Ratch Posted November 18, 2022 Share Posted November 18, 2022 This is how I am tackling the new Airfix Spitfire. I'm just an average builder and will report the build as I find it. If I encounter any problems, I hope it will help others with similar challenges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 18, 2022 Author Share Posted November 18, 2022 The runners were washed in warm, soapy water and allowed to air dry thoroughly. I intend my approach to be to construct as far as possible before introducing paint to plastic. This will be a complete reversal to my usual modus operandi because I find that a layer of paint can distort the fit of these modern kits. Part D13 was broken on the runner before I cut it loose, It was quickly cemented back together before fitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SD45elect2000 Posted November 19, 2022 Share Posted November 19, 2022 I think the amount of your experience places you well above average builder. You teach me techniques .Randall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 19, 2022 Author Share Posted November 19, 2022 You're too kind Randall. The seat was painted. Construction moved on to the cockpit, commencing with the floor panel. I assembled this section, the starboard wall and instrument panel before painting them. Two transparent parts are provided for the instrument panel; one for painting and the other to use with decals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S M 1962 Posted November 20, 2022 Share Posted November 20, 2022 Dear Sir, I am trying and failing to deduce on the internet whether this kit has a seated pilot. Could you please confirm if it does? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 20, 2022 Author Share Posted November 20, 2022 No pilot is included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S M 1962 Posted November 20, 2022 Share Posted November 20, 2022 Thank you for the reply. It is a rotten shame. The company saves a ha'penny of plastic but have lost an income of nearly £100 from myself. It is a lot of money to find and then have to spend more for a pilot to bring it to life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven-434888 Posted November 20, 2022 Share Posted November 20, 2022 Hi Ratch.Glad to see your kit underway. I did the test shot in Airfix Model World and after eleven increasingly frenetic weeks finishing it (especially the last three) it's a pleasure to sit back and enjoy all the builds folks are navigating now this epic kit is in full production. Great progress so far - looking forward to the rest!TTFNSteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven-434888 Posted November 20, 2022 Share Posted November 20, 2022 Hi Steve.Dale addressed the question of pilots in kits in a prior edition of 'Sprue Talk' on You Tube earlier this year I believe. The essential message, as I heard it, was two-fold. In the first instance, tooling pilots isn't straightforward and is something of a challenge for the designer. Not insurmountable of course but time consuming and an extra production cost, to set against profitability. In tandem with that, having looked into the frequency with which pilots were included in builds they determined that the rate was low and so it seems that this'll have to be something the aftermarket folks will hopefully backfill. TTFNSteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul71 Posted November 20, 2022 Share Posted November 20, 2022 watching this with interest ratch looking forward to how it looks at the end of the build and how long it takes you,its one i would like but have no room at all to put it anywhere once builtpaul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 20, 2022 Author Share Posted November 20, 2022 Thank you for the reply. It is a rotten shame. The company saves a ha'penny of plastic but have lost an income of nearly £100 from myself. Hardly a ha-penny. I saw 1/24 pilots on sale at SMW for £25! I know that's not the cost price, but as Steve says, the cost would raise the bar significantly over £100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 20, 2022 Author Share Posted November 20, 2022 Hi Ratch.Glad to see your kit underway. I did the test shot in Airfix Model World and after eleven increasingly frenetic weeks finishing it (especially the last three) it's a pleasure to sit back and enjoy all the builds folks are navigating now this epic kit is in full production.Great progress so far - looking forward to the rest!TTFNSteve Thanks Steve, was yours one of those at Telford? I hope mine comes out half as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 20, 2022 Author Share Posted November 20, 2022 Dale addressed the question of pilots in kits in a prior edition of 'Sprue Talk' on You Tube earlier this year I believe. The essential message, as I heard it, was two-fold. In the first instance, tooling pilots isn't straightforward and is something of a challenge for the designer. Not insurmountable of course but time consuming and an extra production cost, to set against profitability.In tandem with that, having looked into the frequency with which pilots were included in builds they determined that the rate was low and so it seems that this'll have to be something the aftermarket folks will hopefully backfill. Precisely! Modellers would also demand the appropriate pilot's uniform and gear, so three would have to be included to match the decal options in this kit. Plus, these 1/24 kits will not necessarily be suitable for a 'one figure suits all' case as used to be the case in the 1/72 kits of old. Times have changed I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven-434888 Posted November 20, 2022 Share Posted November 20, 2022 Hi Ratch.Glad to see your kit underway. I did the test shot in Airfix Model World and after eleven increasingly frenetic weeks finishing it (especially the last three) it's a pleasure to sit back and enjoy all the builds folks are navigating now this epic kit is in full production.Great progress so far - looking forward to the rest!TTFNSteveThanks Steve, was yours one of those at Telford? I hope mine comes out half as well. Hi Ratch. No, the quartet of builds seen on 'Workbench' and SMW 2022 are entirely credit to Paramjit, who did a marvellous job on each. I did the French option in AMW, one that'll no doubt crop up quite often! Spot the error in placement of the red decal on the pilot's door - it should be at the top...doh! Old age is a terrible thing. I think if the decal placement drawing had included the lock / release bar I'd have spotted the orientation but either way, still my mistake. If you happen to see my AMW build please ignore the incorrect use of the 'Muscat' decal - I asked for clarification on it in the last days of the build but regrettably didn't receive a response and was obliged to gamble (wrongly as it happened) but no worries. Are you deploying the flaps and exposing the engine on yours? TTFN Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 20, 2022 Author Share Posted November 20, 2022 Hey Steve, we often amplify our own errors when most others don't notice them. That looks lovely and I only found out about the Muscat marking due to a topic on Britmodeller. I haven't yet decided which aircraft this will be or how I'll pose it. That may come down to what kind of job I do on it. If I stuff it up, I may have to make it as a rusty, scrapyard wreck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven-434888 Posted November 20, 2022 Share Posted November 20, 2022 Hey Steve, we often amplify our own errors when most others don't notice them. That looks lovely and I only found out about the Muscat marking due to a topic on Britmodeller. I haven't yet decided which aircraft this will be or how I'll pose it. That may come down to what kind of job I do on it. If I stuff it up, I may have to make it as a rusty, scrapyard wreck! Hi Ratch. Thanks for that. There's a caveat that goes hand in hand with tackling review builds in AMW, which is to make every effort not to misdirect or mislead the reader, hence my post on Britmodeller and mention of the two decal errors here. There are a few areas on the kit that need attention to keep fit tight - the cockpit firewall needing thinning on the engine side to properly sit in its channels, the ailerons received a late CAD change and the mating surfaces need quite spirited thinning to properly sit in the aileron bays (otherwise they're too thick and will 'step' above and below the wing), the port coolant pipe to the glycol tank won't locate as directed in the build guide sequencing (I have a 'no cut' solution that solves it), the port engine panel frame is about 60% thicker than the starboard one, which hinders the frame sitting neatly behind the prop plate as it's otherwise designed to (it fouls the front bend of the feed pipe) and the positioning of the glycol tank, relative to the feed pipes is critical for everything attached to it to line up as intended. Take it easy - looking forward to seeing what scheme you choose! TTFN Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 20, 2022 Author Share Posted November 20, 2022 When I built the 1/350 HMS Illustrious for AMW there were no instructions or decals! I know where you're coming from.Back to the Spitfire:Having painted the first instrument panel, I also made up the second with decals to illustrate both options. I referred back to page 4 for the position of cockpit decals. There are 25 decals just for the panel alone and they show up the inadequacy of my painting. I shall use the decal option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Meadows Posted November 21, 2022 Share Posted November 21, 2022 Look forward to seeing further progress, looking good so far. I am trying to decide on brush or airbrushing mine. I recently bought a cheap airbrush and my "skills" are still limited so I am leaning to brush painting this - are you airbrushing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 21, 2022 Author Share Posted November 21, 2022 I've not decided yet Ian. All of it so far has been brushed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Meadows Posted November 21, 2022 Share Posted November 21, 2022 Good luck with whichever you go with. I am going to wait a bit before I start - not even sure if my desk will be big enough to build it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 21, 2022 Author Share Posted November 21, 2022 I fixed the instrument panel to the frame with PVA. I found it easier to fit the sidewall sub-assembly (13) to the floor (11) before adding the instrument panel (15). It will soon come to the stage when I must decide the airframe I intend to finish the build as, and how I wish to display it. Although I rather like clipped wing Spitfires, I’m not keen on French markings. For this reason, I discount option E, GR 2/33 “Savoie”, Armée de l’Air, Luxeuil-les-Bains, France, early 1945. Similarly, the USAAF markings and the Italian campaign do not interest me. I eliminate the aircraft flown by Captain Garth Jared, Commanding Officer, 309th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, United States Army Air Force, Italy, December 1943. The early markings of EN398 flown by Flight Lieutenant Ian Keltie, No 402 Squadron “City of Winnipeg”, Royal Air Force Kenley, Surrey, England, March 1943 are quite attractive with the Popeye nose art, but otherwise a little too plain for me. The old chestnut about the colour of the maple leaf is raised again with this and the later manifestation of this aircraft. I can see the attraction in the EN398 flown by Wing Commander James Edgar “Johnny” Johnson, No 402 Squadron “City of Winnipeg”, Royal Air Force Kenley, Surrey, England, Summer 1943 markings, and applaud their inclusion and the link back to Airfix’s own history. I can see many using this decal option, but it is not for me. So I am looking at ML214 flown by Squadron Leader Johnny Plagis, No. 126 (Persian Gulf) Squadron, Royal Air Force Harrowbeer, Devon, England, July 1944 (with options for June and December 1944), but which one. In June 1944 the aircraft was not flown by Plagis and wore full, wrap-around invasion stripes. No. 126 Sqn applied the stripes to a non-standard 10” width. It is also possible that they were applied rather hurriedly, before D-Day, although the photos I found show them neatly painted. In July the fuselage stripes were reduced over the fuselage. The stripes on the upper wings may have been over-painted at this time also. By December 1944 the invasion stripes had been totally removed, although the Hispano cannons were painted black and white, the spinner was also white. The late version may have been painted especially for publicity purposes. Of these, I like the July half stripes, so A it will be. I will have the cockpit open to see the interior, gun bays open and engine on display too, unless things go horribly wrong along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 24, 2022 Author Share Posted November 24, 2022 I get 502 Bad Gateway each time I try to post a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 25, 2022 Author Share Posted November 25, 2022 The problem appears to be with this thread. It is making changes to my posts that I cannot edit, and I get the bad gateway although I can post images elsewhere. I shall close this thread and resume with a new Part 2 Build Review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted November 25, 2022 Author Share Posted November 25, 2022 The fault appears to affect just this sub-forum (for me). I could not open a new topic containing images because of the 502 error. I await help from a higher authority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SD45elect2000 Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 I am not getting this message when I post a picture. Randall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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