AIRFIX 1/72 SPITFIRE PR. XIX

[dubster72]

1/72? I must be mad!

This kit was given to me, so I'm gonna give it a go! It's only got 43 parts

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More tomorrow

 

[monica]

looking forward to seeing how this one tunes out Patrick, should be stunning with your skills, :D

 

[Laurie]

Nice at times Patrick to construct a model like this. If you have been constructing a larger project it is nice to clear the mind with a model like this.

They look great on the shelf.

Laurie

 

[Polux]

Nice one Patrick.

I'm agree with Laurie, this kind of model is fantastic for "disconnect" for a while!

 

[flyjoe180]

Nice choice Patrick. You'll enjoy this. I have a permanently cleared mind and am always disconnected because I model in 1/72. Not a grey hair nor wrinkle on me.

 

[dubster72]

Monica, Laurie, Polux & Joe many thanks for you kind words.

I have to admit that this has been a relaxing build, not least because the kit pretty much falls together almost of its own accord!

Here's the thing mostly done. They are a few gaps, at the rear join of the wings

to fuselage, at the outboard wing undersides & to the rear of the tail wheel doors. The clear parts for the ventral cameras didn't fit, so I replaced these with clear LED's.

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They are minor niggles, my main issue is the step on the starboard wing root. Nothing I could do seemed to get it to fit flush. So can anyone offer some suggestions to rectify it? Filling & sanding I guess.

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Thanks in advance!

 

[Alan 45]

Good start Patrick , these new top from airfix are great some nice deep panel lines on them :D I'm building the spit MkI with my son well if I can get him away from the play station lol ,

 

[Lee W]

Great start Patrick, I don't suppose with your talent that you'll have a problem with this kit

Lee

 

[flyjoe180]

Nice work Patrick. Yes, filling and sanding seems the choice of weapon in this instance. I have an Airfix Mark Vb I am slowly working on and it has the exact same issue. People have said in the past that fitting the top halves of the wings to the airframe and then the underside helps to prevent gaps. Personally I've not encountered any 1/72 Spitfire model that this works on, as dry fitting of the top halves of a wing to the fuselage always seems to show a gap. And fitting it flush with that step at the root means the dihedral will be asymmetric.

 

[dubster72]

Cheers chaps! Aww Joe! I was hoping someone would say "don't worry, there's an easy fix to that problem"!

Blast! Out with the filler & the wet and dry it is!

 

[eddiesolo]

Filler, a models best friend...or not depending how you look at it o_O

Nice work so far Patrick-you will soon have her airworthy.

Si

 

[noble]

Nice start Patrick, seam lines one of the reasons I don't do aircraft no matter what I do can't seem to make them disappear.

scott

 

[Laurie]

On those Patrick I just plug away at sanding as much as possible without wrecking the lines, and bursting through the plastic, and then building up thin layers at a time to make up the distance on the wing side.

That is a real naughty one. I would shave a bit of the plastic on the fuselage side first. Be interested to see how you achieve "perfection" Patrick !

Laurie

 

[dubster72]

Here's a few pictures of where this one is now;

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You can't see it too well, but I didn't sand the wing roots as well as I'd have liked - this aircraft building stuff is harder than it looks!

I lost some of the pre-shading & the colour is a home-brew attempt at PRU blue.

Next a gloss coat, decals & wash

Thanks for looking in

Patrick

 

[Ziper_it]

Excellent paint job Patrick.

I built one some time ago and didn't came as clean as yours (wing root sanding included).

Francesco

 

[Doug Hughes]

Looks like you've done wonders on those wing roots!

 

[dubster72]

Thanks Doug & Francesco! If I went in real close with the camera, you'd see a few depressions where the filler shrank & I didn't notice until I started painting!

 

[flyjoe180]

Looks good to me Patrick. 1/72 is fiddly, I'll admit that as primarily a 1/72 builder. You're doing a fantastic job.

 

[dubster72]

Thank you Joe! Knowing how good your builds are, that's high praise for this amateur!

 

[Dave W]

Nice choice Patrick. You'll enjoy this. I have a permanently cleared mind and am always disconnected because I model in 1/72. Not a grey hair nor wrinkle on me.

We've only got your word for that Joe.Who knows how old your photo is?!!.