Detailing S&P models - my builds

[yankeekilo]

that Rex is so cool, the F-5 looks terrific

[Siwi]

Another one now on its way off the Shelf of Shame. This is going to be a very early Spitfire Mk.I from 1938 with two-blade prop, flat canopy and tailskid as well as pre-war camoflage. Chiefly an experiment in painting everything, which is why the model is white. The kit is NOBI's Mk.I from the downloads section here. I found a new way of doing wings and landing gear which is to mount the wire in a tube (left over from exerimenting with making masts for Pogoria) and then glue the wings in stages. Need to set the dihedral correctly. Made a seat for the cockpit, it won't be very detailed.

[Butelczynski]

Spitfire is one of those planes I never had good luck with and all troubles were due to wings. I'm hoping to learn something from your build.

[Brent]

Very neat build, I always like watching your building techniques and how you solve problems that arise.

Brent

[gomidefilho]

Great work on a classic!!!

[Siwi]

Originally Posted by Butelczynski

Spitfire is one of those planes I never had good luck with and all troubles were due to wings. I'm hoping to learn something from your build.

The Supermarine factory workers didn't have it much better - the shape was much more time-consuming than straight-edged wings, which you might notice were used on practically all other aircraft of the war. It didn't help that they were essentially using woodworking methods on metal too.


Cockpit is complete with the yoke and a few other details. Got the wing spars glued in too.



I noticed on this kit that the rearmost tapering connections between wing and fuselage are missing, as well as the entire upper fairings, and the carburetor intake. Luckily I can get these parts from Leif Ohlsson's upgraded versions also in the downloads section here. Could have used the cockpit and wing formers from that kit too in fact.

[Siwi]

Lots of progress today. Wheel wells, wings done, and made rear fairings from the other kit. Did have to use a bit of CA glue to get everything to stick securely and for some reason the fairings fit less well here than on the MkIX they are from despite identical parts. The starboard one isn't 100% tidy - but we'll try to cover it up with paint. Also the radiator and oil cooler and painted the underside silver. The pre-war colour looks great.



In a race tomorrow which goes right past the site of the factory where these were built - so a couple of shots with my top reppin' Southampton.

[Siwi]

The half marathon was very tough but I got a good time and came 20th out of over 2000. And the medal has Spitfires on it! After the race I wasn't good for much more than sitting with a build so got to painting the top surface camo in dark green and dark earth. These shades have troubled many a modeller and it took multiple goes of the brown in particular. You can see some of the stages that went through trying to match photographs. I settled for a mix of chestnut brown and yellow ochre with matched as well as it could. Then started on stencelling the roundals.

[gomidefilho]

Beautiful and artistic work! Congratulations!

[Siwi]

And the yellow, blue, white and red of the markings are on. Used stencils to start with but ended up freehanding. Blue may need to be wider, especially on underwing. The 19 squadron number on the tail was cut from tape and stuck on. The spinner was made in the usual way from a stack of thicker board and carved and sanded to shape.