36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
Hi all,
As I specialise in the Supermarine Spitfire I hope it's ok if I put all my builds under one ongoing thread. I've recently completed my first 1/48 Spitfire, it's the first in what in my head I call the 50 Spits Project, that is 50 different Spitfire and Seafires in this scale. I have already planned which airframes I want to build, it isn't an exhaustive trawl through all the variants and operators, it's simply examples that I find interesting for whatever reason. I will be trying to exhibit enough self-discipline to build them one at a time rather than fall into the "spinning plates" trap (as I have before), with half completed builds all over the place and seemingly nothing ever getting over the line.
So Spitfire number two is actually very nearly finished: a Mk Vb flown by Squadron Leader Jan Zumbach of 303 (Kościuszko) Squadron, one of the RAF squadrons made of Polish flyers during the Second World War - actually it was the squadron with the highest number of kills in the Battle of Britain, during which it flew Hurricanes.
This particular aircraft - actually the third Vb flown by Zumbach with his trademark Donald Duck artwork - is a fairly well known one; for 20 years or so it was the box star of Airfix's 1/72 Vb, first tooled in the 1970s:
It is a well photographed subject:
Zumbach on the left:
(Note custom rear-view mirror, which I'm going to have to scratch build!)
Zumbach himself was a colourful character. He began his military career as an infantryman, but qualified as a pilot in 1938; unfortunately he was unable to take part in the defence of Poland against German invasion due to a broken leg sustained in a flying accident, but his unit evacuated to France where he flew the Morane 406 and the Curtis Hawk. He was shot down in June 1940 but escaped unscathed. The following week he travelled to England by boat, and was one of the founding members of No. 303 Squadron in September of the same year. Flying Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain he chalked up eight kills and one probable. He was shot down again in May 1941, but again was unharmed. By May 1942 he was Squadron Leader of his unit, and was the first allied pilot to come up against the Fw 190. His war ended rather ignominiously when he spent a month as a prisoner of war, having accidentally landed the Auster he was piloting behind enemy lines due to a navigational error. After the war, under a Swiss passport (his Germanic surname comes from his Swiss grandfather) he made a living around Africa and the Middle East as a second-hand aircraft dealer, smuggler and mercenary. Zumbach died in slightly shady circumstances in France in 1986; an investigation into his death was closed by order of the French authorities without public explanation.
Anyway, this is where I'm up to:
The kit is the new-tool Airfix Vb, which is a fine kit if let down somewhat by the very sketchy attachment of the wheel oleos. The only adjustment to make to the plastic was the deletion of the wing strengthening strakes, which weren't present on this particular aircraft. The decals are by Techmod. Painting has been by brush with Humbrol and Revell enamels, with some detail bits and the wing root wear using acrylics. It's my first attempt at some meaningful weathering with (so far) a dark grey enamel wash for the panel lines, a light oil wash and finally some chalk pastel work. Just some sticky-onny bits to do really, and some bits of staining. Apologies that this isn't strictly a "start to finish" build, I have a couple of others in progress but nowhere near as far gone as this, thereafter it will all be from the start!
Thanks for looking in. Feedback is always welcome.
Cheers
Tony
As I specialise in the Supermarine Spitfire I hope it's ok if I put all my builds under one ongoing thread. I've recently completed my first 1/48 Spitfire, it's the first in what in my head I call the 50 Spits Project, that is 50 different Spitfire and Seafires in this scale. I have already planned which airframes I want to build, it isn't an exhaustive trawl through all the variants and operators, it's simply examples that I find interesting for whatever reason. I will be trying to exhibit enough self-discipline to build them one at a time rather than fall into the "spinning plates" trap (as I have before), with half completed builds all over the place and seemingly nothing ever getting over the line.
So Spitfire number two is actually very nearly finished: a Mk Vb flown by Squadron Leader Jan Zumbach of 303 (Kościuszko) Squadron, one of the RAF squadrons made of Polish flyers during the Second World War - actually it was the squadron with the highest number of kills in the Battle of Britain, during which it flew Hurricanes.
This particular aircraft - actually the third Vb flown by Zumbach with his trademark Donald Duck artwork - is a fairly well known one; for 20 years or so it was the box star of Airfix's 1/72 Vb, first tooled in the 1970s:
It is a well photographed subject:
Zumbach on the left:
(Note custom rear-view mirror, which I'm going to have to scratch build!)
Zumbach himself was a colourful character. He began his military career as an infantryman, but qualified as a pilot in 1938; unfortunately he was unable to take part in the defence of Poland against German invasion due to a broken leg sustained in a flying accident, but his unit evacuated to France where he flew the Morane 406 and the Curtis Hawk. He was shot down in June 1940 but escaped unscathed. The following week he travelled to England by boat, and was one of the founding members of No. 303 Squadron in September of the same year. Flying Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain he chalked up eight kills and one probable. He was shot down again in May 1941, but again was unharmed. By May 1942 he was Squadron Leader of his unit, and was the first allied pilot to come up against the Fw 190. His war ended rather ignominiously when he spent a month as a prisoner of war, having accidentally landed the Auster he was piloting behind enemy lines due to a navigational error. After the war, under a Swiss passport (his Germanic surname comes from his Swiss grandfather) he made a living around Africa and the Middle East as a second-hand aircraft dealer, smuggler and mercenary. Zumbach died in slightly shady circumstances in France in 1986; an investigation into his death was closed by order of the French authorities without public explanation.
Anyway, this is where I'm up to:
The kit is the new-tool Airfix Vb, which is a fine kit if let down somewhat by the very sketchy attachment of the wheel oleos. The only adjustment to make to the plastic was the deletion of the wing strengthening strakes, which weren't present on this particular aircraft. The decals are by Techmod. Painting has been by brush with Humbrol and Revell enamels, with some detail bits and the wing root wear using acrylics. It's my first attempt at some meaningful weathering with (so far) a dark grey enamel wash for the panel lines, a light oil wash and finally some chalk pastel work. Just some sticky-onny bits to do really, and some bits of staining. Apologies that this isn't strictly a "start to finish" build, I have a couple of others in progress but nowhere near as far gone as this, thereafter it will all be from the start!
Thanks for looking in. Feedback is always welcome.
Cheers
Tony
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