1:48 Revell Mk IX Spitfire

[dubster72]

lol who's not been taking their Prozac?!! Seriously though Graham, you should have seen some of my first airbrush lines-if I'd have been painting a ball of wool, it would have been excellent!

How about going over some of the more wobbly lines again, just to balance them out? Like on the port wing, just in case that shows through when you put on the main coats.

Patrick

 

[Fenlander]

Well, apparently Patrick, the less neat (within reason) the better as the idea is not to create a grid effect but just subtle shadowing that the wash in the panel lines will emphasise. I have done the underside and it looks great, very subtle but too subtle to get on camera. No matter what I do, it just does not show. However, the following shots show the amazing detail on the lovely kit. However, I will have to burn it when finished as it appears that it is 3mm too short.... deary me, how silly of me to buy it. WHO CARES?????

Anyway, sorry the shots don't show how shadowed the panel lines now look but if I did it so it showed on camera, it would be too heavy in life.... You can just about see it on the full picture right wing tip, or maybe you can't. Just wish I could capture it how it really looks, sorry guys.

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[Fenlander]

Right, it has been a long day but this has been one of those kits that once you start, you cannot put it down. Just like a great book, I had to keep going but time to call it a day while the Klear goes hard ready for decals. I only got this kit 4 days ago, it took me 3 months to get to this stage with the Mustang!!!! If anyone fancies a great later mark spitfire in 1:48, this is it. If you want to be accurate, you will need to insert spacers in the fuselage at various places to make the total length 3mm longer. Or not....

Anyway, the last boring pics of the day. Camo pattern again airbrushed freehand. i just cannot be bothered to design and cut masks over a 3D shape, life is just to short.

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[yak face]

this looks a great kit graham,coming along nicely. If you dont want to use masks (me neither) for the camo, try the blu tack sausage method, its easy if you want a harder edge to your camo. keep the pics coming , cheers tony

 

[spanner570]

Well done Graham...Why? For instead of just talking about things to have the balls to get on and do it and post pictures of your progress, good, bad or indifferent and saying so. People fall into the trap of trying to get things too perfect and thus the model becomes almost clinical to look at.

On the other hand Graham, you have the Gung Ho, up and at 'em attitude which I subscribe to. Please don't get me wrong to each his own though.

The panel lines look spot on to me, wobbly lines and all....More power to you mate. As you so rightly point out life is too short for messing around.

Ron

 

[Fenlander]

Cheers Ron. I don't know about 'Gung Ho' but I have spent the last few months faffing around wondering if I can do this or if that would work and getting nowt done. So, when I got my airbrush and started reading about what I was supposed to be doing with the airbrush safely tucked up in it's box I suddenly thought, sod this, get it out the box and get on with it. At worst all I can do is ruin a kit! Not exactly life threatening is it. Anyway, that change of heart brought about by the support and confidence building of this forum is paying of in great dividends. So my advice is, "so long as it is safe, try it."

Spitfire Decals, here I come.

Tony. The blue tack sausages idea looks great. I did think that it may only work in larger scales but I have seen on another forum where someone used flat sausages (?) fairly thin to create the pattern edges with Tamiya tape infill. In fact the blue tack (or white tack really as it is reputedly oil free) may even have been rolled out and then cut to shape for each edge. I can see that working with a decent blade. Anyway, with the tamiya tape infill, the aircraft looked as though it had fried eggs all over it. The result was stunning I have to say, then I found out it was a 1:72 Tamiya kit!!! really amazing paint job. My freehand is a bit rough and ready and maybe too soft edged but it looks right to me in scale but I could not do it at 1:72. 1:48 and above looks ok to me though.. If you look at die-casts, they tend to be soft edged to and it is a look I really like accurate or not.

 

[yak face]

Cheers Ron. I don't know about 'Gung Ho' but I have spent the last few months faffing around wondering if I can do this or if that would work and getting nowt done. So, when I got my airbrush and started reading about what I was supposed to be doing with the airbrush safely tucked up in it's box I suddenly thought, sod this, get it out the box and get on with it. At worst all I can do is ruin a kit! Not exactly life threatening is it. Anyway, that change of heart brought about by the support and confidence building of this forum is paying of in great dividends. So my advice is, "so long as it is safe, try it."Spitfire Decals, here I come.

Tony. The blue tack sausages idea looks great. I did think that it may only work in larger scales but I have seen on another forum where someone used flat sausages (?) fairly thin to create the pattern edges with Tamiya tape infill. In fact the blue tack (or white tack really as it is reputedly oil free) may even have been rolled out and then cut to shape for each edge. I can see that working with a decent blade. Anyway, with the tamiya tape infill, the aircraft looked as though it had fried eggs all over it. The result was stunning I have to say, then I found out it was a 1:72 Tamiya kit!!! really amazing paint job. My freehand is a bit rough and ready and maybe too soft edged but it looks right to me in scale but I could not do it at 1:72. 1:48 and above looks ok to me though.. If you look at die-casts, they tend to be soft edged to and it is a look I really like accurate or not.

hi graham, the blu tack method can work fine on 1/72,giving a soft but not too soft edge , for larger scales you can make your sausages fatter,giving a bigger soft edge . im off now all this talk of fat sausages is making me want me tea!! pics attached of 1/72 blu tack camo job on my la 5 . cheers tonyView attachment 21647

 

[Fenlander]

That does look very nice Tony. I will have to give it a try on one of my 1:72 stash

 

[Fenlander]

Right, todays update and what an evening it has been. It has taken me ages to put the decals on but what decals. I have been really spoiled with this kit, it is just beautiful, must by another and do the clip wing version. The decals went on with no problems apart from the red dot in the middle of the roundel being a separate bit.... why is that? A pig to get in the middle!!!! As the main wing roundels go slap over the top of a big bump, I was worried abut them settling down. Remembering the way the decal sucked down onto the 3D instrument panel, I went all forward, trusting in the Lord. After a few coats of Microsol, the decals look painted on. Every detail on the wings surface shows through.

My next concern was that there were loads of small but very readable information decals like "Jack Here" etc. These, as all the decals have, a slightly silvered carrier which disappeared when wet with Microsol but reappeared when it dried. Don't get me wrong, it was slight but it was there. So it was with baited breath that I setup the airbrush to do a thin spray of Klear to protect the decals while it gets its wash to pick out the panel lines. Slowly the Klear dried ad as if by magic, the carrier disappeared totally. The box has a flash in one corner stating "Super Decal" and they are not joking. For a beginner like me, this is what helps make a good model.

A few pictures tonight but the reflections from the now very shiny Klear make the pics messy. The bump in the roundel is not a bubble, it is surface detail on the wing.

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[Gern]

Good one Graham. Yet another really nice build from a kit at the 'cheap' end of the market. I know you mentioned some problem with the accuracy, but that looks like a Spitfire to me. I certainly wouldn't be getting the tape measure out to check. And I'll bet there are very, very few people who could spot the error without a tape!

Gern

 

[yak face]

excellent stuff graham ,looking really good now. Im a big fan of revells decals ,any of their recent issues, be it new tool or re issue of an old kit, always has a cracking decal sheet , all the stencils readable great to use , dont break up etc. The roundel centres are seperate cause when manufacturers used to put them in the middle ,they were more often than not off centre, its actually better for them to be seperate and us to put them central ourselves.Ive seen some really wonky ones in my time, when novo reissued all the old frog kits theirs were diabolical, i once made their seahawk and the wing roundels were cross eyed!!!! cheers tony

 

[Fenlander]

Well, not too much happening tonight. I put the wash on before I went to work this morning so it would be good and dry for rubbing off when I got home, which I did. It is looking very nice even though I say so myself but something was bothering me and I just could not put my finger on it.

Anyone spotted the (not) deliberate mistake????? Hmmmm? why did no one shout up Hmmmmmm? I was just thinking of giving a coat of flat varnish when it dawned on me.... Where are the yellow leading edge bands??????? BUGGER.... so, sorry Ron, I spent many days masking it up, building a spray machine and, through a fog of yellow paint, sprayed them on wearing my chemical and biological warfare suit . Ok it put me back the best part of an hour but they are on now and I can breath easy that no harm was done. (Only leg pulling Ron, don't take offence)

I am now doing the bits I hate. painting up the undercarriage legs, cannons and other boring little bits that have to be finished off. Hope to unveil it as finished tomorrow evening though.

 

[spanner570]

Glad to read you have survived the dreaded yellow mist Graham.

I am also happy you have come over to the brush brigade albeit for a short while to touch up your bits and pieces( no sniggering in the back)

At least you will be able to breath some fresh air for a short spell until the A/B comes out again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL

 

[Fenlander]

Well guys, for what she is worth, I am calling her finished.

Have to say that this is a superb kit and I will be getting another, cost me around £12 for Hobby Craft and it has taken me 5 days to finish it. There are a coupe of bombs to go on and I may rig an ariel wire but not at the moment. It has been a pleasure to build and I am very happy with it, hope you do to.

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[spanner570]

Graham this is truly superb, my compliments on a first class job.

It really is spot on.

Hearty congrats., mate!

Ron

 

[Fenlander]

Thanks Ron, it was a real pleasure to build.

 

[dubster72]

it's a big thumbs-up from me Graham! I really like this kit & you've done a terrific job on it. The camo is nicely blended & looks very natural and the panel lines are very well done. You should be really proud of your fine work.

Patrick

 

[Gern]

Beautiful.

Gern

 

[Caledonia]

Graham, I am a Hurricane man myself, but cannot deny you have done a cracking job on this Spit. 5 Star. Derek

 

[noble]

Graham i've been following this and i have to say it is beautiful well done mate, i have a question as iam in the process of building the 1:24 airfix spitfire, the questions are these once you apply the klear how long do you leave it to dry? When you apply you washes what colours do you use and do you only pick out the panel lines? As i have never built any aircraft before iam begining to worry a little about the paint stage.

scott