Spitfire 21 kitbash

[Wingco57]

I'd better invest in a straight jacket. Must be a mental thing.

Tried to sever my left middle finger in the process yesterday.

Must remember, it's a hobby (mantra).

Cees

[Wingco57]

Update,

The transplant was succesful. The PCM wheelbaytrunk err thingies have been fitted. The front and rear

Have no gaps, the sides need to have walls fitted from thin card. Very pleased so far.

Next is to fit the Revell wings to the centresection and the spars. This will make the entire

Assembly rigid with the correct dihedral. After that...more surgery.

Cees

 

[One-Oh-Four]

Typically a true Large Scalpel Modeller's choice

 

Nope, a Large Saw Modeller's choice

[Edgar Brooks]

Are you planning a "straight" 21, or a contra-prop version? The reason I ask is because the contra-prop 21s had the broader-chord rudder of the late 18/14 bubble-canopy airframes, plus a 2" deeper rudder horn with shortened-height fin to match.

Edgar

[benjaminsummerfield]

Wow. Too late now but I had some grey matters radiators from their F22/24 conversion you could of had. Top job tho.

[Wingco57]

Thanks Ben,

The PCM radiator fairings are good too.

 

Just assembled the wing undersurfaces. The good news is the front spar does not interfere

With the new wheelbays. The rear spar does with the radiator trunks but I cut off the ends

As there is enough surface left to set the dihedral. The open ends of the trunks were

Closedcwith thin card, they really look like authentic radiator trunks and I can still

Use the PCM radiator faces.

 

Cees

 

 

[Wingco57]

The Frankenspit progresses with more transplants taking place. The PCM carburetter intake was fitted after hacking

Out the Revell bit. The Revell spar top as been cut away to clear the wing fillets, but may be cut down even more

To clear the cockpit. The fit between the fuselage and wing is well, errr....interesting.

The radiator fairings have the cooling flaps cut out, these will be made from plastic seet and posed

Open. The elevators have been cut away and will be drooping when parked.

A start has been made on the cockpit interior.

Cees

 

[Edgar Brooks]

It looks as if I might be ruining your plans again, but the radiator flaps were fully automatic, and temperature controlled; with the coolant below 115 degrees C, the flaps would remain closed. To operate them, on the ground, a pushbutton, on the electrical panel needed to be operated. This system saw the removal of the flap-operating handle, as seen in the Mks I - V, and the automatic flaps were introduced with the 60-series Merlins.

Edgar

[Wingco57]

Hi Edgar,

 

No problem, it looks better with a seperate cooling flap than just an engraved line across the radiator fairings.

Thanks again for your excellent information which really gives an insight in the complexability of this late

version compared with the Mk I.

Cees

[Edgar Brooks]

It's funny how every author quotes the damning test report of February 1st., 1945, in which the conclusion was not to prolong the Spitfire line, and always miss out the follow-up test, on March 10th., in which the trials airframe, as well as some (invisible to modellers) internal mods, was fitted with metal elevators with the inside faces of the projecting horns rounded off.

This time the recommendation was that the 21 could now be cleared for Service use. It also means that there's no need to fret about "fabric" elevators.

Edgar

[Wingco57]

Ah speaking about those Edgar,

I noticed the Spiteful tail elevators have two elevator tabs with the inboard one having a balance weight. Is this

Peculiar to the 22/24 only or the 21 too?

Cees

[Edgar Brooks]

The "spring tab" elevator was only fitted to the 24, not the 21, or even the 22.

Edgar

[Wingco57]

Thanks Edgar,

Sorry for the delay in replying, just got back from the UK this evening.

No more work on the 21 until after Telford.

Cees

[Wingco57]

Yes, they tried to prevent me by putting me on a BA flight with a bunch of cabine personell from hell

And nice turbulence mixed in too. Saw only one 1/32 model, but a great one: the real Hogwarts maquette

Used for filming at the Leavesden studios, and not a Mosquito in sight.

Cees

[Wingco57]

Yes, strangely it is, it even had a shield confirming the scale. The studio site was formerly a Mosquito factory ( the wooden variety) .

Cees

[Wingco57]

Some progress on the Spitfire 21, but an important one

The undercarriage bays are now green ( thanks to Edgar). The wing is glued together and the

Seams cleaned up and the wingtiplight cut away. Due to the thick plastic the wingtips had to

Be drastically thinned.

Joining the wing to the fuselage will be a major job. The PCM fillet is bulged and the Revell

Part is hollow. Interesting.

I have cut away the flaps to keep the joint as small as possible.

They will be glued back closed though as the Spitfire rarely had flaps hanging down.

Cees

 

[JeroenPeters]

Since i saw the difference between bulged and hollow I'm very curious to see how you're gonna tackle that one!

Really nice work so far!!

[Wingco57]

Thanks Jeroen,

I haven't figured that out yet.

Cees

[benjaminsummerfield]

Great progress, any idea on schemes yet? Would be a shame to do it camo as it's such a rare mark and had some nice silver schemes. Some colour photos confirm that the cockpit was still green on theses.

[Wingco57]

Hi Benjamin,

The scheme hasn't been finalised yet (how to merge the wing into the fuselage needs all my attention at the moment).

But the colour pic I posted in the first post I like very much. The silver racing liveries I find very boring (sorry, I am

a camo type of guy).

Maybe.

Cees

[Wingco57]

Some more work done.

The cannon stubs have been ground away, the centre hole was a very convient referencepoint for

a round file. Slowly but surely the hole was enlarged to the correct diameter for the beautiful

Master barrels ( although the leading edges cracked on several occasions, yay superglue).

Radiator fairings dry fitted. You can see the PCM fillet and the Revell counterpart.

Getting there in the end I hope.

Cees

 

[Wingco57]

Another zombie thread from late last year.

Last saturday I had this kit on the bench too. The difficulty between the two kit parts (one hollow and one bulged) has

been solved by heating very carefully and bending. It's ben glued now. The problem to solve next  is to get the

carburetter intake to lay flush with the underside of the cowling. Not easy, but will be getting there in the end. The

huge gaps between the Matchbox/Revell wingroots to the PCM fairings will be bridged using sectioned PCM parts.

A real Frankenstein. Will post pics later.

Cees

[RalphSarc]

Looks like you're coming along well on the Spitfire. Saw an article from a Hawker Typhoon build where they used paint brush metal ends to simulate cannons!!! The look like the real thing to me, lol!! Great idea too!!

Look forward to following your progress.

[benjaminsummerfield]

Great work pal, one of my fave marks the last true Spitfire. I had the same kits with the intention of doing the same but I bottled it.

[Wingco57]

Give it a try ben,

It's fun, a lot of work too.
Cees