The antique BoB Revell Spitfire Mk.I

[thierry laurent]

By the way, for those interested in getting more info about the TR1133 entry in service during the BoB, this page is giving a lot of interesting information:

 

http://www.airbattle.co.uk/b_research_3.html

[Captain Boogaloo]

On 7/19/2020 at 7:39 AM, thierry laurent said:

Hi guys,

 

Having an appropriate seat is good but finding a way to put it in the cockpit is better! The Aires set is again showing its drawbacks. First, the seat support structure is far too simplified and second, it is not fully correct because of the too large resin seat. The use of the Barracuda seat was solving the dimension problem but this also meant I was forced to rebuild the structure...

 

Again, finding the relevant pictures was not that easy as either the seat is in the cockpit and you cannot seen the support structure, either it is removed but typically wihout that structure that is rarely shot in pictures! So, I had to reconstruct the full pictures from bits visible here and there and TM views!

 

Finally, I used a combination of the initial resin part, Evergreen rod, the small bars cut out of the Barracuda seat and some very fine Albion tubes. I had a lot of difficulties to position correctly the latter but this was very important to get a correct seat angle. I tried to glue them correctly at least ten times without success...

Finally, I used slow setting CA gel and I think I got it at last correctly!

 

 

And while I was ending that seat, I also looked at the armor. The Barracuda seat I had had no armor plate. The Aires one was too large and cast with the seat. The kit one was far too thick and thinning it was not a solution as the dimensions are alas incorrect. I also had a leftover photoetched one but the holes were not correctly aligned with my scratchbuilt seat supporting structure!

 

In the end, I copied a Barracuda one and enlarged a little bit the holes to mate correctly the seat, armor plate and supporting structure.

 

 

Finally, the only component I will use from the original seat is the heigth adjusting lever as it will be barely visible on the seat side. So, I simply saw it and reworked it a little bit. Considering what will be finally visible, this will be more than sufficient!

 

 

Another item removed from the list!

Thierry, that's inspirational work Sir! Are you planning to add the starting handle? It clips onto the frame you've beautifully built, behind the armour plate on the port side.

Kind regards

Captain Boogaloo

[thierry laurent]

3 minutes ago, Captain Boogaloo said:

Thierry, that's inspirational work Sir! Are you planning to add the starting handle? It clips onto the frame you've beautifully built, behind the armour plate on the port side.

Kind regards

Captain Boogaloo

Thanks! Interesting remark. Where did you find a reference regarding this? I have never seen any related picture or TM view. 

[Captain Boogaloo]

Hello Thierry,

the best picture I've come across is on page 156 of the Haynes Supermarine Spitfire restoration manual by Paul and Louise Blackah, ISBN 978 0 85733 224 0; it's the seat out of the BBMF Spitfire MkIIa  P7350.

Note this is NOT the Haynes Spitfire manual ( not that there's anything wrong with that 

publication - I got it at the same time....signed by Paul and Dr Alfred Price dontcha know!!!!).

Seriously, it's a goldmine of clear detailed photos, well worth tracking down. Hope that helps you.

Blue Skies!

Captain Boogaloo

[Gazzas]

Love the extra work you've put in.

[thierry laurent]

10 hours ago, Captain Boogaloo said:

Hello Thierry,

the best picture I've come across is on page 156 of the Haynes Supermarine Spitfire restoration manual by Paul and Louise Blackah, ISBN 978 0 85733 224 0; it's the seat out of the BBMF Spitfire MkIIa  P7350.

Note this is NOT the Haynes Spitfire manual ( not that there's anything wrong with that 

publication - I got it at the same time....signed by Paul and Dr Alfred Price dontcha know!!!!).

Seriously, it's a goldmine of clear detailed photos, well worth tracking down. Hope that helps you.

Blue Skies!

Captain Boogaloo

Thanks. I just ordered it. I have the Haynes Spitfire manual but not that one. Note that P7350 being a Mk.IIa, there were changes linked to the production standardization in Castle Bromwich. So, I do not know if this was applicable for a late Mk.Ia.

[thierry laurent]

As I'm waiting for the Haynes book, I went back to the wing guns heating outlets.

 

The two pictures hereunder are showing the holes drilled in the wings. I'm still not fully convinced by what the TM view seems to indicate but without better references, I decided to replicate the drop-shaped holes.

 

I decided I would not glue immediately the covers on them as this will probably be annoying when I will add the missing screw heads in the round panels located under the wing leading edge.

 

Here's the small one:

 

 

And the larger one:

 

 

I already hesitated about opening the MG upper wing compartment doors and now I'm struggling against the idea to open the radio door...!

 

I have to agree far more things I've built in the rear fuselage would be visible but I'm afraid this also means I should add more details in the rear of the starboard side of the fuselage!

 

 

[thierry laurent]

And I also scratchbuilt the radiator lever that was actually located at the left of the seat. This is another feature alas forgotten in the Aires set.

 

[thierry laurent]

And finally, here's an assembly of the Brassin Mk.II instrument panel:

 

 

The parts are quite nice but actually depict a Mk.II rather than a Mk.I.  I'm not fully sure regarding how looked the late Mk.I IP but as the Mk.II was initially characterized by the engine change I'm afraid the modification of the configuration of the bezels in the lower right side of the IP only appeared when the Mk.II was produced. It is really too bad nobody ever released a true Mk.I IP in 1/32. It exists in 1/24 (Airscale) and 1/48 (Eduard) but not in 1/32 whereas two 1/32 "Mk.I" kits have been released (Revell and Hasegawa)!

 

I could have scratchbuilt a more accurate panel but I did not want to go there just after having done a fully scratched one for my MiG-27 kit! Fortunately, the differences are quite limited.

[dennismcc]

Hi Thierry, you probably have this already but just in case this is from my Edgar file.

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234975928-spitfire-armor-plates-in-cockpit-shape-and-dimensions/

 

Genuine Mk.I Pilot's Notes are in the hen's teeth section; I got this from the National Archives, though the Mk.II is very similar. Items 1 are the pull-handles for the release cables to the parachute flare tubes; when they were deleted, the recognition device, with its cable replaced them.

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by dennismcc
Better photos

[thierry laurent]

Indeed, I had such views. This is interesting to see they show the combination of the later LG system while still keeping the original single stage pedals. Moreover, that Spit also belonged to a batch having a seat with the flare cartridges holder.

 

One big problem with the Mk.I was the lack of standardization, the multiple batches, the changes along the production and use as well as the retrofit of some elements!

 

Last, with regard to the seat armor, there were variations regarding the general shape, the use of a single or two parts or the shape of the cutout in the lower port corner. The story of the evolution of such sub-components has yet to be written but it is quite probable this will never be done. So... who knows?

[mozart]

Wonderfully detailed and precise work you’re doing here Thierry, it’s good to see a craftsman at work. 

[thierry laurent]

Hi guys.

 

I just got the Haynes book with the starter handle picture. This means I have another item to scratchbuild as it looks the Mk.I indeed used it...  (The Mk.II had the Coffman starter).

 

In the meanwhile, I quickly modified the seat armor I had made to replicate one type that looked to be common on the Mk.I.

 

 

I also corrected the De Havilland propeller blades of the more recent Revell kit. I already mentioned I will use the propeller from that kit as it is far better. The blades are not that bad but the tip section width is too large. You can see here the difference between the kit part on the right and the corrected one on the left:

 

 

Last, this picture shows a comparison between the modified blade and the full scale one.

 

 

Then it was just a matter of replicating that work to modify the three blades.

[thierry laurent]

After some additional research, I realized that the bezel that disappeared from the starboard lower side of the IP was not necessarily linked to the engine change as it was a fuel gauge. So, even if it was probably linked to the standardization program linked to the production of the Mk. II, I am not fully sure it did not appear on the last Mk. I batches. At least, now, I do not have the proof using a Mk. II IP is obviously wrong. It is just probable. 

[Captain Boogaloo]

Hello Thierry,

I think the second fuel gauge was lost pretty quickly in the production run, probably before the MkII changeover, along with the flaps indicator gauge to the left of the gunsight : the function of the second gauge was replaced by a button which switches between the sensor showing the amount of fuel remaining in each tank. Excellent instrument panel by the way!

Blue Skies!

Captain Boogaloo