Spitfire Mk. Vc(trop)
Discussion
The motorbike build has stalled. Mainly 'cos Asda has sold out of the card I was using and I'm not heading the 10 miles to the next big one just for some card.
In the mean time, I'm attempting a kit I found on the internet.
Note: I fully intend to purchase several kits from the manufacturer, however I've had no replies to multiple emails yet - and the spitfire is out of print.
Printed out on photo paper (160gsm)
Part 1: Building the seat
Other than the fact some of the parts are numbered in no kind of logical manner,
they are tiny and there are 17 in the seat assembly alone
Seat assembly is <2cm tall, and my headache is significantly bigger. The back of the seat frame is appx 1mm wide, and it's all butt-joints.
Getting them to set square required some inventiveness.
Next up, the cockpit.
In the mean time, I'm attempting a kit I found on the internet.
Note: I fully intend to purchase several kits from the manufacturer, however I've had no replies to multiple emails yet - and the spitfire is out of print.
Printed out on photo paper (160gsm)
Part 1: Building the seat
Other than the fact some of the parts are numbered in no kind of logical manner,
they are tiny and there are 17 in the seat assembly alone
Seat assembly is <2cm tall, and my headache is significantly bigger. The back of the seat frame is appx 1mm wide, and it's all butt-joints.
Getting them to set square required some inventiveness.
Next up, the cockpit.
Eric Mc said:
I'm not saying the colour scheme is wrong but it certainly isn't typical of th colours used in the Med. Spitfire Vs tended to have "Earth/Mid Stone" upper colours.
I wouldn't be surprised if the colours are wrong - they certainly look a bit "Jolly"I'm more interested in building this as a test for his kits - if i'm happy with the result, i'll take a look at the other ones on his list for a more accurate colour scheme.
Unless they ended up on Malta - which this one is, then a lot of the European/desert colours were over painted with local shades of blue and grey. This is a whole topic of debate as to which grey/blue was used and often depends on which carrier took them most of the way, some of the over spray was often of US origin.
If I was painting it, id probably do a bit of research, but as a precoloured paper kit, I can't really justify spending the time photoshopping the colours prior to print out on what is effectively a 'test' kit. I hope the retail kits (of which this could well be a badly scanned version of - I know the printer is within spec) would have at least an attempt at historical accuracy.
There is a write up, I assume, with a picture of the pilot, but unfortunately my polish is not good enough
Either way, some of the subframe ahead of the cockpit has been assembled, out of double thickness for strength - pics when I'm back in the orifice
There is a write up, I assume, with a picture of the pilot, but unfortunately my polish is not good enough
Either way, some of the subframe ahead of the cockpit has been assembled, out of double thickness for strength - pics when I'm back in the orifice
Here are 2 more interpretations of the same aircraft, one with the whole upper surfaces overcoated in a light wash of blue/grey and another with just the light stone over coated.
The airframe itself is that of "Screwball" Beurling, a loner who's style never suited ETO but who "found himself" on Malta, his semi bio story - Malta Spitfire - is well worth a read.
The airframe itself is that of "Screwball" Beurling, a loner who's style never suited ETO but who "found himself" on Malta, his semi bio story - Malta Spitfire - is well worth a read.
The vertical belts might be the wrong way up: I think they should split just above where the pilot's shoulders would be, with the single strap then passing back through the bulkhead, under the headrest. The perforated straps would then attach to each shoulder strap and hang down towards the central buckle.
Having re-read that, it makes no sense whatsoever.
Having re-read that, it makes no sense whatsoever.
GN - kind of, it looks wrong to me too, it should be a Y shape mounted from waist level through the seat back passing behind the pilot, they join at shoulder level two more straps that go from in front of the pilots waist over his shoulders and back through the bulkhead to a friction lock. At waist level only 4 straps meet. The harness allows a strapped in
pilot to release the friction lock and lean forward whilst still being strapped down onto the seat.
pilot to release the friction lock and lean forward whilst still being strapped down onto the seat.
Edited by 72twink on Saturday 29th November 00:22
There is a myth going around the internet that all Spitfires from MKII onwards (or at least those built at Castle Bromwich) had phenolic resin (often incorrectly referred to as Bakelite) seats instead of metal ones (ie a sort brick red colour as opposed to interior green).
Unfortunately this is patently untrue, we have the remains Screwball Beurling's MkII (itself a Castle Bromwich built machine) in the museum along with parts of another MKII and both have metal seats. We've even had aircraft geeks come in and insist to us that the displays are wrong because the seats are not phenolic resin, even though it was the museum team that dug the stuff out of the ground locally!
My late father flew (Merlin) Spitfires, both wartime and post war and he insisted that metal seats were being fitted to aircraft as late as the Mks IX and XVI.
Unfortunately this is patently untrue, we have the remains Screwball Beurling's MkII (itself a Castle Bromwich built machine) in the museum along with parts of another MKII and both have metal seats. We've even had aircraft geeks come in and insist to us that the displays are wrong because the seats are not phenolic resin, even though it was the museum team that dug the stuff out of the ground locally!
My late father flew (Merlin) Spitfires, both wartime and post war and he insisted that metal seats were being fitted to aircraft as late as the Mks IX and XVI.
Ginetta G15 Girl said:
Ah so we are continuing the modeller's myth that all Spitfires built post late Mk1s (at least by Castle Bromich) had phenolic resin seats. 
I think 72twink's image is a model of a Mk.1, judging by the type of head armour, so the red seat could be correct.The O/P's card model doesn't seem to have a red seat anyway, but according to this restored example of a Vb, it could have had one:
http://spitfiresite.com/2010/07/anatomy-of-spitfir...
According to my Alfred Price book, the initial batch of Spitfire Mk.V's were converted Mk.1's, i.e. they are later marks than a Mk.1, but presumably could have red seats - unless they were replaced as part of the upgrade.
So while not all Spitfires later than a Mk.1 had a red seat, I'd assume form the above, that some could have done. A can't reslly see what's been posted can be seen as perpetuating a myth.
This might help with the seatbelt arrangement:
From RB Productions:
http://www.radubstore.com/index.php?main_page=prod...
I used his belts on my 1:32 Bf109, they are great - fabric and metal.
From RB Productions:
http://www.radubstore.com/index.php?main_page=prod...
I used his belts on my 1:32 Bf109, they are great - fabric and metal.
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