Dpgsbody55

Engine cowl pieces are an excellent fit, as one might expect, and will require very minor cleanup.
 

 
 

Great looking model.    Very well detailed and weathered too.
 
 
Cheers,
Michael

There has been some good suggestions here for the next Airfix release.  Here's a few of mine, in no particular order.
 
1)  P-40.  It would have to be a later one as the B/C models have been done.  But how about a Merlin powered P-40??
2)  P-51B.  We're all crying out for one.  Bear in mind that Airfix have said they won't de-do an old release, so no likelyhood of a new Spitfire Mk.I, Stuka, P-51D, BF-109E etc.  So I'd suggest a P-51 highback model would sell as we can't be the only people wanting a good model of such a plane.
3)  Griffon powered Spitfire.  Surely a no brainer??  Mk.XIV's look best to me, without the bloated tails of the later ones, and they saw service in WW2  Plenty of choice with markings and would make a good basis for a resin or 3D print conversion set to make it a later version for them as want such a thing.
4)  FW-190D.  The A has been done in 1/24.  Does anyone not want a long nose Dora done as well as the Spitfire IX?? 
5)  P-47 Razorback.  I know there's another of these in 1/24, but it doesn't hold a candle to Airfix's excellent Spitfire IX.  Personally, I always prefer the looks of the original design, be it Spitfire, P-51 or P-47.  They just look right.  And I think the P-47 has been unjustly overshadowed by the P-51 too.  A very worthy plane warranting the Airfix treatment.  An alternative suggestion would be the last variant, the P-47N which was surely the best escort fighter of the Pacific theatre.
6)  Nakajima Ki-84.  A very worthy choice for something from the Pacific theatre and a good match for Airfix's Hellcat.  Possibly Japan's best from that era??  I'd buy it.
7)  Hawker Tempest.  Another outside chance, given their also excellent Typhoon, but a good candidate.  Or they could do a Centaurus powered model.
8)  Bristol Beaufighter.  Another one many here would like to see, and also another plane from WW2 which model companies have unjustly ignored.  It's a bit of an outside chance, and I'm not sure how their Mossie sold, but I'd still like to see one in LSP. 
 
I could go on, but I see these as the best choice for Airfix to make another successful LSP.  Notice I haven't included a 109F or G.  I think there's enough good LSP's there to make that choice less viable for Airfix, though I do not include any of Trumpeter's offerings in that thought.
 
 
Cheers,
Michael

I'm getting on almost a 'semi-Tolga' roll with this now!
 

 

Hello, everyone
 
I recently finished building Frank Luke’s SPAD XIII.
 
Frank Luke was America's second highest ace in WW1. He shot down 14 balloons and 4 planes just in 10 sorties in 8 days. After making an emergency landing behind enemy lines, he refused to surrender, returned fire with a pistol, and was shot dead.
 
Roden's SPAD XIII is a little difficult to assemble in some aspects, but the proportions is good. One of the shortcomings of Roden's kit is the quality of the decals. The decals for the unit markings of the 27th aero squadron, to which Frank Luke belonged, were not similar to the real ones, so the decals were printed by tracing photos of the real marking. The checkered pattern on the wings was also corrected to four rows, although the kit has three rows. I used photo etching hexagon mesh for sides of the engine cowling and stealed Vickes guns from extra parts of Copper State Model’s Nieuport kits. 
 
The Frank Luke figure was sold on Amazon, and although I don't know the manufacturer, the quality is very good.
 
I also built a Hispano-Suiza 8Ab engine. This is an independent engine kit by RODEN. It is very finely crafted. I highly recommend this kit for everyone. I want more engine kits to be released!
 
 
 
 


 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Hi Guys, A while ago I ordered a wooden propeller and 3D seat for my CSM Caudron G3.  They arrived in good time ( considering they had to be made to order and then add on Ukraine's situation) over here to the U.S.  Shipping was around two weeks. Not bad as Hannants takes 8-10 days with no war zone issues, which is all down to the Post Office, NOT Hannants. 
What can I say. Proper Plane has done an AWESOME job with this.  The propeller is very well made. An ultra smooth finnish, a nice satin varnish, the blades are even, equal, no variation between them. The wood grain is tiny, not overscale. 
I have bought other props from them before, ( Gotha G4, AEG G4) Oh, yes, on the AEG set ( two props) The set I ordered represents the well known photo with the whales mouth decor. This plane has two different props fitted. Proper Plane represents this perfectly. Two accurately different props. Just look at the photos, then look at the props. 'Nuff said.  
If you need a propeller for your WW1 masterpiece, just do it.  
On the seat, same accolades. Way better than CSM's kit seat. (and that is good!) 
The reason to upgrade an already good kit seat is that the rear seat that this represents is very open to view and is wicker built. The Proper Plane version represents the wicker construction much better/finer than the kit seat, is thinner in the walls, and much better defined. 
No, this is not an advert. Just a happy customer letting you all know about a good supplier. 
Regards, Pete in RI
 

Thank you Richard and Fab for your messages.
I don't know if I've become a modeler with 4 "stars" but I'm trying to improve at every stage of my Yak.
Painting canopies...
I don't know about you, but for me this is the stage I dread the most: if you break a plastic part of the model, well, you can always glue it back together, or even rebuild it.
But when it comes to the transparent parts, there's no room for error, and of course I take great care.
So I completely masked the inside and outside of the canopies and the 2 transparent shields.
I painted them with A14/MRP021 and then glued them with AK Crystal magic glue, specially designed for transparent parts.
As there was still a small, unattractive joint between the canopies and the fuselage, I added a little Deluxe perfect plastic putty, which smoothes out with a damp cotton bud.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
As the camouflage of the Yak at the rear is very dependent on the position of the red star on the fuselage (this star is flush with the AMT12 paintwork from edge to edge), I created a mask of this star, which I then placed in its correct position, thus delimiting the 2 AMT11 and 12 paintworks.
 

 

 

 

 
 
And last but not least, I drew all the boundaries of the 2 AMT 11 and 12 camouflage shades with a pencil, so I could cut the masks to size.

hi all,
here is my interpretation of the CR42 CN visible in a film from the time of the Luce institute, from which I started to create the beautiful ICM kit.
apart from a few implemented/scratchbuilt details, the dedicated Eduard set 32979 and the installation of some nanoleds, it's OOTB, perfect in shape and fit. predominantly MRP colours.
 

The forum build thread is here:
https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/99468-fiat-cr42-cn-132-icm/&do=findComment&comment=1455873
 
cheers, Paolo
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike, I don't know how I do it: I start working with the table (a large technical drawing table) free, and I always end up locking myself in the space smaller than an A4 sheet!
Denis, thanks, but never say never: the ICM biplane series is really well designed, think about giving them a chance! 
I think the I-153 kit is the simplest, as a biplane... I'll be able to tell you hopefully soon, it's one of the next on my list of models to make.
 
well, after a few tweaks here and there and some unsuccessful attempts to take some decent photos, I'd say I can declare it completed.
be gentle... even though I used a reflex camera for photos in the lightbox, I'm still very poor at digital photography.
 
a few more shots in the RFI section:
https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/99921-fiat-cr42-cn-mm7584-300a-squadriglia-167°-gruppo-autonomo-ciampino-spring-1942-pilot-cpt-corrado-ricci/
 
 
cheers,  and thanks to everyone, Paolo.
 

 

 

There has been some good suggestions here for the next Airfix release.  Here's a few of mine, in no particular order.
 
1)  P-40.  It would have to be a later one as the B/C models have been done.  But how about a Merlin powered P-40??
2)  P-51B.  We're all crying out for one.  Bear in mind that Airfix have said they won't de-do an old release, so no likelyhood of a new Spitfire Mk.I, Stuka, P-51D, BF-109E etc.  So I'd suggest a P-51 highback model would sell as we can't be the only people wanting a good model of such a plane.
3)  Griffon powered Spitfire.  Surely a no brainer??  Mk.XIV's look best to me, without the bloated tails of the later ones, and they saw service in WW2  Plenty of choice with markings and would make a good basis for a resin or 3D print conversion set to make it a later version for them as want such a thing.
4)  FW-190D.  The A has been done in 1/24.  Does anyone not want a long nose Dora done as well as the Spitfire IX?? 
5)  P-47 Razorback.  I know there's another of these in 1/24, but it doesn't hold a candle to Airfix's excellent Spitfire IX.  Personally, I always prefer the looks of the original design, be it Spitfire, P-51 or P-47.  They just look right.  And I think the P-47 has been unjustly overshadowed by the P-51 too.  A very worthy plane warranting the Airfix treatment.  An alternative suggestion would be the last variant, the P-47N which was surely the best escort fighter of the Pacific theatre.
6)  Nakajima Ki-84.  A very worthy choice for something from the Pacific theatre and a good match for Airfix's Hellcat.  Possibly Japan's best from that era??  I'd buy it.
7)  Hawker Tempest.  Another outside chance, given their also excellent Typhoon, but a good candidate.  Or they could do a Centaurus powered model.
8)  Bristol Beaufighter.  Another one many here would like to see, and also another plane from WW2 which model companies have unjustly ignored.  It's a bit of an outside chance, and I'm not sure how their Mossie sold, but I'd still like to see one in LSP. 
 
I could go on, but I see these as the best choice for Airfix to make another successful LSP.  Notice I haven't included a 109F or G.  I think there's enough good LSP's there to make that choice less viable for Airfix, though I do not include any of Trumpeter's offerings in that thought.
 
 
Cheers,
Michael

There has been some good suggestions here for the next Airfix release.  Here's a few of mine, in no particular order.
 
1)  P-40.  It would have to be a later one as the B/C models have been done.  But how about a Merlin powered P-40??
2)  P-51B.  We're all crying out for one.  Bear in mind that Airfix have said they won't de-do an old release, so no likelyhood of a new Spitfire Mk.I, Stuka, P-51D, BF-109E etc.  So I'd suggest a P-51 highback model would sell as we can't be the only people wanting a good model of such a plane.
3)  Griffon powered Spitfire.  Surely a no brainer??  Mk.XIV's look best to me, without the bloated tails of the later ones, and they saw service in WW2  Plenty of choice with markings and would make a good basis for a resin or 3D print conversion set to make it a later version for them as want such a thing.
4)  FW-190D.  The A has been done in 1/24.  Does anyone not want a long nose Dora done as well as the Spitfire IX?? 
5)  P-47 Razorback.  I know there's another of these in 1/24, but it doesn't hold a candle to Airfix's excellent Spitfire IX.  Personally, I always prefer the looks of the original design, be it Spitfire, P-51 or P-47.  They just look right.  And I think the P-47 has been unjustly overshadowed by the P-51 too.  A very worthy plane warranting the Airfix treatment.  An alternative suggestion would be the last variant, the P-47N which was surely the best escort fighter of the Pacific theatre.
6)  Nakajima Ki-84.  A very worthy choice for something from the Pacific theatre and a good match for Airfix's Hellcat.  Possibly Japan's best from that era??  I'd buy it.
7)  Hawker Tempest.  Another outside chance, given their also excellent Typhoon, but a good candidate.  Or they could do a Centaurus powered model.
8)  Bristol Beaufighter.  Another one many here would like to see, and also another plane from WW2 which model companies have unjustly ignored.  It's a bit of an outside chance, and I'm not sure how their Mossie sold, but I'd still like to see one in LSP. 
 
I could go on, but I see these as the best choice for Airfix to make another successful LSP.  Notice I haven't included a 109F or G.  I think there's enough good LSP's there to make that choice less viable for Airfix, though I do not include any of Trumpeter's offerings in that thought.
 
 
Cheers,
Michael

There has been some good suggestions here for the next Airfix release.  Here's a few of mine, in no particular order.
 
1)  P-40.  It would have to be a later one as the B/C models have been done.  But how about a Merlin powered P-40??
2)  P-51B.  We're all crying out for one.  Bear in mind that Airfix have said they won't de-do an old release, so no likelyhood of a new Spitfire Mk.I, Stuka, P-51D, BF-109E etc.  So I'd suggest a P-51 highback model would sell as we can't be the only people wanting a good model of such a plane.
3)  Griffon powered Spitfire.  Surely a no brainer??  Mk.XIV's look best to me, without the bloated tails of the later ones, and they saw service in WW2  Plenty of choice with markings and would make a good basis for a resin or 3D print conversion set to make it a later version for them as want such a thing.
4)  FW-190D.  The A has been done in 1/24.  Does anyone not want a long nose Dora done as well as the Spitfire IX?? 
5)  P-47 Razorback.  I know there's another of these in 1/24, but it doesn't hold a candle to Airfix's excellent Spitfire IX.  Personally, I always prefer the looks of the original design, be it Spitfire, P-51 or P-47.  They just look right.  And I think the P-47 has been unjustly overshadowed by the P-51 too.  A very worthy plane warranting the Airfix treatment.  An alternative suggestion would be the last variant, the P-47N which was surely the best escort fighter of the Pacific theatre.
6)  Nakajima Ki-84.  A very worthy choice for something from the Pacific theatre and a good match for Airfix's Hellcat.  Possibly Japan's best from that era??  I'd buy it.
7)  Hawker Tempest.  Another outside chance, given their also excellent Typhoon, but a good candidate.  Or they could do a Centaurus powered model.
8)  Bristol Beaufighter.  Another one many here would like to see, and also another plane from WW2 which model companies have unjustly ignored.  It's a bit of an outside chance, and I'm not sure how their Mossie sold, but I'd still like to see one in LSP. 
 
I could go on, but I see these as the best choice for Airfix to make another successful LSP.  Notice I haven't included a 109F or G.  I think there's enough good LSP's there to make that choice less viable for Airfix, though I do not include any of Trumpeter's offerings in that thought.
 
 
Cheers,
Michael

An excellent build. 
 
 
Cheers,
Michael

Hello all of you shiny, happy people. I hope everyone is well.
 
A little while ago Airfix released a large scale MkIX Spitfire in 1/24th scale. I was lucky enough to be at the launch event and was blown away by the look of the models on display.
I resolved there and then to treat myself to one. I got the kit in December 2023 and began it shortly after unwrapping it on Christmas day. 
 
The kit is substantial and relatively easy to build although it gets a tad unwieldy due to it's size so care must be taken in the latter stages of the build.
 
For a kit this size the detail is good. However, there are many aftermarket parts available that improve the look still more.
I opted to enhance the cockpit by scratch building a few elements and treating myself to the beautiful Airscale cockpit upgrade. To my mind this is a must for this model. 
It takes patience to assemble but improves the face of the cockpit no end. 
 

 
The other bits of aftermarket that I'd recommend would be a set of wheels, an entry door and exhausts.
 
There are a few wheel sets available. The ones I went for were by Eduard
 

 
The detail is great and the wheels look the part but for some reason the subtle molded in flat spot doesn't sit flat on the ground when they are fitted so some judicious sanding is required. If you choose to use these be aware of this before glueing them in place. 
The door is by Buchon models and is a definite improvement over the somewhat chunky kit part. 
 

 
Lastly, one area where Airfix really dropped the ball is the exhaust stubs. What were they thinking? 
For a start these are molded in two parts but not where a seam line falls. If two parts are necessary why not make the join along an actual seam? 
Also, there is a huge hole in the underside of each stub that has to be filled. I can't help wondering if the designer was off the day these were created and the janitor had a go.....
 
Fortunately Eduard come to the rescue with a beautiful 3D printed set. 
 

 
Another must for this build in my humble opinion. 
 
Airfix include a plethora of markings but for this build I turned to a combination of 1ManArmy masks and some custom masks kindly created for me by Mozart here on LSP. Many thanks Max
I was hoping that painting the markings would give better results in this scale. All of the masks worked beautifully and the fidelity of the stencils needs to be seen to be believed. 
Add one more to the "must have" list for this build.
The 1ManArmy set replicates the markings offered in the kit but my aircraft depicts an aircraft of 412 RCAF sqdn. This squadron was formed in 1941 at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire which is only a stone's throw from where I live. 
 
Thank you for your patience so far. Now after this pre-amble it's on to the RFI photos. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Setting a couple of hiccups aside (I lost one of the Eduard exhaust stubs) I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. 
If I were to build another I'd definitely thin the aft lip of the ailerons. I'd also buy a set of turned brass cannons. Getting the two part plastic components round and filled was too much fuss. 
 
For a kit assembler like me this Airfix product is nigh on perfect. 
Plaudits to them for giving us a very good representation of one of the most popular marques of Spitfire. 
 
Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoyed this. 
If you'd like a more in depth article please have a look here for the WIP thread. 
 
Cheers,
Guy
 

As planned, I started the Curtiss P40N-5-CU Daddy Please/Milk Wagon Express build. As usual, I start with the cockpit. I am in the phase of varnishing with glossy varnish, without oil wash yet. I am waiting for the sanding of the fuselagejoint - the tail part. Then I'll move on to riveting.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Excellent suggestion!      

Thank you for your sacrifice, Martin!

We have to have something to indulge in wild speculation/what if/in my wildest modelling dreams/rumour has it type of stuff.  However, I'd like to discuss your assertion that a P-51K is some sort of holy grail large scale model.  I think that's a bit like choosing the -5 Hellcat over the -3 variant, which has the mode desirable possibility of a much wider scope for choice of markings.  This helps sales and a P-51B/C variant, with a Malcolm hood option I believe would be a big seller.  However, I would go for a P-51K in a heartbeat over one of these.
 

 
I suspect that Hornby/Airfix's financial position might not support the risk of anything "left field".  So my money is still on a P-51B, P-40 (E onwards), 109F or G, 190D, Corsair -1 or -1a, maybe a Spitfire MkXIV or Tempest MkV, Zero/Hien etc or one of the early post war jets as I said earlier in this topic.  A P-47 done to the present Airfix standard is one I would definitely buy, but perhaps the existence of the Kinetic (rather sparse) kits might deter that possibility.  I would love to see a Beaufighter or C-202/205, perhaps even a P-39, but I suspect even these are a little too esoteric for Airfix at this time, especially in a scale such as 1/24.  I also don't believe they will re-do any of their existing earlier planes for the reason stated a few pages back.
 
Cheers,
Michael

I'm disappointed that Airfix have made no announcement about another version of their Spitfire Mk.IX.  At very least, you'd think they'd do a Mk.VIII given the way the fuselage is molded.
 
Cheers,
Michael

Btw,
Cowling is ready for the decals
 

Some progress
Fuselage painting terminated.
Next step is decalling
 

Hi Kelly
 
Your work is stellar on this build! Regarding the oil leaks: There was not a British engine made pre 1980’s that did not leak oil somewhere. British designers seemed to be wedded to the notion of vertical oil seals in almost every design one encounters. This is no less true of the Merlin. The early Merlins were individually built by hand by Rolls Royce. This naturally introduced some variation within the tolerances allowed. Though it pains me to say it as a Brit’, it was only when Packard began building Merlins in volume that real consistency in the fit of the engine’s parts emerged. This is the reasons that most who fly Merlin powered warbirds now look for the later Packard built Merlins if they can find them. That said, they all leak somewhere. 
 
Your observations regarding seeing warbirds leak versus a wartime operational airframe are well founded: though the wartime aircraft would have had regular oil changes, they would not have been looked after in the same way as a ‘no-expense-spared’ warbird is today and nor did they have the benefit of the types of multigrade nor synthetic oils available now. Would that have made a difference to the colours? Not really: when new engine oil leaks it is a yellowy colour and get darker through orange, then brown and finally black (open up a diesel truck after it has done 20,000 miles to see what really used engine oil looks like: as black as your hat!).
 
So the early Merlins leaked oil a lot and the later Packard built Merlins leaked less but they all leaked. This is an extract from “The Merlin in Perspective - the Combat Years” written by Alec Harvey-Bailey and published by the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust in 1983
‘Technically the major difference between the Rolls-Royce and Packard Merlins was the supercharger drive, the latter using epicyclic gearing instead of Farman drive. Naturally, American Magnetos and Bendix Carburettors were used. Some 100 series quivalents were built at the end of the war with Simmons fuel control units and these were installed in later Mustangs.
 
As one would expect, Packard built engines to very high standards of quality. Technical problems were not dissimilar from those experienced on British Engines and when comparing like with like modification standards there was nothing to choose between engine sources’
 
Keep up the great work!
 
Kind regards,
Paul

Hello there,
 
I made a start at weathering the underside.
This particular aircraft apparently has no stencils or markings on any underside surface due to its factory colours being over-painted in the field. It certainly makes for a large area to try to make make interesting! I considered putting them on anyway because I like the look of them, but historical accuracy won the day
 
The oil streaks are extensive, but many (most?) contemporary pictures of Merlin powered aircraft seem to be almost black with oil. I'm not sure what colour to paint it, so started with a greenish-grey.
Is the used oil black? The black n' white photos sure make it look so, but then they often make red look black, so I'm at a bit of a loss. Any suggestions would be super welcome.
I've also found it difficult to locate exactly where the oil is leaking from. It seems to be coming from any/all panels anywhere near the engine!
Modern spitfires at airshows show similar oil streaking patterns to the originals, but it is a very light/transparent colour. I'm assuming a wartime crate being flown sortie after sortie would get significant build-up, but I'm really just speculating.
 
Painting the gun powder marks is tricky with a brush on such light colours. It looks almost airbrushed on the darker upper surfaces, but the sky colour is way less forgiving.
 
I've done a little bit of chipping around the starboard wheel well. Silver just doesn't show up over sky, or look convincing so mixed a bit of black with it. Its a fine line though, if it gets too dark/contrasting it looks like steel or iron. I went with an artistic compromise.
 
Really enjoying this build. Wonderful kit that looks every bit a spitfire. Can't wait for the mk.vb to come out. The V is my favourite, closely followed by the high-backed Griffon version which I'm sure we'll see one day... Sigh.
 
Thanks for looking, and for any future insights into the oil streaking issues!
 
Kels.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Experimenting with some rust shades here, I believe I‘m going to opt for the medium & light rust for the bomb (left and right).
 

Centerline bomb now painted, again. I’ve noted that on many bombs of this nature, there seem to be reddish brown bands painted in the area of the shipping rings, so I have now masked and painted these. Bomb stripe decals are pretty much worthless, so I'll just paint those on. Fingers crossed.