Airfix Spitfire PR XIX 1/72 -- AndrewR & Narayan

[MerlinJones]

Er...I stuck the prop to the back plate and stuck the spinner to the backplate...no problem.

Regards,
Bruce

[AndrewR]

I did not knowe that Andrew. Nice little bit of trivia for us Spit lovers.

I found a mention of it on the IPMM Stockholm site. There are photos too.

Narayan, I hope number two son is okay. Coincidently number two son over here woke up at 2am and didn't go back to sleep again. Consequently, I'm not as fresh as the proverbial daisy today

I haven't got to the filler cap yet!

Cheers Andrew

[AndrewR]

Er...I stuck the prop to the back plate and stuck the spinner to the backplate...no problem.

Regards,
Bruce

My prop from the kit has gone walkabout, so I'll be fitting the Pavla resin upgrade. Which, of course, is one of those separate blade jobbies. Ho hum. I'll make up a little jig to get the blades at the right angle. But that's a task for tomorrow.

[Narayan]

Narayan, I hope number two son is okay.

He is, thank you for asking.

[AndrewR]

I've been working on the interior today. The pilot got a coat of paint. I've tried to go for early 1950's kit, so a silver Mk1a helmet (although I'm not sure if they were worn by the PR pilots), grey-blue flight suit and a life preserver which is the replacement for the Mae West, and is considerably more orangey in colour.

The pilot does not fit well in the cockpit, I suspect he might be a little oversized! Anyhow he doesn't have an cellulite on his legs and thighs any more, in fact he doesn't have much flesh left on them at all.



Having tried to see what is likely to look like an empty space, I've decided to fit the sideways pointing camera, or at least a piece of tubing posing as a camera lens. I've built a little support shelf to prop it up on. The camera piece itself is painted and I am waiting for it to dry.

Similarly, the area behind the seat, as Brews said, is empty, and so I've made up another shelf to put the three oxygen bottles on. One flat piece of plasticard and three bits of plastic rod. Hopefully that will busy up the interior sufficiently.



I aim to get that lot added in and the fuselage together tomorrow night.

[AndrewR]

Just looking at your photo, Andrew, it may be easiest for you to obtain a properly-located pilot if you trimmed his lower back and backside so that he fits more snugly into the seat, which may already be located too far forward.

Also, I'm not sure that there is a shelf for the oxygen bottles. Possibly a fabricated structure (rack).

The shelf will be painted green to match the interior, so you won't see it in the gloom. As long as the black and silver bottles are the most prominent visual feature then I'm satisfied.

The pilot figure has already been trimmed considerably, and I just noticed that he's fallen forward in the seat. I'll have to reseat him tomorrow and cut a bit more of him. I should have just taken the sides and front off the seat - they're not visible anyway.

[MerlinJones]

I'm now wondering why my pilot fitted his seat and yours didn't! I'd assumed they'd shrunk him to fit in the first place. Curious, (said Alice).
Good progress, both.

Regards,
Bruce

[AndrewR]

I'm now wondering why my pilot fitted his seat and yours didn't! I'd assumed they'd shrunk him to fit in the first place. Curious, (said Alice).
Good progress, both.

Regards,
Bruce

The Monogram pilot looked a bit overscale to me when I put him in the cockpit!

[MerlinJones]

Aaaah...of course! I'd forgotten you'd replaced the Airfix pilot!

[Dirkpitt289]

@ Andrew, Must feel good to be back to building a Spitfire after all those Mustangs...

[AndrewR]

Aaaah...of course! I'd forgotten you'd replaced the Airfix pilot!

You mean the Diddyman...

[AndrewR]

@ Andrew, Must feel good to be back to building a Spitfire after all those Mustangs...

I am at peace with the Universe again...

But I am still waiting to get a new tool Airfix Mustang, so there will be more of them...

This ones going well, the only trouble has been with the pilot, who I should hasten to add, came out of the Twin Mustang kit!

[Narayan]

All the clear plastic in this kit appears to be a bit on the thick side. However as I'm an OOB builder I shall continue along with it.

Sven is just about ready to be seated although having taken this picture I can see he still needs a bit of work.



I've started some painting on the nose and prop blades and finished painting Sven's office. Also following Merlin's earlier tip the seat got a spalsh of H160 which Hornby / Humbrol call 'German Camouflage Red Brown'. In a Spitfire!



Dry fitting seems to be going ok. More to follow tomorrow.

________________
Narayan

‘I then realised my appearance was a bit odd. My right leg was no longer with me. It had caught somewhere in the top of the cockpit as I tried to leave my Spitfire.’
Group Captain Douglas Bader CBE DSO DFC

A:B
2012 12:02 2009 19:16
2011 11:10 2008 16:03
2010 44:12

Overall 185:48

[MerlinJones]

And you never can beat a good spalsh of H160!

[AndrewR]

And you never can beat a good spalsh of H160!

Spalsh it on all over...


Not the best evening tonight. I did manage to spalshspray some steel on the Gladiator, so that was good. Supper, of my own making, caused some, er, unfortunate effects in the digestive system later on So here is the work done.

Fuselage stuck together, oxygen bottles behind the seat, camera behind the side window. Pilot reclining nicely in seat.

Then disaster. The side window collapsed inwards The pilot slumped in the seat... Trying to unslump the pilot has resulted in the seat coming off the bulkhead! Just one of those days...



I think all these things can be fixed. I have a cunning plan. But not tonight.

cheers

Andrew