Italeri Spitfire Vc

[johnd]

Hi all,

If I stick the c wings from the 1/72 Italeri Spitfire on to their Mk Vb fuselage, I should end up with a Spitfire Vc (as long as I sort the oil cooler out under the port wing). The fuselages appear identical so I expect the fit to be ok.

Does this sound sensible? The only other thing I can think of to look out for is the size of the cannon blisters...

Thanks,

John.

[Nigel Bunker]

Seema a plausible start. Check out the cannon blisters on the Spitfire you want to model, and don't forget to rub down the raised lumps over the machine guns which porport to be tape covers.

[Giorgio N]

It is possible, as the two kits have plenty of common parts. I'm doing something similar myself trying to build a seafire III out of the IX kit and I've gone through the trouble of sorting the radiator. To do this you simply need to fill the aperture for the IX radiator and sand it following the shape of the wing, sounds difficult but it's very easy. To replace the radiator I used a resin copy of another kit part, but if you cross kit you'll have the italeri part. Alternatevily you can use the inner bottom surfaces of the Vb wings and attach to these the full uppers and the outer lower parts of the IX. In this way there's no need for filling holes.

Then, depending on how fussy you are accuracy wise, there might be a few things to do to correct the italeri kits flaws. The most important in my opinion is the total lack of the wing-fuselage fairing. This can be added with a strip of thin plasticard and filler.

Another part you might want to correct or replace is the water radiator: the shape in the kit is all wrong, with the sides being tapered rather than straight and other issues. Nothing can be done on another problem, that is the wrong cross section of the front fuselage: this has flat sides rather than curved.

The bumps over the mg ports have been mentioned, I can add that the IX wing has the postwar upper wing bump over the gear well reproduced as a panel line.. some filler will sort this out.

Other than that, let me say that trying to keep together the nose parts is one of the most frustrating modelling experiences I've had in some time !

Edited November 3, 2010 by Giorgio N

[paul62]

Hi,

thought I'd try the same last year after purchasing the VB and mk IX.Ended up building them as their respective marks.Replaced the kit radiators/oil cooler with copies from the Pavla Seafire.Think I did the same with the cannon blisters as well.For the wing fillet I cut a template from Dymo tape and scribed it on and then scraped the fuselage back a bit below the level of the fillet.Looked pretty good and I felt was easier than adding filler etc,although I could be wrong! At least once you've got the template sorted you can use it for any future Italeri Spitfires.I put double sided tape on the other side of the Dymo tape so only needed the one template.Didn't do anything with the nose shape but did replace the exhausts and drilled fastener holes.IIRC does the nose only have rivet detail on one half of the moulding? Bit of an odd one as I recall.They looked good in the end to my eyes but they were a lot of work!

[Test Graham]

Does the Mk.VC have the same underside panels as the Mk.VB? The cannon is in a different position, so I would assume not. The propellor is also pretty awful, but replacements are available.

What hasn't been mentioned, as not relevant to the initial post, is that the Mk.IX nose is significantly short. Mine was on the way to merge with Aeroclub fuselage, becoming a Mk.XII, until the Xtrakit came out.

[Giorgio N]

Does the Mk.VC have the same underside panels as the Mk.VB? The cannon is in a different position, so I would assume not.

If you mean wing panels, then no, it doesn't. That's why you can only use the original lower wing of the Vb up to the wheel wells, while the outer parts have to come from the IX to take into account the different panel lines and case ejection holes.Some modification is still required then, but nothing major.

The nose of the IX is indeed quite short, that's why mine is ending built as a seafire. In my case I'm just shortening the original nose rather than using parts from a Vb. And the IX box already has the right elevators, the aerovee filter and the 4-blade propeller. Although as you said the prop is awful and the filter is not great either.

[Redboost]

Hello,

I apologize for a stupid question, obviously I missed something - did Italeri indeed release a 1/72 Mk.VC kit?

Edited November 3, 2010 by Redboost

[Giorgio N]

Hello,

I apologize for a stupid question, obviously I missed something - did Italeri indeed release a 1/72 Mk.VC kit?

No, the idea is just to crosskit a IX and a Vb. Now the lack of more choices for a Vc in 1/72 is something I really can't understand ! Not the airfix isn't useable, it is. Yet some more choice would have been good.

[The wooksta V2.0]

I've cross kitted the Airfix Vb and IXc. Apart from some minor surgery to the fuselage to get the wing to fit, removing the u/c blisters and sorting out the radiator/oil cooler, it's pretty simple.

Cross kitting the Italeri kits may be easier, but I honestly cannot stand them and won't give them houseroom.

[Ed Russell]

Alternatively, assuming you are happy with the Airfix Mk Vb, which I much prefer to the Italaeri one, you could just get an Airfix Mk Vc kit.

This consisted of a Vb plus a replacement wing and a bonus tropical filter.

Yes, the wing cross-section befits a Lancaster (nearly), but it can be sanded down relatively easily.

I have seen a few made and they look quite okay.

[The wooksta V2.0]

I tried working with the Airfix Vc wing but even after sanding it down, I hated it. The newer IXc wing looks far better. The chord may be slightly out but it feels better.

[johnd]

Thanks everyone, some great tips here.

I've already built the Airfix Vc. I took off what I thought was loads of plastic from the wings but they still look too thick. I have a spare Italeri Mk IX and was wondering what to do with it, hence the Vc idea. One things for sure, Italeri Spitfires aren't universally popular!

I was thinking of scribing the wing fillet but curves aren't really a speciality so a piece of plastic (5 thou?) will do the job.

[Giorgio N]

I was thinking of scribing the wing fillet but curves aren't really a speciality so a piece of plastic (5 thou?) will do the job.

On my build I used very thin plasticard. This was then thinned a bit more once in place. Mind, I didn't build the whole fairing but only the upper part. This because curving a whole fairing over the fuselage sides where it meets the wing proved problematic. With the technique I used I have the upper part ok and then fill the lower to blend into the wing. I've seen the same problem solved by another modeller using a small square section rod to define the upper side of the fairing, however I prefer my system.

Scribing is another option as posted by Paul. It's not difficult once you make a template. And making a template is as easy as preparing the plasticard parts.