**** DONE: 1/48 Spitfire Mk IX – Home Country Modern Aircraft/Spitfire Marks GB

[meatloaf109]

User name, Meatloaf109
First name, Paul
Catagory, Intermediate
Scale, 1/48
Manufacturer, I.C.M. #48062
Model type, Spitfire Mk VII or IX. (explanation below)
Aftermarket, Bits of wire and crap I find on the desk maybe.

I ordered this Spit awhile ago, in anticipation of this GB. Just opened it to find a well molded engine and airframe, but CRAPPY decals!
I was planning to do the "Spirit of Kent" high altitude scheme, but now, I don't know.
The kit decals are off color, off register, and, ARGHHH!...
I will have to find my decal spares box to see what I have, so this may be a Mk VII or a Mk IX.
Anyways here is my entry into GB #14

 

[Crimea_River]

Good one Paul. I'll be doing an ICM Spitty too.

 

[T Bolt]

Should be a nice one Paul. Quite a few of us made those ICM Spits in the Commonwealth and Aces GBs. They finish up real nice, but need a some careful assembling, especially the nose. I used the kit decals on mine and although they didn't look very good on the decal sheet they turned out pretty good.

 

[A4K]

Nice one Paul!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Batting for the fixed wing, good on ya Paul.

 

[meatloaf109]

I guess we spit builders will be "the few"

 

[meatloaf109]

I think this should show just how bad these are.
You can see some backing paper through the roundels on the left. The fin flash is totally out of line.
And yes, the picture is a little out of focus, but the sheet is blurred slightly.
Has anyone had any success getting replacement items from ICM, is it worth my time or should I just get over it and muddle on?

 

[Crimea_River]

That's unfortunate. I haven't had any from ICM that were off register but I've had some that looked really good but went on badly. Some were too thick to take decal solution and some completely distintegrated on me.

 

[ccheese]

Glad to see another Spitty in the GB. Misery loves company, I guess.

Charles

 

[Airframes]

Good choice and a nice kit. The ICM Spit kits are basically all the same kit, with the parts for the various versions, just different decals. Those ICM decals I've used have been of mixed quality - some worked fine, others broke up. Probably better getting some after-market sheets.
Might be worthwhile having a look at the builds of this kit elsewhere, to see where the potential problem areas are. They are easily remedied, and the kit provides a very nice finished model.

 

[rochie]

nice one, will be joining the Spitfire ranks soon as i finish up my builds for GB#13, hoping to do a Mk I and a F 24

 

[Wayne Little]

Look forward to what you do here Paul!

 

[ccheese]

I'm with Wayne.... looking forward to it...

Charles

 

[meatloaf109]

Well, the search and research are done. I found decals to make a 1435 squadron Mk. IX.
1435 was originally a night fighter unit on Malta in 1941, when it was changed to a day fighter unit it retained the four digit number making it the unique in RAF history.
By 1943 they were operating Spit IX's in a ground support/ local air superiority role in Italy.
As far as i can tell, the one letter squadron code "V" was also a throw back to the night fighter thing.
Anyways, I found a couple of "V"'s and some roundels that look good, and this kit has some of those small bomb racks and bombs, so it seemed a natural.
Pictures soon!

 

[woody]

Looking forward to your build Paul maybe i need to pick up a spit and join in.

 

[meatloaf109]

The more the merrier!

 

[meatloaf109]

I've a few questions for you Spitfire gurus out there, (and you know who you are!)...
Given that I am going for a Mk IX, 1943, Italy, would I be correct in these details,
a "C" wing with two cannon and four machine guns,
thin blisters on the covers for afore mentioned cannon, (inboard cannon with cover stubs on outboard),
"normal" rudder and wing tips,
Full ailerions,
"wide"and longer air intake on chin,
no headrest in cockpit,
fixed tail wheel,
"kinked" stabilisers
underwing "hard-points" just outboard of cannon shell ejection port for inboard cannon,
hole on port wing front fillet for fuel cooler,
hole on starboard wing front fillet for gun camera,
and that "starter bulge" on the starboard side near the spinner.
Now for the finish,
grey and green with the lighter grey undersides, sky fuselage band and red spinner, whattya think?

And Now Progress!
First moves on the inaccurate "floorboards", I drilled a couple of holes.
And my continuing struggle with the Spit interior color!

 

[Airframes]

Sounds basically correct, but some of the points would depend on the serial number. As for the camouflage, it might be the MTO colours, again depending on where the unit came from, and where in Italy it was based. I'm afraid I don't have any info to hand on this unit, which was, presumably, a 'Flight' before getting Squadron status - seems unusual to retain a 'Flight' number when elevated to Squadron status.
Do you have any further info and/or photos?
On the 'floor' - which of course didn't exist - see if you can hollow-out everything between the rudder control tubes and the cross braces. Also, the green used seems to be very strange, but of course this could be due to the lighting used.

 

[meatloaf109]

Thanks, no,...the colors ARE strange. I'm trying to match with cockpit photos on the interweb thingie.
Yes, they were a "flight" elevated to squadron status, resulting in the strange, "one-of-a-kind" squadron number.
Also, should I use the national insignia with the smaller white and yellow circles and more subdued red tones, or could I get by with the earlier "African" style markings?

 

[Wurger]

I found these in the Internet....