Revell Spitfire Vb - Finished!

[BloorwestSiR]

Ok, I'm taking a quick break form the B-25s since they're not done and the Iron Rain GB ended. Don't worry, I'll get back and finish them. So in their place,  I thought I'd do a simpler build. I looked at the Hobby Boss Spitfire kit but it seems to need a bit of work. Reading up on the recent Spitfire II kit, many noted it was much closer to being a V so I thought that it would be a nice starting point. Especially since it was already in my stash

 

 

With the box contents dumped out. Ignore the McLaren parts that you might see.

 

 

Thanks to the wonderfully useless side opening boxes, I'm in for the haul now as there is no putting it away. So in that note, here's the cockpit bits starting to come together. I'm going to swipe some leftover Tamiya bits to detail the cockpit but don't plan to get too crazy.

 

 

As for scheme and markings, it'll be the middle stone over azure blue for camo. I haven't made a final decision beyond that though. 

 

Carl

Edited August 15, 2018 by BloorwestSiR

[Gerhard]

I have the same. will follow closely. 

[Kagemusha]

Just in case you didn't know, there are a couple of small conversion sets by Real Model and AML.

 

Some nice profiles here

 

and some outstanding profiles in this book

[BloorwestSiR]

45 minutes ago, Kagemusha said:

Just in case you didn't know, there are a couple of small conversion sets by Real Model and AML.

 

Some nice profiles here

 

and some outstanding profiles in this book

Thanks Kage! I've got the AML conversion and some Master barrels on their way here. Hopefully they'll arrive before I head to that side of the Atlantic. 

 

[Gerhard]

Off topic (Maybe) Where can I get 1/24 decals for Spitfire Vb JU H , Debbden, Essex 1941?  ( Nightfighter)

[gmctaggart]

Currently building this so I will follow your progress so that I can steal (borrow) your approach  

Gord

[BloorwestSiR]

21 hours ago, Gerhard said:

Off topic (Maybe) Where can I get 1/24 decals for Spitfire Vb JU H , Debbden, Essex 1941?  ( Nightfighter)

Not sure but I'd suggest getting some masks made for the larger markings, especially the roundels and codes.  Maketar would certainly be able to make them for you. You'd just need the dimensions required.

[BloorwestSiR]

16 hours ago, gmctaggart said:

Currently building this so I will follow your progress so that I can steal (borrow) your approach  

Gord

 

Thanks Gordon. I have a bit of a haphazard approach to things sometimes but hopefully it'll be helpful.

[BloorwestSiR]

As a relaxing birthday present yesterday, I was banished to my workbench for the day and told not to lift a finger with regards to housework by my wife. So I managed to make some reasonable progress on the build. 

 

I started by spraying most of the cockpit components in Tamiya XF71. 

 

Since I had the paint out, I ended up painting some Tamiya Spitfire cockpit parts too so those may show up in some of the pics.

 

One of the kit omissions is the lack of the armour plate behind the pilot's seat. I copied the PE one from the Tamiya kit onto thin sheet styrene. 

 

 

With the main colour on, I assembled the front bulkhead. I sanded off the kit IP and used a Yahu one instead. It's much better detailed and better than I could do.

 

 

Next up, I painted the Tamiya seat XF9 Hull Red and installed it with the armour plate onto the bulkhead. It's the one on the left.

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2018 by BloorwestSiR

[BloorwestSiR]

Next up was the Wako fabric seat belts. I first painted them with XF49 Khaki. For the buckles, I used the new Tamiya lacquer silver. 

 

 

Here's the shoulder belts assembled and installed onto the seat. Lap belts are up next and then the detail painting in the cockpit. 

 

Carl

Edited August 5, 2018 by BloorwestSiR

[gmctaggart]

Quick progress.Nice work so far.

Gord

[themongoose]

Looking good! I like the comparison of the two kts we’re getting as a bonus  

[BloorwestSiR]

On 8/5/2018 at 7:03 PM, gmctaggart said:

Quick progress.Nice work so far.

Gord

 

Thanks Gord! I found your WiP thread and your build is really getting into the details more than I will be. 

 

On 8/6/2018 at 7:41 AM, themongoose said:

Looking good! I like the comparison of the two kts we’re getting as a bonus  

 

Thanks! I wasn't really planning to start working on the Tamiya but I might do more on it. It's not desert camo so it'll be in the regular WiP section if I do.

[BloorwestSiR]

I received my order from Hannants the other day and it had the last bits needed for this build:

 

 

 

There's the AML Vb conversion set, QuickBooks Vb spinner and prop, and Master brass cannon barrels. 

 

 

 

 

[BloorwestSiR]

Setting the cockpit aside for a moment, I started work on the wings. First I glued in the main wheel bays and then painted them Azure Blue and silver accordingly.

 

 

Then I decided to tackle the too shallow radiator. I used a scribing tool to cut the inner part of the rad and remove the middle portion. I then scored it so I could bend it and make a ramp. 

 

I used leftover Tamiya rads and narrowed them slightly to fit and then installed them in the rad fairing. 

 

 

Once dry, I dry fitted it to the wing. This gave me the angles needed for the ramps which I then boxed in.

 

 

The upper wing has a lip that needs to be modified to make room for the rad so I trimmed it accordingly.