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Spitfire! Al Deere's "Kiwi", P9398 from 54 Squadron.


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Can't pass this one up. Built it as a kid, and have always found Deere fascinating. Will use the Hasegawa/Revell kit to build his aircraft. Looking forward to this one. Built this scheme as a teen, and always wanted to do it justice with a more modern build. No aftermarket here, just details added from styrene, wire, and a few spares....Moving right now, but look for an update in a week or so. Thanks for looking....

 

THOR

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Thanks Kev, Really looking forward to as close to out-of-the-box as I can get. I am still hammering away at some rather involved projects, so I am going to use this one to "cleanse the pallette" as it were. I have been on this kick lately trying to build aircraft of my youth, even going as far as trying to use the same marking schemes, and compare them....Strange, eh?

 

More to follow in a few days...I made a start on it tonight, but, my wife has packed the bloody camera!!!! I cannot find it....

 

Thanks for stopping in- And if anyone has pics of this particular bird, can you drop me a line?????

 

THOR

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hi Thor

i modelled this in 1/48 a few years back and had some correspondence with bob swaddling (hyperscale / big spitfire guru over there) but cannot for the life of me find the stuff

there were some particulars about kiwi that were worth noting (canopy??)...

 

Edgar has some info on Deere's birds here, esp useful re colour scheme:

 

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=16534

 

so, good luck with the build, and if anyone has pics please post them here for all to see

 

share and share alike now!

 

nick

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Well, still cannot find the damn camera, so a verbal update will have to suffice. I have removed the cockpit elements from the sprues, and started cleaning them up. I notice that the floor assembly is fictitious, and the seat is way too tall. I have a Revell seat in the spares box that more closely resembles reality, but, till is not quite right. The stick grip looks anemic, and there is some framing missing from the sidewalls, as well as some wiring. All in all, it will be fairly easy to spruce it up with some wire and styrene.

 

I also have started rescribing the fuselage halves. Being that they are mostly straight lines, it looks to be straightforward enough.

 

Other areas I have noticed that might need some scraps are the radiator assembly (no radiator detail, and the exit flap is a joke!) and the oil cooler...(Nothing there!) Might have to add some bits to the wheel well. Any details I add will be basic stuff from styrene and wire. No major corrections or aftermarket here.

 

It is said that Deere's aircraft was fairly well documented in it's short life, but I have yet to find any pictures of her out there. Anyone have any references on this bird? I would like to start planning my attack on the exterior airframe details so I know what windscreen, prop, lumps and bumps to have. Any help appreciated.

 

Thanks for stopping in. Will post pics when this damn move is over.

 

THOR

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And if anyone has pics of this particular bird, can you drop me a line?????

Hi Thor.

 

This is one of the only "period" photos I could find of this plane and it's dodgy to say the least.

It is clearly an exhibit somewhere and might even be a full size model.

Note the angle of the UC, the poles holding the plane up, the attitude of the prop, the exhaust stacks and the plaque out in front.

 

KLB01.jpg

 

Good luck.

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ooh now that is interesting

 

are the exhausts "originals" you think?

 

i can also see how people think the codes were white and not sky - look very bright to me

 

curse them for that cover though!!!

 

:)

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ooh now that is interesting

 

are the exhausts "originals" you think?

I don't think it's an original Mk1. A Mk II maybe?

The markings might be very close to being authentic though.

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Thanks for the replies guys. Keith, I have seen that photo and there are some discrepancies that lead me to believe that it is not Deere's aircraft, if in fact it is a real Spitfire at all. Firstly, P9398 did not have the six-stack exhausts...It had the earlier three-stack type. Also, the spinner looks suspect. It looks to be closer in shape to some of the spinners that were fitted to some of the batch of Mk.Vc's that went to Australia. The codes were not white either. There are a few photos out there floating around....But this pic is not her. She was lost in July of 41, so this looks to be after that. Perhaps it is a replica painted to honor him......

 

THOR

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Hi Thor

 

Looking forward to see what you do with your build, as I have

the same kit.

 

The only reason I decided not to do mine in this group build,

was the thought of scratching the wheel wells, didn't appeal to me

at the time. I'll be interested to see what you do with yours.

 

Regards

 

Alan

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Hi Alan, thanks for the reply. I am not sure what I am going to do with the wheel wells. If I add any detail, ot will just be in the form of strip and wire if necessary. I do not want to go all out on this build, because I already have a few kits that are being detailed. Lets see, I have a 32nd scale Tornado I am working on with a ton of p.e and resin; I ahve a Macchi 202 i have been trying to get back to and finish; I have a 32nd scale He-219A I have been working on for quite some time...... :BANGHEAD2:

 

This build is more to relax, and not to end up in the unfinished hangar that the others are sitting in.

 

Seeing that Allok is doing "Kiwi", I might end up changing my mind and doing a Spitfire from the battle that is lesser-known. Still thinking on that.

 

Anyway, still rescribing the fuselage halves, and fiddling with the cockpit as of right now. The camera seems to have dissappeared into the moving abyss, so it will have to wait for a photo update...sorry about that. :)

 

Anyway, hope you all have a great weekend- I am heading back out to pack up some more belongings.... :speak_cool:

 

Thanks for checking in.....

 

THOR :ph34r:

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Didn't mean to steal your thunder Thor.

Although assembly is almost complete on my build, It might be some time before I actually put any markings on it.

 

 

Not at all, Keith! I figure you are a Kiwi, you get dibbs!!! :rolleyes: But seriously, I do not know what I am gonna do yet. I am so indecisive. Looking forward to your take on "Kiwi".......

 

No more modeling for a week. The bench is all packed away. Bummer deluxe......

 

Thanks for stopping in....

 

THOR :BANGHEAD2:

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