Spitfire MkVb to MkIX conversion 1/24 349 sqn

[red Dog]

I started this one a few weeks ago alongside a Tamiya 1/32 MkXVI thinking I could use the tamiya model as a source of minor detailling for the 1/24 model.

 

 

The conversion to MkIX will be done with the help (...) of the old heritage set
Other goodies will be used such as resin seat, some trumpeter parts I could gather, Airscale instrument panel, Master cannons and custom mask made by DN models

 

Hopefully I will be able to make a Mk IX from 349 sqn : GE - L serial PT723 clipped wing as illustrated in the next picture

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2020 by red Dog

[red Dog]

The heritage set I am using has been stored for quite a long while and I may have missing parts.
The resin is not void of air bubbles but the extended nose, the 4 bladed prop, the second radiator and the tail parts are really helpful for this conversion.

Not that it will be an easy one because the fit of the resin nose is really bad, the small air intake should hide a bit of that disaster but still ...

 

On top the problem is not so huge but will require quite a bit of adjusting to fit.

 

Needless to say the engine won't fit. No big deal there as when you build both the 1/24 airfix and the 1/32 tamiya engine at the same time, you'd be ashamed to display the 1/24 engine anyway.

In all fairness there is a huge technology gap between these two so they can't really be compared IMHO.

Let's just say that I am not a fan of opened panels on Spitfire and I rather want to display the elegant lines of the aircraft

 

 

 

[Lothar]

That's quite an ambitious project, but knowing your recent builds

I'm certain you'll turn out a stunning model - I'll be watching this 

with GREAT interest!!

Lothar

[red Dog]

Thanks Lothar,

 

I have seen some great Spit builds in here lately, if this one turns a quarter  as good as those, then i'll be happy.

Warbirds are usually not my strongest point, but I'll do my best

[red Dog]

I was lucky to bring a wheel insert set from my last visit to the US. The set was just announced here on LSP by 109Ace before I departed and the parts were waiting for me when I got there

As you probably all know the Airfix wheel bay are not closed and you can see the inner wings so this set was a great opportunity to save a bit of time closing the side of the wheel well myself with plasticard.
The set has the added bonus of being available with resin wheels and as I don't really fancy rubber wheels at all, these will be welcome eventhough if they are just copies of the rubber kit's wheel. Strangely enough I didn't get a tail wheel with my order, but just two main wheels. So somehow I'll be stuck with one small rubber wheel anyway  

 

 

When I came back home, I immediately started working on the spitfire wings test fitting the new wheel inserts. The quality is a bit rough and not devoid of air bubble. the surfaces are not as smooth as Zactoman's resin, but that can be easily fixed with  a quick sanding and puttying session.

 

First thing to do was to remove the thick resin blocks, quickly done on a sheet of 180 sanding paper and a lot of rotating motions

 

 

After removing the block, I started to wonder if these parts were sided or not. I tried different configuration and ended up making my mind on which part to use on each side and marked them (when you constantly dry fit, after a while you really don't know anymore … ) If they are supposed to be side relevant, then a quick mark would tremendously help  
Being so excited to get back to modelling after the business trip I confess I didn't check before sanding the parts …

 

 

Once the wheel inserts are in the wings, you can't place the hispano guns anymore, but that's no big deal for me as they are really ugly and I will use the master's canons anyway. So I don't really need them.
Strangely enough the inserts don't seem to be symetrical as one gun ejector is covered (right in the above picture) by the insert while the other is left free… (left one)

The gear can't be attached if the resin inserts are left as they are. The proxxon will be used to mill resin out to allow the gear struts to be attached in their correct location.

Note the surgery (just one clean cut) to recover the gun ejector on the right side !

 

You can't really display the wheels retracted either, that was made well clear before buying the set.
The wheel will conflict with the side wall. No factor for me either as this one will be displayed on the dispersal and not in flight as I usually do

 

I also had a bit of trouble to decide of the two pin and the top gear retaining plate glued on the inner top wings were supposed to be left in place or removed. After test fitting I decided to remove them as I thought the purpose of the inserts was to cover the full height of the wing internal and one of the two pins were clearly in the way.
Yet, once I removed them, I realised the inserts were not touching the top wing unless I compressed the wing hard (messing their shape).
No big deal but that made me realise that maybe, just maybe I shouldn't have cut these pins.Oh, well, too late to address this now so let's move on ...

 

[LSP_Kevin]

Cool project, Olivier! I've just added you to this month's prize raffle.

 

Kev

[Out2gtcha]

Nice!

[109ace]

It's a great bargain for a $15 set that includes $10.00 wheels. They are handed and I no longer have the wings loaned to me to create the set. Otherwise I'd mark the masters before packing. Sorry about the tail wheel. Next time you're in the states let me know and I'll send you the tail wheel. If you did not get the 109 set, let me know and I'll toss a set in for your troubles. The guy that loaned me the wings from his personal kits is sending me the P-51 Mustang set. I will be making a replacement wheelwell set for that kit. I have the wheels to make masters from coming up soon. 

 

[red Dog]

Thanks guys,

 

Don't worry about the tail wheel 109Ace, it's a minor detail very easily overcome.

I agree your price was definitely a bargain considering the weight of the resin, and your service sending these was great

I'm not bothered by challenge when I build models, I'm not after tamiya style no putty model. If I may just offer two things for your set. It's simply adding a note in the pack with a few basic information about the left/right part and what to do about the original parts to install the set.

 

 

It's not critical, it would just save a bit of head scratching when mating the set to the model wings.

In any way, thanks for that set, it serve it's purpose . 

 

 

  

 

 

[Fvdm]

Cool project. I think the nose may give some challenges. Good luck.

[red Dog]

The MkIX conversion adds another big radiator under the wing. Both radiators are provided in resin but the bottom wing need to be adapted for fitting the second radiator.

 

 

I started by marking the position of the resin part and then milled a layer of plastic to insert the new radiator.

 

The panels were all closed on the top and bottom wing.
As you can see from the picture below, I decided to cut the flaps to display them out. the flap Indicator panel was also opened from the top wing.
The second gun is not installed and the gun ejector has been filled.

Edited July 12, 2019 by red Dog

[red Dog]

Rather than keeping the huge block or resin for the inner radiator I cut the front and rear face away from the resin part and glued them on the kit's part for the original radiator.

The extra radiator was assembled in the same manner but I used 0.75mm plasticard to "copy" the kit's part that I am obviously missing.

 

 

It's a bit messy but Nothing is visible from the oustide.

 

 

The wheel wells received a little bit of detailling with platic strips and the radiator are puttied in place.

 

 

 

 

[109ace]

7 hours ago, red Dog said:

Thanks guys,

 

Don't worry about the tail wheel 109Ace, it's a minor detail very easily overcome.

I agree your price was definitely a bargain considering the weight of the resin, and your service sending these was great

I'm not bothered by challenge when I build models, I'm not after tamiya style no putty model. If I may just offer two things for your set. It's simply adding a note in the pack with a few basic information about the left/right part and what to do about the original parts to install the set.

 

 

It's not critical, it would just save a bit of head scratching when mating the set to the model wings.

In any way, thanks for that set, it serve it's purpose . 

 

 

  

 

 

Noted. But the modeler has to commit to either wanting the wheelwells closed up. Or keeping the toy like retracting landing gear. When was the last time any manufacturer engineered landing gear that functioned?The wing guns never looked right with their panels opened. Again, a gaping hole into the wing. You got to pick your battle.

[red Dog]

exactly what I said  in the first place.

The issue here is not to discuss about the possibility to retain the moving gears (I think it's clear from my initial post that I didn't care about moving gear) 

 

The fact is more that even when you commit to fixed down gear you have two problems:

 

1. your inserts prevent the modeller to attach the gear leg. You can't attach them at all unless you modify your inserts to let the gear attach point pass through and therefore glue them in place foir a solid gear on your model
   => nothing a bit of extra work can't fix (as I equally quoted above) - but it would have been equally easy to fix this on your master IMHO

 

2. the modeller doesn't know if he has to remove or keep the parts I identified above.

Not to retain the moving gears but because he doesn't have a clue if these parts are necessary for the stability of the inserts or if they are conflicting with the inserts.

So it's not really a case of choosing our battles, these are well picked way before this issue.
I removed them because one of the two was half visible, exactly on the edge of the inserts and I thought this can't be. But seeing the gap between the insert and the top wing anyway, Maybe that pin was helping stabilising the insert. 
Even now I am not sure if I did the right thing, I still have a small gap  visible which kinda spoil the purpose of the insert. 

Maybe I installed them wrong? 

 

Hence my simple request for just a bit of guidance on how this is supposed to be installed.

As I said, mine are in, I have nothing to gain from mentionning this. Let's just say that if it helps fellow modellers in the future, it's all benefit.

After all that's a prurpose of a modelling forum, No?

 

Cheers

 

 

[wpierson]

I remember the kits of my youth. I searched for kits with details like retractable landing gear, sliding canopies, etc. To me the ultimate was monogram's P-51 with working gear, dropping bombs, and spinning prop. Yeah, they may be more toy like, but to an excited 8 year old, they were the bees knees.