PTs Bombfire of the vanities - LF XVI highback**FINISHED**

[Purplethistle]

Not sure how well I'll do this, given how much my arm was twisted to get me to do it
Airfix 1/48 Spitfire IXc / XVIe....with a little help from the ICM Mk VIII

[DavidWomby]

Go for it, PT!

David

[Purplethistle]

And we're off....

[DazDaMan]

Good luck, mate!

If I can bash one of these together in a couple of days, so can you!

[Purplethistle]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Daz, but experience in building Spits is secondary to lumberjack experience when it comes to getting the parts off the trees.
When I picked up the box in the shop and felt the weight, I thought, "Oh ho! someone has put two kits in the one box!" There is a good sprue and a half worth of optional parts, but it's the thickness of the trees that caused the weight. ....and what is the score with that wee bit at the trailing edge at the wingroot? after hacking it free from the sprues deathgrip, it doesn't fit whatever way round you try. The top engine cover panel is a pretty iffy fit too.
602 Sqn codes and Lion Rampant crest, arrived yesterday courtesy of top chap, Skypirate. They are from one of the early 1/48 Vb kits so should be usable after a couple of days basking in the early April Scottish sunshine

[DavidWomby]

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602 Sqn codes and Lion Rampant crest, arrived yesterday courtesy of top chap, Skypirate. They are from one of the early 1/48 Vb kits so should be usable after a couple of days basking in the early April Scottish sunshine

Decals sound great, PT, do you actually think you'll get Scottish sunshine between now and Sunday?

David

[Kitaholic]

basking in the early April Scottish sunshine

Don't ever remember that occurring

[DazDaMan]

I've actually got a set of 602 codes that might be useful. Gimme a shout if you need them.

[Purplethistle]

I've actually got a set of 602 codes that might be useful. Gimme a shout if you need them.

Are they 1/48? and is the Lion Rampant on a white background (A Flight) or yellow (B Flight, which was Raymond Baxters flight )?
Skypirate has sent me some from the original 1/48 Vb, but they are pretty yellowed and although I reckon I can sunbathe them back to usable condition, it may take a week or two given the current Sun ration. I will use them at some point soon, but a fresher set would help greatly for this GB!

[DazDaMan]

They are 1/48 and I think it is a B-flight aircraft - possibly Clostermann's aircraft.

Drop me a PM and I'll get them sent ASAP.

[Purplethistle]

Didn't have time to put parts together and take photos, but the fus is buttoned up, wings are on and camo applied. Will try to remember to take photos before next steps, national markings and stencils, weathering, canopy, wheels and bombs. Think I might need a 48 hour pass to bring this kite in, Skipper.

Btw, just got a new phone with twice the photo resolution of my camera, so fingers crossed

[Purplethistle]

Hmmm, I'm in a quandary here. I'm doing this a an a/c flown by Baxter on 'Big Ben' operations against V2 sites in March '45. Two online kit builds and a piece of aviation art show the a/c with Type B upper wing roundels but on another modellers site there is a debate with two guys opting for Type C and another mentioning a yellow surround to the upper roundels! The trouble is that I don't know of any actual photos showing the upper wings.
At the moment I'm swaying towards Type C,

[DazDaMan]

I have the same quandary when I've done models of TB900 in the past (the Heller kit aircraft). I eventually tracked down a photo which seems to show it with the Type B roundels!

I had a look in the book Spitfire Dive-Bombers Versus the V-2, and while there is no photo of Baxter's aircraft (save for a cockpit shot of the man himself in the aircraft), there is a side profile of the aircraft.

Looking through the book, there is a photo of a 602 Sqn aircraft (LO-J), which shows the Type C roundel on the upper wing (just!).

The side profile picture shows it wearing a sky fuselage band and spinner. While most aircraft would have had these painted over at the time, not all of them did, and there is a photo of survivor TB863 (with another Spitfire alongside) wearing both.

[Purplethistle]

Decals arrived whilst I was at work (overtime, heh heh!) today, Many thanks Daz They look a good match for the 'Z' that I will use from the kit decals.
Also in the plus column, my new phones camera rocks.
Progress -











In the 'Glasgows own' book there is a photo of a Mk XVI from about a week after the wars end, with what looks to be Type C upper wing roundels, so I've gone with them ( even though I prefer the look of B's)

[DazDaMan]

Looking good, mate!