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Tim’s Airfix 1/48 Spitfire XII

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Excellent work Tim. The invasion stripes look brilliant. Seems like you’re on the home straight now. I’m looking forward to seeing this Mk.XII complete.
All the best
Paul
Not quite the home straight, but possibly coming around the last bend Paul. I’m looking forward to seeing it complete as well. I want to get on with the Mossy then get back to the little blokes…..
 
Cheers Andrew. Glad you like them.
As to your tiffies, Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but 6mm will only work if the kits are 1/76 scale. If they are 1/72 (as I suspect) the stripes should be about 6.4 mm wide, or they will look slightly under scale.
You're right..... Just re-measured the stripes on my built one and you're right..... Might invest in some 1/4" tape to save having to cut my own as it's only 0.05mm out.....but they're a long way off the cutting mat.
 
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You're right..... Just re-measured the stripes on my built one and you're right..... Might invest in some 1/4" tape to save having to cut my own as it's only 0.05mm out.....but they're a long way off the cutting mat.
Sorry about that Andrew :flushed: Doing the maths in my head, 1/4 inch should be spot on for 1/72………there are 72 quarters of an inch in eighteen inches. If you can find it you will crack the problem.
 
Sorry about that Andrew :flushed: Doing the maths in my head, 1/4 inch should be spot on for 1/72………there are 72 quarters of an inch in eighteen inches. If you can find it you will crack the problem.
No problem at all!!! I'd clearly misremembered, so you saved me a heap of pain!
 
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Well, the gloss is on (no pictures, it’s like before only shiny) and I’ve made a small start on the decals….
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Eight of the swines….took me about thirty minutes but I am out of practice. They were very easy to use though, came off the backing sheet quickly and cleanly, and were very easy to manipulate. All Airfix decals are very good in my experience. By my calculations I have about fifty more to do, so that’s a good two and a half hours soaking and pushing around……it’s the last major job though, so starting to see the finish line.
 
Well, the gloss is on (no pictures, it’s like before only shiny) and I’ve made a small start on the decals….

Eight of the swines….took me about thirty minutes but I am out of practice. They were very easy to use though, came off the backing sheet quickly and cleanly, and were very easy to manipulate. All Airfix decals are very good in my experience. By my calculations I have about fifty more to do, so that’s a good two and a half hours soaking and pushing around……it’s the last major job though, so starting to see the finish line.
Airfix decals are very good indeed.... At least the ones from the newer sets.

ATB.

Andrew
 
Tim,
I just had a good catch up and read through. That is a cracking bit of modelling mate, the paint work is outstanding.
 
Thread owner
Tim,
I just had a good catch up and read through. That is a cracking bit of modelling mate, the paint work is outstanding.
Cheers Scottie, really pleased with your comment. It’s going well considering I’m a little out of practice.
 
Thread owner
Got some more on today……
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The underneath ones are now complete. Here are some detail shots.

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Notice that the outboard trestle marking has moved a smidge while drying….well, it’s staying like that :flushed: A little more Red juice will be needed on the roundels to get them properly snug, but not bad all in all. Might get the protective coat on these when they are dry so I don’t damage them while doing the others…..
 
Looking very good indeed Tim!!! Decals really do transform a plane IMHO.

Keep up the great work.

Andrew
 
That is fantastic Tim :)
Lovely stuff indeed,those tiny "worded" decals certainly do lift the look above the norm!!
Nice one mate ;)
 
Thread owner
That is fantastic Tim :smiling3:
Lovely stuff indeed,those tiny "worded" decals certainly do lift the look above the norm!!
Nice one mate ;)
Cheers Andy. They are very well produced, being completely readable, and handle as well as any. Newer Airfix, and also Italeri, are probably the best out of the box decals around. Tamiya decals are pretty poor in comparison…..but I’ll have to use some on the Mossy…..
 
Cheers Andy. They are very well produced, being completely readable, and handle as well as any. Newer Airfix, and also Italeri, are probably the best out of the box decals around. Tamiya decals are pretty poor in comparison…..but I’ll have to use some on the Mossy…..
As it happens Tim I found my Mossie decals where a lot better than some of the tamiya ones I've experienced
 
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As it happens Tim I found my Mossie decals where a lot better than some of the tamiya ones I've experienced
Good to know Mark. Amazes me how variable Tamiya decals are though. Some are good, behaving like they should. Some are like vinyl stickers, needing a welding torch to conform to the model. Yet others will stay stuck to the backing sheet in one place, while floating on the water from the rest of the decal. For a company that gets almost everything else spot on it’s a real conundrum.
 
Thread owner
Pleasing progress tonight….all the stickers are on.
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Even the walkway lines are straight…..amazing what you can do with tweezers and a cocktail stick…..
More shots…
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The obscured aircraft number is correct to photographs…..not sure about the codes though, I never get them right….
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Very pleased with the decals. Just one minor issue, I couldn’t get one of the red gun sealing patches to behave and fold over the opening. Got it in place at the top then pushed it into place with decal sol. Trouble is, it moved a little when I did this. Not too worried, I believe they were renewed at every flight…..
All the others behaved superbly, almost no silvering anywhere.

Just a couple of coats of decal sol required now to get the big roundels properly into the panel seams. Then we are into finish varnishing and hand painting the remaining details…..nearly there…..three months for a build that should have taken me about a month! I am very out of practice. The Mossy will take me till Xmas at this rate…..
 
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