Thanks guys!
Okay in the home stretch now. I few more bits and pieces to do, final assembly, matt coat and detailing. Here is todays progress.
Pic 1 2
Here the wheels being done 'rubber black' with aluminium hubs. I've assembled and detailed the hubs with a wash. The tyres have also received a greenish tinge around the circumference due to 234 operating from Middle Wallop airfield, a grass airfield during the battle of Britain.
Pic 3
I've been busy finishing and detailing the smaller parts like masts and tail wheel whilst still on the sprue. They are ready to go now.
Pic 4 - 7
Another detail I've added is the undercarriage down wing indicators. On the earlier spirfires these poked through the upper skin of the wing when the undercarriage was down as a visiual indicator that the undercarriage had in fact been lowered. There was of course a guage on the cockpit panel that did a similar job, but I guess these were not fully trusted inthe early years. Here you can see a contempory pic, system diagram, the indicator on a restored Spitfire, and my effort made from brass rod and painted red.
Pic 8-9
I also had a go and added the exhaust staining both sides of the fuselage. It extends along the fuselage to patially obsure the code 'Q' and the lower section of the roundel. I also added a wash around the fuel filler and fuel tank cover. I did not go overboard, as the aircraft did only last three weeks! I added some muzzle blast lightly across the top of the wing, and....
Pic 10
On the lower wing, but mainly streaming from the ejector ports, as this seems to be the heaviest area, probably from the oiled up guns as can be seen on the pics of AZ-H posted earlier.