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Spitfire MkVb to MkIX conversion 1/24 349 sqn


red Dog

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  • 2 weeks later...

The weathering process started by fading top surfaces with a very light mist of white heavily thinned (actually it is more a layer of thinner with a single drop of white) on a salted model.

 

Salt was applied on the humid model (top surface only) and then left to dry for a couple of hours, then the white misted was sprayed

Spit_mkIX_24_178_salt_white.png

 

The salt bits should be fine and eventhough they may not be visible when deposited on the water, they will become much visible after the water evaporated

Spit_mkIX_24_179_salt_white.png

 

Once the paint was dry, the model was cleaned of it's salt with a brush and water.

This is very subtle and almost impossible to see on the camouflage, but the overall effect is very convincing, unless it is overdone or the salt bits are too coarse.

Spit_mkIX_24_181_salt_white.png

 

It is much more visible on the prop, Not surprisingly due to the black base colour. 

But that's exactly the effect I wanted to get.

Spit_mkIX_24_187_prop.png

 

 

Then more salt was applied on both top and undersufaces for the next weathering paint layer.

This time i'll concentrate on area where a black mist (thinner +a drop of black) is appropriate. Doors, walkways, engine stain areas and undersufaces

Spit_mkIX_24_177_salt_white.png

 

Spit_mkIX_24_182_salt_black.png

 

On the top surfaces, the dark weathering was convincing.

Spit_mkIX_24_183_salt_black.png

 

Spit_mkIX_24_184_salt_black.png

 

I went a bit overboard on the undersurfaces, salt was too coarse and paint layer was too dark. But a quick mist of base colour fixed that issue at later stages.

Spit_mkIX_24_185_salt_black.png

 

The model was then completely rinced with water to try to eliminate as much salt as possible.
The above weathering were done in quick succession to avoid the salt staying too long on the model. Not sure it would have any impact but I'm not quite taking chances with salt :)

 

Thanks for looking

 

 

Edited by red Dog
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The effect achieved on the underside looks brilliant, I've never tried this before but will have to give it a go on my 1/32 :) Hope you don't mind me tagging along and copying technique, it's excellent to see what is possible and take inspiration from it now I'm returning to the hobby.

Can't wait to see (and totally copy ideas from) more :)

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Sure, that's the spirit :)

 

some more advices:

 

- you won't see the effect until you wash the salt. You will always tempted to do more and that will result in overdone effects.
Be moderate, even if you find it is not enough after salt removal do another run, it will be even better.

 

-  the white pass is very light and usually gives subtle effect, the black pass is very easily overdone,

 

- Keep the salt fine, Don't use coarse salt. if you grind it, it's even better but make sure you grind it to acceptable fineness, Don't let big chunks of salt on your model covering a too great surface. Apply salt where it matters. over large area I move the grinder on top, on specific areas I usually grind on a piece of paper and apply the salt with a finger pinch

 

- Don't use an hairdryer to remove the water or speed up the drying process, you may remove the salt too

Some apply water with a brush, I made a small bottle spray and mist the model from that spraycan

Wait till it is totally dry to start painting

 

- paint at very low pressure, put thinner in your airbrush, dip a brush in white paint and mix the cup. One dip is more than enough. No need to fill that cup fully. Same for black, dip once, mix, paint.

 

- toroughly wash your model when the paint is dry (no need to wait a day, 1h seems to be more than enough with acrylics, but it dépends on the paint you use obviously.

 

- if the effect is overdone, no big deal, spray the base colour again to tone it down. Work from inside the panel to the outside.
In the process above I heavily overdid the flaps, I painted Inside the ribs and came out with an even better effect to my eyes.

 

Spit_mkIX_24_188_flaps.png

The salt applied to the iner flaps was too coarse. The result wasn't satisfactory after the black pass.

the combination of too coarse salt and painting a dark mist over a light colour destroyed the subtility I wanted. I had to repaint the flaps in grey. But by misting it overall and painting more Inside the ribs I could salvage the issue and get the effect I wanted.

 

Have fun and post your progress,

Oh, and work in a big box, it's a messy process :) 

 

 

 

 

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As stated earlier in this WIP by GregV and kindly reminded by Captain Boogaloo, the oleo are too long and the model stands too high on it's main gear.

They are 7.8 mm whereas they should be 4.8mm in 1/24th. This was indeed compared with the 1/32 tamiya measurements.

 

So I cut the oleo clean but rather than simply shortening them by 3 mm, I bore a hole in the main gear and sanded 3mm of the oleo thinner so it could insert it into the main gear.

I figured this would give me more stability:

Spit_mkIX_24_190_gear.png

The area needing sanding is marked by the yellow tale

 

Spit_mkIX_24_193_gear.png

The lower part sanded and ready to be inserted 

 

Spit_mkIX_24_194_gear.png

The wheels 

 

Spit_mkIX_24_195_gear.png
One of the gear completed

 

 

Spit_mkIX_24_201_gear.png

The final result with shorter oleos. 

 

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Hi Red woofer! I did perhaps forget to mention the Mk IX oleo legs should also have scissor links pointing forward? Sorry Olly!!! In fact, if we're being pedantic, the oleo covers should be more curved around the legs than the Mk 1a.  Courtesy of Spanner in the works productions!!

 

Blue Skies!

Captain Boogaloo

PS love the salty dog paint effects!!

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Thanks DutchMan

 

Duncan, that scissor link has been in the back of my head Indeed. I even already sourced a few candidate in the stash part bin

thanks for the reminder :)

Forget about the curved oléo though :)

Edited by red Dog
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More small details:

 

Spit_mkIX_24_203_flaps.png

Rear view of the flaps and wheels, 

 

 

Spit_mkIX_24_204_gear.png

Duncan, scissors have been added but are barely visible :)

 

Spit_mkIX_24_205_tail.png

Detail of the tail control surfaces angled and the free tail wheel. The light is from the trumpeter kit

 

Spit_mkIX_24_206_LE.png

Leading edge with tamiya tape bits painted in red over the guns holes.

 

 

 

Spit_mkIX_24_208_door.png

The access door with a major mistake, lots of modification on that one. those who can remember the airfix one will notice :)

 

Spit_mkIX_24_209_mirror.png

The rear view mirror was scratched as the airfix fit only offer the rectangular one

 

This is the final stretch :)

 

 

 

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Thank you Lothar, I'll call this one finished now :)

Thank you for your support Lothar and all of you

 

Follow the link on the image below to go the the Ready for inspection forum. 

 

Spit_mkIX_24_214_finale.png

 

I want to express my thanks to all of you supporting WIP builds. It's great to have feedback and really helps the mojo

Cheers gents !!

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