**** DONE: GB-42 1/48 Spitfire Mk.Vb - MTO II

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Grandkid found my other camera flash card so this goes back a bit. Attaching the stabs. There were no locating pins/holes so I put three small dabs of tune glue in the parts. This allowed me time to get everything lined up before the glue set. After the glue set I did a test fit to the fuselage. It slotted in perfect and not wanting to tempt fate I ran liquid glue around the join. Once that set overnight I ran liquid glue around the seam of the stabilizer and clamped them which is where I was at when I took the photo. Truth be told, I really didn't need the clamps


Another one of those pesky attachment points that encroach on the fit and need careful removing. The arrow is pointing to an tab on the upper stab half and corresponds to a slot in the lower. While this does aid in alignment of the two halves, there is sufficient play to cause a slight offset if you aren't careful


Todays ponderance...this step has one add to hooks to the rear of the slipper tank. My understanding is that these aid in directing the slipper tank away from the fuselage when the tank is ejected. However, were these hooks on all Spitfires? I can't find any photos yet on the web though I really haven't started looking that hard. The photo following shows the hooks there but without the optional slipper tank in place. Off to my books................



 
Here's a not so great pic of the hooks on a Mk VIII, and yes, they were fitted on all versions carrying slipper tanks.



I scratched some for my 402 Squadron Mk IX:


 
Radiator and oil cooler are done. The cooler is in two pieces and again had no locating help. The screens fit into two slots in either half. Again I resorted to tube glue. A little glue in a slot, attach a screen, wait for it to set a little and then gently place the other cooler half against the first to ensure the screen lined up with the other slot. Once dry I repeated for the second screen. An hour later I glued the cooler halves together with liquid glue. There are two different oil coolers in the kit so the other goes in the spares box.

 
Yeah, what up with that!!!! Working on the fit or lack thereof, of the cannon barrels; a bit lop-sided, a bit too wide in depth and standing proud of the leading edge. This is after the third light sanding. I've learned to walk away so I don't over-cook it. It takes longer but saves me trouble down the road. I'm also slowly filling in the unneeded panel line across the cowl top



 
The front set of 'hooks' held the rear of the tank, and the rear set were the deflectors. When the tank was jettisoned, the airflow, at the front of the tank, caused it to fall away 'nose down', so the rear 'hooks / deflectors' then 'caught' the rear of the tank, allowing it to clear the underside of the aircraft sufficiently to be able to tumble away without fouling the rear fuselage, or, more importantly, the tail planes / elevators.
Those model kits that include the hooks / deflectors, normally only have the rear, wider spaced set, assuming that the modeller will fit the tank, when the locating hooks would be covered by the rear of the tank, and not be visible .
Before proceeding with any sanding on the cannon mounts, note that the early cannon installation (i.e MkIIb and MkVb), in what was basically the 'A' wing, had a reinforcing plate on the leading edge. When the later 'C' and 'E'' wing were introduced, on the late MkV's, and the Mk.IX onwards, the later version of the cannon, and, of course, the wing design / construction, did not need this.
Again, using the Duxford based MkVb, the reinforcing 'plate' can be clearly seen in the pic below.


 
When I built my Hasegawa 1/32nd scale kit, (as a MkV, instead of the previous conversions of the kit to other Marks) I replaced the kit plastic parts with turned brass cannons. I was a bit dubious about the moulded reinforcement panels on the kit wings, so did a lot of research, with confirmed their presence, where some other modellers have sanded them off.
Pic below shows the 'new' cannon in place, retaining the kit moulding.


 
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Good stuff Terry. I didn't realize the tank mounting hooks were that close to the deflectors.

Geo, thanks for posting all these niggly issues. So much to look forward to for my XIV. Paul Budzik is pretty critical of the kit in his latest videos too. Time for Eduard or Tamiya to step up.
 

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