discussion Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire "One Year On"

[Guest]

As some of you may remember I completed my first ever model kit, a 1/48 Revell Spitfire, almost one year ago, so to celebrate me lasting this long I'm having a go at another to see how different they are after a year of trying to learn everything I can in a short space of time.

I'm already cheating a bit by picking a vastly superior kit, a modern Tamiya, but back then I knew no better and try to be a bit more selective now.

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I didn't take any shots but it contains 3 plastic sprues, 1 clear, one PE fret, canopy masks (marked but uncut) and a large decal sheet with 3 marking options. Since my fail ratio with decals is rather high I'm considering masks for the main marking, but with a bewildering array of choices I'll probably not be able to decide which ones to go for!

The fit so far has been amazing, and there are plenty of options to choose from including different cockpit sides for open or closed canopy.

Most of the cockpit is finished, just a few touch ups to do, a wash & some light weathering, then I can slap it together and have a go with the supplied etch seat belts.

Hope you like it so far. I'd like to have it finished by the 12th, exactly a year on from my first one, but if it needs more time then so be it. And to be fair, my record of finishing hasn't been great lately so if it gets done at all I'll be happy, lol

Cockpit side. You can probably make out where the separate upper panel is, which can be swapped for a different one if you wish to pose it with the canopy & door open.

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t'other side. For some reason the silver on the inner fuselage isn't showing up well here, it looks almost black, but it looks fine in real life

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Cockpit "tub", same issue with the silver on camera.

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Seat and framing. This still needs the flares(?) on the front painting when I can mix something coppery/brassy

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Finally the IP and rudder pedals, with PE straps. Compass looks awful in these close ups, will amend that! The three instrument decals lined up and behaved pretty well. A couple of coats of matt clear buried most of the carrier film, then some drops of gloss on the dials finished it off. It may get another coat tomorrow.

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[Peej]

Looking great so far. I will be following this with interest.

 

[papa 695]

Looking very nice

 

[Steven000]

Looking very good so far! :thumb2:
Have fun
Steven

 

[stillp]

Looking good Andy!
Pete

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

I've got even more free time than normal at the moment so should be able to romp along with this.

 

[Guest]

This is an incredible kit. You’ll enjoy every bit of it!

 

[SteveH]

Hi Andy

Ooooh, the cockpit of a Tamiya Mk 1, that will help with my research for the Cosford under a fiver build.

Lovely shots of the 'pit too

Hopefully some time yo work on this one now?

Have fun

Regards

Steve H

 

[Guest]

Chris - it does seem very well engineered with a near perfect fit so far, which appeals to me greatly. At the other end of the spectrum I'm also trying to build their Harrier, which is an absolute dog by comparison!

Thanks Steve. Yes, under house arrest at the minute so plenty of time for modelling and other things. Now would be the ideal time to strip out the shed and make it more useable as I really just put a piece of MDF on top of my router bench and am working on a bar stool up to that, but with the financial future of the whole country uncertain I think it's better to hang onto the pennies right now.

 

[SteveH]

Absolutely true Andy

Check all the dark corner of the shed, Garage and attic to see what you might be able to ""MacGyver"" up to ease the back ache sat on a stool!

Could be a fun few hours

Have fun with the Mk!

Steve H

 

[Jim R]

Hi Andy
A year ago - well done. You've certainly come a long way and are now a valued inmate of the asylum :tongue-out3:
Spitfire looks a great kit. Fine work on the cockpit.
Jim

 

[Guest]

Thanks Jim, no escaping now :smiling5:

Cockpit tub is now assembled and fits perfectly into the fuselage. Tamiya include a small jig to keep the seat frame and the sliver bulkhead behind it nice and square as you wrestle with the included seat belts, which is a nice touch.

Blurry picture (it looks better like that lol)

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And from the opposite side

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And a behind the scenes shot

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It would be nice to have a dedicated area for taking pictures so that I don't have to faff around every time. I bought my son one of those fold up light box things for his miniatures ( slowkeypokeybob on Instagram) but it would only fit the smallest of model kits. Looks like being another DIY job when I get my cave rearranged.

 

[Vaughan]

Great detail Andy. I use a soft box lights which you can buy from Amazon here's the link https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=photo+light&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 not too expensive and they do a good job.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Vaughan. I've looked at those before and they'd be ideal with some kind of backdrop/enclosure, but with only around half of a 10' x 8' shed at my disposal, fitting it all in would be an issue!

 

[rtfoe]

An artist doesn't need a prim and proper studio to work in. I find I get more inspiration moving my builds around although I have a dedicated man-cave so if you are improving and still enjoy your hobby in the setting you're in then so be it...just get a proper chair. We're all getting old and it can be bad for the back sitting on the stool.

Is it one year already Andy...thought you were part of the furniture already. :tears-of-joy: Looking forward to seeing both planes side by side.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[rtfoe]

Andy, your behind the scenes shot isn't very far from some professional photographers I've worked with. The creative ones work with their own hand made reflectors, bounce or snoot lighting and lots of tracing paper to diffuse harsh lights.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Guest]

Yes Richard, a full year. How long until parole? :smiling5: I had a quick tot up and I've started 24 models in that time, finished most of them too lol.

The trouble is my workbench is at standing height since it used to be for woodworking. I do much of my spraying stood up so it's handy for that, but if I sat on a regular chair I'd just about peer over the edge of it!

 

[Guest]

A bit more done this afternoon. The fuselage halves are now joined, wheel bays assembled & fitted, and top wing sections added.

The joints are pretty tight as I mostly used Tamiyas thicker "white top" cement and squeezed the joints together until it oozed out a little, but I've given them a quick scrape & sand, and a coat of Mr Dissolved Putty just in case there are any flaws that I can't see. I'll let that dry overnight, give it a swipe with a sanding stick, then prime and guide coat the joints to see how I did.

I've seen a few of these built and there's always a tell-tale where the two joints were on the top of the nose so I'm trying my best to avoid that. Strange that they made the underside once piece to avoid a seam line completely. Might have been better to do that on the more visible upper side!

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While the glue was drying I built up the radiators. Even though they'll be almost completely hidden once assembled the pipework and PE grilles are a nice detail.

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[stillp]

That looks really good Andy, I must get myself one of those! (Once I've reduced the stash a bit of course)
Pete

 

[Neil Merryweather]

looovely!:hungry::thumb2: