**** DONE: 1/48 Spitfire Mk.Vc - Pacific Theatre of Operations II

[Vic Balshaw]

Many thanks for the kind words guys, not a lot to add today, just added PE to the starboard cockpit wall, took close on 3 hours, a backache and a lot of grunts and groans as I tried to sing like the Hollies..................................Luckily the music was louder.

I've also a question. In the second pic I have ringed a thingummyjig and am wondering what it is, the possibility being something that may have been added during a rebuild. Nothing in the kit, PE or resin extras indicate anything in that area.

 

[Catch22]

Nice work Vic. I did a bunch of PE today for my Corsair and man, if it didn't add so much I wouldn't go near it. Had to put it down.

 

[Airframes]

Forum seems to be 'acting up' at the moment, as i can't see the pics, and everything is taking ages.

 

[Airframes]

Ah, I can see the pics now. haven't seen that particular fitting before Vic. it looks like a modern unit, and is possibly for emergency undercart lowering.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Good stuff Terry and thanks, it was sort of looking out of place.

 

[Gnomey]

Looks good so far Vic!

 

[mikewint]

Great detail, how in the world do you paint those little white dots for instrument faces? A one hair paint brush?

 

[Vic Balshaw]

No Mike, I'm what you might call cheating. The inst panel comes already painted on a photo etched (PE) sheet from Eduards. All I have to do is scrape off the plastic impressed panel from the sprue piece, snip out panel bits from the PE sheet and stick them in place.

Here is an extract of one of the instruction sheets, the blue being PR parts, the black kit parts and the red areas are where plastic has to be removed, by cut, scrape or file.

Like I said, cheating but oh so fiddly.

 

[mikewint]

OOOH!! I see. Looks darn good Vic.

 

[N4521U]

The magic of PE Mike......................... just costs more money.
One has to be careful sometimes tho. Some of it is Never seen. Wheel well detail for instance. Is it woth the only one who will know is the builder?

Nicely done Vic.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Ye Bill, but think of the excitement, frustration, pain and shear joy of the build, not to mention the never to be seen again 'ping' effect and sometimes the over whelming joy of discovery after hours of searching for the offending tiny speck of plastic or PE. Such is the life of the modeller, the tears, frustrations, laughter, anger, sheer joy and above all the triumph and achievement of the end product.

Just sayin

 

[Angels one-five]

Looking very sharp Vic.

 

[parsifal]

PE makes it possible, but it definately does NOT make it easy. that is some very nice work Vic. Its a shame it will be buttoned up in the final assembly

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks for checking in guys, your all to kind and Michael, your very right, a lot of work doing it, but also a lot of fun and I know it's in there gathering dust!

Today I have another question which I suspect Terry may well have the answer. It concerns what I think are batteries housed behind the seat in the cockpit. Question is, are there 1 or 2 of them and where are the housed, red circle area or blue circle area, or maybe elsewhere.

In one of photos I have I can only see a single battery low down on the starboard wall in the compartment behind the seat. Other pics I have, where I can a little of that area, they seem to have nothing there.

So as you can see from the pic above, I've been at the PE again today on the port side.

I also had a go at making an oxygen hose for the starboard cockpit wall. A very fine bit of wire with some fine copper wire wound round it. Hoping it will look reasonably authentic when painted.

 

[Wayne Little]

doing a great job Vic, looks good mate!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Wayne, hope to attack it with some detail painting tomorrow.

How you coping with the downpour. Could do with it here.

 

[Wurger]

Great !!!.

 

[Crimea_River]

Good stuff Vic. The area with the red circle in your first pic should have an oxygen tank, unless the Aussies modified their machines. Not aware of a battery being installed up there. The battery was normally at the bottom, in your blue circle. Excellent reference pics can be found here:

http://spitfiresite.com/2010/07/anatomy-of-spitfire-cockpit.html/07ar_fuse_001
http://spitfiresite.com/2010/07/anatomy-of-spitfire-cockpit.html/07ar_fuse_011

In these, you can just make out the top of the black oxygen tank:

http://spitfiresite.com/2010/07/anatomy-of-spitfire-cockpit.html/07628_007
http://spitfiresite.com/2010/07/anatomy-of-spitfire-cockpit.html/07rness

Once you put in the tank and the harnesses, you never see the battery.

 

[mikewint]

I went through all that fine detail "Buried somewhere inside" when I built the B-29. I absolutely love and admire the time, effort, and expense of that fantastic detail work. I can't even imagine trying to wrap fine wire around fine wire to make an oxygen hose. I had a heck of a time just painting the ones cast into the side of the "Widow".
I, personally, cannot see doing that unless the detail is going to be visable in some way. Again, I really, really admire what you are doing and the skill involved but if I'm going to do it I want to see it!