Author Topic: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC ! - finished !  (Read 4459 times)

Offline Robomog

  • ...had a very bad experience with [an] orange...
  • Would you buy a used kit from this man?
Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC ! - finished !
« on: July 01, 2019, 05:28:13 AM »
Hi all

A small background history, back in 2006 i went to a Duxford air day with my Father-in-law, Tom Brannen. It was a glorious display as it always is at Duxford. We managed to get there early and paid for access to the flight line so that i could take some up close and personal pictures of the aircraft there. As i was snapping away Tom commented "look there's my aircraft, its got my initials on it !", it was a Mk V Spitfire in a rather fetching desert camouflage with a Squadron Serial of T-B I took a few snaps and we carried on. That comment lodged in my brain to this day.

We were very close Tom and I, He was my  adopted father after I lost my own father to cancer, and i was the son he never had because he had four daughters (I married the oldest, the best decision I have ever made in my life!). We did an awful lot together so it came as a huge blow when i lost him to an aortic aneurysm a couple of years ago.

Of the stuff I inherited from him were a number of plastic kits, one of which was a Mk V Spitfire. In his memory i decided to build this kit as that desert Spitfire T-B.

Initially the kit went together fine, for its age there was very little filling but from that point on it seemed to fight me all the way, the fault is entirely mine but its one of those Reverse King Midas builds where everything you touch turns to krap.

I think part of the problem was i took my eye off the ball, i got involved with group builds and was constantly putting this one aside to meet deadlines so continuity was lost.

The first coat of paint went on perfectly, the second not quite so when i realised the first coat was the totally wrong shade of sand. Out with the Tamiya thinners and took as much of the paint off as possible, it looked a right mess. It was then after a bit more in depth research (i.e. Looking at the pictures properly) i discovered T-B is a a mk Vc not the Vb out of the box, this meant that the lumps and bumps were in different places and it also sported four 20mm cannon rather than the normal two.

Much cursing, followed by a deep breath and the purchase of a resin upgrade kit it is as you see below.

by Robomog, on Flickr

by Robomog, on Flickr

The paint is back on track but it has got badly marked sitting in the Pending Drawer so it is going to need some careful patching before i give it a coat of Alt Klear to protect it, a lesson learned, should have given it a coat of varnish much earlier.

Determined to do Tom proud on this one, whatever it takes, so entering it here should give me some better focus.

More when it happens........

Thanks for Looking.


Mog
>^-.-^<
« Last Edit: November 03, 2019, 07:02:07 AM by Robomog »
Mostly Harmless...............

Offline Robomog

  • ...had a very bad experience with [an] orange...
  • Would you buy a used kit from this man?
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC !
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2019, 07:51:41 PM »
Hi all

Apologies for the rather depressing intro, but just telling it as it is. I also realise this is not the most exiting build, non-whiff and a real world subject to boot but i think it will look acceptable when finished.

A Very small update, i managed to set an evening aside to repair the damage to the paintwork, it didn't show very well in the last post but trust me it was quite badly marked and needed the demarcation of colours tidied up. With that completed i have given it  a couple of coats of Alt. Klear.

by Robomog, on Flickr


Its looking very shiny at the moment but i will tone it down with some matt varnish when the decals are on.

more when it happens, eventually, i have to give Simons Catalina  priority at the moment.

Thanks for looking.

Mog
>^-.-^<
Mostly Harmless...............

Offline Brian da Basher

  • He has an unnatural attraction to Spats...and a growing fascination with airships!
  • Holding Pattern
  • *
  • Hulk smash, Brian bash
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC !
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2019, 08:43:23 PM »
That's some lovely paintwork, Mog and I don't think I've ever seen that famous desert scheme captured better!

Watching with interest,

Brian da Basher

Offline Robomog

  • ...had a very bad experience with [an] orange...
  • Would you buy a used kit from this man?
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC !
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2019, 06:04:06 AM »
Thanks Brian, this build will be my first priority once Simon's Catalina is finished.

Mog
>^-.-^<
Mostly Harmless...............

Offline Robomog

  • ...had a very bad experience with [an] orange...
  • Would you buy a used kit from this man?
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC !
« Reply #4 on: November 03, 2019, 06:57:34 AM »
Hi folks

As promised now that Simon's Catalina is complete I have brought my Spitfire to the fore and successfully completed it and I have to say that given the crap start it had I am very pleased with the way it has turned out. I hope I have done Tom proud on this one.

So without further ado here's the completed kit.

by Robomog, on Flickr

by Robomog, on Flickr

by Robomog, on Flickr

by Robomog, on Flickr

by Robomog, on Flickr

by Robomog, on Flickr


As always any comments or criticism gratefully accepted

Thanks for looking

Mog
>^-.-^<
« Last Edit: June 20, 2020, 10:04:10 AM by Robomog »
Mostly Harmless...............

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC ! - finished !
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2019, 09:32:49 AM »
That looks really nice. I’m sure Tom would be thrilled!

Offline Brian da Basher

  • He has an unnatural attraction to Spats...and a growing fascination with airships!
  • Holding Pattern
  • *
  • Hulk smash, Brian bash
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC ! - finished !
« Reply #6 on: November 03, 2019, 05:24:29 PM »
I'd be pleased too with a super Spitfire like that!

What a beauty!

Brian da Basher

Offline Robomog

  • ...had a very bad experience with [an] orange...
  • Would you buy a used kit from this man?
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC ! - finished !
« Reply #7 on: November 03, 2019, 08:04:51 PM »
Thanks guys for the kind comments

 I've just noticed that there was a duplication of one of the photographs, this has been corrected.

Mog
>^-.-^<
Mostly Harmless...............

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC ! - finished !
« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2019, 09:28:55 PM »
Looks great, 'Mog! 8)


Can you get a better image of the art, though, or at least tell us (me) what it is? ???
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline elmayerle

  • Its about time there was an Avatar shown here...
  • Über Engineer...at least that is what he tells us.
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC ! - finished !
« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2019, 11:43:19 PM »
Beautifully finished model, there.  You've made a real beauty.

Offline Robomog

  • ...had a very bad experience with [an] orange...
  • Would you buy a used kit from this man?
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC ! - finished !
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2019, 12:29:40 AM »
Hi all

Thanks again for the comments

OW here is a close up of the artwork

by Robomog, on Flickr

It's a bomb/kill tally and "saint" symbol,  it should look like this..........

by Robomog, on Flickr
 
Obviously I had nothing in the decal stash remotely like it, so I reproduced it on water slide decal sheet with a fine brush and acrylic paint. I will admit it's a  bit bigger than the original and a little crude, but it's the best I could do after a night of multiple attempts and much frustration.

Mog
>^-.-^<
Mostly Harmless...............

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Spitfire Vb, Whoops VC ! - finished !
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2019, 05:08:44 PM »
Ta! :smiley:
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."