Eduard Spitfire Mk. XVI Bubbletop 1/48

[DocRob]

Looking good, Chris. The wash on top blends the camo colors better. When there is a matte coat on, it will be perfect.

Cheers Rob

[CANicoll]

Hopefully a slightly better view of the brown wash on top.  As Rob suggested, it definitely blends in the camo nicely.  One thing about the AK Washes, and this is not really any different than any other wash, but gotta watch handling the plane.  SO easy to unintentionally wipe off the wash just by handling.  I may end up doing the wings, top and bottom, while holding the fuselage, then sealing the wings with a clear coat.  Then holding the wings while I work on the fuselage.  Then the decal mess will start.  Yes, I have the stencils for the Spit to apply.    I'm beginning to question my build order here.  Should have done the decals before weathering perhaps.  I've worked it both ways before...

[DocRob]

Nice finish, but you are right about the decals, Chris. It would look strange to have a weathered airframe and the decals are new and shiny. 

Cheers Rob

[KevinM]

Doing a splendid job Chris and yes the wash is pulling it together.

[CANicoll]

20 hours ago, DocRob said:

Nice finish, but you are right about the decals, Chris. It would look strange to have a weathered airframe and the decals are new and shiny. 

Cheers Rob

Yep, I'll definitely be re-weathering over the markings.  

[CANicoll]

Making progress on the markings.  I tried to find some masks to paint the markings.  However, I'm not sure what size roundels these are so rather than wait, I used the Eduard roundel decals as the AM decals I have for this aircraft are from 2003.  At least the Eduard ones are from 2015.  I've had bad luck with old decals in the past.

Working on really getting the decals to settle down into the fine detail on the Eduard wings.  LOTS of MicroSet and MicroSOL. Some pressure with a damp paper towel. Trying a little bit of Solvaset as well.  Sparingly.  For some reason, I don't seem to have good results trying to use a hair dryer...

So far so good. Hoping the pictures show the decals snuggling down into the details.  Once they are snuggled down as much as I think they will, will hit them with a gloss coat and then the washes.

 

[KevinM]

All will be good Chris.

[CANicoll]

I completely forgot that the canopy on this model Spitfire actually covers part of the rear fuselage.  I've painted the camo, but underneath the masked canopy is still the bare-metal fuselage.  Oops!  Will deal with that after decaling.

[Landlubber Mike]

Looking really good Chris!  The paints you used ended up complementing each other very nicely.

[CANicoll]

Thanks Mike!!  The MRP and Vallejo paints are playing well together.  Looking forward to seeing how it all comes together after this is all said and done.  Still a ways to go to get there.  Been applying the stencils...

[KevinM]

Chris I was reading Gus's build on the MIG Eduard decals in his the film can be lifted.I do not know if this kit has those decals but I hated how my P-51 came out due to the stencils I thought sucked may of been my own doing?

 

Just thinking.....

[JohnB]

Making some good progress Chris. Nice work.

[GusMac]

21 hours ago, KevinM said:

Chris I was reading Gus's build on the MIG Eduard decals in his the film can be lifted.I do not know if this kit has those decals but I hated how my P-51 came out due to the stencils I thought sucked may of been my own doing?

 

Just thinking.....

I think it's only the Eduard decals from mid-2020 onward which have the removeable film. Yours are from 2015 aren't they Chris, so definitely the conventional style.

[KevinM]

2 hours ago, GusMac said:

I think it's only the Eduard decals from mid-2020 onward which have the removeable film. Yours are from 2015 aren't they Chris, so definitely the conventional style.

I was seeing just that outer film around the insignia on fuse and started Gus.

[CANicoll]

Hi Gus and Kevin, thanks but yeah, mine are from 2015 so can't lift the clear carrier film.  These are currently shown before the top clear coat so hopefully the film will disappear.  Here is how things look now, sorry for the out of focus pic:

The decals are doing pretty well settling down into the detail.  I've applied about 90% of the stencils so far.  SADLY, This is one of two places where I've found parts of a fingerprint in the wash.    And a little bit that didn't get painted.

Coming together...

 

[KevinM]

Looking good Chris!

[CANicoll]

Thanks Kevin!  She's coming along.  More work to be done tomorrow.

[CANicoll]

Sorry for the delay on just been busy.  The stencils driving me a bit crazy but there are not that many.  Most are on the bottom, which means most of them will not be seen.

THOUGHT I was done with the decals and missed what are some of the MOST obvious ones - the Unit codes!  Working on getting them to settle down into the rivet detail and panel lines.  The codes and the nose are Lifecolor decals. I could have trimmed the carrier film a bit closer than I did, but honestly, the carrier seems to have disappeared.  I have not used Lifecolor decals much but am impressed with them so far.  The cockpit door is just fitted into place for the painting.

 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Looks really sharp Chris!  Love how the markings pop against the more muted base colors of the camo on these Spitfires.

[CANicoll]

Thanks Mike!

[CANicoll]

Finally painted the area behind the cockpit and while that dries started working on the oil stains on the underside.  This is my first go at it.  I have seen pictures of just massively stained undersides of Spitfires, but not really willing to go that far.  I used the AK Paneliner, brown and black, and then turned up the airbrush and blew a dot of the stain in the direction of the wind.

Not sure how I feel about the look.  I think the real effect would have been thinner lines.  This is all easily wiped away.

Thoughts, please?

And some beauty shots...Gloss X-22 to seal the decals and provide a base for the underside oiling.

[CANicoll]

Did some work on the bottom stains, after removing the previous effort.  I used one of those very thin makeup brushes.  In this case a 7mm brush, then used a cotton-bud wet with thinner to streak the lines.  I should have captured the process - sorry!

Here is the effect after the streaking, still on the gloss coat:

And then after the flat coat:

Topside after the flatcoat, the engine cowling and the canopy are dry fitted.  Masks came off the clear parts just fine.

And the underside:

I like how the decals settled into paint and on most of them the carrier film disappeared into the clear coat, including the stencils.

[FullArmor]

Very detailed and fine build👍.

Those clipped wingtips are odd. Are those only modified for top speed?

[CANicoll]

8 hours ago, FullArmor said:

Very detailed and fine build👍.

Those clipped wingtips are odd. Are those only modified for top speed?

The clipped wings improved low-altitude maneuverability by significantly improving the Roll-Rate.  The FW-190, in particular, had a very good roll rate which the Spitfire needed to counter.  (Thank you, Gemini, for the answer!)

[CANicoll]

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...