Softscience's Spitfire IX, eh?

[Softscience]

My build for this GB will be the Airfix Spitfire IXc in 1.72. I will be building it as the aircraft flown by George "Buzz" Buerling of the RCAF, Canada's highest scoring ace (31 1/3 kills)

Buerling is perhaps best know for his 27 kills in 14 days, which he achieved in the skies over Malta in 1942.

He was returned to Canada in 1943 for a war bonds tour, but went back to combat ops in the UK in 1943 with 403 and later 412 squadrons. His unit frequently flew fighter sweeps, rhubarb and bomber escort missions. By April of 1944 Flt. Lt. Buerling was returned to Canada once again.

The spitfire I will be modeling (MH883) with the codes VZ-B was one of the last two aircraft he flew in combat in the winter of 1943/1944

[Chris]

Screwball was an interesting guy, he was killed in a plane crash trying to fly a B-25 from italy to israel after WWII.

[Softscience]

yep. 1948 I believe.


Another bit of history about Buzz was his desire to fly P-51s so that the penetration raids (Rhubarb?) flown by 403 and 412 could be taken into Germany proper.


Also his nickname Buzz, may have come from his proclivity for show-boating, much to the consternation of his commanders.

Other than that he was pretty much on the straight an narrow. Didn't drink, smoke or anything. Kind of boring really.

[Chris]

Good story for him:

While assigned as a gunnery instructor, it was his habit to not wear rank insignia and slouch about and goof off, in the hopes that the seargents would try to chew him out, and he could then turn the tables on them being an officer. He was broken of this 'habit' by sailor malan who was the CO of the school, usually by intense chewing out.

The great french ace Closterman asked malan why he put up with such a screwball, malan told him 'he's the best gunnery instructor in the world is why'.

[bromo]

Hows it going Ralph? any progress to share with us? always look forward to your builds mate

[Softscience]

Hi Bromo (et al.)

No progress yet. I was moving house this past weekend, and just finished setting up the new office. I also won't have web access for a few more days at home (I'm typing from work right now), so I don't anticipate any additional postings until later this week.

Stay tuned!

[Softscience]

Question:

I began fitting the major components last night, and noticed that there is a step between the back of the lower wing and the flaps and ailerons. Should this be there or should the bottom half of the wing be sanded down some?

[peebeep]

It needs adjusting so that the surfaces are flush. Out with the sanding sticks!

peebeep

[Softscience]

Hurray! I have interwebs back at the new house


Some progress on the Spitfire from the last few nights.

1) To dress up the spartan cockpit I installed a pilot. The body is from an Airfix Johnny Pilot, while the head was cannibalized from an ME-109 kit which didn't survive the move. I think the head originally came from an Italeri kit.



I'm still of two minds regarding the wheels. Right now I'm thinking I'll build the kit in-flight with the gear raised. But in case I change my mind, I have filled in the depressions from the bulges in the wells.

In order to improve the fit of the wing root/fuselage joint, I installed a spacer into the fuselage. Its simply a piece of sprue cut and installed into the fuselage to spread its width at the wing root somewhat. I test fitted the wing and it fits pretty nicely now



I hope to have the main assembly done soon, so stay tuned for more

[flakmonkey]

Congratulations on teh interwebz. Pilot looks nice.

[Dirkpitt289]

I love the pilot, he looks outstanding!

[Softscience]

Thanks men.



I have the main parts all stuck together, filled, trimmed, sanded, fussed with, etc.


One thing left to do is to scribe in the ventral/posterior wing root panel lines, which for some bizaro reason, Airfix left out

[flakmonkey]

Trench digger on his smoke break.... ROFL! That went together nicely Ralph.

[AndrewR]

Trench digger on his smoke break.... ROFL! That went together nicely Ralph.

He probably popped out to dig up a road or something. I wonder if we could get little 1/76 scale cones to put around the panel lines.

Might be too similar to rhe old Airfix rivets, mind.

Nice going on the Spitfire Ralph. Are you doing it as J-EJ with the kit decals?

Cheers

Andrew

[Softscience]

....contemplating on how to make little orange cones. Hmmm.....



No Andrew, I'm using decals from a Baracudacal sheet.