lancfans' 1/72 scale Spitfire & DFS-194 *** FINISHED ***

[lancfan]

I'm going to build a somewhat 'unusual' Spitfire followed by the DFS-194 rocket test-bed.

David.

[lancfan]

Here is the box shot of the models I plan to build, the Beechcraft at the back is in reserve as these are somewhat simple kits to make and I may well finish quite quickly. Before anyone mentions it- the floats will not be the unusual feature on the Spitfire.


David.

[Gregers]

The C45 and DFS build up nice. Can't wait to see what's in store for the Spitfire.

All the best.

Greg

[lancfan]

I'm going to start this build with an unusually modified Spitfire kit, I will build possibly the most unusual model spitfire on this forum and one that is probably the first publicly built model of this subject.. On page 22 of 'The Spitfire Story' by Alfred Price there is a picture of the supermarine factory showing stranraer flying boats being assembled and hung from the rafters above this scene is the original wooden mock up of the F37/34 fighter- the aeroplane that will become the Spitfire. This will be the subject of my first build. the kit has been unpacked ready for the 1st January and the parts can be seen below, the float sprues will be added to the spares box.


David.

[Dirkpitt289]

I've been wanting to build the floaty Spit for about a year now but not with this kit. Well, ok I plan on staeling the floats from this kit but that's about all. I look forward to seeing all your builds David.

[lancfan]

There will be some guesswork on this model as I am working from just the one known picture. As we all know aircraft manufacturers make mock-ups of the aircraft they produce to finalise detail design and the Spitfire was no exception.
The spitfire mock-up was almost as per the eventual prototype K5054 but still displayed a number of early features, it also appears to have had an openable cockpit door and sliding canopy so I will assume that, like many mock-ups this had some degree of cockpit detail. as I write this there is less than 90 minutes to the start when I will begin by knocking up some sort of simple spitfire-like cockpit before joining the fuselage halves together, there isn't much point in going to town on this as it is not known what actually was fitted inside this thing.

David.

[lancfan]

The cockpit door has been cut away and a rudimentary cockpit has been fitted.


David.

[Old_Tonto]

Looking forward to this one David. You can never have too many Spitfires.

[lancfan]

The fuselage has now been closed up and the tropical air filter has been cut away, the resultant hole being covered with a piece of plastic card. The next step will be to reform the normal nose shape with Miliput.


The picture does not show the original wings of this mock up but the wing root was part of the forward fuselage and the wings attached further outboard than they did on the real Spitfire, assuming that they were fairly crude I have glued a strip of thin plastic card to the wing root so that this join is fairly prominent. Here one wing is ready to be attached and blended in with filler with the other one still as per kit.


David.

[lancfan]

The fuselage and wings are finished and are dry fitted and ready to be joined together.


David.

[Old_Tonto]

Good progress David. Keep it up.

[lancfan]

The basic airframe complete, the next job will be to build up the undercarriage framework and fit the propeller blades, the model can then be painted silver ready for decals and final assembly.


David.

[lancfan]

Now almost ready for painting and finishing, this has taken longer than I imagined it would do, also there have been features that I could not decide on. As I have said earlier this model is based the one existing picture of the wooden mock-up built to finalise the design of the prototype f37/34 Spitfire, K5054. It merely shows the two sections of the fuselage hung separately from the rafters over the Stranraer production line, the wings are not pictured and as such are based on guesswork. The model should hopefully and at last be finished tomorrow.


David.

[lancfan]

Whilst digging out a PR canopy for the frameless windscreen I found a suitable propeller which has now replaced the one I originally picked. Since taking this picture the model has been given its first coat of silver acrylic.


David.

[lancfan]

Everything has ground to a halt as I wait for various glues and varnishes to dry so I will make a start on the DFS-194, this is an incredibly simple kit with just 12 parts including the three for the dolly - it is even painted simply, one colour overall. Here is the box and sprue shot, more pictures soon.


David.