1/32 Tamiya Spitfire Mk.XVIe

[stona]

This will be my next project. I have gone for what I know ill be an easy option, having made a couple of Tamiya Spitfires previously.

Here's the kit.



I think enough people have already posted the contents of Tamiya Spitfire kits for me not to bother

I have no idea which specific aircraft I will be making from the kit. I have got a selection of masks and decals to hand, so I will certainly not be using the Tamiya decals and will try to come up with something interesting from the immediate post war period/occupation of Germany.

Today I'm thinking it will end up in flight, pilot in*, configured for landing. It's the only way it will fit on my shelves at the moment!

*I think there is one in the kit, but if not I've got a suitable candidate somewhere.

Onwards and upwards...or at least out to the bench.

[BarryW]

That’s a great kit Steve. Enjoy it, I will be following it.

[adt70hk]

This will be my next project. I have gone for what I know ill be an easy option, having made a couple of Tamiya Spitfires previously.

Here's the kit.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1146658[/ATTACH]

I think enough people have already posted the contents of Tamiya Spitfire kits for me not to bother :smiling3:

I have no idea which specific aircraft I will be making from the kit. I have got a selection of masks and decals to hand, so I will certainly not be using the Tamiya decals and will try to come up with something interesting from the immediate post war period/occupation of Germany.

Today I'm thinking it will end up in flight, pilot in*, configured for landing. It's the only way it will fit on my shelves at the moment!

*I think there is one in the kit, but if not I've got a suitable candidate somewhere.

Onwards and upwards...or at least out to the bench.

Good to see you back at the bench Steve.

Will be following this one with interest.

ATB.

Andrew

[BarryW]

Not sure what happened here. I seem to have to post something
else!!

[adt70hk]

Not sure what happened here. I seem to have to post something
else!!

Odd indeed....

[BarryW]

It was very strange Andrew, it was on my phone and had no-where to go but post something, very weird. I really am looking forward to Steve's build though...

[stona]

I have actually spent a few hours on this, though the results are not exactly exciting!

It's a Tamiya kit so it is all beautifully moulded. I have drilled out the lightening holes in various frames where appropriate. I know nothing about the manufacturing processes but I imagine moulding 0.6mm and 0.8mm holes about the same distance apart is a difficult proposition.



I am going to fit the supplied pilot as this Spitfire will be posed in flight.

Is it me, or are Tamiya figures all midgets? This one is obviously made to fit the kit, his parachute gives him a nice flat, if slightly unrealistic, arse but he seems a lot smaller than most of the others I've made :smiling3:

See the bottle labelled 'ACC'? I had no idea what it was but remembering my old chemistry teacher Mr Roberts I gave it a sniff and a quick taste. It turned out to be some home made accelerant for CA glue!

[stona]

I've been painting some of the detail in what will be the cockpit, to which end I decided to open a new tinlet of aluminium paint, An original tin of White Ensign Colourcoat Matt Aluminium to be precise.

The paint has been stored in a cool cupboard for quite a while, White Ensign or at least the Colourcoat paint line became part of Sovereign Hobbies years ago. However, I was not expecting so much excitement from a tinlet of paint!

As I prised up the lid there was a loud pop and the lid flew off, just missing giving my eyebrows an aluminium tint, before hitting the ceiling and returning to earth! Clearly something of a gas build up in the tinlet, and the release of pressure left the paint if not fizzing then bubbling. At least it all stayed in the tinlet.
The good news is that the paint seems to work perfectly well

I'll post some pictures (of the cockpit, not the tinlet) in the next day or so.

[adt70hk]

Thanks for the update Steve. Most importantly glad to hear a trip to A&E wasn’t necessary after the paint incident!!!

ATB

Andrew

[stona]

Very slow progress!

Lovely kit, beautifully moulded and already some very clever engineering. I actually like the way the instrument panel is done with clear parts and 'reverse' decals. I'm not sure that the gunsight (on the pink-tac and unintentionally camouflaged against the black of the kit box) needed to be comprised of two plastic parts, two clear parts and a piece of photo-etch....but there you go



The only thing I'm not impressed with is the pilot. Usually at this scale I would use an after market figure and it would be much better than the one in the Tamiya kit.
He will be largely unseen from the midriff down, so I'm not going to stress about him.

[stona]

I've stuck all those bits together to make the cockpit and fitted my pilot, such as he is.

All I need now is the rest of the aeroplane

[adt70hk]

Looking good so far Steve.

ATB.

Andrew

[stona]

I'm really going to stop banging on about this, but the engineering and fit of this kit is as good as I remember it to be. It is insanely good.

I decided to fit the cockpit and couple of other necessary bits so that I could join the fuselage halves. This is the result, held together by five pieces of tape. It almost clicks together! I have not glued the cockpit to either half, and probably won't, it's not going anywhere. I'll just run some extra thin around the bulkhead at the front (which is not visible in the piccy) and the join between the two halves and Bob should be your uncle.



Some of you will know that I'm not averse to a challenge, the odd resin speciality, etc., but I have to say this is rather fun :smiling3:

[Tim Marlow]

Excellent stuff Steve. The pilot looks well at home. Nice to have a well fitting build occasionally :thumb2:

[stona]

I've got to a point where I can dry fit the wings, there's more to be done on them before I permanently attach them.



The fit is very good indeed, which is just as well because I have now committed, by fitting various wing panels, to making this a post war uncamouflaged Spitfire.

Service Spitfires were never 'natural metal', they were always finished with an aluminium paint but on a model that can be very unforgiving, hence the relief at the fit. Any remedial work makes achieving a good 'silver' finish much more difficult. It's a challenge I have no desire to embark on...again

There's obviously quite a big bit to go on the front, but that will not be completed in its entirety. As the model will be 'flying' all panels will be zipped up. I am firmly in Ron's 'if you can't see it why fix it/paint it school', so enough of the engine will be built to fit the exhausts, panels and a spinner at the front but no more.