1/32 Revell Spitfire MKIIa

[Totalize]

More rivet pictures. A couple of rivets fell off during the process and I need to fix the small line of them near the tail before I prime.

 

[Totalize]

Time to add some resin accessories to this build. Here I replaced the incorrect kit oil cooler and radiator with the Barracuda resin parts.

I dremneled out the radiator area on the wing and also drilled out a hole on the oil cooler side (not shown) to add the intake section of the oil cooler

 

[Totalize]

Next up was to add some additional details to the radiator.

On the front of the radiator I added the L-shaped Fuel vent using a piece of 1.2mm lead wire that I glued to its housing that I punched out with my punch and die set. I also added a line of positive rivets to the area as well.

 

[Totalize]

On the backside of the radiator I added the warming ducts using some 1.2mm plastic rod. These ducts fed warm air from the radiator to the eight .303 Machine guns to prevent them from freezing at altitude.

I also added the brackets on the radiator flap with some plastic rod and grandt line bolts. There was a noticeable gap between the sides of flap and the radiator itself so I traced the outline of the flap sides on some thin plastic stock, cut, shaped and added them to the sides of the flap. The flap now fits properly. I also added the missing bolts on the sides of the radiator that hold the flap in place.

 

[Lucky13]

Excellent work!

 

[fubar57]

Riveting to say the least. I always wondered what those ducts were for

 

[Airframes]

Excellent work Dave. BTW, that 'L' shaped tube in the front of the rad bath is a de-icer spray, mainly used to spray cool water / de-icer solution onto the radiator face when on the ground, to lessen the chances of overheating.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Nice work so far!

 

[Totalize]

Excellent work Dave. BTW, that 'L' shaped tube in the front of the rad bath is a de-icer spray, mainly used to spray cool water / de-icer solution onto the radiator face when on the ground, to lessen the chances of overheating.

Thanks Terry, Not sure about the de-icer function. The reason I called it a fuel vent is per my Aerodetail reference Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire MK I-V and the following explanation of it.

" In service the Spitfire's fuel tanks were pressurized with regulated vacuum pump exhaust air to prevent the fuel in the tanks from boiling and vaporizing at high altitudes. If the fuselage fuel tanks got punctured continued pressurization was not recommended as this would work against the self sealing compound trying to seal the leaks; so the pilot would change from pressure venting to normal venting by switching a cock in the cockpit, which then redirected the vacuum exhaust air vent to the atmosphere. The outlet for this redirected vacuum exhaust air is that little vent pipe at the front of the starboard radiator. Most restored Spitfires have the pressure venting cock locked in the "normal venting" position as pressurizing of the fuel tanks is not necessary.

At any rate. I think it looks cool and lends some more accuracy to the build.

 

[Airframes]

Hm. Not sure about that, especially as the tanks were forward of the cockpit.
I've always seen it referred to as a de-icer spray, and when I asked one of the guys at Duxford, working on a Mk.1, he told me it was to spray cooling water onto the radiator face.
It might be a fuel vent, but it seems a strange place to vent, and potentially dangerous, with fuel vapour going against a hot radiator face.

 

[Crimea_River]

Stunning work David.

I always thought the nozzle in front of the radiator was a de-icer.

 

[Totalize]

Yeah, not sure about that. The only thing I could say that would validate it as a fuel vent is the vent is not actually expelling gas fumes, its expelling air as part of the de-pressurization of the fuel tank since continued pressurization of a damaged tank was not recommended. Perhaps restored aircraft do not need to de-pressurize their tank so no need for it. Could instead be re-purposed as a de-icer?

 

[turbo]

Nice work Dave, liking it.

 

[Airframes]

I'd need to check, but I'm pretty sure the works drawings show it as a de-icer.
I'm not sure without checking, but I think the fuel pressure dump is alongside the oil breather, beneath the lower cowling, as shown below. Doesn't make any sense having it in front of the rad.

 

[Totalize]

Thanks Terry. Interesting indeed.Personally, I am Leary about using post war re-built spitfires or any WWII aircraft for that matter as a definitive reference. The picture you show is not a MKIIa but looks like a restored Vb. I must say I am not opposed to the vent being in front of the rad for pressure release. After all its just air and in flight I would think the force or pressure of the external air running into the rad would be at least equal to or greater than the air released by the vent? Finally, I believe these things are also shown on the starboard side only of MK IX's which had 2 rads. If they were de-icers why didn't MK IX's have them on both rads?

I say we just call it a de-icer/fuel vent TBA. What do you think?

 

[JKim]

It's great to see some updates on this Spitfire build. I love those raised rivets! Are they difficult to apply?

 

[Airframes]

Yep, that's the Duxford Vb.
As you say, it might very well be a fuel pressure dump, but all references I've seen, and the guys at Duxford, refer to it as a de-icer spray.
I've seen MkIX pics with the vent in both (and Mk.VIII and MkXIV), and in just one rad bath, bearing in mind that the port bath is split between a smaller rad and the oil cooler.

 

[Totalize]

Okey dokey, Thanks Terry, unfortunately despite all the sites and information out there including the spitfire site there doesn't appear to be anything definitive on the subject.

John, thanks for checking in. The rivets are not difficult to apply they are essentially decals. No need to do gloss coat or anything like that before hand. Just measure and put them on. It's recommended they get a coat of primer afterward which I will do.

 

[Totalize]

Guys, need your assistance. the kit comes with the de Havilland propeller and while some MKII's had them they were more often fitted with the Rotol prop and spinner. I have the Department of Correction resin Rotol prop but it does not come with a jig to insure the props are positioned/angled correctly and this poses a bit of a problem. I assembled the deHavilland prop and kind of used that to eyeball the positioning of the Rotol blades but I would rather work from a drawing of some sort. An overhead view would be best showing the correct angle of the blades. So my questions are: does anyone have a reference they can post of a Spitfire Rotol prop? or suggest a way to correctly position the blades in the spinner?

Here's the prop I am going to use.