Airfix 1:72 Spitfire Mk 1a
Discussion
There is far more moulded detail - even on this tiny kit - than I remember from my childhood kits.
Colour chart on the box:
I am not too keen on the black / sky underside and the sky spinner, thinking of going all sky underneath and black spinner, with no fuselage sky band either, for more of a mainstream Battle of Britain look.
Colour chart on the box:
I am not too keen on the black / sky underside and the sky spinner, thinking of going all sky underneath and black spinner, with no fuselage sky band either, for more of a mainstream Battle of Britain look.
Tried to glean some tips from other build threads (cheers Doc!) and it seems that gloss and matt varnishes are needed, together with filling putty. Got some yellow for the life jacket, some undercoat / primer and some metallic silver for any metallic silver bits. And some paintbrushes.
Yertis said:
Eric Mc said:
It's a decent enough kit although the panel lines are way too deep.
It's a shame, that. I don't know why manufacturers feel the need to put every panel line on – in reality they're extremely subtle, and often invisible. So, in most cases it would be more realistic to have no panel lines, just IMO.Riley Blue said:
Yertis said:
Ayahuasca said:
Lines around the engine cowling / gun access panels or other opening bits seem fairly prominent on period photographed Spits. I will see if a coat or two of primer softens the other lines.
Exactly – I went off to look at Spit photos before posting. My "in most cases" comment was covering me for cowlings etc 
Shows Spitfire MkVB's so a little later than my model.
Seems the pilot of the Spit named 'Atchashikar' that features prominently was the father of Iain Duncan Smith!
Some great bits in that film - like people jumping on the wings and rubbing all the paint off.... the side of the windscreen not being exactly flush with the fuselage, a strange little post sticking out of the fuel tank cover next to the fuel filler cap in the scene of the Spit being refueled... none of which will make it convincingly onto my model... I liked the bit with the pilot standing up in the cockpit while taxiing, presumably to avoid having to weave left and right.
First shots fired.
Made mistake of diluting paint with water for first application - result, paint does not stick to surface.
Moulding circle needs to be taken out of cockpit side.
No crowbar? No need, was not fitted to Spits of this vintage (model is supposed to be Dunkirk although I like the slightly later look).
Fuselage halves undercoated. Will apply a few coats and sand down between so panel lines are softened a bit.
Fuselage fit is poor so removed the pins (read about boring out the holes, but I do not possess a small enough drill). Without the pins the fit is much better.
Exhaust stubs. In my youth I would have slopped some gloss black enamel on them. But... the real things were ordinary alloy steel, unpainted, and discoloured by heat and exhaust gases. So, a base coat of primer, followed by a mix of silver metallic and brown. Then I shaved powder from an HB pencil and dry brushed it on, and finger polished it off.
Andy616 said:
Looking good so far.
It's not a bad little kit, although if your pilot is anything like mine, you will have to cut his feet off to get him in the cockpit!
Here's mine:
I did a double build with Airfix's Hurricane MkI and the fitment was definitely better on that kit.
That looks great. It's not a bad little kit, although if your pilot is anything like mine, you will have to cut his feet off to get him in the cockpit!
Here's mine:
I did a double build with Airfix's Hurricane MkI and the fitment was definitely better on that kit.
I am not happy with the paint on mine - it seems to dry very gritty, not at all smooth. Any ideas for how to prevent that?
Cheers.
I have discovered that a lot of the paint crappiness was down to the paintbrush supplied with the kit. A decent larger flat brush gets a much better finish.
Like others have realised that the pilot does not fit. Loathe to Baderise him, so have moved the rudder pedals forward instead.
Little spots of black paint on the ends of the exhaust stubs give the illusion - from a distance - of hollow tubes.
I have discovered that a lot of the paint crappiness was down to the paintbrush supplied with the kit. A decent larger flat brush gets a much better finish.
Like others have realised that the pilot does not fit. Loathe to Baderise him, so have moved the rudder pedals forward instead.
Little spots of black paint on the ends of the exhaust stubs give the illusion - from a distance - of hollow tubes.
Edited by Ayahuasca on Wednesday 23 January 20:37
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