Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Ah, beef and ale pie, and with Shepherd Neam Spitfire Ale! Yum, yum!!
My Spitfire factory
- Thread starter 36feet10inches
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- #62
36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
And another one... 
Spitfire Mk. Vb EE781 ZX-A of 145 Squadron, July 1943.
Revell Vb kit, with Techmod decals.
Spitfire Mk. Vb EE781 ZX-A of 145 Squadron, July 1943.
Revell Vb kit, with Techmod decals.
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- #63
36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
Nicely done!
- Thread starter
- #65
36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
... have just learned from two different sources that despite what the Techmod guide sheet says, EE781 wasn't in fact a Vb, it was a Vc, so the wings are wrong!
EE781 Vc West M46 33MU 14-12-42 82MU 1-2-43 Fort Senneville 13-2-43 Takoradi 11-3-43 Middle East 22-4-43 Malta 1-7-43 Sicily 1-8-43 NAfricanASC 31-10-43 SOC 26-4-45
from production page 033
Professor Humphreys says it was a Vc too in his production/contract appendix. By July 43 this kite was in action over Malta before moving on to Sicily the following month.
I'm beginning to think there is a conspiracy of misinformation out there!
EE781 Vc West M46 33MU 14-12-42 82MU 1-2-43 Fort Senneville 13-2-43 Takoradi 11-3-43 Middle East 22-4-43 Malta 1-7-43 Sicily 1-8-43 NAfricanASC 31-10-43 SOC 26-4-45
from production page 033
Professor Humphreys says it was a Vc too in his production/contract appendix. By July 43 this kite was in action over Malta before moving on to Sicily the following month.
I'm beginning to think there is a conspiracy of misinformation out there!
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Bit of a bummer - but it looks great!
- Thread starter
- #67
36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
Cheers! Authenticity issues apart, I'm pretty pleased at how this one turned out, it's a good deal less schlonky than previous efforts. I put some of your brush painting tips to good use (I thinned my paints!!!) so thanks for that. I won't get too hung up about about, I don't think the casual observer would say, "of course you do realise that particular Spitfire was a Vc, not a Vb"...
On the subject of authenticity, I'm just getting into the decals on a Mk. IX, this plane:
The "stork" emblem appears on the port side only, while the Italeri kit gives decals and instructions to put it both port and starboard. I'm not sure that the kite in the photos is actually the original MK959 but is a restored replica - although I believe the "actual" MK959 is still flying in Holland. On the one hand I would imagine the guy who restored this 'plane would have been super-thorough with his research... but then you would think that Italeri, being a big player on the kit market would have got it right (but then both Airfix and Techmod have already proven this can't be counted on... and the camo guide in the Italeri instructions is all over the place). A can't turn up a pic of MK959 in wartime so I think "best guess" might be my only option. What to do, what to do?
On the subject of authenticity, I'm just getting into the decals on a Mk. IX, this plane:
The "stork" emblem appears on the port side only, while the Italeri kit gives decals and instructions to put it both port and starboard. I'm not sure that the kite in the photos is actually the original MK959 but is a restored replica - although I believe the "actual" MK959 is still flying in Holland. On the one hand I would imagine the guy who restored this 'plane would have been super-thorough with his research... but then you would think that Italeri, being a big player on the kit market would have got it right (but then both Airfix and Techmod have already proven this can't be counted on... and the camo guide in the Italeri instructions is all over the place). A can't turn up a pic of MK959 in wartime so I think "best guess" might be my only option. What to do, what to do?
Vic Balshaw
Major General
It's a fine looking machine conker
Wildcat
Major
Lovely Desert Spit mate
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- #70
36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
Cheers!
Another difference on the Mk IX - kis instructions show the squadron markings reading 5A-K on the starboard side - whereas in the photos above it's K-5A! Aaaaaaaargh! Could really get too wound up about this...
Another difference on the Mk IX - kis instructions show the squadron markings reading 5A-K on the starboard side - whereas in the photos above it's K-5A! Aaaaaaaargh! Could really get too wound up about this...
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Tony Hill
Tech Sergeant
well, yes details..BUT it is a SPITFIRE..that is good enough for me!
Looking great, I love your managery.
Darryl
Looking great, I love your managery.
Darryl
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- #72
36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
OT: I like your signature, what's the story there?
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- #73
36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
First attempt at a Spit Mk IX - Italeri kit - (although I think the PR XI is a derivative?) and first go at an open canopy:
Authenticity wise I went with the K-5A codes on the starboard side, having seen pics of planes from other squadrons around the same time following the same kind of pattern; however I bought into Italeri's suggestions that the serial numbers were partially obscured by the hasty application of invasion stripes; off the back of this I applied a bit of "stencil logic" in that whatever stencils might have been in the stripey area were painted over.
Also went with the stork being on both sides, as I managed to track down a pic of if not this kite, another one from the same unit (less stripes) that appears to show the stork on the starboard side:
Cheers
Authenticity wise I went with the K-5A codes on the starboard side, having seen pics of planes from other squadrons around the same time following the same kind of pattern; however I bought into Italeri's suggestions that the serial numbers were partially obscured by the hasty application of invasion stripes; off the back of this I applied a bit of "stencil logic" in that whatever stencils might have been in the stripey area were painted over.
Also went with the stork being on both sides, as I managed to track down a pic of if not this kite, another one from the same unit (less stripes) that appears to show the stork on the starboard side:
Cheers
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B-17engineer
Colonel
Wooooo!!! Awesome!
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Nice work mate, and yes, the PRXI was based on the MkIX airframe.
I just snagged this lot on ebay. Couldn't help myself. My finger kind of slipped on "buy it now".
I am doomed.
Damned good bag that.
Just two things though,strip both the Italeri and Academy kits for the parts,i.e,cockpit interiors,propellers and undercart.
The Italeri is a poor effort,the Academy from the cockpit forward is all over the place plus the radiators are 'orrible.
For a Vb you can't better the old Airfix kit at all(or the Mk 1 kit for early single stage engined variants).
For a Griffon engined fighter use Fujimi's XIV series or the new Airfix XIX fuselage mated to the new Airfix
IX wing(when it comes out soon).
The Airfix Mk 1,Vb and XIX are really the "gold standard" for accuracy of dimensions and outline.
The Revell Vb is actually quite good,but the Airfix one gets the nod because of it's well known accuracy
and the superb depiction of the under fuselage "gull wing" ,something which both Revell and Italeri forgot all about.
Mark
ian lanc
Senior Airman
Nice to see a machine used by Polish 303 Squadron..Looking very nice.
Hey Wurger. Any answers to why the code letters are on top of the serials on that Spit'
Great models Mark
ian.
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- #78
36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
Thanks for all this info... further into my modelling "career" I'm sure it will come in handy. At the moment as far as to-the-millimetre dimensions are concerned, I'm not too fussy, as long as it comes out broadly resembling a Spit. I was really pleased at how my Italeri turned out, poor effort as it is. When I come to do a Vb seaplane though I will probably draw the line at the PM kit, which it has to be said is a mutt - from pics I've seen of the completed kit it barely looks like a spit. Will probably graft an Italeri or Revell to the floats.
For all the flak that poor old Airfix get elsewhere on this forum, they're the gold standard then...
I've done the new XIX and it's great.Thanks for all this info... further into my modelling "career" I'm sure it will come in handy. At the moment as far as to-the-millimetre dimensions are concerned, I'm not too fussy, as long as it comes out broadly resembling a Spit. I was really pleased at how my Italeri turned out, poor effort as it is. When I come to do a Vb seaplane though I will probably draw the line at the PM kit, which it has to be said is a mutt - from pics I've seen of the completed kit it barely looks like a spit. Will probably graft an Italeri or Revell to the floats.
For all the flak that poor old Airfix get elsewhere on this forum, they're the gold standard then...
If people are giving Airfix flak over their 1/72nd Spits(except for the old JE*J Mk.IX)then I'm afraid they don't know what they're talking about.
Go to Britmodeller forums and ask the accuracy question about Airfix's 1/72nd Spits and see what they tell you there.
Ask there too about the Italeri and Academy Spits.
I've seen the new Airfix Mk.IX,it apparently is spot-on too(and looks it),especially now they've retooled the stb'd fuselage
and prop.
Mark
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- #80
36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
Not about their Spits specifically (although I did pick up the JE-J Mk IX and laughed out loud when I took it out of the box), I meant generally...
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/model-kit-reviews/has-airfix-lost-16346.html
And like I said, I know this might seem ridiculous to many on this forum, but (at this stage at least) I'm really not that arsed about relative degrees of super-accuracy, certainly not to make the time to go asking people about it anyways, short enough of time as it is...
Appreciate the feedback though, and looking forward to the new Airfix IX. What I really want is one of those 1:1 kits like what James May has.
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