CANicoll

Gentlemen, thank you so much! Nice to finally finish something in a decent amount of time. I really do appreciate your comments, all along the build, too!

Amazingly, I'm done after only three months. Actually, I SHOULD have been done a month ago, but the last four weeks have been busy. But here she goes. The build thread is here. Such a nice build, the surface detail is terrific. The Quinta cockpit set really added to the pit, since this is the ProfiPACK used some of the PE that comes in the kit. All of the 'issues' were self-inflicted either by not paying attention to the instructions (umm.. WHICH wheels and tyres go where??? and should have used the fishtail exhausts but was too late on that to use the correct parts) or forgetting where I was coming back to the bench. The Lifelike Decals worked very well, as did the Eduard decals. The Masks were not properly sized to the aircraft, but a little extra tape worked wonders. A few of the build detail shots to start off. The decals really did snuggle down nicely into the find recessed detail of the Eduard plastic.

That gasket around the windshield looks amazing, nice work!! All of those clear bits have really come together beautifully, Rob.

Rob, Thanks and good point. I didn't think about the retouching. The period photographs of the Mk XVI that I have seen do not have an antenna on the spine of the aircraft. I'm seeing that my wing leading edge work needs some attention!

Beautiful detail! That took a lot of work and references. Amazing - looks so real.

Rod, Beautiful job on a huge build. The NMF is terrific, well done! Nice work on the interior and the details (like the pin-up poster!) and the wheel chocks. Beautifully done through and through.

Finishing up but still have some details to add like the underwing antenna and probes, as well as the radio antenna which is presenting me with an conundrum: some pictures seem to show no antenna on the top of the fuselage. I THINK I see a very thin wire on top of the fuselage above the V here. Thoughts please! Also noticing really no exhaust staining The clear lens didn't fit the opening very well so am using some canopy glue which eventually will dry clear and will need multiple applications to flatten out. Attached the cannons and the prop. Now its looking like a Mk XVI Spitfire! Applied a bit of light gray chalk to hint at exhaust staining and some brown chalk on the wheels for the dirty airfields.

Awesome Rob!! Looks just like glass.

Minor update as I approach the finish line here. Still have to do weathering for the exhausts and touch-up from attaching the door (could have used a PE hinge there!) which needs some clean up. Got the petrol filler cap in place. Photos show a red center, which I'm taking as getting worn, as well as some stains. Finally did attach the engine cover and exhausts along with the prop. Getting there, finally!

Nice fit and with incredible detail. Whew!

Hmmm. Sorry to hear you consider this a failed build, Rob. I certainly understand your frustration with getting things to fit (or not fit as the case may be) and the bonnet is the latest example of bits to disappoint you. For static display buttoned up, all of the frustrations are not apparent, at least from what I can see. She's a real beauty and the detail inside and out is amazing. The engine bay is too good not to be seen and appreciated. Sorry it is turning out this way, but what a beautiful effort and workmanship you showed.

I forgot you did that to the SH P-39's. Beautiful fix, John. Wow!

John, What tail is that? did you graft a resin tail on the P-400? Nice recovery!

Oh, right, sorry, Gary. Yeah, it was HOT!!! That's right - Ernie missed Pima, but Tim was there among others. I remember us sitting in the restaurant waiting for the bus to take us back. While they were cleaning around us! That was a B-17 pilot from WWII we talked to. Fascinating guy. I still have his book. Good happy days, for sure!

And we hid under the wing from the hot sun! Great seeing you there and at Telford. I was looking for those pictures of you and found this of you and Ernie:

Phoenix was an amazing trip to meet you all. I missed that dinner and the group pic but the trip to Pima (sadly, without Harv) was memorable. That was quite a Nationals! This hobby puts together some incredible people.

Dave, Looks awesome! Pity that German cockpits were so tight hiding all of that terrific details you put in there. Good thing you have pictures!

Ernie, Will be good to have you back. Missed you too!

Rob, Still, amazing work. I see the bit of damage that you'll touch up, but overall this looks terrific. I didn't realize the headers were white. I did remember how tight the engine compartment was with the 427 shoe-horned in where a small-block had originally been fitted.

Rob and John - that is what I SHOULD have done! Actually, if I had just bothered to clear coat the props after the decals it would not have been an issue, but no biggie. Rob thanks for your comment!

Yep, I think in the early war they were Sky or some other color. But the pictures I have found of the XVI seem to show white lettering. Not that it matters now. The lettering is under two clear coats. Something I should have looked more closely into, but I was relying on the decal manufacturer. Not always the best source.

I thought I'd be wrapping up this build by now, but a series of self-imposed missteps has me behind a bit: Instead of simply hand painting the yellow propeller tips, I dutifully masked, put down a white coat, then yellow - all MRP. In all the handling of the prop, the mask took off two of the prop stencils. For the life of me I could not understand why there were 6 stencils on the decal sheet. Now I know... 👍 Finally got to assembling the wheels/tyres for the Spitfire using the kit parts. Trying to save a bit of money over the usual resin set I frequently use. Well, I assembled and painted the wrong tyres apparently. The ones I assembled and painted have too small a center for the supplied wheel hubs. Oops... But did revisit the oil stains underneath. After sealing with the flat coat, the previous 'oil' stains were, predictably, flat. Using some Vallejo Gloss Black primer and the previously used 7mm make-up brush, drew a few streaks to hopefully show some recent stains. Thoughts? I kinda like the effect of the old and newer stains. Up next, exhaust staining....

Found this picture of an older-model Spitfire but what stands out to me is how weathered the aircraft is, camo and exhaust stains and all, but how clean the roundel is. But also that the letters on this aircraft are a gray and not white. I'll have to look to see if on the Mk XVI did they change to white lettering...

Isn't that kind of frustrating! On the other hand, if you decide to put in the rack and a center mounting point who is to say you are wrong? (Assuming you have the parts). I'm with you, however. I'd want that heavy tire sitting behind my head to be fully secured in the event of an 'event'.

Rob, I'm sure you've done your own web searches, but I did find this site which shows the spare tire tightened down with a nut, not rope. I would think the nut to be the preferred method to secure the spare. Hope this helps! Lots of other good shots which may or may not be helpful to you at this point.