Fujimi's 1/72 Spitfire XIV...

[Jazzy Jase]

Hello,

I recently purchased from ebay Fujimi's 1/72 Spitfire XIV.

I bought this particular kit because I saw the picture below and decided I wanted to build that particular aircraft.

So far though, I haven't been able to identify the serial number, so I have found another couple of aircraft which I could build:

So, can anyone identify the aircraft in the colour picture?

The kit decals are useless, so I need to buy roundels, stencils, code and serial numbers. I can find stencils and there are various decal sets for the others, but I have no idea what size roundels or lettering is correct.

There's a lot of resin stuff for this kit. Is any of it essential?

What is the best course of action to give the cockpit a little more detail?

Thanks,

Jason

Edited January 20, 2009 by Jazzy Jase

[Test Graham]

Is any resin essential? That's a question only you can answer. I wouldn't bother with any, thinking the Fujimi kit nice enough without it, but that's my taste, not yours. You want to add detail, try stretched sprue and plastic card.

You can however help yourself with the other questions. What size of roundel is required? Try measuring the ones that come with the kit. Try putting the kit next to a photo, then using a ruler on the kit to see how big the roundel would have to be to match the photo. The same applies to the codes. Then compare your estimate with the sizes of codes/roundels available - it will soon become clear which one is close and which are nowhere near.

You could try also buying one of the references that would help you: the old Ducimus Camouflage and Markings on the Spitfire would be a good start, I gather they are not to difficult to track down second-hand. The Guideline booklet of postwar fighters might be a fairly good start.

[alvin5182]

Jason:

The aircraft in the photo is NH757 of 414 Sqn RCAF. Info is from the excellent "2nd Tactical Airforce-volume 3-From the Rhine to Victory" by Christopher Shores and Chris Thomas.

Alvin5182

[Jazzy Jase]

I've never used resin before, and I don't really want to start, so I was just really wondering if the resin had been produced to correct some obvious flaw with the kit.

Good thinking about measuring the kit decals for size. The roundels on top of the wings are a different style between the photo's and the kit but they look about the same size.

I will try to purchase the books you mention.

Jason:

The aircraft in the photo is NH757 of 414 Sqn RCAF. Info is from the excellent "2nd Tactical Airforce-volume 3-From the Rhine to Victory" by Christopher Shores and Chris Thomas.

Alvin5182

Awesome. Thank you very much. I shall also investigate that book.

Edited January 20, 2009 by Jazzy Jase

[The wooksta V2.0]

Jase, I hope I'm not being too cheeky, but if you're not using the decals could I scrounge them? I raided the sheet in the one I had to do a speculative Spiteful FR14 and that's the one Fujimi spitfire that seems to be rather difficult to find!

Edited January 20, 2009 by The wooksta V2.0

[Tripehound]

Could I ask what the part/serial no. on that kit is Jase? I'm trying to get hold of the low-backed version to convert to an FR18, and it would help to differentiate between this and other Fujimi Mk XIV releases which just have the high-back spine and canopy.

Cheers

Keith

[Jazzy Jase]

Jase, I hope I'm not being too cheeky, but if you're not using the decals could I scrounge them? I raided the sheet in the one I had to do a speculative Spiteful FR14 and that's the one Fujimi spitfire that seems to be rather difficult to find!

I may use the decal for the instrument panel, but I don't think I will use the others. They look a little yellow, but you are welcome to give them a go. PM me your address and I will send them once I've measured them (and cut out the instument panel). Did you want the decals for the camouflage too?

Edited January 20, 2009 by Jazzy Jase

[Jazzy Jase]

Could I ask what the part/serial no. on that kit is Jase? I'm trying to get hold of the low-backed version to convert to an FR18, and it would help to differentiate between this and other Fujimi Mk XIV releases which just have the high-back spine and canopy.

Cheers

Keith

The number on the box says 74007. Hope that helps.

[The wooksta V2.0]

Thanks! no, it's really the serial and squadrons codes I was after. PM inbound!

[The wooksta V2.0]

Could I ask what the part/serial no. on that kit is Jase? I'm trying to get hold of the low-backed version to convert to an FR18, and it would help to differentiate between this and other Fujimi Mk XIV releases which just have the high-back spine and canopy.

Cheers

Keith

It might be better to try and find the fighter recce kit of the Fujimi Spit XIV, the one with the SEAC markings as it seems to be fairly easy to find. Which FR18 are you planning to do?

[Pat C]

Jason

You might find this link which is from the original Air Ministry "rules" on markings of use.

http://www.rafweb.org/sqn_codes3.htm Click on the arrow at the bottom for further info on colours and sizes

If I have interpreted this right the Spitfire should have 8" high serial. By eye-balling the pics I would estimate the code letters to be 24". The codes are supposed to be Sky but it looks white to me in the colour photo. The fuselage roundel thus looks to be 36". I am sure others will be quick to intervene if I have got this wrong. Interestingly the upper wing roundels look to be the type III (red, white, blue and yellow) rather than type I (red and blue) which I would have expected.

You can find decals for roundels and code letters in various colours and sizes - Xtradecal do both and I also like the Fantasy Printshop roundels. I find it a struggle to line up five tiny decals for the serial so I tend to print these myself on decal film - you would need to download an appropriate "RAF" style font to do this.

Pat

Edited January 20, 2009 by Pat C

[Tripehound]

Thanks Jase

Wooksta, it's the 208 sqn one from Frightdog's Brit's abroad II sheet.

[Dave Fleming]

The Guideline booklet of postwar fighters might be a fairly good start.

Except ignore the suggested colour scheme for these aircraft - Paul Lucas suggested the Low Level Recce scheme as a possibility

[Jazzy Jase]

Jason

You might find this link which is from the original Air Ministry "rules" on markings of use.

http://www.rafweb.org/sqn_codes3.htm Click on the arrow at the bottom for further info on colours and sizes

If I have interpreted this right the Spitfire should have 8" high serial. By eye-balling the pics I would estimate the code letters to be 24". The codes are supposed to be Sky but it looks white to me in the colour photo. The fuselage roundel thus looks to be 36". I am sure others will be quick to intervene if I have got this wrong. Interestingly the upper wing roundels look to be the type III (red, white, blue and yellow) rather than type I (red and blue) which I would have expected.

You can find decals for roundels and code letters in various colours and sizes - Xtradecal do both and I also like the Fantasy Printshop roundels. I find it a struggle to line up five tiny decals for the serial so I tend to print these myself on decal film - you would need to download an appropriate "RAF" style font to do this.

Pat

Thanks, that's a useful link Pat.

I agree that the code letter is white as it is the same colour as the white in the roundel.

I also agree that the roundels on the top of the wing are type III. The information on the website you've lnked to says the roundels on the bottom of the wing should be type II. You can't see any of these roundels in the pictures though, so I will just have to go with that and hope it's right.

[Jazzy Jase]

Except ignore the suggested colour scheme for these aircraft - Paul Lucas suggested the Low Level Recce scheme as a possibility

Please can you elaborate? Are you saying the aircraft won't be Dark Green, Ocean Grey and Medium Sea Grey? Or are you reffering to the roundels?

[Byron Boyd]

I've never used resin before, and I don't really want to start, so I was just really wondering if the resin had been produced to correct some obvious flaw with the kit.

Good thinking about measuring the kit decals for size. The roundels on top of the wings are a different style between the photo's and the kit but they look about the same size.

I will try to purchase the books you mention.

Awesome. Thank you very much. I shall also investigate that book.

Quickboost makes 4 different Resin updates aimed specifically at the Fujimi Mk XIV - new fuselage spine, horizontal stabilizers, engine cover, and wing radiators. I seem to have heard somewhere about some shape issues associated with the Fujimi kit, which the Quickboost items would presumably address. You can view them at www.quickboost .net

Byron

[AnonymousFO98]

Graham mentioned measuring the photo roundels/serials

don't know if this would help but i came across it on a nautical modelling forum and it might be of use for measuring things on the screen- i know it isn't fool proof

http://www.mioplanet.com/products/pixelruler/

[The wooksta V2.0]

The Quickboost radiators would be of more use on the Academy Spitfire XIV, which IMO is horrible. Although at a fiver, it's not bad for use as spares (u/c and cockpit interior)

[Test Graham]

The colour scheme should be Dark Green/Ocean Grey/Medium Sea Grey. Paul Lucas was (mis)interpreting some views as the otherwise rare-to-nonexistant low-level PR scheme.

The upperwing roundels were altered from January 1945 to include the white ring. Some units added the yellow outer ring too.

I don't recall the details, but there was some criticism of the kit's radiators - perhaps they are normal to the wing surface rather than going straight down? If not that, then something more subtle. However, I wouldn't bother wasting good resin on the Academy kit.

[Dave Fleming]

Please can you elaborate? Are you saying the aircraft won't be Dark Green, Ocean Grey and Medium Sea Grey? Or are you reffering to the roundels?

Graham is right - it is Ocean Grey/Dark Green /Medium Sea grey.

[Test Graham]

Other worthwhile points to note are the comparatively fresh overpainting of the Sky band, and the light appearance of the Ocean Grey on the wingtip and tailplane. This very light appearance is seen on a number of late-war aircraft - often at the wingtip. No known explanation.

[TonyT]

Jason added the drawings of the FR X1V cockpit on this link if you are interested http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=26046

[Sten Ekedahl]

Quickboost makes 4 different Resin updates aimed specifically at the Fujimi Mk XIV - new fuselage spine, horizontal stabilizers, engine cover, and wing radiators. I seem to have heard somewhere about some shape issues associated with the Fujimi kit, which the Quickboost items would presumably address. You can view them at www.quickboost .net

Byron

The Quickboost fuselage spine is for the original high spine version of the Mk.XIV (and the PR.XIX) and therefore of no use for the kit you're planning on building. Using the Quickboost tailplanes and radiators is a matter of taste - not really necessary in my opinion. However the Quickboost engine cover would most likely be a good investment since I remember the kit parts in this area were very tricky to fit correctly. You can view all the Quickboost parts here.

Quickboost parts are by nature very easy to use - hence the name. All the ones I have tried simply replace the corresponding kit part(s) with no cutting necessary. The casting of Quickboost parts are second to none, at least all the ones I have bought (and that's a lot!). They are the perfect thing to use if you want to get your first experience of using resin parts. Have no fear!

Edited January 21, 2009 by Sten Ekedahl

[Bruce Archer]

The colour scheme should be Dark Green/Ocean Grey/Medium Sea Grey. Paul Lucas was (mis)interpreting some views as the otherwise rare-to-nonexistant low-level PR scheme.

The upperwing roundels were altered from January 1945 to include the white ring. Some units added the yellow outer ring too.

I don't recall the details, but there was some criticism of the kit's radiators - perhaps they are normal to the wing surface rather than going straight down? If not that, then something more subtle. However, I wouldn't bother wasting good resin on the Academy kit.

Graham,

If you are looking at the 414Sqn Spitfire, notice the outer wings abnd tailplanes. This appears to have been common in RCAF, Czech, and Polish Sqns. The color appears to be Medium Sea Grey.

Bruce

[Test Graham]

Thanks Bruce: I thought it was only myself and the late Robert Bracken who'd noticed that. (Oops, and Franek too, I think.) Curious, isn't it - it certainly looks like Medium Sea Grey. It does seem to appear too often, and be too consistent, to be other than deliberate, but I've never seen any written reference to it.

(I also have a photo of a much earlier 174 Sq Hurribomber with much more in the lighter colour, but I do wonder about that being a nightfighter scheme, given the circumstances.)