Spitfire question.....well, two actually!

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Lucky13

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Aug 21, 2006
In my castle....
First is this one, P9313 Ia 517 EA MIII FF 25-1-40 10MU 14-2-40 PDU HAL 21-3-40 Cv PRIII Type C PDU 19-5-40 PRU St.Eval 1-7-40 damaged enemy action 19-9-40 Missing from PR sortie along French coast 9-11-40 (originally for Turkey)...

Can you convert a Ia (IIa) to a PRIII Type C in either 1/48 or 1/32?

Second question is.....what's the main difference between the Ia and the IIa, how do you backdate Revell's forthcoming 1/32 IIa to a Ia?

Found this; The Spitfire Mk II differed from late production Mk Is in two ways. The aircraft itself used the Merlin XII engine, providing 1,150 hp, an increase of 120 hp over the engines used in the Mk I. This engine could be used with either the de Havilland or Rotol propellers. The second main difference is that while the Mk I was built by Supermarine at Southampton, the Mk II was produced in a new giant factory at Castle Bromwich.

Fancy that (Revell's) one as a BoB Mk. I....

N3113 Ia 384 EA MIII FF 25-10-39 27MU 28-10-39 41S 1-3-40 crash-landed 29-7-40 ASTH 1-8-40 609S 10-8-40 C2 ops 30-9-40 72S 11-10-40 92S 11-10-40 damaged ops 20-10-40 61OTU 1-7-41 HAL 25-8-41 Cv PRIV 61OTU 30-8-41 Northolt 8-4-42 HAL 30-6-42 M46 install Cv PRVIII Type G 8OTU 27-3-43 SOC 27-3-45..

P9513 Ia 655 EA MIII FF 23-4-40 12MU 4-5-40 249S 19-5-40 92S 7-7-40 shot down by Bf109 force-landed Hawkinge P/O Wade safe 15-9-40 152S 21-10-40 452S 8-5-41 313S 'RY-X' 21-5-41 61OTU 14-8-41 53OTU 11-1-42 struck by N3247 while parked CE 12-4-42 SOC 14-4-42..

R6613 Ia 700 EA MIII FF 18-5-40 12MU 18-5-40 238S 18-5-40 92S 20-8-40 shot down by Bf109 E London F/Lt Paterson safe CE 11-9-40 SOC 3-10-40..

R6713 Ia 767 EA MIII FF 10-6-40 9MU 11-6-40 65S 10-7-40 FTR after combat over Kent 18-8-40 parts of aircraft dug up from Kent Marsh in 1971 F/O Gruszka buried Northwood Cemetery..

R6813 Ia 817 EA MIII FF 25-6-40 8MU 26-6-40 AST 7-7-40 64S 1-9-40 C2 ops 5-12-40 AST 61OTU 12-11-41 FACB 18-11-41 ASTE 57OTU 3-7-42 air collision with R7067 nr Morpeth CE 7-7-43 SOC 11-7-43..

R6913 Ia 872 EA MIII FF 10-7-40 6MU 11-7-40 54S 23-7-40 AST 26-8-40 234S 8-11-40 58OTU 27-3-41 Scottish Aviation 26-6-41 Cv Va M45 52OTU 16-6-43 Northolt 22-8-43..

X4013 Ia 950 EA MIII FF 25-7-40 37MU 30-7-40 610S 27-8-40 shot down by Bf109 over Tunbridge Wells P/O Winter killed - baled out too low 5-9-40 SOC 18-9-40..

P7313 IIa CBAF MXII 24MU 2-8-40 266S 5-9-40 shot down by Bf109 over Billericay P/O Roach abandoned aircraft 11-9-40 First MkII destroyed in BoB..
 
The Mk I and Mk II are identical from the exterior save for the small bulge on the starboard side engine cowling (just below the centre line, behind the spinner) which covered the Coffman starter.



There are after market sets but this is easily made from Milliput or similar.

You've more of a job trying to create a PR IC/PR Mk III. The canopy blister should be easy, but you'll need to find the two under wing blisters, one for cameras and one for fuel.

Cheers

Steve
 
Thanks awfully chaps, have C- and/or T-Stoff!

Keep looking to see, if I can find them in 1/32, maybe with the Revell's new Mk. IIa.....here's to hoping!

 
I'm guessing that someone will release a 1/32nd scale conversion kit at some time old chap. Methinks I might sort of accidentally pick up, just as I'm passing by, the new Spit MkII from the Hannant's stand at Duxford next month, to do as a Mk1. My current Mk1 is a conversion I did from the old Hasegawa MkV, around 24 years or so ago.
I don't really need one of course, but having waited so long for a half decent Mk1 in this scale, it would be rude not to get one now!
I'm wondering if they'll do the same with the Hurricane at some point in the future .... and the Mossie, even though they've just re-released their old BIV. A FBVI would be nice... before Tamiya get theirs out at life-savings prices!
 
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Well, as you know old chap, accidents do happen in the modelling world....
.....and looking at the price for the Revell Mk. IIa and Tamiya's Mk. IX, well.....

BoB Spitfire, here we come!
 
Yes, very nice though the Tamiya Spitfire kits are, do we really think they justify the high price tag?
Maybe, maybe not, but as I generally prefer to show the aircraft in 'clean' configuration, that is, with all cowling panels and hatches in place in the 'closed' position, with the probable exception of the canopy and cockpit access hatch, all those extra engine, ancilliaries, gun bay and other parts would be wasted on me (unless built specifically for a diorama or similar), so I'd be paying a lot extra for parts not wanted or used.
I think I'd rather pay £20 for a good kit which fits the requirements, than £120 for an excellent kit which by far exceeds any requirements and leaves a large proportion of the parts unused.
Also, Revell have a very good recent history of being able to provide a kit that has most of the engine and internal detail, at a far lower price than some other manufacturers, which still allows a superb replica to be produced, out of the box, and with the possibility of purchasing separate detail parts, or scratch-building additional detail if required, and still bringing in the total cost at a much, much lower price tag.
Nothing wrong with the Tamiya kits of course, but £120 against £20 ? I know which I'd go for in this instance - especially if Revell release a Spit MkIX, which may be on the cards, judging by the 'multi-Mark' description when the new Mk1 was first announced as a 'Future Release' on some web-sites.
 
The Tamiya Spitfires (1/32) are very nice indeed. You make fair points about value for money and the Tamiyas are expensive. I've made a Hobbyboss MkV which I found to be a nice enough kit, despite its well known flaws, I suppose it depends how bothered you are.
I think Tamiya pander to the Asian market somewhat. Asian modellers do like to pose models with everything opened up in what many of us, including me, find an unrealistic way. Horses for courses I suppose, it's whatever lifts your kilt

Johnnie Johnson's Mk IX .....Tamiya



Ian Gleed's Mk V.....Hobby boss



They both look like Spitfire's to me

Steve
 
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Aye, totally agree Terry, why pay £120 when you'll only use £20 worth of plastic in the aforementioned kit....6 x Revell Mk. IIa's v Tamiya x 1, not much to think over there is it?

Anyhoo, 1 x Mk. I(a) and Mk. IIa, Battle of Britain Spitfire sorted....

So, late Mk. I(a)'s and Mk. II(a)'s, almost identical then, besides different engine, that wee bulge for the starter and being built in a different factory?
 
Nice ones Steve! I'm far from a rivet counter myself, tempted to get the Hobby Boss 1/32 Mk. Vb's for larger versions of Buzz Beurling and Jan Zumbach's birds, despite their flaws, as you say.....they look like Spitfires....

 
Lucky13 said:
Nice ones Steve! I'm far from a rivet counter myself, tempted to get the Hobby Boss 1/32 Mk. Vb's for larger versions of Buzz Beurling and Jan Zumbach's birds, despite their flaws, as you say.....they look like Spitfires....

Click to expand...

I found the Hobbyboss kit a nice straight forward build. I did correct the elevator and windscreen, but otherwise it's straight OOB. I don't think you'd be disappointed with it.
Cheers
Steve
 
I agree with you Steve, and a couple of nice models there.
I've used the old Hasegawa MkVb kit for three conversions so far - Mk1a, MkIX and MkXIV (the latter using cowling, prop, landing gear and radiators from the Matchbox/Revell Mk22), and have another MkV to build as a clip-wing Polish example at some stage. They all look like Spitfires to me, and were cheap enough, even from a 'shop' as opposed to a bargain off the 'net auction sites.
Yes Jan, leave off the Coffman blister and externally you've got a Mk1a, although the MkII also used the Rotol prop, with a more rounded spinner than the earlier DH prop, but these were also fitted to late-production Mk1s, and also retrofitted.
 
I've just ordered one of the Revell Spitfires. A tad over twenty quid with postage, how can that be bad? It'll be a while before I get to build it so I'll be keeping my eyes on how you get on!
Cheers
Steve
 
Good stuff Steve. Just seen one on that auction site for £19.95 including postage, so might grab one there rather than wait until Duxford show. Like you though, I've no idea when it'll get built !
EDIT:- I've just had a look at some photos of a built and finished example, from an early test shot. Overall, it looks good, and those rivets looked OK under paint. The wheels, however, looked a bit strange - seemed to be more or less the correct pattern, but a bit 'flat' looking. But that shouldn't be a problem - I've got some spares which would work, and there are after market resin wheels available (If MkI/MkII Spitfire wheels can't be found, then Hurricane wheels work just as well, believe it or not.).
 
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Yip! Look forward getting them kits, for that price, £19 including shipping, it can't be all that bad!
Just need a 1/48 Mk. I/IIa to do that recon bird....
 
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