discussion Tonys Italeri 1/48 Spitfire mk XVI

[yak face]

Thanks everyone , its picking up pace now .
The lower wing was fitted first so that I can get the wingroot gaps tighter when I fit the tops but before that theres the cannon bulges to sort . Because the tooling started life as a mk IX the bulges are on the inboard cannon location whereas the mk XVI had the cannon in the outboard one so the bulges are in the wrong place . The kit would have you cut out the cannon access panel and replace it with a different one but reviews Ive read say the replacements are too small . Easier ( to my mind anyway) to sand off the incorrect bulge and sand the replacement panel till ive just got the bulge then fit this in the correct place . It turned out fine and the wing tops are now on and drying with the standard spitfire wing dihedral jig ( tape across the wingtips !)
Its really starting to look like a spit now .

 

[flyjoe180]

Lovely work Tony, this is coming along nicely and quickly

 

[yak face]

Lovely work Tony, this is coming along nicely and quickly

Thanks joe , its not a shake n bake but I’m enjoying knocking it into shape , soon be ready for paint and then I’m undecided whether to go for the free french or belgian markings ?

 

[HAWKERHUNTER]

That took some sorting Tony. Great job and well worth the effort.

 

[yak face]

Just getting the airframe ready for priming . The windscreen has been glued on and its had a general tidy up . While doing this I noticed the shell ejection ports on the outer wings - but no holes for the machine guns . Again this must be a throwback from when the moulds were for the mk IX . The wing on the mk IXc ( universal wing c suffix ) had a single cannon inboard and two .303 mgs on the outer wing . The later universal wings ( e suffix ) as fitted to the mk XVI didnt all have the outer machine guns just the cannon . Anyhoo the point is ive had to fill the shell ejection ports as I finally decided to do the Belgian scheme and all pics I can find of the Belgian mk XVI s dont show the outer machine guns .