Clear the Bench! It's Kotare Spitfire time.

[Gazzas]

1 minute ago, Talon said:

Looking good - based on the colours and options chosen in the cockpit, it looks like you've picked Dirty Dick for the subject.

Thank you.  Honestly, I'm undecided.  I rarely do in-box schemes because everyone else does the in-box schemes.  All I know is I prefer a ROTOL propeller with white/night.  I'm hoping a fellow Aussie will come up with some decals of an Aussie pilot that will fit the rest of my description.  Otherwise, I may end up doing Dirty Dick, or this one:

[andyrowe]

10 hours ago, geedubelyer said:

You're doing a fine job Gazzas. The wash and highlights are really bringing the cockpit to life. 

 

Now, my next statements may be contentious but I have to say them. I can't help feeling that some of the details don't have the finesse that I was expecting.

Nothing to do with what you're achieving Gazzas but some of the parts look a bit (and this word has recently been used to describe the Airfix Spitfire) "clunky"

On my monitor the kit just doesn't appear to have the fidelity of a Tamiya offering.

 

Am I wrong?

 

Of course things may change when I get the kit in my hands and see everything first hand. 

 

I shall continue to follow your progress with interest Gazzas. Keep at it.

 

Cheers,

Guy

I'm with you on this one. I've had this one on backorder at Hannants a few times now but keep removing it as I'm still unsure about the kit. From what I've seen online, it's not filling me with the 'must have at all costs' vibe that I really want to have for it. I really love the Wingnut Wings kits and want this one to be as good but I'm still not sure. 

Maybe it's the hype and high expectations that have rumbled on the web now for months that's what's really driving the 'must have' tag.

Also could be the fact that it's a Spitfire. Don't get me wrong, I love Spitfires, it's my favourite aircraft and I have loads in the stash, but do I really need another? I hope I'm wrong as I really want Kotare to succeed as a company. If it is as good as expected, I think I'll wait and see what other subjects they come up with. I'm sure they'll sell these Spits and the others that are coming down the line like hotcakes which will give them the revenue needed to invest in other projects. 

To all buying this kit, enjoy it and happy modelling.

[rsanz]

15 hours ago, Gazzas said:

Thank you.  Honestly, I'm undecided.  I rarely do in-box schemes because everyone else does the in-box schemes.  All I know is I prefer a ROTOL propeller with white/night.  I'm hoping a fellow Aussie will come up with some decals of an Aussie pilot that will fit the rest of my description.  Otherwise, I may end up doing Dirty Dick, or this one:

Note that this EB-J is a Spitfire Mk.IIa. 

Edited March 19 by rsanz
typo

[Gazzas]

8 hours ago, rsanz said:

Note that this EB-J is a Spitfire Mk.IIa. 

 

I'm very new to spitfires...   but doesn't the very early fuselage roundel remove any chance of it being a MK II? 

 

I have found it captioned as 54 Sqdn N3103 flown by P/O Gribble.

 

Another caption is:  N3295 of 222 Sqn. On 31 May P/O G Davies landed wheels down and taxied to the dunes before setting the Spitfire on fire.

Edited March 20 by Gazzas

[rsanz]

 

4 hours ago, Gazzas said:

 

I'm very new to spitfires...   but doesn't the very early fuselage roundel remove any chance of it being a MK II? 

 

I have found it captioned as 54 Sqdn N3103 flown by P/O Gribble.

 

Another caption is:  N3295 of 222 Sqn. On 31 May P/O G Davies landed wheels down and taxied to the dunes before setting the Spitfire on fire.

The type of film/filter has changed the yellow (and red) darker that expected. 

 

Here's another one where the film/filter has made the colours appear weirdly different.

 

Edited March 20 by rsanz
Add image

[williamj]

  

Edited April 1 by williamj

[Gazzas]

13 hours ago, rsanz said:

 

The type of film/filter has changed the yellow (and red) darker that expected. 

 

Here's another one where the film/filter has made the colours appear weirdly different.

 

Thank you for clarifying it for me.  The whole business of Spitfire evolution is entirely outside my usual areas of study.

[Gazzas]

Let's take a moment to further consider Kotare's engineering.  BTW...   for those who don't know, I bought this kit with my own money and have no connection to anyone who could pay me or offer me free models kits to say nice things about.

 

Anyway...   engineering.   Landing gear.  A lot of nice features to tell you about since I dry fitted them today.  First of all, the shape...   The are L-shaped and are pushed up into the wheel well and slid sideways.  The blue arrows denote holes to be drilled.

See the rough bits at the top?     trimming was required...   The directions tell you where to trim.  The flat sides fit wonderfully into the wheel well covers instead of the usual two-point connection of many other kits.  Finally the joint with the weighted wheels is a slotted joint.  So your wheels won't turn.

 

The upper part of the 'L' is secured into the spar-wing joint....   note the holes by the arrows.

 

 

And when attached the look like this on the inside.

 

Or from another angle...

 

And from the outside look like this:

I really don't know how you would adjust them without completely cutting through the part...   so I hope the angles are right.  As a 109 guy...   I can tell you about fiddling with angles.

 

So....  not much of an update.   But interesting nevertheless.

[quang]

C’mon Gazz, we’ve seen worse than that. Stranger things happen at sea 

[Derek B]

On 3/19/2023 at 8:42 AM, Gazzas said:

Thank you.  Honestly, I'm undecided.  I rarely do in-box schemes because everyone else does the in-box schemes.  All I know is I prefer a ROTOL propeller with white/night.  I'm hoping a fellow Aussie will come up with some decals of an Aussie pilot that will fit the rest of my description.  Otherwise, I may end up doing Dirty Dick, or this one:

 

Nice choice Gazz (and great work so far). I also am making a Rotol equipped 1/32 Spitfire Mk.IA, but from the Revell kit (mine will be a 56 Sqn aircraft).

 

Derek 

[Troy Molitor]

Still waiting patiently for my kit to arrive.  Meanwhile it great seeing your efforts Gazz.  

[DonH]

1 hour ago, Troy Molitor said:

Still waiting patiently for my kit to arrive.  Meanwhile it great seeing your efforts Gazz.  

Just got mine. It's worth the wait.

[Archimedes]

On 3/16/2023 at 4:20 AM, MikeMaben said:

 

 

 

 

 

Really useful pics Mike. Right click: Save! 

 

Kind regards,

Paul

[Gazzas]

Well...   

 

The last detail to finish in the cockpit was to add the shiny glass pieces over each gauge.

 

An enlarged view for those that like enlarged things...

 

I used that clear resin that hardens under UV light to make the effect.

 

Anyway...    after all of that hard work in the cockpit...   including rigging the flying controls with Ushci type stretchy line...  I hid it all by buttoning up the cockpit tub and added the fuselage around it.

 

 

 

 

The cockpit tub fit neatly and went together easily.  Rigging the flight controls was a pain, and is virtually invisible.  But since it's been over 40 years since my last spit...  why not?

 

I'm a little uncertain how to proceed with the dorsal piece.

See the slight gap as it nears the canopy?  That can be squeezed tight and held in place long enough for the Extra Thin to dry.  However...   all of that raised detail...   I'm afraid that I'll ruin it with the capillary action of the glue.  There is one locator inside, but I don't think gluing it alone will be strong enough.

 

How would you do it?

 

 

[mc65]

Wow, what interesting kit, and beautiful work on instrument panel!

 

the engineering of the undercarriage is intriguing, if all goes as it should it will be with the right angles, and very solid, we hope!

 

regarding the top of the fuselage, i would use moderate pressure to hold it in place, and swipe the flex-i-file applicator quickly... usually this produces a solid bond with no residue or collateral damage.

 

keep it going!