Lancfan's US Navy Spitfire - FINISHED

[lancfan]

I don't have time to start the DD Sherman I had planned to build so I have substituted it with one of the Spitfire 5b fighters loaned to VCS-7 of the US Navy when temporarily based at RNAS Lee-on-Solent for gunnery spotting duties on D-Day. I will base my model on the Airfix Mk 5 kit.


David.

[lancfan]

I will take my base kit from this mk 5c boxing as I don't have any normal mk 5b models left ATM and this kit will be replaced in the box later as the Australian mk 5c is earmarked for the next Spitfire GB. Here are the box and sprue shots.



The story of how the US Navy flew Spitfires (and Seafires) for three weeks from D-Day is found here- http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfir ... -navy.html;

David.

[lancfan]

The wings have been assembled and the raised detail has been removed. The mounting rail for the wrongly imagined cockpit floor has been cut away and the side walls have been thinned down ready for a new scratch built cockpit.


David.

[DazDaMan]

A very unsung part of the Spitfire's history!

I have one of these kits in the stash. Is it much different from the old Mk.Vb?

[lancfan]

Actually Daren it is an old tool mk5b kit with an extra sprue containing the new wing, tropical filter etc.


David.

[DazDaMan]

Ahh! I have both!

I also have half of another Mk.Vc (no fuselage).

[lancfan]

I have built a number of examples of this kit and I have so far detailed the cockpit by fitting a combination of alluminium foil and plastic strip to build up new sidewall details but this time I am trying a new method which should speed things up for future Spitfire builds, although I prefer the old tool early Spitfire the new kit does have rather good side wall detail so I am going to copy this and fit it to the old kit. The picture below shows the new tool Spitfire 1a fuselage halves with the freshly pressed Miliput moulds that will be used to make new Das Clay liners that will be glued to the old kit parts.


When the moulds had been cleaned up Das Clay was pressed into the moulds to form the new liners, when this had dried they were removed from and refitted to the moulds to be sanded down as thin as I dared to and the now delicate liners were finally and carefully removed, placed in position and cyano was dropped into the edges to flow underneath, permanently fixing them in place.


David.

[Clashcityrocker]

Great idea, and well executed.

Nigel

[rob_van_riel]

freshly pressed Miliput moulds that will be used to make new Das Clay liners that will be glued to the old kit parts.

Some questions, if you don't mind about this technique: How do you stop the milliput from sticking to the master you're copying? Peeling it off before it is completely set would distort the mould, and waiting until completely set invites a rather more permanent bond than desired. Similarly, how do you keep the Das from sticking to the milliput?

Rob

[lancfan]

Rob, good question- I should have explained. when making the moulds I brushed the fuselages with talcum powder to prevent the Miliput from sticking and making the liners is even easier as Das clay is a very different medium that does not adhere to the Miliput, they just needed gently prising off with a modelling knife to free them, I then cleaned the edges and refitted them to the moulds for support while sanding them down to be glued to the model.

David.

[rob_van_riel]

Rob, good question- I should have explained.

Thanks for the clarification. Extra ways of making stuff A stick to stuff B, or not sticking instead, are always welcome.

[lancfan]

I Have made two more moulds of the Italeri IP and the Airfix seat to complete my set of Spitfire cockpit moulds.


David.

[lancfan]

The parts of the cockpit have here been painted ready for assembly.


The seat and floor details are now in place on the wing centre section and the fuselage has been joined up and filled where needed, the fuel tank cover and radio hatch have been painted on to create a slight step and the fuselage is now ready to be joined to the wing.


David.

[DazDaMan]

Coming along nicely!

I'll need to put mine together at some point.

[splash]

Nice work with the moulds cheers for sharing.

Regards Splash