Karls RAF journey PT.3 Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire Mk.Vb

[KarlW]

Part 1 here.
Part 2 here.

Realised I have so many Spitfires I'm going to have to alternate between them with each build.
Another simple kit from Tamiya, they've a Mk.I in their line up which is a superior kit by all accounts but I've 4 of Eduard's Mk.I so I'll probably not get the Tamiya offering.
Eduard etch for the office again but apart from that straight from the box.

[KarlW]

So I'll be buying Tamiyas Mk.I after all, bought the wrong PE.......
So that means this will be strictly OOB, which means no seatbelts, which means pilot figure getting used which means this will probably be wheels up.
Got to the point where the office is ready for paint, but considering I just spent 5 minutes looking for part x-18 before realising that was the paint call out I'm going to leave it here for tonight.

[KarlW]

Basic job on the cockpit and fuselage zipped up.

Then time to glue the wings together.......

[yak face]

Quick work karl , no danger of those wings coming apart ! The ubiquitous old wooden clothes peg , ive got loads too and they get used on every build, either for clamping or holding little parts while theyre being sprayed.

[adt70hk]

That's a quick start!

[KarlW]

Quick work karl , no danger of those wings coming apart ! The ubiquitous old wooden clothes peg , ive got loads too and they get used on every build, either for clamping or holding little parts while theyre being sprayed.

To be honest they weren't needed......only in jest.

Reassembling them with the parts reversed makes them useful too.

[KarlW]

That's a quick start!

If you want a quick Spitfire in quarter scale it's your kit, only downside is some fences on the upper wings that need removed and then the panel line re-scribed.

[KarlW]

Too cold in shed at the moment, heater only keeps it above the dew point to stop things getting rusty/damp.
Wings went on with tight fitting roots, minimal fettling at the seams and there's one small gap on the underside, Tamiya engineering ftw.
Started masking up the canopy, must remember the gun sight before I glue the rest on.
I had issues with the crystal clear I had been using on my last build, it seemed to not be holding at all so I used CA on that with no crazing. (Less is more.) So going with CA again here before trying on higher value kits.
Up and down to Dublin (3hrs each way.) a fair bit this week so don't know when I'll be back to the bench.

[KarlW]

Another cold shed session, masked up and attached the canopy.
Burnished Tamiya tape down with a cocktail stick and cut with a fresh pointy scalpel blade. Decided Tamiyas white tape not great for this.
So just about ready for primer, black basing on this to give that "technique" a go I think.

[KarlW]

Slow weekend due to tree going up and nativity costumes needing made. What happened to just wrapping a tea towel around the head?
Gear is only engineered to be down on this kit, so it took some butchery to get it closed up, I would like to say gentle modelling but it was butchery with a pair of cutters until it all fit.


I then primed black and started layering up the medium sea grey on the underside.

But lost the effect I was trying for, need to get closer and do finer lines I think.

[The Smythe Meister]

Looking very nice there Karl
I hadn't seen this until now,those panel lines look pretty good to me..
... What's the bit you're not happy with?!

[Lee Drennen]

Nice Karl I bought this kit last year I’ll be following along taking notes.

[KarlW]

Looking very nice there Karl :smiling3:
I hadn't seen this until now,those panel lines look pretty good to me..
... What's the bit you're not happy with?!

I was trying to retain some modulation on the surface, but washed it out.

[KarlW]

Nice Karl I bought this kit last year I’ll be following along taking notes.

There's not much to it, if you want the pilot in you have to fettle with the throttle and gunsight, you can cut the door away and replace it with a kit supplied one to fully open the cockpit, the fences on the wings are a bit of a pain too. But it's another well engineered kit.

[Tim Marlow]

I was trying to retain some modulation on the surface, but washed it out.

Looking good Karl. You can always put some modulation back on with a dilute lighter grey…..just drop the pressure and get in closer, lightening the centres of the panels.