Spitfire 1a, September 1940 - 1/72 scale
Discussion
WAtching James May's programme on Airfix, and reading all the comments about it on here, reminded me that I had a half-built Spitfire sitting on my workbench, and that I hadn't photographed the last one I built, so here it is. It's the old Airfix one which, let's be honest, is getting a bit long in the tooth now. Interior detail is sadly lacking for example. I have the Tamiya version too and the difference is amazing, almost like a 1/48 kit scaled down.
This one decided to warp after most of the assembly had been done so it was out with the hair dryer.
Couple of details were added; I cut out the elevators so they could be reattached with a slight droop, and did the same with the rudder so it could be turned slightly. Turned the tailwheel to match.
Red covers to the gun ports were missing from the decal sheet (I've noticed they usually are!) so a sheet of red letters provided them (cut a capital I into four and it's about right).
Aileron and flap lines were drawn in with a Gundam Marker.
Decals came from an Aeromaster sheet called Battle of Britain Spitfires which contains markings for eight aircraft although I'll only be doing four of them. This one was flown by a Pilot Officer Johnson of 616 Squadron based at Kirton-in-Lindsey, where I actually lived as a child. It was also where they filmed the formation takeoff for the film The Dam Busters in 1954.
All paint Tamiya acrylics. One down, three to go.
This one decided to warp after most of the assembly had been done so it was out with the hair dryer.
Couple of details were added; I cut out the elevators so they could be reattached with a slight droop, and did the same with the rudder so it could be turned slightly. Turned the tailwheel to match.
Red covers to the gun ports were missing from the decal sheet (I've noticed they usually are!) so a sheet of red letters provided them (cut a capital I into four and it's about right).
Aileron and flap lines were drawn in with a Gundam Marker.
Decals came from an Aeromaster sheet called Battle of Britain Spitfires which contains markings for eight aircraft although I'll only be doing four of them. This one was flown by a Pilot Officer Johnson of 616 Squadron based at Kirton-in-Lindsey, where I actually lived as a child. It was also where they filmed the formation takeoff for the film The Dam Busters in 1954.
All paint Tamiya acrylics. One down, three to go.
I'm not sure the decal sheet included the wing walkways - I may be wrong, didn't look at them too closely as I was using aftermarket ones.
Guilty as charged with the absence of weathering, I always build mine in factory fresh condition. Having said that I have a Whirlwind in the pipeline and photos of those showed them to be very mucky, paint flaking off etc, so I shall certainly have a bash.
Guilty as charged with the absence of weathering, I always build mine in factory fresh condition. Having said that I have a Whirlwind in the pipeline and photos of those showed them to be very mucky, paint flaking off etc, so I shall certainly have a bash.
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