Spitfire Mk XII No 41 squadron with D-Day stripes

[Troy Smith]

17 minutes ago, Antti_K said:

I based my assumption of pink discs and yellow blade drawing number on a photograph of the remains of the last surviving Mk.XII published here on BM

 

Seems the prop is from a Seafire XV

 

see  https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235047794-spitfire-mk-xii/page/6/#elControls_3226995_menu

 

"I started to collect a Mk XII kit together some years back.

 

Starting with a dedicated Mk XII firewall frame five with data plate, auxiliary gearbox pick up points and short Griffon engine mount lugs I grafted on a A-A Mk V/IX fuselage kit. The lower carry through spars are Mk V with the four equal diameter bolts. Mk VIII wings will not fit due to the increased width of the spar booms and the increased diameter of the two inner bolts on the lower spar and boom.

 

I selected a pair of Mk IX wings although Mk V would have serviced the requirement.  For these wings I gathered a Mk Vc Trop radiator set. The Trop main radiator is correct and one inch deeper than the temperate Mk V.

 

Oleos are from Mk V or early Mk IX…the spline type. Wheels & Brakes are late Mk V four spoke.

 

Beggars cannot be choosers and a Mk IX tail unit is fitted although strictly speaking it should not have the extended horn on the elevator. Rudder is pointed Mk VIII/IX/XVI type and is correct.

 

Engine and bearer assembly are from a Seafire XVII and the four blade propeller from a Seafire XV…a perfect fit. Top cowling will be a cut down Mk XIV item with a dummy bulge between the cam cover profiles to simulate the clearance on the early magneto.

 

Fuel and oil tanks will be Seafire XVII which is a bit of a compromise. All cockpit furniture, front windscreen and canopy are late Mk V/IX.

 

A bit of fun, scale 1:1, Serial number EN224, Code EB-L, Registration G-FXII. Could be flying by next year with a following wind."

 

25 minutes ago, Antti_K said:

Can you give any further information about decals 21-24 and 31-32? Do they give the technical specifications about the paints used for camouflage? The Wired Through (WT) marking is clear as is the small DTD517 marking. That "SAL/65/R1272" for example is confusing me. What does it mean? On the rudder of MB853 there is "PA/BK/307344/DSL" (which is also a mystery to me).

No, sorry, I can't.  @gingerbob maybe able too, I suspect the answer to this would require some digging at Hendon museum library. 

It's the sort of detail the late Edgar Brooks may have had some information on.

 

cheers

T

[Antti_K]

Thank you Troy🙂  This certainly gives a more detailed view on Mark12's project. I was simply looking at a photograph (originally posted by you?) of his "Spitfire Factory" with a four blade propeller visible at the front. The blades carried "pink" discs with yellow drawing number. And of course I assumed that propeller actually came from Mk.XII. It seems that the propeller markings in my model may be wrong.

 

What you said in your earlier post about the shape of the Airfix propeller blade shape sounds good. The blade roots weren't as broad as in some Seafire marks. And certainly they were very different to those used on PR.XIXs.

 

Morgan & Shacklady give two different propeller types for Spitfire Mk.XII. Does this mean that the propeller hubs were of different type but same type of blades? Books and magazines give three different propeller diameters. I wonder whether there should be only one correct value or are they all correct?

 

Cheers,

Antti