Splash's Seafire Mk XV ***Finished ***

[splash]

My cunning plan is to convert the old Frog Spitfire MkXIV into a Seafire MkXV of 806 NAS HMS Glory 16th Carrier Air Group September 1946.





Regards Splash

[DavidWomby]

Will that need nose surgery? IIRC, the XIV has the longer nose and the XV has the XII length nose. Great choice of markings!

David

[TomW]

The XV is indeed a short nose Griffon mark like the XVII, 4 blade prop as well instead of the XIV's 5 blade unit. Should be easy enough to extend the nose a few millimetres with a plug of some kind though. Looking forward to seeing how you tackle this one Splash

Regards

Tom

[PaulBradley]

Surely he needs to remove plastic, Tom?

[TomW]

getting my X's and V's all muddled up, this is what happens when you post after enjoying a well earned beer. Still it'll make the conversion easier (shortening the kits nose, not the beer )

Regards

Tom

[PaulBradley]

I'll have a short one while you are at it, Tom. No worries - just making sure we're on the same page and don't get poor Splash all confused!

[Stuart]

It's all those X's and V's - they're enough to defuddle anyone!!!

[splash]

So let me get this straight I have to cut a big piece out and replace it with a smaller bit?

I fully agree with you all the MkXIV had the longer nose and my initial thoughts were to cut down the rear and make it into a Mk17 but when I looked at the kit I think Frog have short changed me by modeling the nose to short, if you look at the photo below Frog have the rear of the exhaust just behind the wings leading edge.

I might still go down the Mk17 route, what do you think?

Regards Splash

[TomW]

Both my mk15 and 17 have the exhaust in line with the wing leading edge so I think you can go either route Splash. Looks as though the FROG kit is a bit nasally challenged to be a mkXIV.

Regards

Tom

[splash]

Both my mk15 and 17 have the exhaust in line with the wing leading edge so I think you can go either route Splash. Looks as though the FROG kit is a bit nasally challenged to be a mkXIV.

Regards

Tom

Cheers Tom.

I agree with you and will go for the MkXV and hope no rivet counters log on and see it .

Regards Splash

[lancfan]

Do you have a PR19 to compare it with? It certainly looks short enough to be correct as a short-nosed griffon spitfire and to simply look right can be enough sometimes.

David.

[PaulBradley]

Indeed, especially in 1/72.

[DavidWomby]

So let me get this straight I have to cut a big piece out and replace it with a smaller bit?

I fully agree with you all the MkXIV had the longer nose and my initial thoughts were to cut down the rear and make it into a Mk17 but when I looked at the kit I think Frog have short changed me by modeling the nose to short, if you look at the photo below Frog have the rear of the exhaust just behind the wings leading edge.

I might still go down the Mk17 route, what do you think?

Regards Splash

To my eyes, on the XII, XV and XVII, the last exhaust stub starts about the leading edge of the wing. On the XIV, XVIII and IX it ends just forward of the wing.

However, it looks from your pic as though Frog did short change us on their XIV and you could make a very nice looking XV from it. I look forward to watching this build.

David

[MDT]

ither way you go, good luck. Nice choice of scheme.

[splash]

I have started the build and I'm surprised the parts fit together quit well and the light raised panel line will be easy to remove.

I'm going for the Seafire Mk XV and will leave the nose as it is. I will re-shape the tail and add a sting type deck hook, the rudder is the right shape but needs the balance horn enlarging this should be simply just a case of cutting the rudder off with a bigger balance horn minus the deck hook and filling the old lines on the rudder and then fitting it back on and adding a scratch built hook.

The kits undercarriage and wheels are very poor so I will use a donor Airfix Spitfire for spares including the four blade prop.

Regards Splash