Spitfire GB

Very nice guys! Glad to see some of us still working on theirs, I'll get to time again soon.

Nice work, jdice!

I still have every intention of jumping in with the big Tamiya Spit, just need to finish the Sopwith first. Still have to mount the machine gun and decal and seal the struts and prop. Hopefully it'll be ready for rigging this weekend.

<~~~~ Lurking.. all looking good so far ! If I get caught up on my GB's... I might slide in with a Spit..

Jdice- looks great. I'm almost done mine- meant to get a photo after the decals were on but I've only been doing it in 15-30 minute blocks then leaving it for a few days- I'm starting to get a little burned out with modelling. I'll hopefully get some finished pics by the week-end.

Rob

jdice1980

Doogs: I so don't have room for a 1/32 plane and really want to keep my collection in 1/48....but I so want to go all out on one of those beautiful Tamiya Spits. I've browsed your gallery and liked what I saw. I would really love to see your process of putting that lady together.  

Thanks! 

I hear ya on 1/32 - I have a pretty decent amount of display width to work with, but my cabinet is only 11" deep. I've managed to fit a 1/48 Mossie and 1/32 109 in there, but I think the Spit might be pushing it. Don't even get me started on the Trumpy and Hasegawa Jugs I've got in the stash. 

Fortunately, we're moving late this year and a better display solution may just be in the cards.

jdice1980

Oh heck...the 1/32 P-47s are massive. I saw one built up for the first time at a show back in April and was really blown away...those things are monsters.

They are! This, more than anything, rammed it home for me when I was rummaging through the Trumpy box when it arrived.

Can't wait to build this big guy, but the Spit first!

jdice1980

 

DoogsATX:

 

 

jdice1980:

Oh heck...the 1/32 P-47s are massive. I saw one built up for the first time at a show back in April and was really blown away...those things are monsters.

 

 

They are! This, more than anything, rammed it home for me when I was rummaging through the Trumpy box when it arrived.

Can't wait to build this big guy, but the Spit first!

 

 

Epic...I'm going to have to grap one of those at some point. I may not be able to build it until after we move to a bigger house with a dedicated hobby room, but the Jug is one of my favs....how can I not have one...lol. Think I'll head over to the 229 to get some pointers on how to justify that as a dining room centerpiece.

Yep that's a big bird but I'm not sure where I'm going to be able to put a 1/32 BAC Lightning when I build it! Now that is an enormous plane.

Cheers

Nice looking work there jdice.  We've been busy with my son's graduation here but I should be able to get started on mine in the next week or two.

Mike

Does anyone have a spare contra prop from the 1/48 Seafire mk 46/47??  Am in dire need of one for my Mk.21 conversion.  HEEEEEELLLLPPPPP  please???

My two spits are in the final stages of construction.  Wings and fuselages are together and I'm filling and sanding seams.  I hope to use the last week of June to finish.  I'm gone all next week so it will have to wait for a while.

Satch

I started a Tamiya Mk. 1 last week, do you guys mind if I join in here?  It is a crossover from the Battle of Britain GB, so that has to be OK with you, too.  I have progress pictures all the way thru which I can share, but it is almost done.  A really nice kit, just falls together.

jeaton01

I started a Tamiya Mk. 1 last week, do you guys mind if I join in here?  It is a crossover from the Battle of Britain GB, so that has to be OK with you, too.  I have progress pictures all the way thru which I can share, but it is almost done.  A really nice kit, just falls together.

Very nice work everyone! Jeaton01, you're more than welcome to join! Is it 1:48?

Psycho:  I am now done the Revell Mk IXc. I had to say this was the easiest model I ever built- absolutely no fit issues like I am having on my AM IL-2 (which is now on an indefinite hold). I used Tamiya RAF colours, lampblack oil washes, coloured the panel lines with a sludge wash with acrylic flat black, used Testor's Flat Acrylic and some burnt umber for oil leaks and pastels for the exhaust.

Thanks

Rob

Very nice maxfax! You earned your badge!

Thanks,

Speaking of badges, I can't add mine- I keep getting an error saying Signature length exceeds maximum 512 characters, or something like that. Any ideas on how to fix this?

Rob

Thanks, yes it is 1/48.  The Tamiya Mk I kit.  Some time back I drew up paper masks for a Mark XVI with the bubble canopy.  I reworked them to include both bubble and Malcolm hood fuselages this time.  I put enough notes on the drawings so I don't have to go look through references to paint a Spitfire, and both A and B schemes are there in three view and template form.  I attach them with tape that fits over cutouts in the templates leaving the edges up for a nice soft edge.

I started on this about a week ago, and the kit really goes together nice.  I used parts from an Eduard Zoom set for the instrument panel, and the oxygen hose is lifted from a True Details Spitfire set.

Some pictures:

These jpgs are scaled to 72nd scale to keep file size down.  They are natively 1/48 as noted.

Very nice Mk IX, Rob.  Well done!

Here are the rest of my progress pictures before decals:

Nice Spit maxfax!

Inspiring work everyone!

Maxfax- sorry dont know what to tell you about the signature, hopefully someone can help you with it.

John - LOVE the mask! I may be borrowing that for my 32nd VIII...or doing something similar. 

Rob - Excellent work on the IX! Think I may have to pick that kit up...

DoogsATX

John - LOVE the mask! I may be borrowing that for my 32nd VIII...or doing something similar. 

Rob - Excellent work on the IX! Think I may have to pick that kit up...

 

Doog, you are welcome to use the mask.  I think I have all the options covered and would be glad to send you or anyone else here jpeg files for you to print out.  They are in 1/48 so for 1/32 scale them up 150%, or down to 67% for 1/72.  I've used them on the Tamiiya Mk 1 and the ICM Mk XVI.  Send me an e-mail if you like.

I have finished my Mk I, here are some more pictures.  Criticism is welcome except about that overscale antenna which I need to revisit.  I used e z line as usual but left it a minimum tension so it wouldn't be so likely to bend the mast, but it's too thick in the photos in the unstretched mode.  Thins down a lot when it is stretched.

I have wanted to do a series of 19 Squadron airplanes so I did Brian Lane's airplane with the yellow spinner and white K code letter.  Hope I got the right side letters placed right.  I know they are in the right grouping and sequence, but I'm not sure about the roundel placement.  Now that it is done I'm sure a brilliantly clear photo of that side will surface. 

Pictures:

John- nice work on the Mk 1! This is my favorite version of the Spitfire- I love the look of the large fuselage rondelle. I ended up getting the Mk 9 for my son at a model show for about $10, who never got past the first step, otherwise I would have bought the Mk 1 for myself.

Rob

Jeaton01 and Maxfax - Wow, those are stunning builds. I am duely impressed with your workmanship.

Jeaton01 = I too would be interested in a copy of your template. I've used silly putty in the past but nowhere near the accuracy of your templates.

I am still working on the cockpit of my Mk Vb. My work with my first PE detail set is indeed like others have described mind numbing, meticulous and time consuming. Yet I am enjoying the results. I hope to have the cockpit complete soon and toshare some pics.

There are some impressive, outstanding Spitfires showing up here!

Rob:  your Mk IXc is fantastic; those colours really go together well, and the way you've accomplished the underside with the panel lines and weathering makes it really interesting to look at.

John:  your creation of the masking pattern is so detailed that the amount of work you put into it is obvious.  Eduard used to make 1/72 masks in the A and B patterns, but they seem no longer available; so I've had to resize some thumbnail pictures, then cut out of masking tape.  Your method is astonishing in the best sense.

I built up Brian Lane's Mk I for the Battle of Britain group build last year, using a 1/72 Airfix kit and aftermarket decals (from either Poland or the Czech Republic--can't remember which), that took no account of the white "K"--so live and learn, and usually too late.  Yours is an extremely attractive model of the real thing.

As far as roundel placement, seems I read somewhere they go at the point where the fuselage is widest (?).  Your placement certainly looks fine.

I've been working on my Spitfire(s) in fits and starts; had to wait for paint to come in the mail and now have some.  Once again, I've turned to the old Airfix version (which is so simple as to be actually relaxing to build), but have both Tamiya's pricier offering and the latest Airfix rendition that came out last year.  I hope to do all three.

Again, great work!   

Thanks, everyone!  I really had a good time building this one, which I was happy to do because an Accurate Miniatures B-25 had gotten me to wondering if I was still man enough to model.  I will finish that thing!  Not a bad kit, it's just hard to get it done to the level you aspire to when you begin.

I will put links for all four sheets of the templates n the next post.

Rather than use up the bandwidth here I have put the Spitfire template drawings on my website at these links.  Go there, right click, and save to your computer.

http://yolo.net/~jeaton/mymodels/spitfire/templates/SpitfireATemplateDrawing.jpg

http://yolo.net/~jeaton/mymodels/spitfire/templates/SpitfireATemplate.jpg

http://yolo.net/~jeaton/mymodels/spitfire/templates/SpitfireBTemplateDrawing.jpg

http://yolo.net/~jeaton/mymodels/spitfire/templates/SpitfireATemplate.jpg

jeaton01

Thanks, everyone!  I really had a good time building this one, which I was happy to do because an Accurate Miniatures B-25 had gotten me to wondering if I was still man enough to model.  I will finish that thing!  Not a bad kit, it's just hard to get it done to the level you aspire to when you begin.

I will put links for all four sheets of the templates n the next post.

Which B-25 is it? I got the Doolittle Raiders one last week or the week before. I wont start on it anytime soon, but I herd it isnt the easiest one to build.

My B-25 is the B-25C/D version of the same kit you have.  I'm having heartburn over the fit of the nose parts right now, considering disassembling that part to get a better fit and using vacform clear parts.  I had substituted a Monogram nose clear part which has better shape and framing but it has some problems fitting the lower nose part.  That may be because in assembling the lower nose part I may have drawn it in some.  It's kind of fiddley.  It's a nice kit that probably is easier to build the second time around.  I am also a little too fussy about B-25's, it is an interesting and important airplane to me.

The two kits I'm building.  Hope to finish this week, but it's too darn hot in my garage.

Looking forward to seeing your builds satch. Its been a bit hot here lately to do anything on mine. we dont put the ac on very often to save money.

jeaton01

My B-25 is the B-25C/D version of the same kit you have.  I'm having heartburn over the fit of the nose parts right now, considering disassembling that part to get a better fit and using vacform clear parts.  I had substituted a Monogram nose clear part which has better shape and framing but it has some problems fitting the lower nose part.  That may be because in assembling the lower nose part I may have drawn it in some.  It's kind of fiddley.  It's a nice kit that probably is easier to build the second time around.  I am also a little too fussy about B-25's, it is an interesting and important airplane to me.

 Thanks for the info, Im debating how to build mine. I would really like a doolittle plane but i also find some of the other paint schemes ive seen very appealing.