Spitfire MkVb to MkIX conversion 1/24 349 sqn

[R Palimaka]

I am so impressed by your determination and skill, and calmness (at least online ), in dealing with the challenges that come up with every step of this build. It is looking better with every post. 

 

Richard

[Biggles87]

If you do add the fuel tank armour, the front edge is almost flush with the cowling. I did it on a 1/32 Mk1 several years ago, and used the thinnest Plasticard I had and thinned it gently towards the cowling.

 

John

EDIT. That’s the front edge at the top only.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Biggles87

[red Dog]

Thanks Richard.

 

I guess I deal with that frustration with longer pauses than usual, that's why that Spitfire takes much longer than any other model

I need all the motivation I can get and many times you guys support really helps me facing the next challenge.

 

Thanks for the kind words

 

 

[red Dog]

Thanks John,

 

I'm still debating adding it or not indeed. It's 0.3mm plasticard so far. 

Perfect advise, thanks

[red Dog]

This morning I woke up and I felt like punching a few rivets ...

 

 

Armed with a good rivet drawing, a divider, rosie the riveter 1mm, a needle, a pencil and a lot of templates I went to work.

 

 

I use dymo tape when I want to stop the rivet line precisely. I found out that trying to do it by the eye gives real bad results

 

After a few hours, I completed the right wing. Brushed some black acrylics and rub it, hoping to make the rivets more visible.

I had to compromise a couple lines, more especially around the flap indicator door which is badly placed (and too large)

Most of the rest went fine and matched the rivet drawing I used :

 

 

Here's the naked left wing, for comparison. Soon to be rivetted as well, but that's for another day

Edited December 7, 2019 by red Dog

[red Dog]

Rivetting is boring and yet addictive

Second week end with that needle and wheel in my hands and I only finished both wings.

 

 

It's far from the rivetting quality I have seen from my pairs but I will live with it. I think ultimately if you really want quality rivet work you may consider to work only with a needle and avoid the wheel use. But I'm not brave enough for that yet. 

 

 

Luckily I can add some details like hinges, positive rivets, bumps and the PE flaps made for the Trumpeter MkVs
They need to be slighly modified but fit reasonnably well and the small cut won't be much visible. 

 

 

The glue applicator really became useful in assembling the flaps, especially for the very tiny ribs.

I had the thing on my bench for quite a while and almost regretted buying it, but not anymore. It was really easier to use than my usual toothpick method for gluing these tiny PE parts

 

 

 

I know flaps are not supposed to be down on Spitfire, but this one will be an exception

insert "here" whatever excuse you like

 

Now that the wings are finished I can concentrate on the fuselage and that's not the easiest part due to holding the model stable as you punch these rivets

Can't wait to start painting honestly 

 

[Greif8]

I admire both your skill and your patience with is build.  I admit that the fit issues would have made me put this kit away.  I really like your riveting and appreciate the tips as well.

 

Ernest

[thierry laurent]

Terrific work Olivier. I do not know how I missed that thread up to now. I thought my FR47 conversion was the worst possible Spit-based possible conversion but your large MkIX looks to be a very good competitor... ;-) You're slowly but surely reaching the end of the painful phases! 

[Anthony in NZ]

Wonderful progress.  I take my hat off to you doing this conversion.  This is a job in itself just building the kit alone.  But to do all the mods and conversion....amazing!  Keep up the great work!

 

I am following in admiration!

 

Cheers Anthony

[red Dog]

Thank you both of you. That was exactly the motivation I needed to get back on the bench to try to progress on the project

Much appreciated

 

More work on the starboard flaps:

The 2 part moveable flaps have been assembled.

These are initially designed for the trumpeter kits but modification to fit the airfix kit is minimal. Most of the mods are needed around the area where the flap go through the wing and opens a small door when they are down. 

 

Here are the flaps assembled

The rods are still too long and the hinges aren't glued yet

 

And a dry fit on the wing, the inner small flap doesn't fit perfectly but this is very easy to fix.

The inner flap has no wall and it's normal to see inside the fuselage, but it seems I didn't plan for that when I scratchbuilt the cockpit walls and I'll need to make them fit better before attaching the flaps.

 

Happy to see some real progress rather than rivetting and panel line. Still have to do the port flaps and rivets on the fuselage. 

 

Thank for looking

[red Dog]

Worked a bit on the tail sections:

 

I cut the elevators so I can display them down, I cut the trim actuators and I will add a small rod between the two sections.

Then the stabs were rivetted

 

 

The rudder is part of the heritage resin conversion as I needed the tall pointy one for this model. It's very rough and full of bubble. 
The rudder trim tab was cut so it can be placed at ana angle, the trim actuator was redone in scratch. 
The tail light was also added and the whole thing was sanded down.

 

Still need a lot of finer sanding.
On the other side the rudder actuator was made, it was non existent, the angle is not good, but that's because the rudder is too angled. 

 

 

Finally I took the decision to add the fuel tank armor plate with that 0.3mm plasticard. It's then sanded down so it's almost flush with the engine cowling in the front

 

 

[red Dog]

Next comes the fuselage rivetting.

 

I scaled the drawings to 1/24 scale and cut them by groups of panels. 
Then I taped these on the model and from there, it was simply a matter of rolling the rivet wheel on the printed rivets.

 

I started with the front fuselage under the armor plate and worked my way to the tail, alternating rivet wheel and the rivet needle where appropriate.

 

 

 

This is zoomed in quite close and a lot of problems are still visible - most of them you don't see with the naked eye.

The result is very subtle as the rivet wheel need to first go through the paper thickness. But that's exactly what I wanted.

The risk is that the paper moves under the pressure of the wheel. When that happens you end up with curved rivet lines which then will need to be sanded and redone. This happenned on the radio door because the paper template was smaller. It was very visible and no way I could leave it curved. 

But when the templates are larger and well taped, it is not so much of a concern

 

   

Working my way to the tail.
And below the result:

 

 

A few corrections here and there are needed, but all in all I'm happy with the results

 

Off to the other side and then the nose section...

Edited January 11, 2020 by red Dog

[Anthony in NZ]

Lovely work, I’m really enjoying following along. Those who have or are building 1/24 scale kits appreciate all the extra work that needs to go in them....let alone do a conversion. Well done and keep up the great work!

Edited January 11, 2020 by Anthony in NZ

[red Dog]

I think I see light at the end of the tunnel…

After weeks … months of engraving, rivetting, correcting, sanding and rivetting sompe more I'm almost ready to paint this.

Seeing her in this stage is now a great motivation factor

 

The tail elements and the canopy (reversed) and the spinner and the exhausts and the access door are all blue tacked for now.
I'm not convinced with the windscreen. Seems something is off but I can't really see what… I'll need to study that issue some more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dodgem37]

GREAT! show.

 

Sincerely,

Mark