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

[Crimea_River]

Sounds like you're on top of it Paul. Good stuff.

 

[meatloaf109]

The wing to fuselage joint suffers from a thick ridge on the lower wing, I am thinning this down.
The shell ejection ports, hopefully done right, with the kinked "L" forward.

 

[Wayne Little]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Way to go mate.

 

[Crimea_River]

Nice. I'm sure Terry will set you straight if the ejector chute is worng.

 

[Wurger]

But looking OK.

 

[ccheese]

Really looking good, Paul. You'll make it work.

Charles

 

[Airframes]

Yep, looking good. From what I remember, the ejector ports are correct - I'd have to check which were which though.

 

[woody]

Nice work paul.

 

[meatloaf109]

I have spent quite a bit of time looking at the spit pictures and ruminating over the possible, and likely, paint schemes; I think that I have it.
As much as I like the idea of a grey, green, grey camoflage in Italy at that time, it is not realistic. And no matter how much I want a red spinner, they were probably painted with a dark green at the same time as the "sky" band was overpainted. I assume that other aircraft in the squadron were subject to the same. I am convinced that it is a Dark earth and Middlestone 'Africa" paint job as this seems the most likely for the time.
An MH series delivered to Africa, then to Malta, then to service supporting the Sicily invasion and into Italy, early 1943,...Yep, going with that.

 

[Airframes]

Sounds good, although it's unlikely the spinner was dark green. Photos of other units in Italy at this time (transferred from N.Africa) show the red spinner retained, and the tones in the photos posted here, remembering the use of Ortho film, suggest red also. If not, then they would be black. The over-painting of the 'Sky' band, where done, would be in the equivalent colour used for the camouflage, so Dark Earth if in the MTO scheme, Dark Green if in the Temperate scheme.

 

[meatloaf109]

Always loved the red spinner, just 'supposing' on the green stuff, given the year and possible disposition of the aircraft.
Change over and all that...

 

[Airframes]

Never been any history of green spinners been used. The 'standard' colours were either 'Sky' or 'Night' (black), depending on period and assignment. For example, from late 1943, those fighters assigned to 2 TAF had (officially) black spinners, whilst ADGB aircraft had 'Sky'. The guide lines for camouflage and incidental markings in the RAF (and Commonwealth air forces) were quite strict and, in general, were adhered to.
There were minor exceptions, mainly late in the war, where spinners might be painted in the 'Flight' colour, for example. 'A' Flight red, 'B' Flight mid blue, and even rarer examples of different locally mixed colours, such as Bob Cross's Spit, in the Far East, where mid green spinners were used to symbolise the 'Woodpeckers', and bright-coloured spinners on a Squadron Leader's Typhoon might be seen. But in the latter case, this was late on, with allied air superiority, and used as an instant recognition marking.
Bottom line, the Spits in this unit possibly had dark blue spinners (unlikely) or they had either red, or black spinners!

 

[meatloaf109]

This ICM plastic sure is soft!
I glued the wings on in increments to insure proper placement. I cut out the plastic from the fuselage where it would interfere with the undercart and radiators. I like wise thinned the bottom rear of the wing assembly to fit better. The "chin" went on nicely. And one shot showing the dihedral, correct, to my eye.

 

[T Bolt]

Looking good Paul. Dihedrallooks just right.

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Paul, that's the trickiest part of this kit, and you seem to have it sorted.

 

[Wurger]

Yep... looking good.

 

[Wayne Little]

looks good to me too!

 

[rochie]

looks pretty darned good to me as well

 

[Gnomey]

Looks good so far!