Martin's Spitty Dual Build

[Martin R]

This is like a radio build....

Well, I do have the looks for radio!

regards,

Martin

[Chuck E]

Some nice work there. They should look good. Excellent schemes on offer. That's a good idea for a decal sheet and booklet.

I worked with Kate Rusby quite a while ago. One of those people who is just the same off stage as on. She really is good and I have followed her work ever since. When I did the sound for her she was singing with Kathryn Roberts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnlmwAfDOlk;

We are doing a couple of Kate Rusby's songs with our new band. High on a Hill and possibly Bring Me a Boat.

[Martin R]

Some nice work there. They should look good. Excellent schemes on offer. That's a good idea for a decal sheet and booklet.

I worked with Kate Rusby quite a while ago. One of those people who is just the same off stage as on. She really is good and I have followed her work ever since. When I did the sound for her she was singing with Kathryn Roberts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnlmwAfDOlk;

We are doing a couple of Kate Rusby's songs with our new band. High on a Hill and possibly Bring Me a Boat.

Thanks, Chuck,

I must admit I was completely unaware of Kate Rusby, but clearly UAMFers are much more in tune with what's cool than I am. Not that I was really in doubt. For what it's worth, my wife came home telling me how good she was. She also said she came across as really genuine.

Anyway, tuning back in to your favourite station . . .

Yep, PB still not playing. I took some photos of where I was 2 nights ago, then again last night, and tonight as well. Tonight, I 'ave been mostly chopping down the fuselage of the 'modded' Spit.

Firstly, the rudder has gone. One or two good passes with my new favourite tool, the Trumpeter scriber, followed by sawing through (carefully) with my modellers Scale Rule did the trick. The replacement is from the 3D Kits update set for the Hase / Airfix Spitfire IX (£3.75 purchase at Telford). If this is accurate, then the existing fin / rudder is about 2 mil too high. I have cut down the remaining fin appropriately to fit the new rudder.

Secondly, I have removed the underside of the cowling up the slanted panel line which represents the bottom edge of the removable cowling side panels. I can report that the Hasegawa VIII / IX cowling bottom is a perfect fit, and subtly reduces the pigeon-breasted effect. (I had one of these spare from when I modded a Hase Spit to a Mk XII using a Paragon resin conversion set). Because the Hase cowling bottom is moulded with the front of the underwing centre-section, an appropriate chunk of the Heller wing bottom has been got rid of.

Surprisingly enough, after all that destruction, the bits fit back together really well. There will be some gaps when putting it all back together, but these are along the upper wing roots and the lower rear fuse / wing joint, caused by over-enthusiastic sanding to 'improve' the fit last night.

Sorry about the pic situation, but I'll keep snapping away and post them appropriately when PB comes back.

regards,

Martin

[JamesPerrin]

Sounds like things are coming along nicely.

Kate Rusby fact, from Holmfirth a stones throw from me.

[Martin R]

Well, I am now officially "quite annoyed". For those unfortunate folks from overseas, this is British understatement. To be clearer, "quite annoyed" is only just below "hacked off", which is the most serious level of British annoyance, and comes a fair way above "mildly upset".

PB is still not letting me post. It goes through this about once every 6 weeks, picture uploads just "hang", nothing can be posted, then the next day everything's fine again! I have now been shut out for the best part of a week and it's all "quite annoying".

Having said that, progress has been slow and there's not much worth showing.

After a small amount of filling and sanding, the unmodded Spit is ready for a primer coat. I reckon it'll need more work after that, though.

The modded Spit on the other hand, has had a partial rescribe over the last couple of nights, and the wings and lower cowling have now been added. I have attempted to add a Packard 'bulge' on the upper cowling with Milliput, but we'll have to see how it looks once dry and sanded. Finally, I have filled in the outermost hinge line on the tailplanes as I think the layout of the horn balance looks wrong. When dry, I'll extend the angled line outboard and then rescribe the streamwise edge of the horn balance.

I don't expect this to make much of a difference, but I'm wondering if the several small changes may lead to a subtly different look overall.

regards,

Martin

[PaulBradley]

O, bother, that photobucket!

It eventually cleared up for me the other day, and is working properly now.

[splash]

I say old chap quite annoyed that's a bit strong isn't?

I thought this was a family friendly forum

Regards Splash

[Martin R]

I say old chap quite annoyed that's a bit strong isn't?

I thought this was a family friendly forum

Regards Splash

Splash,

You are quite right: "A gentleman should never cause offence unintentionally."

Please accept my apologies and my assurances that I should have phrased it, "marginally gruntled".

regards,

Martin

[splash]

It's such a pleasure working with gentlemen.

Regards Splash

[Martin R]

Short update: modded Spit has had another smear of filler applied to the upper cowling, some more panel lines have been rescribed and those that had already been done have had a couple more passes with the scriber, I have rescribed the outer horn balance hinge on the tailplanes and they have now been attached.

I have also looked out my Hase Spit VIII whose decals I will be using for the unmodded Spit. I found another Paragon Spit XII conversion set inside, which means I now have a spare prop spinner, blades, wheels and undernose cowling. They may come in handy . . .

Further sanding and filling now beckon.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

OK, for no adequately explained reason, PB is now working for me again. Therefore, please let me share progress from over a week ago. Apologies for the fuzzy pics/

Firstly, the airframe of the unmodded Spit was completed (Saturday before last):



Then, the modded Spit had its interior bits painted (Sunday before last):



And then the fuselage was closed up and you see it here with the complete unmodded airframe (Sunday before last):



And on Monday before last, I hacked off the rudder (carefully) and then the under-cowling and was left with the following parts. I still had to remove the forward part of the wing centre-section as marked:



Progress then slowed as mentioned in some of my subsequent previous (pardon?) posts.

Currently, the unmodded Spitfire has had a coat of Tank Grey sprayed on as primer. Far too dark to use as a primer, but it was all I had at the time. It looked pretty good but a subsequent small amount of filler was needed, which is now dry. I will sand this down tonight, then I need some white primer to start off the SEAC stripes.

The airframe of the modded Spit is together, it has been scribed, a Packard 'bulge' has been added, and a layer of filler was applied along the seams last night. Again, I need some primer before this can move on with the airframe. Consequently, tonight I may try to spray the resin spinner yellow in preparation for the Spiralschnauze.

regards,

Martin

[Jagewa]

Woo hoo, normal reception has resumed!

Looking fine Martin.

Cheers
Jim

[lancfan]

A nice pair of spitfires, glad you got your pictures back online.

David.

[Martin R]

Thanks chaps,

And a rather blurry photo of where we are now:



As I said previously, I need to buy a rattle can of white both as a basis for the white SEAC stripes for the unmodded Spit, and to prime the modded one. Until I get that at the weekend, there probably won't be much more photo-worthy progress.

In the meantime, a photo of Louis' first modelling session:



The bit he's got in his hand is the fuselage half from a 1/200th Revell snap together Concorde. He enjoyed helping me to snip the parts from the sprue using a pair of side cutters.

It did go together quite well, and is currently perched safely on his high shelf.

regards,

Martin

[Jagewa]

Ahh that's too cute for words, modelling fun, wonderful. Just watch that AMS I hear it's contagious

Cheers
Jim