Daz's Free French Spitfire

[DazDaMan]

I wasn't going to do another GB - never mind another Spit - until December, but I remembered I had a set of French Spitfire decals going spare, so I thought I would use them up!

My kit for this will be an old friend:


in the colours of 340 (Free French) Squadron, c.1945.

[lancfan]

The French roundels really stand out with the normal camouflage, this should look really good.


David.

[Old_Tonto]

An old classic Daz, great choice & you can never have too many you know.

Here is one I made earlier for a blitz build:



OK I know its a Mk XVI but it is essentially the same kit.

[DazDaMan]

Mine will be a XVI as well...

[DazDaMan]

I'll kick this one off tomorrow, once I finish my BBMF Spitfire.

[DazDaMan]

Well, my day off has turned out dreich and dreary. Perfect Spitfire-building weather!

Obligatory sprue shot:


Cutting out the fuselage sections to enable the new deck to be installed:

(Note the fully-assembled propeller. No painting necessary!)

The fuselage, with its interior painted, is stuck together:

[DazDaMan]

Hmm. I appear to have misplaced a photo of the wings being put together! Oh well.

Here's the airframe at about 4pm:




Undersides painted:


First coat of blue-grey on:


Incidentally, all paints are Revell Aqua-colour.

[bluesteel]

Rapid progress there Daren.

[DazDaMan]

Aye! It won't take long to finish this one. The green camouflage is on now...!

[DazDaMan]

Camouflage:




Decals going on:




Finished by tomorrow....

[DazDaMan]

Finished....











Nowt to report on this Spit - never normally have an issue with Matchbox Spits.

[splash]

That was quick, well done.

How does the Matchbox kit compare to the Heller version?

Splash

[lancfan]

Although it does have a few minor faults the Heller kit is much better than the Matchbox one which is a retooled early MB Mk.9 kit.

David.

[DazDaMan]

The Heller kit is better overall, but the Matchbox kit has the advantage of allowing you to build a high-back Spit XVI if you so wish (or a low-back Mk.IX, for that matter).

If you're terribly anal about it you could re-engineer the blister for the cannons, as the blister is for a C-wing, not an E as it should be for the XVI, but I can't be bothered with that malarkey, if I'm honest!

It looks fine as a Spitfire, though, and that's the main thing for me. And they're not terribly difficult to put together!

[Molly-new]

Nice work Daren, and quick. Anyone would think that you had built one of these before.