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Eduard 1/72 Spitfire IXc 'twins'


CANicoll

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I can't seem to make any headway with my two 1/32 Sopwith Camels - the rigging just has me in knots (Ha ha, that was a LITTLE funny, right?   :hmmm: ).

 

But I've found some enjoyment in some of the 1/72nd kits and the Eduard kits are just a joy to build.  Fit and detail are amazing for kits in this scale, instructions are very clear - and they don't take up a lot of space.

 

Ok, so why twins?  I purchased a Profi-Pack kit of the Spitfire Mk IXc, and knowing I have many different decals to play with, purchased an Mk IXc OVERTREES set to go with it.  My first Overtrees - which is simply a sprue-only kit - no decals, masks, PE or instructions (which for Eduard can be downloaded from the site - but I used the Profi-Pack instructions anyway.

 

Here is the kit box:

 

ckCE3s.jpg

 

Here is the OVERTREES label. They also make available the PE frets if you want too...

 

GaXPOd.jpg

 

Since I can build two kits at the same time I decided to try some different things with the OVERTREES build - namely some masking (those D-Day Strips) and the camo masks work and a non-PE IP.  Turns out, you really can't see much of a Spitfire IP anyway.  

 

Unfortunately, I should have bought a second set of canopy masks - masking the tiny Spit front windscreen takes a steadier hand than mine so I'll either try and reuse the masks from the Profi-Pack build or may give tape another go.

 

Here are the two birds I'm building; (DU*N) as the Profi-Pack and the OVERTREES build is (WX*D).

 

gGOvwz.jpg

LEXxNE.jpg

 

Apologies that I'm jumping into this build at probably more like the 75% (where did I put those build pics??  The masking for the camo alone took me a day!) but here is where I'm at so far.  Still need to finish the landing gear and start the weathering, as well as adding the antennas, fuel caps, pitot tubes, etc.

 

WX*D is on the left, DU*N is on the right.  The camo is Vallejo Model Air and the Sky fuselage bands are painted as are the yellow leading edge stripe.  On DU*N, the red 'tape' covers are painted on, while on WX*D they are the kit decals.  Honestly, for as easy as it was to mask, so much easier to paint than try and align the 4 decals.  For looks?  I think after sealing with a clear coat then a matte or flat coat it will be a wash.  But I like painting them better.

 

tzF46s.jpg

 

Ideally, I was going to use masks for the national insignia on WX*D, but in the end, I kind of just wanted to get on with it.  And the fact that the Eduard decals react beautifully to Micro Set.  I 'paint' on some Micro Set where I want the decal, put the decal down and cover again with some Micro Set.  I'll revisit in a couple of minutes, using a brush to smooth out any wrinkles but very quickly all the decals snuggled down into the panel lines.  

 

NOTE: What I've found is you don't have a lot of time to move and adjust the decal with this method.  The solution gets to work very quickly breaking down the decal and if you don't move fast enough (15-25 seconds max) it can turn to mush.

 

FXWthy.jpg

vRG2cw.jpg

BbEykI.jpg

 

That reminds me.  The 'door's on both aircraft will be open, the ones there are just masks for the fuselage painting.

 

I also used more of the stenciling on DU*N although again, at this scale, unless you know where to look they are actually very hard to see.

 

Next up is another clear coat to seal in the rest of the decals and then start on some weathering - esp on the underside.  Not going to go crazy, but hope to show some of the oil streaks common to the type.  DU*N also has a lot of the PE grills and screens so hope to show those off a bit better.

 

I'll work on some better photography for the next batch, hopefully!

 

Thanks for looking and of course, comments are welcome.

Chris

Edited by CANicoll
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Guest Peterpools

Chris

Outstanding work and the twin Spits look awesome. Cammo and decals certainly are spot on.

Hope you can post the construction photos and a few of the front office as well.

Glad you're on a roll now with Model Air paints, as they sre my preferred acrylic paint.

Keep'm coming

Peter

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Thanks guys!  and BLAST!  Eduard has the squadron code placement wrong, too far forward and it should be over the plane's SN.  Mmmmm trying to think if I can move it......

 

And yes, its true, Martin has pictures of EVERY aircraft!

Thanks

Chris

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Thanks Peter!  I'll see what I can find.  Seems like a folder has gone missing somehow...

 

For the camo I enlarged the diagrams in the instruction booklet 117% which made them the perfect match for the model.  Then cut them out and applied the patterns to Tamiya tape.  Not a bad process, just a bit time consuming.  In the end had a huge pile of paper and tape. :-)

 

Chris

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  • 5 weeks later...

WAYYY overdue update.  I can only plead that Nationals took a lot of time, all the photo stuff, then a work trip, and LOTS of work.  But slowly crawling to the finish line with my two 1/72 Spits.  Well, more one of them than the other.

 

So here is the lead aircraft, from the ProfiPack.  Vallejo paints, Eduard decals, sealed, a selection of black, gray and brown Flory washes.  Still have to do a lot of touch-up around the cockpit frames and some blasted over (under actually) spray on the Malcolm hood.  Prop is decaled but not yet with the final gloss then Matte coat. Also not really attached yet. 

 

Weathering on the bottom is too heavy, may still revisit that esp on the radiators.  It was fun to play around with the mess.

 

Formation lights are not painted yet and no antenna.  Since I usually break that off at least once, I'm saving that for last. 

 

NYvxA4.jpg

l5hLaR.jpg

1x8iho.jpg

Y1N2BS.jpg

wWQMHE.jpg

XI1n32.jpg

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Chris

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Chris,

Looking pretty excellent. I'm not big on over-dirtying the underside. Oil streaks, some dirt flung up by the wheels, but not much else. Maybe a little smoke from the shell chutes. ... but that's me.

 

If I can find an actual underside of a plane I'm building, I would follow, but good underside shots are hard to find.

 

As usual when it comes to aircraft, I'm told less it's more.

 

Gaz

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Chris,

 

:wow: Buddy that does look stupendous on MY cell phone screen.

I thought the weathering was subtle but you say it's heavy.

 

It's looking really GORGEOUS. Painting et al is TOP NOTCH.

 

:goodjob:

 

:bow:

 

Waiting for the end now.

 

Keep up the EXCELLENT work. :bow:

 

Are you back now Maru?  GOOD to have you on the site active again and thanks for your comments!  Always nice to hear.

 

Chris

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, a final update, looking backwards and forwards a bit.  Found some of my 'build' pics (but not all of them :-( ) and here are the final pics as well.  

My first attempt at painting some of the details such as the tape over the gun muzzles:  Needed the arrows to show me exactly where to paint: 

 

2kFmLj.jpg

IwhOJm.jpg

 

You know, when you get old, notes helps remind you what you are suppose to be doing!

 

UGx6r9.jpg

 

Just a look at some of the masking done for the camo pattern.  I had copied the decal placement pictures.  All  told the masking alone took about four hours - cutting the camo part out, transferring to tape (2x).  not sure I want to do this again...

 

iQCWrp.jpg

 

Ok.  SO that was soo about a month ago.  Have not masked the canopy yet for WX D so went ahead and finished DU N.

 

Finished with Vallejo acrylics, and a very light and heavily thinned flat white (actually, its the Vallejo primer) overspray to knock down the flat even more and give it a bit of a chalky finish.  Not sure how well it comes through in the pics.  One thing I did notice in one of the pics is that somewhere along the line the tail wheel went missing.  Uh oh....

 

l575pD.jpg

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dWVauY.jpg

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And the missing tailwheel:

 

vrmdmX.jpg

 

Head on:

 

KgksHc.jpg

 

FUN little kit - too WAY too long to finish off.  Sigh. It was a fun kit and I got to try out some masking technique without spending (and potentially messing up) a $100 kit.  LOTS I would do differently if I was really trying to make this into a show bird, but it was enjoyable to put together.  The cockpit is not too bad, but sadly does not take well to pictures after being built.  Rats, its all PE and all.  I HAVE to find those build pics!

 

BTW, the masking over the primer went perfectly.  Vallejo primer and acrylics.  Still working on getting the paint mixtures correct.

 

Chris

Edited by CANicoll
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  • 2 months later...

Chris....

 

Thought I had better go check out builds I follow before I hurry out of United kingdom otherwise it will be months...

 

So seeing your completed build,your Spitfire is AWESOME ... :bow:

 

What about WX D ?

 

:fight:

 

Wellll, needs a masked and painted canopy and I think that might be it....  Coming!!

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