Duncan Doenitz

There are some interesting extra bits in the Airfix 1:24 Spitfire such as a rectangular mirror, transparencies for under-wing lights, flare rack, head rest etc. I wonder what future variant they have in mind ? The Mk IXc is such a wonderful kit that the next version is on my wish list. A PR IX or a Seafire ? There is the facility to insert a different section under the fin which could be for one with an arrestor hook perhaps ?????

Ahhhh, got it. I suggest you assume the duck egg green band is the standard width then measure the distance to the rear of the canopy. That will then give you the width of the stripes and an approximation of the roundel centre. The wing stripes look huge but it's a photo and therefore accurate for that aircraft. I airbrushed the Mr Colour duck egg green last night for the first time. The paint looked very wet but it has dried beautifully. Strangely, it has an eggshell finish

I'm confident that Airfix did a lot of research themselves and the instructions are a fair representation of what they found. The stripes and unit markings were applied in the field. Correspondingly, the precise details of location were likely to have been down to the bloke that was given the job of applying them. The stripes would have been "just good enough" due to the amount of time available and the number of aircraft to be painted. A photograph taken at a moment in time but should not be considered as representing the squadron down the road. There are even anecdotal stories of stripes being applied with a mop. I'm enjoying watching your work !

It's probable that creep marks are as old as tubed aircraft tyres. The problem of the tyre slipping on the hub will probably have been around from day 1. IMHO, it looks good and is one of those little details that is easy to add. It's a shame that the Dunlop Logo is in the same position on both wheels w.r.t. the weight flat spot.

Thanks folks, I will enjoy watching the tutorials. One tiny enhancement I have applied is to paint a "creep mark" white rectangle on each wheel spanning the hub and the tyre. It's something I have seen on many aircraft and provides a visual indication of the tyre slipping on the hub. This was particularly important for inner tubes. "Danger - watch for tyre creep | Worth a Thousand Words - Air Diagrams | Archive Exhibitions | Exhibitions & Displays | Research | RAF Museum"

One final comment, I am building the RAF version and asked my local shop which paints to use for the underside and camo. I was told to use Mr Hobby 330, 331, 332. I have also asked a youtube expert builder and they recommend Tamiya XF81, 82, 83 which I think is a better choice. Has anyone tried a comparison and if so, what do you think ? I may end up using 81, 82 332.

I don't I'm afraid. I would rather pay a few quid for some practice panels with a mix of features such as canvas over ribs, recessed rivets, convex rivets, flat panels, access doors, filler caps, etc. etc. etc.

Also....... A bit of research shows where the actual aircraft has holes that can be drilled out. Besides the fuselage frames aft of the seat, the bracket that holds a reservoir to the front of the engine firewall has a couple of indentations. They should be drilled out. The radiator faces have some structure that separates the oil and water coolers which I have picked out in silver. I have seen some pics of a MkIX seat where the headrest has been fitted. The kit has this on the sprue but it does not feature in the instructions (as is also the case with the flare rack). I have included them as they add to the visual interest. This build is turning into an obsession.

Thank you Kevin, Maybe there's a gap in the market for a pre-shade pen that does not leach through. I'll take your advice and practice fine lines with the airbrush. Talking of practice, I wish some bright spark would produce A4 sheets of rivets, panel lines, flat surfaces etc. so I could hone my techniques. Experimenting on a £90 kit that has taken well over 10 hours to build is a bit daunting.

Agreed, the release of this kit has got me back into the hobby after 50 years. The problem is £90 spent on the kit, £500 spent on all the gear to do a proper job with no shortage of stuff still to buy. Translucent red, green and orange paint for the lights, smoke stain, panel line wash, clear coat and aerial rigging wire are on the shopping list. The model is spectacular though and the addition of after market seat belts is a must. Does anyone have any tips on pre-shading and quick ways of doing it ? Should I just do the fabric flight surfaces on the elevators and rudder ? Can I use a marker pen to avoid faffing with the airbrush ?