So I'm starting my Spitfire project. The first on to the bench is this:



The contents:





And some AM stuff:



This one will be from 19 Sqdn at Duxford in 1938.

A bit more done. I think it looks ok.

Here is today's progress. I think I've done well. I've noticed that I've painted the seat red (that's what you get before looking at Edgar's email. But other than that I'm happy with it. What I'll do next time is wait for Edgar's advice before proceeding any further. My late Dad always used to tell me not to be too hasty.

As it's in BoB era fit with armour plate and reflector gunsight and plastic seat I'll probably now do the BoB one.

Darren, it's looking pretty good, but then I always thought Airfix made the best Spitfires. If I remember correctly the MkV was the first to use the Bakelite seats.
Be that as it may, your build is looking very good. I'll be watching

Later

No, the "plastic" seats (they never were made of Bakelite) were introduced on the Mk.I in May 1940; should have been earlier, but they had trouble with the material cracking under load.

Really? Cool! I never knew that

So, if I build an early Mk1, pre-war, the interior green seat is okay, but BoB and later Spitfires all had the red-brown seats?

Thanks Edgar

Later

Today's work on the Spit.

Hi Darren

Nice work to date. And Edgar, thanks for the explanation about the seat - as ever, you are a gold-mine of info!

Just out of interest, I visited a Spitfire restoration firm here on the Island a few years ago and they stated that their modern rebuilds use a metal seat to meet safety standards, because no-one has been able to duplicate whatever went into the "plastic" mix ("old bones and God knows what else" was one suggestion...). Fibre-glass fails eventually at high Gs, so metal it is nowadays - until the mystery is solved...

All the best

Rowan

I suspect that the phrase "Spitfire bakelite seat" will stay in the modellers' collective lexicon as long as "sky type S" does

The description appears in the Spitfire A.P., so will certainly outlast my attendance on this planet; maybe some Air Ministry civil servant saw the word, and made 2+2=5.
The seats were made by Aeroplastics Ltd., a Glasgow-based (and now defunct) company, and "resin + paper" have been mooted as the ingredients; there is another, also Glasgow-based, company, which make a product which sounds similar, but an enquiry drew no response.

Looking good Darren

Darren,
Really a nice, neat, clean build so far. Your wing roots look really good after all that putty work.

Joel

Looking good...love this kit, love this brand;-)

I am really interested how you're getting on with (especially the rear part) the canopies...I found they won't fit:(

Have a replacement lying around, still trying to find the right state of mind to start vacform canopies,

H.

Over the last few days I've been working on the uppersurface camo.



I'll tackle the canopy when I get there

So after a heavy decalling session all decals have now been applied.

A little update.

Today's progress. I added brake lines (a first for me)



And she's nearly there.







Just got to sort out a wireless aerial for her.

According to someone on another forum the code is too big for the fuselage. I believe it's right misinterpreted signals I believe?

Right so the aerial is done from stretched sprue, and I've done the rear view mirror using reflective tape. I think it looks ok.

Hi Darren

Great progress - and it's a nice touch adding the brake-lines! It's those kind of individual items that make a build stand out as truly your own.

All the best

Rowan

Thank you Rowan I agree. I think it makes the model yours if you know what I mean?

Yep, nicely done Darren, the antenna wire is well done.

Just for information:
The HF set used at this time required a long wire antenna, hence the wire from the tail. The mast actually had a small pulley within a triangular bracket and the wire went over this and entered the fuselage through the spine, to attach to the radio. When the radio was changed to the a VHF type the long wire was no longer required and the shorter one was inserted up inside the mast. The manufacture of the mast stayed the same, but the bracket and pulley were left off, leaving the attachment point still in place. The IFF system, at this time, also required long wires, which were attached to almost the ends of the tail planes, entering the fuselage at a point not quite in the centre of where the roundel was positioned. As I understand it from Edgar, if it had a headrest it had this type of IFF if it had no headrest the it had the newer IFF receiver. The changes were made about the same time.

The AMO, of the time, stipulated 48" codes (possibly thinking only about bombers,) but the Squadron seem to have missed the following bit, which said that smaller letters could be used where there wasn't enough space.
Eventually (well after the Battle,) fighters were allowed to use 24" codes, but Spitfire Squadrons had an extra dispensation, allowing them to use 20" (though they didn't always do it,) again due to the lack of space.
The headrest was deleted in July 1942, while the "Mk.III" I.F.F. (a single bar aerial) was introduced (depending on whose records you believe) somewhere between January and March 1943.

Thank you Mal. I got confused reading all that about I.F.F. and such. Have I got it right then? Or is it an epic fail? Anyway she's all done. And thank you Edgar for your information also. I belive 32 Sqdn also applied oversized codes on their Hurricanes?