Bodenplatte duel build Spitfire IXc vs Fw 190 A-8

[Wackyracer]

So in keeping with the GB's theme I've going along with a duel build/s.

 

First up is Revell's Spitfire IXc along with the normal am etc.

 

 

I'm attempting to build it as a little dio as per these photo's

 

 

 

I have a resin pilot thats pretty close to the first photo and should work well?

 

 

Its also a chance to have the flaps down and displayed and I have a set in the stash!

 

It also helps that I wont have to worry about the undercarriage, which is my least liked job of any build 

 

 

For my second build its Hasegawa's Fw 190A-8 again with a bundle of am.

 

 

for this one it will be a scheme I found on an aeromaster sheet in 48th, and found reference (although no actual photos exist) in Luftwaffe's last hope book (along with the Spit).

 

 

Again this was a downed plane so may well do another little dio.

 

Yesterday I started on the pe for the flaps...

 

3 hours work but looking good?

 

 

Aaron

[Wackyracer]

Snag! upon opening the bag with the fuselage and wing sections I'm missing the left half of the fuselage . Email duly sent to Revell for a replacement, but not holding my breathe with the current list of issues ongoing with the world at this present time.

 

Anyway, fortunately I have another box of the same kit so robbed that one of the missing sprue. I'd been converting this one to a e wing for my Ladykiller build. I'll no doubt purchase a couple more kits after christmas to 're-stock'.

 

With the pe flaps done I wanted to keep the wings moving forward and decide upon the amount of damage I need to replicate. Studying the photos this IXc doesnt have the wheel bumps (earlier version, thanks Valiant Wings) so masking tape and sanding sticks out.

 

 

 

 

And a test fit of the pe

 

 

Aaron

[Gazzas]

I like to see a twin build!  Nice start!

[Wackyracer]

So after the Christmas festivities I managed a hour or so yesterday. Looking at the reference photo Ive thinned the damaged wing tip in preparation for some internals and damaged skin.

 

 

Still struggling with the best way for the damage inward, so any suggestions are welcome.

 

 

Glued the wings together and added the other sides clipped endplate.

 

 

And also installed the Master brass barrels to both wings

 

 

Built up the pit

 

 

And temporarily installed the Barracuda seat

 

 

I do need to get to the paint booth to finish off the training day 109, so may push this to one side for a day or two.

 

Aaron   

Edited December 29, 2020 by Wackyracer
remove double photo

[Gazzas]

You're doing nice work!

 

Trying to damage plastic, even if thinned drastically, so that it looks like bent metal seems impossible to me.  I've tried it repeatedly on the fenders of tanks to no avail.  So I'm of no help.  If you had some aluminum flashing material, you might do something like cut it to size and shape you want and then beat it up.  Annealing aluminum to make it soft is very easy:  make squiggles all over with a sharpie and heat it until the sharpie marks disappear. 

 

Good Luck!

[Wackyracer]

Painted the pit today whilst finishing off the 109. Also added the Eduard instrument panel. Initially was going to use the decals and plastic part but could see any way the decals would fit into the panes and also the depth as quite substantial. Anyway flat coat to the pre-painted Eduard fret then glued in place, followed by gloss varnish to the dials. The flat coat hides all those tiny lines that show up on the fret, must be their printing process?

 

 

 

[Wackyracer]

Here we go, whilst searching for anymore images of downed spitfires (trying to see the best way to replicate the damage) I stumbled upon a wider image of MK346. Downloaded and taken to photoshop I cleaned it up (colour cast, focus etc) and lo and behold its not a clipped wing version after all . So now the voices start in my head... "it'll be alright, no one will ever know", "you've gotta change it to be correct", "don't tell anyone, change it change it".

 

So here's the photo.

 

 

And fortunately, the clear endplate came away easily (Mr Cement S, doesn't work that well with clear parts it seems) and we now have the standard endplate on that side (port, starboard, I get easily confused ).

 

 

Added all the Eduard PE to the sides

 

 

And also the main pit

 

 

 

 

 

Not glued yet as I need to add some cables and plastic parts but given it will be canopy over not much will be visible. Oh and Revell doesn't have the armour plate for behind the seat, but I do have the Eduard Big Brassin set so will copy the PE part onto some plasti-card.

 

Aaron

[RadBaron]

Fantastic progress!

[MikeMaben]

Nice clean work Aaron 

[Wackyracer]

Next up is the prop and recreating the  damaged blades. Being laminated wood I tried to find a suitable material to recreate that splintered effect. In the end Balsa wood seemed to be the best option. Working on the theory that if I started on the longest blade and cocked it up I could make it a shorter one I started.

 

I snapped some pieces of Balsa to get some suitable damage on the ends, then cut a flat surface the other side and CA'd to the cut down blade.

 

 

 

 

 

I then trimmed and filed the Balsa to match the contours of the plastic.

 

The hub was also attacked with a blade and dentist burr to try and match the dents. I glued the blades in place and attached the hub and shot some primer and below are the results along with the photo.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

I'm pretty chuffed with the outcome! And this has also given me some confidence to make the other damage to the wing and fuse.

 

Happy New Year!

 

Aaron 

[Gazzas]

Nice work on that prop!

[dmthamade]

Great idea using balsa for the broken prop blades. You want something to look like real wood, use real wood.

 

Don

[LSP_Kevin]

Clever idea and impressive execution, Aaron!

 

Kev

[Out2gtcha]

That prop looks amazing!

[MikeMaben]