I looked at numerous pictures of the undersides of Spitfires and decided that the staining wasn't as bad as is often depicted, so I will be adding that detail with oils after the matt coat. Because this aircraft had the more pointy Rotol spinner and different blades to the kit I decided that I would replace it with a resin one. I wanted to use the "Ministry of Correction" one, because it looks superb, but I could read the language on the web site so I couldn't check out! I found another by "Grey Matters"; it is OK but lacks the detail of the MoC one and the blades have no method of fixing into the spinner.I also had to fabricate a method that would allow me to remove and replace the spinner easily (this is for my trade stand and will be transported to shows). I had to open out the hole in the back plate to accommodate the drive(?) on the nose and so I then had to produce a spindle that I could find a method of holding the spinner in place, tightly enough to be held correctly but lose enough to be pulled off without damage! So:

A length of plastic tube has been secured over the kit spindle, after the latter was CAd in place, using filler to fill the internal gap. You can see the drive(?) on the nose plate which the spinner must fit over.



The back plate with the hole drilled out and sitting over the drive and spindle. Not I have had to drill out the holes for fixing the blades.



I cut a piece out of the tapered polythene nozzle of the cap from a small bottle, which tightens nicely over the widened spindle at just the right point. It will be held in place with the spinner is together as there is filled depth to it.



I had to drill out the base of the blades and fit a brass tube (all I had of a suitable diameter) so that there was something to attach the blades to the spinner back plate! I will now have to set something up to ensure that the blades are aligned



I have yet to weather the prop to match in with the rest of the airframe.

I have also fashioned the IFF antenna fixings for the tail plane. I should have done these before painting so I had to scrape a little paint of the fixing location! The actual device is a tube on a plate with a clamp at the forward end but I have simply used a piece of Albion Alloys 0.3mm aluminium tube (it comes in a pack with 0.3 o.5 0.7 and 0.9 slide fit pieces 300mm long0. To cut simply role uner a blade and it snaps off cleanly, excellent stuff It is hardly noticeable and will be even less so when painted, so I don't think that trying to replicate the device exactly (as Chuck would ) would have gained (me) anything I bet no other 1/32 Spit has this anyway (well before I posted this ) I still haven't drilled the holes in the fuselage for the IFF wires to enter and again I should have done that before painting. I could have then replicated the insulator as well. I am also trying to work out the exact location for where they enter the fuselage so I am procrastinating again.

Sorry a bit blurred this one, but it shows the location.



And this one shows that it is a tube

Well I have finally finished this. I'm pleased with it but it was a bit of a struggle because I had been unable to do any proper modelling for a few years, for various reasons. I do feel as if I ma re-learning techniques and I am hoping that next year sees me back into full modelling flow. This has been built to show off painted on markings on my trade stand at Telford (IPMS UK Scale Model World) along with the 1/72 scale Spit that I am trying to get finished.











Paint masks used:
1.Spitfire camouflage "A" scheme (now modified to more accurately depict the Spitfire camo).
2.Wing leading edge yellow masks.
3. Wing walkway stripes.
4.Dashed lines for the over wheel well warning marks and for the trestle markings under the wings.
5. Fin flash.
6. Upper wing, lower wing and fuselage roundels.
7. Fuselage codes.
8. serial numbers.
9. Small "M" on the nose.
The next model that I build will also utilise my generic canopy masks, watch this space or see my face book page

Mal,
That's a fantastic looking Spit. Really good model with a superb paint job.
I think I have a model asking for some masks

Cheers
Pedro

Beautiful result, Mal - lots of ideas and inspiration there for future builds! Looking forward to seeing it at Telford!
Ray

Fantastic build, Mal- cheers! Brilliant paint work- you may sell a set or two of these masks... ;D Your use of a section of bottle nozzle as a prop plate collar is nothing short of sheer ingenuity.

Thank you Pedro, all models are crying out for some paint masks




Thanks Ray, make sure that get to talk to me at Telford; I am usually chatting with someone and often they need a break so just letting me know that you want to chat is a nice get out for the other person So don't feel that you are butting in

Thanks Chuck,



I am close to actually having a product range, it depends on a meeting at Telford So I hope to sell a few more masks in the future Thanks, there was a real need to be able to remove and replace the prop with ease and I was pleased with the method that I worked out for this. If I had decided to go with an after market prop before the fuselage halves were together it would have been very much easier My wish is that I can build something with lots of scratch built details but, having been out of modelling for a few years, I need to get models built to show off the potential of masks. So I intend that next year I have a flurry of building, basically OOB, then settle down and start doing some more intense builds, maybe