K5054

[BigReg]

The ancient Revell kit is very basic but to my mind captures the shape of the Spitfire. This is going to be a quick build, I started it yesterday at model club.

The exhaust stacks have been filed off, the vents in the cowling filled along with the slot for the stand. The balance for the rudder was angled so the engraved line was filled also.

David

[cowleyi]

Interesting, this will be good.

Ian

[smeg1959]

After you completed your lovely Hurricane prototype, I did propose K5054, albeit a little tongue-in-cheek. The fact you’re going to build it is excellent news. What will be even more fascinating is that you’ll be starting with the ancient Revell Spitty. With one in the stash, going to watch this build with great interest.

[F_IV]

Rather appropriately the old Crown kit was the first Spitfire in this scale too. Looking forward to seeing it progress.

[smeg1959]

A correction. The Revell Spitfire Mark I kit was not ex-Crown but rather a joint effort between Revell and Gunze Sangyo released in 1973. The Crown release, also in 1973, was the Mark V that has been reissued innumerable times by Academy and Minicraft. The latter is distinguishable by its bizarrely misshapen spinner!

[F_IV]

Ah, *slaps head* I always thought they were one and the same. Thanks for the correction!

[BigReg]

I remember when this kit first came out. It cost 10 pence! It was my intro into 1/144 and I built the whole of the first series. The cockpit cover has always been it's weak point. The Crown Spitfire has always just looked wrong. However, one part of the Crown kit has found its way into this current build, the radiator. The prototype had an angled edge to the radiator, so I carved off the Revell effort and fitted the modified Crown part. The model now has a coat of black primer ready for its metal finish.
Pictures to follow.
David

[BigReg]

Well here she is in super close up.....any colour you like as long as its black.

The wheels appear to have hub covers, but no undercarriage doors. So I used the kit wheels, sanded down and undercarriage legs from the spares box.

The model is sprayed in Tamiya silver with bare foil aluminum patches and some silver decals

The gap in the wing fuselage joint has now been filled with silver paste.

As I said this is a blitz build before I go on holiday.

More soon.

David

[BigReg]

Blitz build complete. Well apart from making a tail skid!

Some rubbish pictures ( I have packed the camera ready for our holiday)

I used roundels from Shed models with the 110% white background to give the outer white ring.

David

[smeg1959]

That was remarkably quick, David, and it certainly looks like all the photos I’ve seen of the Spitty prototype. The different metallic finishes on the panels have come up a treat, too. You definitely deserve a holiday after that build!