Spitfire PR.XIX 'The last!'

[WhiteLion]

Evan, sorry that this is just PS890, but it was the closest I could get at Duxford last weekend.

OK Airframes, hope this one's more your scale: it was pretty damn big in the air. Didn't appear quite as large as the surprise Focke Wulf 190, which roared over so low that people were toking up the fumes!

Jon

 

[A4K]

G'day Jon, welcome aboard mate!

Thanks for that info on the kits and the great photo!

I've found out since from George that he painted the name AFTER the last flight, not before as I'd thought, so the 'The Last!' marking would be incorrect for anyone modelling her while in service.

I have a diorama idea in my head, to pose her as per one of the photos with George halfway through the painting while his mates are watching, and Brian Rose taking the photo...what d'yas reckon?

Evan

 

[Airframes]

Beaut pic Jon, could do with re-sizing though. It's also helped me with the joint for the brake lines on the gear legs, thanks mate!
Evan, that sounds like a great idea. I think it's marvellous that you also have the 'inside info' on that marking - I wonder if the instruction sheet will reveal the fact that it wasn't an 'in service' marking? Probably not!
Terry.

 

[A4K]

Hope to find out Terry if I can find that kit! Make it easier to use stock decals instead of mixing and matching spares...

I'll ask him about it to make sure, but it sounds like he painted it very shortly after the final flight. She was then later handed on to the Royal Thai Air Force, who painted it out aswell as overpainting the RAF roundels with Thai ones (of course). RAF serial was retained, but I don't know for how long.

 

[vikingBerserker]

That's a beautiful plane!

 

[WhiteLion]

Hi guys, just come back from my first day as an education volunteer at Duxford. Pretty tough working 25 feet from a Mk.24 without thinking about hitching it up to the back of the Volvo! In the meantime, i see more posts.

Evan, you should go off to JAYS Model Kits and have a look for yourself. The painting and decal guide ain't on there, but it is 'ere below. They do have the decals available separately, but the sheet appears to be a different layout to what I have received with the kit - I can't see your uncle's bit on there. By the way, I found on the web Brian Rose's email address. I can email it to you in the unlikely event that you ain't got it. He may not want us lot writing to him, but I'm sure you'd be an exception.

I can't get your accent from your typing! Is it Woomera or Wanaka on your island? Your mention of the diorama made me chuckle coz part of my day job is being a landscape painter. Done some Oz and NZ. We should apply for a grant: I could be a consultant and of course we'd have to meet up in Seletar!

 

[WhiteLion]

I attached a pic that was only 18 cm wide. However i now see that continuous text isn't automatically
wrapped to keep it within the width of the box. I gotta hit a return every time i approach the edge? Here
goes......

.. looks promising now I've tried a preview. Will a picture get constrained widthwise to fit this box?

Jon

 

[A4K]

Thanks for that Jon!

Actually I received that revised plan in a round-about way from Brian Rose himself via George's wife Beryl not long ago! He found this thread in a search on the net, and sent it to her in case it helps out with "the secret"! He mentioned to her the kit was available, but not the scale or manufacturer - thanks to you for your help there!
His e-mail address was attached, so I'd like to ask him a couple of detail questions shortly.

As to my accent, it's a bit of a mix... I'm a kiwi but have been living abroad for the last 15 years. I'm currently living in 'the land of soup' - Hungary!

If you have any vacancies at your work,btw, I'd be in like a shot! I'm an artist and landscape painter myself!


I'm going to be on holiday for a week from tomorrow, so have a good week guys! See yas round on friday or saturday!

Evan

 

[Airframes]

Have a good break Evan.
Jon, I'm not sure which way your pics will fit, but the easiest way is to re-size up to a max of 800 x 600 pixels.

 

[Heinz]

Have a nice time Evan

 

[Negative Creep]

Seems Airfix are officially doing one Scale Plastic Model Kits by Airfix

 

[WhiteLion]

Yes, Airfix PS888 is selling v.well at Hannants.
Terry, thanks for the advice on photo size; will try it.

And now a cuppla questions from the new boy.......

1. manufacturers. Is there a relationship between MPM and AZ Models? Possibly parental?
2. Wish lists: I'm not familiar with shopping from model shops. If you add summat to your wish list
what happens if it's currently out of stock?.... or in stock for that matter!

Answerso possibly inane questions such as these may well produce requested fligh line photies from
Spitfire Day at Duxford.

Jon

 

[Airframes]

Haven't a clue as to your second question Jon, as I'm still fairly new to web-sites etc. Jan (Lucky) might know the answer though.
MPM and AZ I think have some connection somewhere, although I'm not sure what, or in which way. I vaguely recall seeing some mention in a magazine sometime ago.

 

[A4K]

Jon, you mean shopping via the net I presume..? If you want to order something, it will be mentioned if it's in stock or not. If so, there's usually an 'add to cart' button somewhere, hitting once adds 1 item , twice (logically) 2, and so on.. You can browse and add items to your list as you go; likewise you can delete items as you wish. Hitting a 'check shopping list' or similar worded control will show what you've ordered, from there you can choose to purchase or not.. (all steps will be explained as you go).
You'll get an e.mail afterwards to confirm your purchase was registered, and another when shipped.

If something is out of stock, I'd suggest sending the company an e-mail to ask when/ if it will be available again, or check elsewhere on the net.

One word of advice: NEVER ask for the insurance on internet purchases!!! It will be advertised as a next-to-nothing add-on cost, but in the end will be sent by a bloody expensive courier service and you'll pay the earth for your purchase! ( Take it from someone who got sucked in by that one big time..!)



- Thanks too NC for the heads up with the Airfix kit..I'd heard they were putting one out..(and for the good wishes too Terry and Alex! Was a good break)


Re the PR.XIX/ PR.19 designations, I read in one of my books yesterday that while they were originally 'PR.XIX's, the Roman numerals were replaced by their Arabic counterparts after the war, so technically this model will actually be a " PR.19" as Terry said...

(Got a Falcon vacform canopy for her too yesterday btw, part of their Set No. 41: 'Spitfire Special'.)

 

[Airframes]

Sounds good Evan. What are the Falcon canopies like? I'm considering getting one for my 1/48th scale Tempest, rather than moulding one myself, and I've seen one of their packs with various canopies, most of which I can use eventually. I'm particularly interested in the thickness, for rigidity, and the ease of cutting from the moulding.

 

[A4K]

I like them Terry. They're thin, but fairly strong for their thickness. If handled carefully, you should be alright. (will measure the exact thickness after work for you).
They cut nicely from their frames too, the trickiest part (for me anyway) is carefully sanding them, trying not to put any unnecessary pressure on the canopy.

Have you used vac-form components much? I won't bore you with cutting and gluing details if you have.

Let me know what canopies youre after, I have one of their 1:48 sets (No Tempest canopy though unfortunately).
They do one though, in set no.40: RAF (Part Two). List of 1/48 scale Clear-Vax canopy sets

 

[Wayne Little]

The cutting and sanding can be tricky but as Evan says Terry, if your patient and careful they scrub up real nice.

 

[WhiteLion]

Hi guys, been busy the last few days

Thanks for the useful tips about web shopping. Turns out that the Wish List is just a way of reminding yourself what you fancy buying - the fact that you're usually invited to have it emailed to other people seems a rather unsubtle hint to your friends!

Evan, interesting what you said about the shift from Roman to Arabic Mk nos. I'd thought they just switched over at Mk.20. Had a look at Hans Norvik's overview of Spit variants and he maintains that the RAF managed to make it a bit more arbitrary.......

"In total there were 24 marks of Spitfire and many sub-variants within each mark. There is an apparent discrepancy in Spitfire numbering schemes in that sometimes Roman numerals are used and sometimes Arabic numerals are used. This is down to changes in RAF numbering schemes. Up until the end of 1942 the RAF would always use Roman numerals for mark numbers. From 1943 to 1948 was a transition period during which new aircraft entering service were given Arabic mark numbers but older aircraft retained their Roman numerals."
(Overview is at www.spitfire-mk9.com/spitfire_variants)

Not coming into service in May 1944 and built until early 1946, the nineteen should have been safe, but who knows!

With all the research, Evan this PS888 of yours should be very impressive.

cheers, Jon

 

[Airframes]

Thanks for the info Evan and Wayne, and that's the set I was looking at. Yes, I've had quite a bit of experience with vac formed parts, or at least, heat-moulded ones I've made myself, where the finished product is more or less the same thing.
I normally mould my own canopies and some parts from white plastic sheet too. However, the Tempest and Sea Fury canopies in this scale might be a little tricky for me to carve the master for nowadays, due to this bl**dy Arthritis, so I thought, for the price of the set, compared to the cost of clear sheet, balsa, varnish etc, and the inevitable one or two failed attempts, I might as well go against my own principals and buy the dreasded 'aftermarket' parts! I'm going to have to get some resin wheels for the Tempest anyway, as there's nothing much I can do with the kit wheels, and I've already ordered my first resin accessory, in the form of 1/32nd scale 'porcupine' exhausts for the Beaufighter. Have to watch it, or I'll soon be taking the easy way out and using PE parts.......

 

[A4K]

Interesting info Jon, thanks! Sounds like a case of 'whatever you prefer' - George for example writes it as 'PR.XIX', and being PS888's airframe fitter, he must have written that in the maintainance log every day pretty much...

I really hope this project works out, and hope to make a start on her in August if circumstances allow.


Terry, measured the sheet thickness for you: The surrounding frame is 0.3 - 0.4 mm (sheets vary), the canopies themselves 0.2 mm on average (some have recessed window details which are fractonally thinner).
(I'm an idiot too, I'd forgotten you do your own heat forming...! )