karimb Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 (edited) Double postings today in the RFI for me lol Good evening again everyone... I thought it would be nice to share this build with everyone here on the forums! This is the Tamiya Spitfire MkVIII kit and to be honest i cant say anything but recommend it. It is a fantastic kit if you build it straight oob and a real gem if you decide to add/correct some of the little bits that need correcting! This was a commissioned build for my best friend for the occasion of his wife and him moving into their new house and he specifically requested it to be really beat up and weathered. He also requested it to be in the two tone sand and brown camo as he didn't want the regular grey/green camo schemes of the spitfires. I was in luck when i found the original box to have the RCAF 1944 marking in the Italian theatre. I added the quickboost fishtail exhausts, the barracudacast seat with the leather backpadding and the barracudacast door with the separate crowbar. The kit needed no filler except for a lick on the top spine due to me clipping the sprue gates a bit too close to the parts. I also used the Eduard spitfire placards and Airscale decals for the rest of the placarding in the cockpit. Albion alloy brass tubing, soldering wire and electrical wiring of different gauges were also used along with EZline for the antenna wiring. The only decals used on the kit were the tamiya stencil decals and i found them to be on the thick side (as usual) but they conformed after multiple applications of Mr mark softer. All the roundels, the fin flashes and the lettering were masks i made myself on Silhouette designer software and cut using my Silhouette Cameo plotter (Oh yea! this was the best investment for the hobby i have made since forever!!). If anyone wants the files for the masks i have made, please drop me a line here or by pm and i will be more than happy to share them with you guys (i am also thinking about starting a thread where we can all pool and share our cutfiles! if anyone is interested let me know) Tamiya extra thin cement, Kristal Klear and CA were used on the kit. Paints were Tamiya acrylics, Gunze metalizers buffable and non buffables, Gloss coat was Gunze lacquer gloss, Gunze satin clear and tamiya's new premixed flat clear. Chipping was done with hairspray. FM black wash for the top and bottom and FM grime wash for some of the areas. Also used were enamel pinwashes, enamel filters, pigments by AK, oils for the fading and some of the streaking and watercolour staedtler pencils for some of the chipping and colour fading. The finished spitfire is now sitting on a mirror base in the middle of their wall display cabinet!! A fine and loving new home for the MkVIII thanks for checking in I hope this thread is not going to be too heavy on the pictures! Karim PS edit: I forgot to mention the Sutton harness is the HGW fabric/pe harness Enjoy! Edited January 3, 2016 by karimb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karimb Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 tucohoward 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karimb Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 red baron, airea, tucohoward and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karimb Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 airea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karimb Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Vandy 1 VX 4 and airea 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Karim Super build and your best friend will surely be impressed and happy with the weathering he requested. Completely agree, Tamiya Spitfires are magnificent kits and I'm so glad that they have abandoned all the toy like features found on the Spitfires and Mustangs. Awesome work my Friend :thumbsup: Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karimb Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Karim Super build and your best friend will surely be impressed and happy with the weathering he requested. Completely agree, Tamiya Spitfires are magnificent kits and I'm so glad that they have abandoned all the toy like features found on the Spitfires and Mustangs. Awesome work my Friend :thumbsup: Peter Peter thank you my friend! 100% correct the kit is a real gem and yours is resplendent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbnz77 Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Wow great job!! karimb 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karimb Posted January 3, 2016 Author Share Posted January 3, 2016 Wow great job!! Thank you mbnz77 for taking the time to leave such kind comments here and on the intruder post Karim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiner Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Just tremendous... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgem37 Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I really like what you've done. Like the fish eye and matte finish. Sincerely, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 Well, you certainly snuck this one in under the radar, mate! Looks terrific. What a dirty girl! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fins Up North Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Great weathering. This Spit and your A6 are beautiful builds. Something for me to aspire to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karimb Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 Karim. OMG ! It simply is GORGEOUS. .. Everything about it oozes Quality and AWESOMENESS. I think your best friend will be overwhelmed by its STUNNING good looks. Maybe I should commission you to build one for ME especially seeing The open Engine... KUDOS on a fabulous Spitfire/build. Maruuuuu thank you so much for the kind comments your words are always so uplifting and kind i hope all is good at your end my friend!! Just tremendous... Thank you skiner! thanks for taking the time to leave a word I really like what you've done. Like the fish eye and matte finish. Sincerely, Mark Mark, thanks ! thought the fisheye would make things a bit interesting rather than the stale photography skills i have lol Well, you certainly snuck this one in under the radar, mate! Looks terrific. What a dirty girl! Kev Yup Kev...you should see what i have prepared and almost done. AGAIN sneaked under the radar and i will be posting it as soon as it is really finished! soon enough i hope as i am going to be back at the bench for four days starting the 12th thanks again for the kind words Great weathering. This Spit and your A6 are beautiful builds. Something for me to aspire to! Kevin thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted January 6, 2016 Share Posted January 6, 2016 Crikey Karim - missed this one - you've been busy! Looks great - especially like the weathered codes - very convincing! Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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