So with one Spit nearly done, it was time to grab another from the stash. And I love the Mk.IX in all it's forms, so I grabbed this one:



The contents:





The chosen scheme I'm doing:



And the extras:

As MJ250 was built in late 1943, it wouldn't have had the bulged upper cowling, but retained the early, slightly smoother-topped (can't call it "flatter") version.
Edgar

Thank you for that Edgar.

some progress made on the cockpit:

Hi Darren
Good start, it is time to get a spit for me !
Is this a silver doped plane or bare metal ???

It is bare metal (stripped of paint). Edward have not got it right. There were no camouflage areas. The armour plate in front of the cockpit is a darker coloured alloy. For a while the BoBMF's Spitfire MK356 carried this scheme, but it was painted silver.

There is a photograph of MJ250 complete with 500 lb bomb here:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/theaircraft/silverspitfire.cfm

Go to the bottom and click on larger image to see it properly.



It looked very similar to these Spitfires.

BTW. There is uncertainty as to the colour of the codes, red or black. IIRC Edward have both choices on their decal sheet.

Hi Antoni
.......good to know !

Who care's if it's right or wrong? My model my rules

Anyway a bit more done to the cockpit.





And actually the green in the cockpit is much lighter than the images suggest.

So I've been beavering away on the cockpit, and here is the end result:

Well it's looking like a Spit:

Darren,
There seems to be an issue as to what the color should be if any, of the armor plate on the top of the engine compartment. I looked at Antoni's referred to site, and those pictures certainly look that of a restored aircraft. Restorations have a nasty habit of being wrong, as they're all to often based on inconsistent data, incorrect interpretations of B&W/Sepia photographs, and old war memories.

There is one picture of a completely stripped Spitfire, but that doesn't mean that it went back into service that way, as it still needed to have all its markings painted on, so they could have painted that anti glare panel then. There is also a picture showing that panel to be quite a bit darker, and very close to the panel color of the camo painted Spitfire in the foreground of that photograph.

You should also take into consideration that the purpose of painting that area from the nose to the windscreen a dark color, was to help kill the glare from the sun that the pilot had to deal with. I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't have addressed that issue, as the pilot or pilots would have certainly addressed it.

Your build is coming along quite well. Nice job on the cockpit. From what I see on my monitor, the interior Green could be a little more blue, but that doesn't mean that your actual color isn't correct. Once the fuselage is closed up, one sees very little of the cockpit, and it's always in a shadow. Looking forward to seeing your Mk 1Xc with some paint on it.

Joel

Thank you Joel.

My one will have the camo'd cowl and fuel tank. As I said before my model my rules. Right now we know that the aircraft was stripped of paint. So I've left the u/c bays and inside the radiators MSG (Medium Sea Grey).

The "armour plate" was not armour, in the true sense of the word, but "deflection armour" consisting of a thicker grade of alclad, which was rolled round the curvature of the fuselage, and held in place by Oddie fasteners and countersunk screws.
It was simply designed to deflect away angled fire from ahead or behind, but was little use against direct hits. Being alclad, it would have been anodised, then grey undercoated before camouflage paint went on top, so it's anyone's guess as to what "colour" is visible in photos.
With MJ250, it's entirely possible that the armour and cowling were removed before the paint was stripped off, so they could easily have remained in their camouflage colours, and simply fitted back into place, which makes comments, about Eduard getting it wrong, just a little simplistic.
Edgar

Right painting complete and gloss coat added ready for decals.

I've been thinking I might forego the centreline bomb rack and bomb. And go with the humped fuel tank instead hmmmmm decisions, decisions.

Looking good so far






Terri

Thank you Terri!

Darren,
You're making excellent progress on your 2nd Spit. For what's it's worth, I vote for the centerline fuel tank.
Joel

Thank you Joel!

Right update time! I decided to forego the centreline bomb and add the centreline belly tank instead. I think it looks different.









Probably not accurate, but what the hell it's my model.

And she's done.

Kit manufacturer: Eduard
Scale: 1/48
Type: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc Late version
Extras used: Eduard Brassin 5-spoke wheels treadedED648098 and Belly tank from the spares box.
Paints and colours used: Humbrol, Revell and Xtracrylics

So here she is in all her shiny glory. In the markings of an aircraft operated by 601 Sqdn in Italy in the Summer of 1944: