I bought a 1/48 Spitfire Vb recently. It was cheap and when I opened it I realised why. Rather than put it in the pile of kits that I will probably never build I decided to alter it. It was the decals that gave me the idea, the squadron code letters were white and reminded me of the style used in the film Battle of Britain. The film makers modified various marks of spitfire to appear as Mk 1a so why shouldn't I? Any way here's the result.







I've decided to make a hurricane and Hispano "Buchon" in the same scale to show them as used in the film as well, sort of completes the set.

Hey Martin!

You did a good job with the somewhat crude Fujimi kit...

But what about the big black spot on the underside? Is it a Flak burst? Maybe friendly fire over England!

Waiting to see the Hurry and the Buchon!

A bientôt! Jean-Luc

Hi Martin,

Very nice looking Spit you got there! Love the camo

cheers,

David.

Hi Jean-Luc, Thanks for the kind words. The "Big black spot" is very dark weathering. I noticed when watching the film all the spitfires have it. As they were freshly painted for the film I assume it was put there by the painters. It is not actually as stark as it appears in the photo. For some reason my camera seems unable to show blended areas of colour. It seems to want to show solid "blocks" of colour. I have had the same problem when photographing faces of figures I painted with oils. The photos look blotchy where the tones are in fact blended in. Crappy camera! Anyway, I've decided this kit represents one of the full scale replicas used for parked aircraft, that way any inaccuracies can be more easily explained.

Martin...

Don't trash the kit, trash the camera! :-)

Jean-Luc

Hi David, thanks for the compliment. The camo was airbrushed freehand using Xtracrylics acrylic paint and Coulourcoats enamel. Both are relatively new products and are very good.

Nice one!

I built MH434 as she appeared right before filming began.

Nice one Martin
Does your camera have a "white balance" setting? That might be the answer to your camera problems.
Jean-Luc
All (Merlin engine?) Spitfires show oil streaking from the lower engine cowling.
Mal

Hi all!

It seems my "Flack burst" comment was a bit confusing!

I just realized by watching the pic again, that the flash light may have "erased" some of the oil streaking just aft the engine cowlings. So it looks like a flak burst!

Martin, maybe you could post an other picture of the underside without flashlight... pour en avoir le coeur net!

This could give an end to "the Flak burst File"

Jean-Luc Mulder

Hi Jean-Luc, I managed to get a still from the movie to show the underside of a spitfire. Almost every one in the film has similar dark weathering. Looking at the pic I've realised I've actually under done the weathering! I will go back and add some more.





Hi Mal, yes my camera does have "white balance" but I've tried all the settings, it just seems to want to seperate the blended colours into more solid areas, especially when dark colours are on a light background, or light colours are on a dark background. Just one of those things I guess.

Hello Martin!

You're right... je m'incline humblement!

But don't add to much black! The plane could look like a nightfighter!!! :-) :-) :-)

Respect! Jean-Luc

Hi Martin

Nice job on the model! - and I'm sure you chose that still just to upset Mal... lined up nicely... just a little bit lower...

All the best

Rowan