Nice work so far!
1/32 Revell Spitfire MKIIa
- Thread starter Totalize
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fubar57
General
Good fix
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Looking good - still dubious about that huge 'insulator' on the antenna wire post though !
- Thread starter
- #204
Totalize
Tech Sergeant
hmm. Wonder if I should hack that off.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Probably better to do so, removing the entire part, and replace the post with a piece of brass rod, wire, or plastic rod / stretched sprue.
Note that when VHF radios replaced the earlier TR9 series, the small triangular tab on the main antenna mast was removed, along with the antenna wire and the rudder post. The two small screw attachment points were still present on the mast, where the tab had been.
Check your references for the actual aircraft and date being depicted to verify the fitting of which radio.
The VHF sets began to be fitted around late August / early September 1940, but some Sqns still had the TR9 much later.
Note that when VHF radios replaced the earlier TR9 series, the small triangular tab on the main antenna mast was removed, along with the antenna wire and the rudder post. The two small screw attachment points were still present on the mast, where the tab had been.
Check your references for the actual aircraft and date being depicted to verify the fitting of which radio.
The VHF sets began to be fitted around late August / early September 1940, but some Sqns still had the TR9 much later.
- Thread starter
- #206
Totalize
Tech Sergeant
Terry, I agree. Reading from the Spitfire site by the spring of 1941 MKII's with Rotols had the new VHF radio, the TR1133. Everything was incorporated into the mast so no antenna wire was required. Some TR1133 Spits still retained the post on the rudder so I chose to depict that with this project. I snipped off the triangular cone and right angle piece and added a triangular piece of plastic card over the post pointing upward as I had seen this in a picture of a. MKII without an antenna wire.
- Thread starter
- #207
Totalize
Tech Sergeant
Guys, the markings are going on!
So, I chose to depict an RAF 41 Squadron MKII EB-J, P8044 in the spring/summer 1941. I used Maketar masks for the roundels and stuck with decals everywhere else. As I understand this a/c was donated to 41 squadron by the 1st Canadian Infantry Division hence the markings on the side. It does not represent a pilot's particular aircraft so I took the liberty of adding 4 kill markings in the style that was often seen on 41 Squadron aircraft i.e Erick Lock (top scoring ace in the BOB) and others in the squadron.
So, I chose to depict an RAF 41 Squadron MKII EB-J, P8044 in the spring/summer 1941. I used Maketar masks for the roundels and stuck with decals everywhere else. As I understand this a/c was donated to 41 squadron by the 1st Canadian Infantry Division hence the markings on the side. It does not represent a pilot's particular aircraft so I took the liberty of adding 4 kill markings in the style that was often seen on 41 Squadron aircraft i.e Erick Lock (top scoring ace in the BOB) and others in the squadron.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
That's looking the dog's dangly bits !
turbo
Staff Sergeant
Looking very nice! 
- Thread starter
- #211
Totalize
Tech Sergeant
Thanks guys, My second picture was meant to show the work I did on the tail. Here's another shot.
I added the anchors for the IFF antennas on leading edge of the stabilizers using plastic card and rod and clipped off the antenna cone on the rudder. I cut a piece of triangular plastic card and glued it to the post. As i understand some MKII's retained this post on the rudder even after the new radio was installed and there was no need for an antenna wire from the rudder to the mast.
The blue and red on the wing roundels you will notice are a bit lighter than the fuselage ones. This is meant to depict more fading as these would often be in direct sunlight.
The plexiglass sections are just dry fitted at this point.
I added the anchors for the IFF antennas on leading edge of the stabilizers using plastic card and rod and clipped off the antenna cone on the rudder. I cut a piece of triangular plastic card and glued it to the post. As i understand some MKII's retained this post on the rudder even after the new radio was installed and there was no need for an antenna wire from the rudder to the mast.
The blue and red on the wing roundels you will notice are a bit lighter than the fuselage ones. This is meant to depict more fading as these would often be in direct sunlight.
The plexiglass sections are just dry fitted at this point.
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Crimea_River
Marshal
I like the look of that David,
turbo
Staff Sergeant
Nicely done so far!
fubar57
General
Great job
SANCER
Senior Master Sergeant
Agree with all 
Saludos
Saludos
- Thread starter
- #218
Totalize
Tech Sergeant
Thanks guys. More to come in a wee bit.
That's looking good...!
- Thread starter
- #220
Totalize
Tech Sergeant
Thanks all and Happy New Year to you all.
Just a small update for today. I plan on adding some more this weekend.
You know if you chose to purchase a lower priced kit like this one say versus a high end kit like the Tammy Spitfire you have to expect that some things are just going to be left out in the accuracy department plain and simple. Take the gun camera port on this kit for instance it simply doesn't exist. While Revell did include the plate cover for the camera they didn't include the port hole for the actual camera lens itself. I had not noticed this until now but my awareness was peaked when upon looking at some gun camera footage on Youtube of Spitfires, I noticed the ground crew removing the G45 Cine Camera from it's position on the forward part of the port wing near the wing root. When I saw that I was like oh hell I got the whole wing primed, painted, decaled and gloss coated. Damn you Revell !!!
So, after a few choice words, I decided I would try and add this camera port. Below are the results, I used 2 different size bits to drill the hole with my pin vise. A small initial one then a large one that would take the camera lens. Used the smaller bit first to establish location and initial depth then the large one to finish it off. Didn't want the bit skipping across the fuselage and scratching the finish. I painted the hole gloss black let it dry then added the lens I created on a flat piece of clear styrene with my punch and die set. I used PVA glue to hold it in place and added some lacquer gloss over the lens area.
Picture taken with my iphone.
Just a small update for today. I plan on adding some more this weekend.
You know if you chose to purchase a lower priced kit like this one say versus a high end kit like the Tammy Spitfire you have to expect that some things are just going to be left out in the accuracy department plain and simple. Take the gun camera port on this kit for instance it simply doesn't exist. While Revell did include the plate cover for the camera they didn't include the port hole for the actual camera lens itself. I had not noticed this until now but my awareness was peaked when upon looking at some gun camera footage on Youtube of Spitfires, I noticed the ground crew removing the G45 Cine Camera from it's position on the forward part of the port wing near the wing root. When I saw that I was like oh hell I got the whole wing primed, painted, decaled and gloss coated. Damn you Revell !!!
So, after a few choice words, I decided I would try and add this camera port. Below are the results, I used 2 different size bits to drill the hole with my pin vise. A small initial one then a large one that would take the camera lens. Used the smaller bit first to establish location and initial depth then the large one to finish it off. Didn't want the bit skipping across the fuselage and scratching the finish. I painted the hole gloss black let it dry then added the lens I created on a flat piece of clear styrene with my punch and die set. I used PVA glue to hold it in place and added some lacquer gloss over the lens area.
Picture taken with my iphone.
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