Peterpools

Count10 Right with you .... the last wipe down and then a thorough brushing with a Tamiya Anti Static brush and it's off to the paint booth.

Chris Can never have enough prep as it saves so much time and aggravation later on.👍

John Perfect air brush work as always. Looking mighty good.

HI Chris Not really. What shows in the photographs is where I cleaned up seams and fit issues, especially on the wings. Prior to priming, I'll wet sand the entire model with either 8000 or 12,000 grit, then wipe the model down with a very lightly damp paper towel with isopropanol to remove any traces of sanding dust. From that point on, I wear cotton gloves when handling the model. One reason I go to this extent is I do not wash the parts to remove mold release agents. It's just my way of working and most likely way over the top. I've been very lucky; as in my way of thinking, it helps prevent the primer and or paint from lifting - which I don't ever remember happening.

The seats and interior look mighty convincing with years and many miles of wear and use.

FUSELAGE AND WINGS WORKING AWAY Steady progress and with the front office completed, the last two remaining parts were added and the fuselage halves were glued together and taped, left to dry for a good 48 hours. When the tape was removed, the seams were cleaned up and panel lines restored. The wings had been started while various parts of the cockpit were being painted, as well as the remaining smaller assemblies were built up and needed time to dry. Two areas that have always caused me a lot of extra work on the previous Tamiya Spitfires I've built and this build was no exception: the MG/canon ammo covers on the top and bottom of the wings and no matter how careful I was in fitting the MG/canon leading edge inserts into the wings, the fit was far from perfect, with the inner dual canons inserts the worst offenders of each group. I’m still in the process of refining the canon inserts fit and removing any stray sanding marks from the wings. The wing tips were built up and glued into place and some cleanup will be needed to blend in the seams. I’m only starting to test the wing/fuselage alignment and fit and so far, so good.

Looking mighty good - reminds me of my model railroading days - I just loved building structures and creating scenery.

Paul Some really nice additions to the stash.

John Agreed ... some mighty nice and steady progress.

Just a big fan of the 727, as it was the first commercial jet I flew on as a passenger - quite an experience back then.

Could also be building 1/144 scale 727's.

Chris Is it possible to use the kit's landing gear (metal & plastic) and graft on the 3D printed/resin details? I've watched a few videos of 3D landing gear being used on the 1/32 scale Italeri Tornado and the gear just fit perfectly. I'm only guessing but the way Tamiya designed the F4 with a lot of screws, was to add the maximum strength to the gear parts, as the Phantom is one big and heavy brute! On my Tamiya Spitfire build, the gear is held in place by screws as well, allowing the gear to be positional rather then fixed in place. While I'm not crazy about all the movable features on the model, which Tamiya did away with on their later kits, it did make for a super strong and positive way of attaching the gear. I'm still not sold on how strong the 3D printed gear on F4 will actually be.

John Fingers crossed the balance of the build will be a non-cuss factor, from here on in.🤞 Will be following all the way.

Paul Nice progress on the Tamiya Mk IV. Tracks look nicely detailed and nice to see they went together without any fuss.

Rob, very much appreciated, as Tamiya kits for me are a joy to build and my vote would be for the Kotare Spitfire. I built the Kotare Spitfire when it was first released, a gem and the equal of Tamiya, less the Merlin, which was a huge plus for me. Between my Tamiya Spitfires, Mustangs and Mossie, I have 6 builds with their Merlin's proudly displayed and , including the current build. I'm eagerly waiting for the new Korae Spitfire Mk Va to be released and it surely will move right to the front of to be build list.

Absolutely a stunning restoration. And of course, you new "cave" is awesome as well. Looking forward to build threads on 'clearing the scale aircraft models SOD !'

Chris Mom absolutely comes first and you are doing the right thing as she needs the care a home can provide. No doubt all the remaining stencils will be waiting for you when you are back at the bench. Wish I could help out about the resin LG question but that is uncharted waters for me and I would only be guessing at best.

Rob Right with Chris and better to move to another project then to keep banging your head against the wall and not being happy with the results. Maybe it's time for one of your Tamiya 1/12 F1 kits for a change of pace and a breath of fresh air.

Thanks Phil, very much appreciated. Over the years, Spitfires have been growing on me and this is my 6th 32nd scale Spit, with four being Tamiya kits. The price sounds mighty good for the Border kit, which includes the RR Merlin. I'm not so much concerned about the 1/35th scale of the Border kit but have read a number of reviews and there seemed to be quite a few issues with the kit. I don't have the kit, so I can't confirm any of the issues first hand. Kotare is accepting pre-orders on their Spitfire Mk Va and I'll be all over the kit. Of course, it will not include a Merlin engine which is just fine with me, as three of my Spits have Merlin's uncowled and I'm pretty sure this one will also be with the engine cowlings off.

John Egad, first a senior moment forgetting to put the nose weight in and then the broken windshield. Never a dull moment. Just seems to go with the kits well-earned reputation.

Carl Looking mighty good. Great alternative venue ... will be following.

PW Very much appreciated. Always a pleasure to build a Tamiya kit, regardless of scale.

John Always something for sure. I 100% positive you will be able to duplicate the two parts.

Rob Thanks for the clarity of the comparison. Just curious as to the time of day for the natural light as the color temp (Kelvin) changes throughout the day. In all photography, the quality of the light is one of the most important factors in achieving the desired colors.

Chris Very much appreciate your comments on the Front office - Tamiya and Quinta are a perfect combo and mesh together nearly seamlessly. Just seems to be an ongoing issue with Quinta's seat belts sets as they need modification where they bend a good 90 degrees or more.