LetLetLet ~ Warplanes

Let Let Let - Warplanes => Aircraft Modeling => Topic started by: Second Air Force on April 02, 2015, 06:55:08 PM

Title: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 02, 2015, 06:55:08 PM
This is such a busy time of year with new growth in the garden, but this Tamiya Spitfire Vb also needs my attention! I'll be building another machine that probably flew over my father during his time in North Africa, adding to the "Tunisian Collection". ;)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/Tropical%20Spit%20Begins%20001_zpsepmfwglr.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/Tropical%20Spit%20Begins%20001_zpsepmfwglr.jpg.html)

Tamiya provides both Vokes and Aboukir tropical filter lower cowls as well as the normal smooth unit, so many options for markings can be conjured up! :-tri
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: No.1 on April 02, 2015, 08:31:22 PM
Good :))
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Akinator98 on April 03, 2015, 12:49:15 AM
 :-ok
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 03, 2015, 12:18:10 PM
Thank you!
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: draken35 on April 04, 2015, 08:41:58 AM
Scott, you give me the envy to start mine! ;)
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 04, 2015, 03:19:02 PM
I've wanted to build this for a long time.......when I was a young child my father told me his experiences in North Africa. One of his remembrances was of the American-marked Spitfires and getting his hair cut at a fighter airstrip one sunny day.
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: modellius on April 05, 2015, 09:10:52 AM
nice
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 06, 2015, 12:40:35 AM
Thanks!

Here is some small effort at painting, the instrument panel is certainly not as nice as Draken's Yahu panel, but it still isn't bad with some detail painting:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/SAC%20APRIL%2015%20001_zpsollojpqh.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/SAC%20APRIL%2015%20001_zpsollojpqh.jpg.html)
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: No.1 on April 06, 2015, 05:22:35 AM
Can you provide close up with Yahu panel mounted?
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 06, 2015, 05:47:16 AM
Daniel has the Yahu panel on his Belgian Spitfire thread, I've used the plastic Tamiya panel.
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: draken35 on April 06, 2015, 01:45:44 PM
Here is the Yahu panel
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: No.1 on April 08, 2015, 02:06:47 PM
Thanks ;)
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 08, 2015, 04:17:50 PM
In just a short amount of time the cockpit assembly was completed and fuselage halves glued together. Then the wing parts were built-up and the Vokes intake cowl also finished. I added a small screen to the intake (you can barely see it, but it is there.... and filled the seam here. Another nice thing about this Tamiya kit is that the fuselage seams can be filled and primed before adding the cockpit and wings if you wish.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/Spit%20Trop%201%20001_zpsdftpu7nn.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/Spit%20Trop%201%20001_zpsdftpu7nn.jpg.html)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/Spit%20Trop%201%20003_zpskcpqssrn.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/Spit%20Trop%201%20003_zpskcpqssrn.jpg.html)

If I can get the time, the canopy parts will be prepared today so that painting can begin.
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: draken35 on April 08, 2015, 07:28:54 PM
:-ok
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: No.1 on April 08, 2015, 07:47:25 PM
Fast and precise :))
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 08, 2015, 08:09:01 PM
The fit is so good! However, the lower cowl seam takes a little extra filler but not bad.
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 13, 2015, 06:11:10 PM
It's raining (and very welcome rain!) here this morning so some camouflaging took place. Over the last week or so I've applied the Azure blue underside and then had to make a decision on the upper scheme. As shown on an earlier Spitfire build, there is a nice set of mask templates that I found somewhere. However on this build I had to spray the Dark Earth color first and the Sand second--I usually try to paint light color first, then darker. So......the dark was sprayed and an experiment laid on the left stabilizer with good success. I had not enough time to mask the entire machine so the tail only received the sand today:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/Desert%20Spit%20Aft%20002_zpswb6oxqc7.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/Desert%20Spit%20Aft%20002_zpswb6oxqc7.jpg.html)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/Desert%20Spit%20Aft%20001_zps4gklnlfv.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/Desert%20Spit%20Aft%20001_zps4gklnlfv.jpg.html)
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: No.1 on April 13, 2015, 07:51:43 PM
Result is good as I see ;)
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: draken35 on April 14, 2015, 06:10:00 PM
:-ok
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 16, 2015, 03:33:14 PM
Thanks, friends!

Yesterday the forward pattern was applied and some small touch-ups on a couple of areas. Also, though not pictured, the Azure decided not to stick to the aft fuselage in a small area........but was easily repaired.
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/Forward%20Camo%20002_zps2kcjapbh.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/Forward%20Camo%20002_zps2kcjapbh.jpg.html)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/Forward%20Camo%20001_zpsghj5rb3r.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/Forward%20Camo%20001_zpsghj5rb3r.jpg.html)
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: No.1 on April 16, 2015, 03:34:31 PM
As I know you, in few days it will be completed :))
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 16, 2015, 05:04:36 PM
I hope so, but the garden is taking much time--many weeds are growing nicely!!!!
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 17, 2015, 04:58:09 PM
Raining here, so small progress in the model room is happening. After touching up the camo, and spraying the "painted out" RAF markings, it was time to test fit the propeller and lower cowling--perfect Tamiya fit as usual!
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/Kitchen%20Dogs%204%202015%20003_zpsw3vd9jdi.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/Kitchen%20Dogs%204%202015%20003_zpsw3vd9jdi.jpg.html)
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: No.1 on April 17, 2015, 05:21:38 PM
As you say, all fit perfect!
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 17, 2015, 06:29:55 PM
Yes, a very easy build. Also, I should note that the entry door fits so poorly because I've cut it out and will later use the optional open door. I simply taped the cut-out item back in the hole as a painting mask.
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: draken35 on April 18, 2015, 11:57:12 AM
Looks great! :-ok
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Second Air Force on April 21, 2015, 01:13:06 AM
Such relaxation when building this great kit!

As I explained earlier, I wanted to build this particular Spitfire because there is some chance that my father actually was at this facility when he was in North Africa. One of his remembrances was getting his hair cut at an airbase and there being a variety of airplanes around the field. No idea if this is the same exact place, but he did mention that there were airmen salvaging wrecks for parts and ER120 was one of the 52nd Fighter Group airplanes being either salvaged or repaired in the photo I have. So.......this particular Spit may have flown over my dad during his time in Africa and it was good to build it here! I've used a great variety of decals for this one, some from the Tamiya kit and many from the spare decal collection:
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20001_zpscoyie8kc.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20001_zpscoyie8kc.jpg.html)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20006_zps6xo1c45c.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20006_zps6xo1c45c.jpg.html)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20010_zpseauubqxi.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20010_zpseauubqxi.jpg.html)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20004_zpswa6cynax.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20004_zpswa6cynax.jpg.html)
(http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20008_zpspguklpr3.jpg) (http://s174.photobucket.com/user/2AF/media/52nd%20Group%20Spit%20008_zpspguklpr3.jpg.html)
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: No.1 on April 21, 2015, 06:11:44 AM
Great work!!!!
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: draken35 on April 21, 2015, 04:59:46 PM
Excellent! :-ok
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: modellius on April 23, 2015, 10:11:23 AM
nice
Title: Re: North African Spitfire
Post by: Akinator98 on April 24, 2015, 09:27:22 PM
Excellent! :-clap :-clap :-clap :-clap