Airfix's Spitfire FR Mk XIV Mojo Builder

[rochie]

Nice progress Andy.
interesting that Sword models call for a red spinner on their 1/72 kit of the same subject ?
though they got the seeker heads mixed up for the different missiles in their EE Lightning kit so not sure about their research department

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

I suspect it was the old orthochromatic film issue that seems to raise lots of debate.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far Andy!

 

[Crimea_River]

Soooooooo.... Late Mk XIV gun sight. Does this look right to you?

 

[fubar57]

Well, maybe if you sand the sides a bit, put some plastic card over there, add a bit of paint, squint.................

 

[le_steph40]

Soooooooo.... Late Mk XIV gun sight. Does this look right to you?

Not a specialist but IMHO it should be a Gyro Gunsight (Mk.II)

Gyro Gunsight

 

[Airframes]

I agree, I would have thought a late Mk.XIV would have the gyro gun sight. The sight was in full production by the end of 1943, and was fitted to the Mk.IX first, from early 1944.
It's possible that an early Mk.XIV had the GM2 reflector sight, although more likely the gyro sight, and a late production aircraft would be virtually certain to have the gyro sight.

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far Andy!

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks guys, that's what I was thinking. Even if it didn't have the gyro sight, I would have expected the sight with a rectangular reflector glass rather than the rounded one.

 

[Crimea_River]

Went through all my spares and no GM2 Gyro sight to be had so I made one:

Good enough for a closed canopy. Onwards!

 

[Wurger]

 

[le_steph40]

Nice gunsight

 

[fubar57]

Agreed

 

[Airframes]

Looks the biz !

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks guys. Not far from paint.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far Andy!

 

[Crimea_River]

Sprayed a bunch of yellow stuff today and this model got the most of it.

Now, the caps for the inner cannon barrels need to be investigated as to why Airfix moulded them with a hollowed-out face. I always thought they were flat. Anyone know?

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff.
The inner stubs would be .50 cal guns, if fitted. These would be hollow, with either a red fabric patch or a cap. If the guns weren't fitted, the stubs would have the domed cap fitted.
One question Andy - does the kit include the 'standard' wing tips, as well as the 'clipped' tips ?
Might be interested in doing G-Fire, when it's released, which, when i knew it, had full span wings.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Terry. Yes, the wings are actually moulded the full width and you need to cut them off for the clipped tips. Both decal offerings are for the clipped wing versions though.

Squirted on the MSG this evening. I'm doing minimal weathering as this aircraft was pretty new on June, 1945.