**** DONE: 1/48 Spitfire FR.lX - Jet/Recon/Transport GB

[fubar57]

User name: Fubar57
Name: George
Category: Intermediate
Kit: Airfix
Model: Spitfire Mk.lXc/XIVe modified to a Spitfire FR.lX
Aftermarket: LionRoar seatbelts and bits of plastic. Scrounge up some letters and numbers.

I'm in. An RCAF recon spitfire from 414sqn. 1944.

The first job will be to bore out a hole in the radio hatch for the camera port. The following profile shows a fairing around the port and the drawing shows no fairing. I can find no pictures showing this version with the fairing and Italeri's model is without a fairing.(Just found out they made a dedicated model of this as I am typing this and cruising the interwebs looking for reference material....heavy sigh) Italeri's box top shows wheel bulges on the upper wings so those are the ones I will be using(innards already painted).Being none too gifted in the art of scratch-building, I will make an effort to duplicate the fairing but don't be too surprised if it doesn't show up and I opt for the easy way out. Also not the profile does not have the boat(?) antenna shown in the drawing.

And now a question to the gallery. What is the correct style of camera control box to scratch-build? I've seen pictures of a multi-camera controller mounted on the port side wall. Below are pictures of what looks like a single camera controller mounted where the gun sight was located. Also included is a diagram downloaded during dyslexic moment.

Thanks in advance for any info that can be offered.

Geo

 

[T Bolt]

Nice choice George. That camera controller looks just like the one Darryl put in his 1:1 Spitfire simulator. He's done a ton of research on the PR Spits, I'm sure he'd know the answer. You should send him a PM

 

[meatloaf109]

Good one!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nice to see a Rec Spit included, they were an extensively used aircraft both during and long after WWII.

 

[Airframes]

Not sure about the rain deflector - haven't seen one on a Spit yet, but it could have been a 'local' modification, I'll keep looking. The RAF PR Mustang III had a semi-circular deflector at the front of the 'window', so it might be similar.
Darryl should have the answer re the camera control - him and I spent some time researching the various types and locations. However, on the FR.IX, the guns were retained, and of course the gun sight, so the controller was mounted above the throttle quadrant on the port cockpit wall.
EDIT: Found it. I recognised the profile, so here's the relevant pages from the Shores/Thomas '2nd Tactical Air Force'. Hope these help.

 

[Crimea_River]

Nice one Geo! Got a few pics of 414 Sqn Spits but not "U".

 

[A4K]

Great choice Geo!

 

[fubar57]

Brilliant Terry. I noticed or didn't notice on the picture you sent of the aircraft I want to model, the lack of the wheel well bump on the top side of the wing. Is it not there or is the angle of the photo too great to notice if one is there or not? Anyhoo...a couple of other things to throw out...seat harnesses, A or B for this aircraft and would this color seem apropos, keeping in mind CPU color transfer:Tamiya Deck Tan-XF55.

The question I numbered 2: Again keeping in mind computer transferred colors, the upper wheel well is painted in three different shades and the left side has been dry brushed and wash with Citadel Thraka Green Wash(Hard to tell though). "L" is Tamiya Cockpit Green(IJN) XF-71, "Q" is Humbrol-78, and "W", which I used for dry brushing is Apple Barrel Sage Green which actually, in my eye, looks the closest to the cockpit photo posted in my thread opening(Once again, keeping in mind color transfer) I would appreciate your thoughts.

I really must get a decent back drop. Oh, and Terry, many, many, many thanks for ensuring that I build a camera fairing. No, really thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Geo

 

[Vic Balshaw]

My personal feeling is that 'W' is a shade to light where as the other two 'L' and 'Q' are better and very close to the real thing. Basically it depends on one's own preference as differing lights will affect the colour seen. When one really thinks about it, with the body is closed up, no one is really going to see what shade of cockpit green it is.

 

[Rogi]

Looks Great Depends how filtered the color is, my IJN cockpit green looks like W

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

I don't see a difference between the A and B seat belts. Trick question?

 

[fubar57]

Geo

 

[Crimea_River]

Oh, I see now. I though A was all the ones on the left and B all the ones on the right. All I can say with some certainty is that the A belt represents an earlier style where all the belts came together over a round pin and then secure with a cotter pin type deal. B is a later style quick release buckle affair. I'm not sure when the switchover occurred but I'm sure Terry wil be along to tell you the date, time of day and what the weather was when the transition occurred!

 

[Airframes]

Answers in order:-
1) The wheel well bulge is probably there - in real life it's quite subtle, and not always apparent in photos, especially at that angle, and the lighting/contrast in the photo.
2) Probably harness 'A', but the later version (B) was introduced in late 1944, so could have been fitted also on that serial block - either would pass. The quicl release box was light grey, buckles were bright steel.
3) Easiest way to describe the harness colour - it's very close to that of a manilla envelope, the buff/light brown colour, perhaps a touch lighter. The colour of the grass in the left corner of Andy's 'siggy' pic is about right.
4). I'd go for 'L' for the wheel well/cockpit colour, but add a small touch of white, to lighten and eliminate the yellow tinge.

Hope this helps.

 

[Tony Hill]

Hi,

I'll get some detail pictures up next week including the almost impossible to find 3 pin plug for the unit. (you can see the 5 pin in one of your photos on the right).


The controller is 170mm wide, 110mm across and 70mm deep excluding the plugs receiver. That should give you a good start for "scaling" it back to model size.
I hate to disagree with Terry but I am pretty sure the ring and bead sight of the FR IX meant that the reflector sight space was available to mount the controller. I will confirm with the Pilot's Manual when I get to work Monday. The type G had the arrangement Terry describes, definitely!

The wartime controller had the red "single exposure" button (centre of top dial).



Good progress so far,

Darryl

 

[Airframes]

Sorry Darryl, on the Spit FR IX, a standard reflector sight was normally used (but not the Gyro sight). Somewhere I have photos where this can be seen, and a description of a sortie, but would have to search my library. However, if you look carefully at the photo of 'U' in the second PDF I posted, you can just make out the sight reflector screen and support brackets, behind the windscreen. In the side-on shot of 'D', in the first PDF, the crash pad on the sight can be seen protruding above the instrument panel.
One account I read recently, described the camera controller as being on the starboard wall, but this was a PRU Spit, Mark not known. This might be fading memory on the part of the pilot concerned, or just the way it was written, as he describes "reaching over to the right of the cockpit to switch on the cameras" etc.

 

[N4521U]

That's so great you have details of the camera controls. It's one thing evading me on my F6F, and one I sure wish I could find.

 

[Wayne Little]

Good choice of kits Geo!

 

[fubar57]

In order of appearance, thank you, Andy, Darryl, and Terry. Great info and all, hopefully, will be incorporated. Right now, I am trying to add as much wire and plastic to the cockpit as possible. There is a lot of room for additions,(the seat adjustment lever on the right side isn't even included) so things are going to be very slow at first. Photos when warranted.

Geo