Martin's Build #2 - Spitfire Mk IX *** Finished!!! ***

[Martin R]

OK, we've had a couple of Spit XVIs, but I had a Mk IX in the stash, so looking to build this oob-ish in the last 3 weeks. Here's the box. Note it well, because I have now dumped it and am storing the Spit bits in a FROG Barracuda box:





No sprue shots, I'm afraid; although it's in 2-colour plastic, the colours are green and grey instead of the green and brown I remember from my youth.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

I started this last night. Given the thickness of the canopy, I won't be doing anything to the 'pit - or so I thought . . . .

The chair included in the kit is square topped, so that had its corners rounded off. A rummage in the spares box found the interior from an Italeri Mk IX, so the frame behind the pilot's seat was added, and back armour was stuck onto the seat. Then it was out with the styrene rod and sheet to make a floor framework, control column and IP and after the end of a pleasant - but nugatory* - hour, it looked like this:



I then added the radiator fairings after giving the front and back a serious thinning. I did nothing to the wheel wells; although I contemplated adding some rib detail and boxing them in, I didn't. Life's too short.



Tonight, I slapped some paint on the 'pit and added the IP, which left me here.



Then the joy of glueing bits of plastic together. Here's where I left it:




regards,

Martin


*Coz nothing - and I mean nothing - will be seen through the prescription canopy.

[Ian]

But you know it's there! It's a good start and I'm certain you'll be able to see some of that extra work you've done.

[Clashcityrocker]

Nice looking Spitfire.
(you can't have too many)

Nigel

[TimJ]

Quick work.

[Martin R]

Quick work.

Things have subsequently slowed down somewhat . Major league filler has been applied at the wing roots, and I have dremelled some gouges into the underside of the wing root fillets to try to replicate the 'gull wing' effect here. I'll let the filler dry, do a small amount of rescribing and then get some proper primer on.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

So, I did a couple of fairly heavy sanding sessions, followed by some rescribing on the wings and priming, then decided I didn't have any references for a pointy fin Mk IX, so got rid of that and added a rounded rudder from the spares box (I think it was originally from a Revell Mk V). Tonight, I have added yellow leading edge strips and rear fuselage band; tomorrow, those will be masked off and I can get onto some painting, perhaps.



regards,

Martin

[ShaunW]

Nice bit of work on this Martin. Good work on the cockpit although exactly how much will be visible through the scale two feet thick glazing is questionable

[Martin R]

Nice bit of work on this Martin. Good work on the cockpit although exactly how much will be visible through the scale two feet thick glazing is questionable

Shaun,

I am confident that Matchbox will not let me down in this regard (take that comment any way you like!)

However, I have just received in the post a new AM dust filter / carburettor intake, which will hopefully be installed tonight. If I can get the sky and yellow masked off reasonably, I may even start some painting.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

And I did manage to get the AM filter / carb inlet on, masked off the leading edge and the sky rear fuse band, and applied a couple of coats of MSG. Apologies that this is the same photo from my Mossie build but you can just see in the background how the Spit looked earlier this evening.



The gloss MSG showed up some minor issues with the surface, so I have added a little more filler in some places (mostly around the aft wing / fuse joint, and the aforementioned filter / carb inlet). A little sanding tomorrow and it should be on with the painting.

regards,

Martin

[ShaunW]

That's an economical use of photographs I would say Martin I look forward to seeing the Spit with more paint on now the detail parts have been added.

[Martin R]

That's an economical use of photographs I would say Martin I look forward to seeing the Spit with more paint on now the detail parts have been added.

Your wish is my command, Shaun:







MSG - finished and masked; OG - finished; DG - first coat only. The prop is blu-tacked on and is from the Pavla update for the KP Spit.

I have gone full tilt for a maximum wiggle camo demarcation as I'm hoping it will draw attention away from some of the Matchbox surface detail

regards,

Martin

[ShaunW]

Excellent and the camo has certainly worked as I can't see the offending surface detail at all

[Martin R]

Shaun,

I think you're right. Here's the camo finished and after de-masking:





There's a small amount of tidying up to do on the yellow leading edges, but not too much. As you can see, I have also added the main gear legs. Since the photo was taken, I've added wine bottle foil straps to the seat, as this will be visible through the canopy. And, mentioning the canopy, I took a tip from Mike Grant and coated the bottom of the canopy walls with dark green paint to try to remove the refraction that gives away the thickness of the piece. It seems to have worked quite well.

I need to do a bit of clean up tomorrow then, if I have time, I will see about getting some decals on.

regards,

Martin

[TimJ]

Nice work on the wiggly camo.