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Tamiya Spitfire Mk IX Kicked Up A Notch: Last Post


chuck540z3

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Part F56...... located below the oxygen bottle. This is the voltage regulator and inverter for the Mk.II gyro gun sight power supply. If your Spitfire is fitted with a reflector sight you do not need to include this part. Another trap is part F34.... located under the rear fixed glazing portion on the left hand side of the fuselage. This item is a bomb distribution solenoid unit. So F34 is not required unless your Spitfire has wing bomb racks as well as the fuselage centre line rack. Wolf is probably correct in identifying the above Merlin as coming out of a Mosquito, as not only is it single stage super charged but it also has the fire suppression pipe work on it associated with Merlins installed in Mosquitoes.

 

AndyH.

 

 

Good intel Andy and thanks for sharing that information.  If you see me going down a dark tunnel of inaccuracies, assuming I can still change something, please let me know!

 

Cheers,

Chuck

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An alternative way to getting that armoured glass look on the windscreen is airbrushing it with Alclad Armoured Glass paint.  Unlike the other clear Alclad paints, this doesn't attack the clear plastic (I've never had that happen yet - including Tamiya's clear plastic).  If you get orange peel when applying it, let it cure, then micromesh it back to clarity.  Here's the windshield I did for my (yet unfinished 1:32 Spitfire).

 

I4GZxAy.jpg

 

Jens

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Hiya Chuck.

 

You are doing a swell job with your Spitfire. I have access to some pretty good reference material so sometimes I can answer some of those questions modellers have about the more obscure objects or airframe arrangements relating to the Spitfire based on my own observations. The Spitfire (like any WWII aircraft probably) is a mine field of fit out and colour variations.  It is never my intention to tell a modeller they incorrect..... just happy to every so often offer information to allow the modeller to make their own decision. Looking forward to seeing your finished model :).

 

Cheers

 

AndyH

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  • 2 weeks later...

February 6, 2018

 

I've been plugging away at this build and although I've made the Tamiya P-51D kit before, I think this one is actually better, which is saying a lot.  Almost everything is finely detailed and almost everything fits perfectly, so it's a joy to assemble.  I said “almost†for a reason, so I have a few tips below to help if you make this kit in the future based upon my recent experiences.   Before I show anything, I have a few comments:

 

1)  As Wolf Buddee suggested to me, get the Montforton book on the Spitfire 9 and 16.  It is a MUST if you want to go to the next level of detail, even though the kit detail is already excellent.  Besides many photographs of the real deal, it has many engineering drawings of almost every part, so you can figure out what all of the parts are and what the panel line and rivet detail should look like.  Only downside to this book is that it has almost nothing on the engine, so fortunately I have other sources.  Hard copies of this book are hard to find and expensive, but you can download an E-Book in pdf format like I did here:

 

http://www.monfortonpress.com/

 

2)  Although I really enjoy adding a lot of detail to my builds, I have come to the conclusion that unless I can see this detail fairly easily without flipping the model over and using a flashlight, I'm just not going to do it anymore.  Landing gear wells are a perfect example.  I have spent many, many hours doing all sorts of extra plumbing detail on most of my models and I haven't looked at any of it since, mostly because it's mostly hidden.  One exception is the gear well of my Mustang build, which is very open and obvious, so that was worthwhile.  Thankfully the Spitfire has very little to see in the gear wells, so I'm not adding one wire to them.

 

       3)  I now use CA glue exclusively as a filler and I can't remember the last time I used putty, so everything below is filled with CA glue for the following reasons:

 

  1. It won't shrink.
  2. With Accelerator, it is ready to be sanded NOW, rather than after a few days drying.  Similarly, repairs are immediate
  3. It sands easily within the first few hours of drying.
  4. Rivet and panel line detail can be re-applied without fear of ragged edges and chipped filler.

 

So let's get on with my build, which I will describe numerically as follows:

 

1   As per the instructions, wing area below the cockpit is paint RAF Interior Green.

2   Aluminum for the rear of the cockpit and inner wheel wells.

3   Tamiya AS-32 Medium Sea Grey for the round part of the wheel wells, which is the same as the bottom color.

 

 

NHheT0.jpg

 

 

4  The interior of the radiator housings should also be AS-32, which is not suggested in the instructions.

 

 

c77DET.jpg

 

 

5  Although I bought the Barracuda early style gun blisters, which have a more accurate curved front, I found them a bit short at the front, which meant that I would need filler to close the gap.  I don't think the difference to the kit parts is worth the effort, so I went with the kit parts instead.

 

 

IzK0pO.jpg

 

 

6  I am using the RB Productions radiator grills, which have a lot more detail than the kit parts.

 

 

0jUR4F.jpg

 

 

Unfortunately, I found them to be too tall- wider than the kit parts- so I had to cut off the top of the radiator grills to get them to fit.  This might be user error, but I don't think so.

 

 

awAhWG.jpg

 

 

From the front and rear, they add some nice obvious detail, without going crazy with other internal detail I'll never see.

 

 

654n7O.jpg

 

7  As indicated many times before with other builds of this kit, the cannon and gun inserts fit terrible and take a lot of filling and sanding to smooth them out.  While the outline of the cannon insert doesn't not exist on the real deal, extensive rivet reinforcement does and should be added.  While the gaps between the kit parts appear to be still rough, the clear CA glue is very smooth and a dark wash is added to check for flaws.

 

 

ncxn4y.jpg

 

 

8  While this detail might appear to be haphazard, this is what the rivet pattern should look like on the other wing, according to the Montforton book.  Also, the rivet pattern on the left should be extended just beyond the outside gun.  This rivet pattern should be replicated on the bottom of the wing as a mirror image, including the rivets surrounding the cannon tubes.

 

 

gQr64o.jpg

 

 

 

9  The horizontal stabilizers fit nice and flush to the rear fuselage, but they are both too fat and should be sanded down to meet the filet at the join.  To do this, I re-punched the rivets a bit deeper, sanded the plastic, then re-punched the rivet detail with a needle in a pin vice.

 

 

Wd0gbR.jpg

 

 

10  On the top of the fuselage, there should be two parallel lines of rivets that are on the kit parts, but the mating surface should be removed completely.  As before, I deepened the rivets, added CA glue to fill the gap, then sanded the surface smooth, followed by replacement of the rivet detail.

 

 

Wnrcpb.jpg

Edited by chuck540z3
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11  The bottom is trickier to do, because there should only be a single lines of rivets, which are on the starboard kit part only, and therefore offset slightly from center.  This offset is quite small and “good enoughâ€, because punching rivet detail along a gap line is asking for trouble, which could re-open the gap.

 

 

p8bSNw.jpg

 

 

12  At the front are two small circular depressions behind the fuel cap that should actually be holes in the panel that covers the fuel tank.  To replicate something similar without drilling through thick plastic, I used a drill bit to deepen both and I will add a dark wash to them after painting to set them apart.  The curved trim detail in front of the windscreen had to be replaced after sanding.  Note how well the windscreen fits the fuselage.  It is literally a drop-in, but I will need to add black to the bottom of the clear plastic to remove the “coke bottle†look of the bottom.

 

 

 

msUFb6.jpg

 

HhCVfC.jpg

 

 

13  The rudder control arm doesn't really fit anything if the rudder is tilted left or right, so I cut it off and replaced it with electrical wire insulation stripped off a wire, then placed it into a hole I drilled into the fuselage receptacle.  The soft plastic will flex without snapping off the anchor, which I drilled out a bit with a #80 drill bit and added a small piece of wire to secure it into place.  The rudder arm is quite thick on the real deal, so this replacement is very close to scale, especially after painting.

 

 

Rudder pushed to the right

 

 

jNT6tf.jpg

 

And now left

 

vF1iEd.jpg

 

 

14  As noted by many modelers, the wing root is absolutely perfect and needs no filler.  This is just dry fitted.

 

 

YkJoU8.jpg

 

 

 

15  The bottom is not as tight, but still better than most kits.  Closing this gap will be relatively easy.

 

Some might remember that I have the Eduard landing flap PE set, which I was going to install.  I found that it is a TON of work for something I won't be able to see very well, so I punted and left the flaps up.  Besides, finding a Spitfire with the flaps down is hard to find, so it must be a relatively rare occurrence anyway.

 

 

6IJ2pr.jpg

 

 

16  I thought I would show the bottom of the aileron to point out a “pin markâ€, which I notice many other modelers have filled.  It is real and as a matter of fact, should be a hole in the aileron with no metal cover like the other holes.  This hole is sometimes covered with dope fabric, so if you want to fill it, you should try and replicate same.

 

 

m0G1tJ.jpg

 

 

With all this done, I'm only about 1/3 finished, because the front and Merlin engine will be super-detailed, just like so many other builds.

 

 

 

pIRaeN.jpg

 

 

 

Now another tip, or as my wife would say, “Retail Opportunityâ€.  Ever place a bunch of copper wires into a gear well or engine compartment and then try and paint them?  Not easy or fun, is it?  One way of getting around this for fine wiring is to use pre-colored fly tying wire, which comes in almost every color imaginable and it's CHEAP if you buy it in bulk.  I used to buy the odd small spool from sporting goods stores which can be quite expensive, but I found this set on Amazon for $21 Cdn ($16.80 US) with FREE shipping to my door, even without Prime (which I have anyway).  Each spool has at least 3-4 feet on it, so this set should last me forever.  Yes, many of the colors are too bright and shiny, but with a little dull coat, they will look just fine.

 

Note.  The wire is very smooth, but with shrinking this pic down to fit on your computer screen, it has pixilated a bit and the wire may look a bit braided.  It's not at all.

 

 

 

9B9yr5.jpg

 

 

 

That's it for now boys.  I have a LOT of engine work in front of me!

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited by chuck540z3
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Super presentation, Chuck.

 

awAhWG.jpg

What did you use to cut this stainless?

 

'this is what the rivet pattern should look like on the . . . wing'

The rivet pattern on the Spitfire is a B E A R to reproduce.  I'm doing so on PCM Spitfire XIVc.  Ugh!

 

'The wire is very smooth, but with shrinking this pic down to fit on your computer screen, it has pixilated a bit and the wire may look a bit braided.  It's not at all.'

9B9yr5.jpg

 It's called a Moire pattern.  Excellent tip.  I've been using fishing line monofilament.   

 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark

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Chuck, another fabulous creation of yours in the making. I am not a spitfire guy, yet I am so excited to follow along.

If I may, I would like to note one thing. I had many discussions with Wolf about the leading edge of this aeroplane that was apparently smooth . Filled as per factory directive.

Maybe another, more knowledgable guys can pitch in, apparently it's a big deal :)

Cheers

Martin

Edited by Martinnfb
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Chuck, another fabulous creation of yours in the making. I am not a spitfire guy, yet I am so excited to follow along.

If I may, I would like to note one thing. I had many discussions with Wolf about the leading edge of this aeroplane that was apparently smooth . Filled as per factory directive.

Maybe another, more knowledgable guys can pitch in, apparently it's a big deal :)

Cheers

Martin

 

Thanks Martin.  I would like to know myself, because I have found a few pics that show a possible seam line and rivet detail along the leading edge, while others don't show it at all.  Maybe the smooth leading edge was filled in restored Spits?  In any event, this would be the time to find out, because I can fix or alter almost anything. 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

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Hi Chuck, superb progress - absolutely lovin' the all attention to detail. 

 

I have to admit to being a little surprised you decided against using the Barracuda blisters. Was the fit that bad?

 

Torben

 

Thanks Torben.

 

No, not really and to be fair to Roy and Barracuda Studios, I could have easily added some CA glue to the gap and rescribed the front panel line.  Having said that, the differences in blister shape don't jump out at me all that much and the tiny fastener detail on the edges would have been set back a bit from the other sides, so I just took the easy route and stayed with the kit parts.  I love Barracuda stuff, so it was hard not to use the resin instead.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

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