Hi all.
This is my latest project, one that Ive been thinking about doing for a couple of years now. The kit and detail set have been taunting me from the stash and Ive finally broken and Im going for it.
The kit is the 1:72nd scale Tamiya Spitfire MK1.
Airies Detail Set. ( engine,cockpit,gun bays)
Eduard Canopy Mask.

For research I'll mainly be using the SAM Publications Spitfire Part 1 guide, and an excellent article in a FSM special edition published a few years ago and sent to me by a modeller friend in Washington.


Ive never attempted anything along these lines before so the whole thing will be a big learning curve. In fact, Im fully expecting to muck it up in fine style at some point along the line!

Time to break out the Dremel!
Nige

Good luck Nige,
I started to use the Aries set for the 1/48 Hasegawa spit and gave up as the resin cockpit components (despite sanding them paper thin) spread the fuselage so much that the wing wouldn't fit. It went iback in the box and has never come back out. I'm sure someone with your talent will do a better job.

Cheers

Allen

Thanks Allen.
You have more faith in my "skills" than I have
I know that if I actually manage to pull this one off it'll be a major event for me
Nige

Mr Spitfire meet Mr Razor Saw and his partner in crime Mr Dremel!

I'll be refitting the rudder at a slight angle and the cockpit door will be open.I'll also be showing the Spit with the elevators at an angle.
One side of the cockpit detail has been removed. Looking carefully at build photos in the FSM magazine it'll end up being sanded a lot more than this!
Dont panic Mal, I have no intention of sticking a Daimler Benz on the front end!
Nige

What have you done to that poor plane .
Looking forward to see you tackle this.


And what is wrong with a little German engineering then .
Andy

I know mate,,LOL!,,totally goes against the way I normally treat a kit
Ive decided that the best way to approach this is going to be to hack away and make sure the major sections fit before spending any time prepping the parts and painting them.
The cockpit is taped together and theres going to be a lot of dremel action thinning those fusalage walls before thats going to fit nicely.
I imagine its going to need a lot of thinning of the wings as well to get the gun bays in.
I decided to have a bash at getting the firewall to fit first. After over 3 hours of dremelling its there!

The cradle for the Merlin fits very well, and after a good clean up to get rid of all the flash it should look great.
Now I know the firewall fits the next stage will be to get the cockpit area sanded down and dry fit that. Once I know its all going to fit together I'll paint the cockpit and get the fusalage halves joined up.
This is going to be a long old slog I think.
Nige

I am definitely excited to watch this one. Over the years you have developed some amazing skills and it will be fun to see you tackle the possible challenges of this build. I am sure that in the end the spitfire will be a show stopper.

Allen

Hi Nigel,
I agree with Allen. You've put out some awesome finished kits. I'm gonna keep watching the progress with this one. Thanks for the inspiration, too.

Come Nigel , you are being negative before you even are really to begin . You will do one fine job on this build like always . Looking forward on seeing this one come together..

Oh ohhh,,the girls are ganging up on me
Thanks for the kind words and encouragment everyone!
Off for a short break over the next week so no chance to get anymore done on this for a while.
One things for sure, its certainly going to be a challenge, but one that Im looking forward to!
Nige

We are not ganging up on you ! just giving that little push that some of us need every now then ! But if you want us to ......................................

Cheers Nigel

So...it's like a P-47.....but with a liquid cooled engine?

-Matt

What a way to go!,,LOL
Progress ( or lack of it) is very slow on this. Im still trying to shoehorn the Aires cockpit into the fusalage, and getting nowhere fast.
Ive also been distracted by another P-47 build, which I'll post pictures of when its done.
Its hard to get motivated when all you do is dremell away and not really get anywhere, and a Tamiya P-47 is perfect therapy




Almost Matt.
This is a P-47 with a liquid cooled engine

Nige

Get rid on that nasty injection moulded detail and smell the sweet smell of resin dust. Mmmm don't inhale too much though! If it feels that good it must be bad.

After sanding my 109 to a waffer thin fuselage all I can say is "careful with that dremel nigel"

Smashing start Nigel.

Hi JP.
It certainly seems that "wafer thin" is the extreme you have to take it too!
There are also gun bays for the wings in the set, and the longer it takes to get the cockpit to fit will determine weather I use these or not
How goes the 109?
Nige

Thanks nigel it goes well, hacked off the control surfaces and replaced them with the resin parts.

I had to remind myself not just to sand the plastic but the resin too otherwise I would had gone right
through the cockpit wall. Which ended up translucent.
Will post pic's on the aces thread once I get hold of my camera again.
All the best with the surgery

Hi Nigel

ambitious project! .. but you are making good progress.

You probably know or did already (but it is not shown in the pix) thinning the resin parts can give you an extra mm or two (your pit sems to be unaltered). I have also shortend some wheel bays at the open end once (Hasegawa P-47 ) when the other side and both wing halves were already very translucent. Nobody can measure it and you still have the great resin detail ...

cheers

Steffen

Just checking to see that you haven't tossed in the towel yet !

Hi Terri
No towels have been thrown anywhere
Im just coming to the end of a quick (for me anyway) Thunderbolt build as a gift for a friend of mine and Ive just got back today from a short tour with REM.
I hope to get some more dremmelling done sometime over the next couple of weeks but modelling time is going to be scarce between now and Christmas. 2 more tours almost back to back coming up
Nige

Damn if I'd have known this I would have tried blagging some tickets. Sam's always wanted to see REM live

P.S. If you every do a tour with Meatloaf please let her know... you'll never hear the end of it otherwise

Cool , touring with REM !!!! It was a few weeks ago I went to my first rock concert . Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers . On the 9th I'm going to see Santana !

Hey Nigel , how's the sanding coming along ? You didn't get to carried away and sand everything away did you !

Hi Terri
I got somewhat sidetracked by the P-47 build Ive just finished.
There are some pictures in the SIG thread.
I was actually thinking of getting the dremel out later and seeing if I can get one side of the canopy to fit.
Nige

I'm really looking forward on seeing this one . Having just got Italeri Spitfire Mk.Vb 1/72 . I curious to see how this turns out . SO DON'T THROW IN THE TOWEL YET !

Fear not Terri!
No towels are going to be thrown anywhere
The side walls of the cockpit almost fit, and Im making progress at a snails pace. Once I get the cockpit to fit I know I'll want to concentrate on this project.
So dont worry, it'll get finished.
Ive got the Italeri kit and thats also earmarked for a conversion. I must be daft
Nige