out of brass; I thought the plastic one was too thick:

 

The sort of visual enhancement that makes a big difference to the scale look.  Nice.

 

Dark earth looks good over the pre shade.  

[dr_gn]

3 hours ago, Fritag said:

 

The sort of visual enhancement that makes a big difference to the scale look.  Nice.

 

Dark earth looks good over the pre shade.  

 

Thanks for the enouragment! Must admit I'm still struggling with motivation; I think having six plastic models under way, plus a model engineering project, diy, messing about with cars...and life in general is having a negative effect.

[dr_gn]

Masking complete:

 

 

Pre-shaded Dark Green:

 

 

 

Masking removed:

 

 

 

Now for a few of the inevitable corrections such as missing some brown on the tailplane, and some minor overspray.

I think all the demarcations are in about the right places, but I’m not pretending it’s 100% accurate. I always tend to think that RAF camo doesn’t look consistent in terms of proportions of brown/green, and how wavy the lines are on one wing vs. the other, but looking at photos it seems to be pretty much the way it often was.

[Troy Smith]

 

Wheel wells.

Oft debated. 

From extensive gawping at images, the outer wheel part, being visible when UC up, is the outer colour, the inner leg part is not visible, and is the internal colour.

screen shot from a maintenance film, showing the pre June 1940 factory finish, as described above.   

Spitfire Mk.I maintenance film UC well colour by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

same or very similar airframe after underside repaint, note how the roundel 'grins through"  the new "sky" paint, that the UC leg/hub look to have remained white, but the UC well is the same tone as the underside.

 

Spitfire Mk.I maintenance film Sky repaint reel 5 by losethekibble, on Flickr

 

56 minutes ago, dr_gn said:

I always tend to think that RAF camo doesn’t look consistent in terms of proportions of brown/green, and how wavy the lines are on one wing vs. the other, but looking at photos it seems to be pretty much the way it often was.

the pattern was applied at the factory.

 

 

 

see the diagram here

https://boxartden.com/reference/gallery/index.php/Camouflage-Markings/Supermarine-Spitfire/Supermarine-Spitfire-Camo-and-Marks_Page_07-960

 

What brand of paint are you using? 

Your model catches the shape and crispness of the pattern well.