My final planned build for this GB will be a firm favourite:
This kit needs no introduction, as I've built a number of them over the past year(!) in various guises and schemes.
Back in the early 1980s, author Derek Robinson wrote the controversial novel Piece of Cake, depicting the lives of a squadron of RAF Hurricane pilots in the first 12 months of World War 2. Interest was such that the book was adapted into a TV series.
However, a lack of airworthy Hurricanes (only three or four at the time) meant that the TV company had to change to using Spitfires for their flying sequences.
Five aircraft were used for the squadron scenes, including the aircraft leading this group of Spitfires on a filming sortie:
This was a rare Pr.XI aircraft, modified to look more like the Mk.IXs and Mk.Ia that were also being used. The aircraft lost its original wraparound windscreen and the enlarged lower engine cowlings, in favour of a set of fighter-style items in their place. A 1940 camouflage scheme and appropriate roundels helped to complete the illusion.
I once photographed this Spit at Duxford in 2000, at the Battle of Britain 60th anniversary airshow, and to me it looked fantastic. If the RAF had a Spitfire with that engine and those refinements, we wouldn't have had such a long battle!
Sadly, Spitfire PL983 met with a fatal accident in France in 2001, when an engine failure forced the pilot to try and land on an emergency runway. The presence of people on the field meant that the pilot had to avoid civilian casualties on the ground, and unfortunately the Spitfire fell out of the sky and crashed, the airframe being consumed by fire.
The aircraft is, at present, slowly being put together again at Duxford.
So, there you have it.
Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire **FINISHED**
Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire **FINISHED**
Daren
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
Re: Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire
I broke this one out earlier and commenced with painting the interior, as well as removing some of the lumps and bumps for the armament.
Shouldn't take me too long to do this one!
Shouldn't take me too long to do this one!
Daren
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
Re: Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire
Spit bits...
Painted Spit bits...
The wings before modification...
Lumps removed...
Putting things together...
Rather annoyingly, the top of the control column broke off while I was trying to remove it from the sprue gate. Luckily, I had something that would fix it - namely the DF loop from a Bf109G!
Fuselage together...
I forgot to get a pic of the bare model, so here's one with the first layer of paint on - about three hours after I started!
Painted Spit bits...
The wings before modification...
Lumps removed...
Putting things together...
Rather annoyingly, the top of the control column broke off while I was trying to remove it from the sprue gate. Luckily, I had something that would fix it - namely the DF loop from a Bf109G!
Fuselage together...
I forgot to get a pic of the bare model, so here's one with the first layer of paint on - about three hours after I started!
Daren
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
- JohnRatzenberger
- Why is he so confused ?
- Posts: 15728
- Joined: April 5th, 2011, 3:42 pm
- Location: Living on a sandbar - Nags Head, NC.
Re: Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire
Good save on the control column !
John Ratzenberger
It's my model and I'll do what I want with it.
It's my model and I'll do what I want with it.
Re: Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire
Yeah, and it's a much better shape than the original stick top!
Daren
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
- Molly-new
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 2355
- Joined: May 4th, 2011, 8:42 pm
- Location: Stoke-on-Trent, England
Re: Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire
Coming together nicely.
Airfix WWII Aircraft Of The Aces.
Completed - 10
Building -
Pending -4
Completed - 10
Building -
Pending -4
Re: Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire
FINISHED!
As per usual with these kits, they finish a damn sight quicker than you expect! I only started putting paint on this one yesterday morning, and it was finished in roughly 9hrs - 1hr of which was just trying to put the decals on! (Airfix Spit VB decals, by the way. Not brilliant, but they had the little red patches for the gun ports, so I wanted to apply them rather than paint them on.)
The codes and serials are all spares box stuff. Since I already had a "bare" Spitfire IX modelled on MH434 as used in the TV series, I decided to model the Pr.XI with codes which it wore at the start of the first episode, just to make it different.
I love, love, love building these wee Arii Spitfires. Yeah, they're basic, but they build easily and look nice despite their inaccuracies. A good modeller could turn out something really nice with a bit more effort and time.
As per usual with these kits, they finish a damn sight quicker than you expect! I only started putting paint on this one yesterday morning, and it was finished in roughly 9hrs - 1hr of which was just trying to put the decals on! (Airfix Spit VB decals, by the way. Not brilliant, but they had the little red patches for the gun ports, so I wanted to apply them rather than paint them on.)
The codes and serials are all spares box stuff. Since I already had a "bare" Spitfire IX modelled on MH434 as used in the TV series, I decided to model the Pr.XI with codes which it wore at the start of the first episode, just to make it different.
I love, love, love building these wee Arii Spitfires. Yeah, they're basic, but they build easily and look nice despite their inaccuracies. A good modeller could turn out something really nice with a bit more effort and time.
Daren
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
Half-assed Spitfire builder!
- iggie
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 23418
- Joined: July 31st, 2013, 11:04 am
- Location: North Somercotes, Lincolnshire
- Contact:
Re: Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire **FINISHED**
Very tidy finish!
Best wishes
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
- Molly-new
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 2355
- Joined: May 4th, 2011, 8:42 pm
- Location: Stoke-on-Trent, England
Re: Daz's Piece of Cake Spitfire **FINISHED**
Another cracker.
Airfix WWII Aircraft Of The Aces.
Completed - 10
Building -
Pending -4
Completed - 10
Building -
Pending -4