1:32 Tamiya Spirfire Mk.XVIe No. 601 (County of London) Squadron RAuxF, 1949

[rieser]

Aiming for something like this great artwork from Kagero's Mini Topcolours number 24 (2011), "Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVIe".

 

 

Looking forward to the 1 March kick-off...

[Dave J]

This is going to be top!

[GusMac]

Sorry Doogs, you've lost me with that one. Can you explain please.

Ta,

Gus

[BevanBrooks]

Great scheme choice, something different from the norm......... let the sprue cutting begin!!

 

Cheers Bevan

[Wingco57]

A the first Spitfire stone has been cast. Will post mine soon too.

Cees

[JG26]

"Tally Ho chaps", looking forward to seeing this sterling silver beauty progressing.

 

Dan M

[rieser]

Opened the box today.  It included Roy's seat(BR32001), door w/crowbar (BR32002), four slot wheels (BR32006); Quickboost's oval type exhaust (although Kagero's artwork shows teh fishtail type); and Eduard's canopy masks (JX129).  "Hey-ho!  Let's go!"

 

[BevanBrooks]

Now how did all that get in there I wonder!!

[JG26]

Yayyyyyy kickoff time!

 

Let the sprue cutting begin indeed!

[rieser]

Spotted a Freightdog Models decal sheet showing the same aircraft.  Freightdog shows the fuselage codes in black, and the exhaust stubs looked to be the oval type.  There's always something.  Had a search around on the net for pics but came up empty.

[repeater]

hmmm.. educated guess?

 

The kagero profile does look nice regardless....

[rieser]

Cockpit basics...

 

 

 

 

So far, so good.  Or so I thought.

 

Good case of target fixation while trying to get the seat, kit harnesses, and framing together.  Complete loss of armour plate recognition.  Oh joy, oh joy.

 

Parts primed with Tamiya's Surface Primer thinned with their lacquer thinner; base-coated with XF-71 Cockpit Green; and post-shaded with XF-21 Sky.  Black bits painted XF-85 Rubber Black.  Silver bit painted Floquil Old Silver.

 

Thanks for looking.  Cheers, Ralph.

[kahunaminor]

Whoa there buddy, you know they say speed kills! Bugger!

Looks great even in the raw. Deep breath and recover!

 

Regards,

[Miracle Paint Masks]

Nice start Ralph I have just got my PC back from being fixed so I have just seen this. I have started my Mk XVI but it will be out of the box. A couple of things stand out to me, one is the flare rack, which I am sure wouldn't be fitted, the other is the the location of the seat belts; as far as I am aware the racetrack shaped hole in the lower seat back is simply a hand hold when removing/fitting the seat, and not for the back set of belts to pass through. I believe that they would go over the seat back; I have no pictures but this is based on what I do know

[Wingco57]

Ralph,

Don't think the flare rack in front of the seat was used on later Spits.

Cheers

Cees

[Dave J]

Looking great Ralph!

 

How did you get that Tamiya harness to look so great! I have issues every time I have tried to use them

[rieser]

Mal, Cees:  thanks for the instructive feedback.  Tamiya shows the flare rack to be assembled, and for the belts to pass through the back of the seat.  Might have to live and learn with this one.  Looks like it might have to be modelled with teh canopy closed -  - especially given the armour plate stuff-up.

 

Dave:  I spent time bending/flexing/twisting the belts with some tweezers.  Can't say I like the "PE" much.  Getting the harness assembly onto the seat/framing (incorrectly it would appear) was one of those whistle-while-you-work (and mutter expletives) exercises. 

[BevanBrooks]

Having never built any Tam Spitfire I cant offer any help. Is the armour plate you talk of laying in front of the seat in the first pic with colour? No chance of modifying it to fit? Is it going to be too obvious if you leave it out?

 

Those resin parts look nice and crisp and add some nice detail, I think with the green cockpit and silver airframe will be a good contrast.

 

I'm sure you'll find a fix mate.

 

Bevan

[rieser]

Vallejo and Citadel acrylics for the detail painting, and AK 045 "Dark brown (enamel) wash for green vehicles".  Can't seem to get past the wash drying with a course, grainy look.

 

Bogus "half" armour plate made from 5 thou plastic card...

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking.  Cheers, Ralph.

[kahunaminor]

Very nice detail work. The IP and front looks great (well it all does actually) and reminds me I haven't done the compass brackets on mine! I found some photos of an unrestored a/c with flare holders so mine is going on as well. The highlights look good....can I take notes?

Nice save on the armour plate as well. 

Regards,

[JG26]

You old devil.....the old "Half armour" trick, what a save.........well done.

 

Dan

[rieser]

Very slow progress fitting the wheel bay parts and wing panels.  Wing panels were glued from the inside with Tamiya thin glue to minimize any cleanup issues.

 

 

 

 

[kahunaminor]

They fit rather nicely don't they.

 

What are the arrows and markings for? Or is that giving away your secret?

 

Regards,

[rieser]

No secrets Kent.  The arrows and markings were to remind me to drill the holes for the extra upper wing bulges, and to cut off the corners of the wheel bays.

[rieser]

Very slow progress...

 

Some of the parts likely to need particular seam cleanup attention when aiming for the silver paintwork; namely the join forward of the windscreen, the multi-part underside intake, and the leading edge inserts.  Seams were filled with either Mr Surfacer 500 or superglue, sanded, and then primed with Tamiya's bottled surface primer thinned with Tamiya's lacquer thinner.

 

Oft-described average fit of the leading edge inserts.

 

Radiator faces and wheel wells were painted with Floquil's Bright Silver, and then washed liberally with thinned-down Citadel Babab Black and Sepia.