David's late arrival: Spitfire I PR-L R6699 FINISHED

[DavidWomby]

I have been on holiday until yesterday and am usually a VERY slow builder but I have been watching this GB and as a Brit (albeit an ex-pat one), I can't not do a BoB model this summer.

As I usually build post-WW2 aircraft, I had to dig deep in the stash for this and all I have suitable is the 1978 Airfix Spitfire I.



The decals are too off-register to use and the ones I have on an old Esci sheet for QJ-W are way too large but I think I can make some suitable ones from my spares to do justice to a 609 Squadron plane - probably PR-G, J or L.



David

[Narayan]

That looks a great kit. Almost a shame to open up the packaging!

______________
Narayan

They may be drinkers, Robin, but they're still human beings.

A:B 2015 14:03 2014 21:04 2013 39:12 2012 20:05 2011 11:10 2010 44:12 2009 19:16 2008 16:03 Overall 267:70

[DazDaMan]

Looking forward to this.

[DavidWomby]

This looks like it will be a sweet little CBK to build. Very nice crisp mouldings with fine raised detail (except some over tall fasteners on the cowlings). Test fitting the parts has shown no obvious issues and painting has started.



This will have to be an OOB to have any chance of finishing and the cockpit is a bit sparse - no bulkheads, no sidewall detail, small flat area for instrument panel and no joystick! However it does have a seat, a pilot and a gunsight!!! Hopefully they will fill the cockpit adequately when the canopy is on.

I was planning to use Tamiya XF-21 for the Sky undersides but it looks VERY dark to me. I may have to resort to my one remaining tin of Humbrol enamel which is Hu23 and looks better to me.



David

[DavidWomby]

This nice, simple little kit is going together easily so far.



I think I'll have to replace the gunsight glazing with something transparent.



David

PS - don't expect this rate of progress to be maintained!

[DavidWomby]

Does this look enough dihedral to you?



David

[Clashcityrocker]

Looks good to me, but I'm no expert. At anything

Nigel

[DazDaMan]

I do love the old-tool kit!

[mjatx]

I do enjoy seeing these old kits built up. You're doing fine work!

[Old_Tonto]

This is still my favourite Spitfire kit. Great work so far.

[DavidWomby]

Thanks, gentlemen.

I have shaved a bit off the wing roots to improve the dihedral a bit. I haven't attached the wings yet but the office is done!



David

[DavidWomby]

The wings fit pretty well. The minor gaps in the upper wing roots could be from my filing down the roots to get a bit more dihedral.





Try as I might, I couldn't get the rear fillet edges to hold on the starboard side so some filler needed there too.



David

[DavidWomby]

In the paint shop now. The Tamiya XF-21 looks WAY too dark. I only have one tin of Humbrol enamel left and it happened to be HU23! I have not used enamel for years but I loaded it into my airbrush anyway and am pretty happy with the result.



So happy, in fact, that I sprayed the whole plane with it as I think it will be a good primer for the acrylic camo I will put on the uppersides.



I think the Spitfire looks rather good in all over Sky!

David

[DazDaMan]

I have a feeling that some were painted in a similar colour!

[DavidWomby]

Morning started well - got the canopy masked and glued on and the undersides masked off ready to airbrush on the Dark Earth using this



Two hours later I had to walk away. Neither of my airbrushes will spray the Dark Earth!! They spit or they clog. This is VERY old Humbrol Acrylic 29 watered down to normal airbrush consistency. I tried IPA to thin it first but that made it very globby. Anyway, after cleaning out the airbrushes half a dozen times and remixing the paint a similar amount, this is what I have got and am now giving up on the old paint.



I don't have any other Dark Earth or close matches in the stash that I can see either. The local store probably has none as they have a limited paint selection and seem to focus on US and Luftwaffe colours but I'll probably go check.

Very frustrated!!!

David