...Airfix's neat re-tool of their braille scale MkIXc has been the fresh wind in my otherwise previously becalmed modelling sails.

Three months or so of no real time in the modelling bunker called for the only viable solution - a Spitfire... wink.gif This one's also a departure from the usual parked config and has a driver installed, although he's lurking under the opaque masking at the minute and will definitely squint hard when that comes off, so I promise to do it slowly in a darkened room... happy.gif

Xtradecal markings replace the kit items - not because there's anything wrong with the latter, just by way of variation. The azure lowers are via the prescribed Tamiya mix and the uppers are Gunze acrylics - all thinned with cellulose (an aggressive, 'hot' vehicle that creates a harder finish than mixers like isopropyl and so on).

The RAF prescribed a maximum 1 inch 'feather' demarcation between upper camo colours, so the Middle Stone was slopped on first and the edges of what would be the Dark Earth areas were laid in with 0.5mm pin striping tape that can be manipulated in tight enough curves with fine tweezers to suit. The Middle Stone was filled in with Tamiya kabuki tape and the Dark Earth laid in.

A thin mix of Dark Earth was sprayed with the airbush sloping 'into' the Dark Earth along its edges to gently soften them. A repeat of the same process but with Middle Stone loaded, sealed the deal - hard edged marking via tape, softened freehand.

Leaving the azure masked over, the upper tape was slipped off and a very thin overspray of Middle Stone was 'patched' over the whole upper surface. The overspray mix was lightened by about 30%, thinned further and 'patched' over again to 'knock back' the Dark Earth and introduce some paling of the Middle Stone.

Oils of various colours were used to start breaking up the finish and applied by latex gloved finger, brush, sponge, single bristle and so on. Klear sealed the first and second weathering layers so the third (a re-application of the oils as previously described) could go over the top without disturbing the first two. Two more brushed applications of Klear (no need to airbrush it - there'll be no brush marks) gave a decal ready finish.

As you'll see, the s/bd serial and fin flash remain to be added before sealing with another Klear coat and then spirit based flat. More weathering, fiddling and wotnot with the largely finished prop will see it home -










Steve

Looks great, love the Spit...can't wait to see what it looks like weathered.

Looking very good there! Ready to see it finished I'm sure! Keep up the good work. Russell

Thanks SR! Much appreciated.

Steve

Hi Russell:

Thanks for that.


Take it easy.

Steve

I've got an RCAF Spitfire MK Vb to build, from the Warbird series of Tamiya. I am getting some inspiration from your build. So many builds to do, so little time to do them though!! Russell

Hi Russell:

Look forward to your Vb making it out to the flight line. As you say...too little time...

Steve

I'll work on getting out there as soon as possible!! Russell

Hi folks:

Just a brief addition of some pics in the wake of Operation Flat Coat yesterday evening. Shame the ground crew forgot to fit any kind of headrest before sending the pilot on his way...

The bleaching effect of flat coat is apparent in comparison with the earlier gloss pics. The wing roundals are a couple of tones lighter after focussing matt coat over them to the tune of an extra three or four applications.

Next stop will be to 'scribble' the surfaces with the extra thin tyre black / red brown mix, trace some panel liness and maybe 'gravity' and 'airflow' shade certain sections before doing another stock take and deciding on where and how the bared metal will be handled.









The 'yet to be yellow tipped' prop is just there to reassure the pilot...


Happy days. biggrin.gif

Steve

That is a sharp looking Spitfire

The ground crews knew what they were doing. The last Spits to have a padded headrest were Mk. Vs. After a pilot or three had got his parachute hung up on the headrest while stepping out to walk home (and survived to complain about it), they were deleted from all subsequent marks.

Just to confirm Jessica's note, the pilot's headrest was deleted on all Marks, from 20-7-42, on the production line.
Edgar

Cheers Dirk!

Steve

Thanks for that clarity Jessica and I apologise to anyone I misled. Not being aware of the headrest fact you mention I fell back on what I do know to be fact - my ability to seal something up and then realise (too late) I've missed something - when I glanced at the canopy after pulling off the Parafilm and thought 'oh dear'.

Thanks again.

Steve

Roger that Edgar - and thanks.

Steve

A little more fiddling with the finish via a quick random 'scribble' at very close range (1-2cms) to the surface on a 'fine' trigger setting with the airbrush loaded with the very thin tyre black / red brown mix before the final few bits are bolted on.

The fun bit with 'scribbling' is to switch off the targeting computer (Luke) and feel The Force, going totally random here there and everywhere - the 'scribble' will intersect at various points as you meander around leading to build up of tone at those points. The idea is not to accumulate tone as soon as you start 'scribbling' - that'd mean your mix is w-a-y too rich.

The base finish on this build has been 'fogged' and bleached as described previously - the 'scribble' then injects some random darker mottling. Couple this with tiny dot applications of oils (only just visible to the naked eye without magnifying aids) that are attacked differently - smudged in by finger, streaked by brush, sometimes tapped with a slightly damp brush (dipped in white spirit and almost dried in absorbent paper towel) add more variety to the finish. It's a lot of fun tinkering...









Steve