This one, along with both the VB, and Tropical VB have been sitting in my stash waiting to be built for ages now.
I figured with Tamiya's even more recent newly tooled kit, I should pull my finger out and finally build it.
The "Spitty" is my Favorite RAF aircraft of WW2... closely followed by the Lancaster and Mosquito, so is no coincidence that it was a Spitfire (Hasegawa kit) that I first built... very poorly when I got back into the hobby a few years ago.
I'm hoping this one will be an improvement over my previous attempt. 😉
When the sun comes up I'll make a start on the pre-shading, and maybe get the undersides painted as well. I'll be using Mission Models acrylics, so will be a good test bed for the RNZAF Ventura which is also high up on my to-do list at present.
I completed the camouflage yesterday and am really happy with the colour depth and coverage of the Mission Models acrylics that I used.
Will next seal it with several light coats of clear gloss, then leave it for a few days to harden before making a start on the panel line wash and decals etc.
I've finished with the decals, but the upper and lower wing roundels are proving to be a little stubborn, as I'm still trying to get them to settle down over the raised detailing with wet applications of Micro Sol. I may have to resort to pricking them, but I'm trying to avoid it if possible...
as for decals your last resort might be tamiya's lacquer thinner mate. use the softest brush available but never "paint" it, just use brush as a delivery device if you get what i mean else it'll eat tru the carrier film and begin turning the pigments in the decals into modern art. 🙂
Guillaume Blanchet I'm not familiar with the word "pricking" so that may be your last resort plan, but I do usually go trough the panel lines with my Xacto after the decal have settled. It help showing the details trough & with my panel accent.
Tamiya Decal are not bad, but they are not my favorites to works with.
I took a quick look at it again when I got up this morning and I think I will be ok.
I did end up pricking them in several places where they were raised slightly from the surface and applied several more coats of Micro Sol. I followed up by using a pad of moistened tissue to gently compress them which helped a lot I think.
Tamiya decals have a reputation for being a little thick, but was made more troublesome due to the inclusion of a set of white base decals for all six roundels and tri-colour on the tail, and then the "coloured" roundel and tail decals which were then overlaid on top.
I'm presuming that this was to prevent the base colours from showing beneath them.
As such, I didn't want to take the risk of not using the white base decals.
(Would be interested to hear if anyone has built it without using them?)
Other than that, the kit has been fantastic.
Will get them sealed later today and hopefully move onto weathering and final assembly.
16 March 2022, 17:17
James C Depending on what side of the Atlantic your from, The Supermarine Spitfire with it's graceful elliptical wing, and powered by the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine is probably one of the most easily recognizable allied fighter aircraft of the second world war, and so needs little introduction; therefore I will keep this brief.
The Supermarine Spitfire was the only British fighter to be manufactured before, during and after the Second World War. It was initially designed as a short-range fighter, capable of defending Britain from air attack and achieved legendary status fulfilling this role during the Battle of Britain. According to fighter ace J.E. "Johnnie" Johnson it was the best conventional defensive fighter of the war.
The fighter evolved into a multi-role aircraft capable of operating in different environments and roles. For example, the Spitfire was a pioneer of unarmed, aerial photo reconnaissance (P.R.) which relied on high speed and high altitude to avoid detection and attack, as well as in the fighter-bomber role later in the war.
Some 20,351 examples, across 24 different marks and many further subvariants would be manufactured. An additional 2,334 Seafires would also be constructed for the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. The last Spitfire rolled off the production line in February of 1948.
The Spitfire would see service with at least 32 different nations both during and after WW2. Post-war the Spitfire would continue to serve as a front line fighter, and in secondary roles for a number of different air forces well into the 1950s.
The last offensive sorties made by RAF Spitfires were flown by 60 Squadron Mk. XVIIIs over Malaya on 1 January 1951.
No. 92 Squadron (which this model depicts) was established as part of the Royal Flying Corps at London Colney on 1 September 1917, working up as a scout squadron with Sopwith Pups, SPAD S.VIIs, and Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a's. The Squadron became part of the Royal Air Force on its formation on 1 April 1918.
Equipped with the SE.5; the squadron went to France in July 1918, at first operating in the Dunkirk area. It was then moved to Serny in August 1918, where it began scoring victories. During the Somme Offensive of 1918 the squadron was heavily involved, and continued to operate over the Western Front until the Armistice.
The squadron was disbanded on 7 August 1919, while stationed at Eil with the Army of Occupation. It had claimed a total of 38 victories during its World War I service.
Eight aces had served in the squadron, including Oren Rose, Thomas Stanley Horry, William Reed, Earl Frederick Crabb, future Air Chief Marshal James Robb, Evander Shapard, Herbert Good, and future Air Marshal Arthur Coningham.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, No. 92 Squadron was reformed on 10 October 1939 at RAF Tangmere, West Sussex. Initially it flew Bristol Blenheim's, but in March 1940 they were replaced by the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I, which became operational on 9 May.
No. 92 Squadron first saw action over the Dunkirk evacuation beaches flying from RAF Croydon. During the latter stages of the Battle of Britain No. 92 Squadron flew from RAF Biggin Hill.
In February 1942, the Squadron was posted to Egypt to join Air Headquarters Western Desert to support the Allies on the ground. Personnel arrived in Egypt in April, but no aircraft were available. Some pilots flew operations with Hawker Hurricanes of No. 80 Squadron.
When Spitfires finally arrived in August the squadron commenced operations from RAF Heliopolis over the El Alamein sector, and then with their Spitfire Vs at Landing Ground 173 in the Western Desert. No. 92 Squadron provided air cover at the Battle of El Alamein and on 18 April 1943, 11 Spitfires from the squadron flew top cover at the Palm Sunday Massacre during which approximately 75 axis aircraft were disabled or destroyed.
Following the Allied victory in North Africa, the Squadron moved to Malta in June.
It went on to provide air cover for the 8th Army during the campaigns in Sicily and Italy, arriving on Italian soil on 14 September 1943.
No. 92 Squadron then followed the armies up the Italian coast as part of No. 244 Wing and No. 211 (Offensive Fighter) Group.
During World War II the Squadron claimed 317 victories; the highest in the RAF.
Cheers for following 🙂👍
18 March 2022, 01:09
James C I normally post a brief video of the subject when completed, but as there are a ton of Spitfire videos online, I decided instead to link to a fantastic mini-series instead.
It was filmed in 1988, so doesn't contain any annoying CGI, but does use later versions of the Spitfire than the type that were operated at the time. Something I can easily look past.
The series focusses on a fictitious Spitfire (Hornet) squadron first sent to France in late 1939, then recalled back to England to take part in the defense of Britain. It gives an interesting look into squadron life and the different personalities contained within, as well as the sometimes dark humor and often sudden brutal nature of aerial combat.
Contains some exceptionally good aerial sequences flown by both the late Mark & Ray Hanna. Well worth taking a look if the subject matter or era interests you...
James C
Murad ÖZER
Guillaume Blanchet
Robin (WhiteGlint)
Simon Nagorsnik
Juskifo
Mathieu
