Spitfire Mk Ia from Revell 1/32 Mk IIa Kit

[Sky Raider]

Cracking job Steve, love the cockpit.

Andy

 

[tr1ckey66]

Great start Steve!

The Barracuda parts are nice, I purchased the cockpit detail set also for the 2 airfield Spits. All of the sets have great detail and are perfectly cast. I like your pilot and especially the harness I must make sure I use the same attachment points on the 2 I've yet to start.

Looking forward to this Steve i know it'll be a cracker.

Cheers

Paul

 

[stona]

Cheers chaps.

Paul, the steel wire ropes securing the harness attached to longerons back in the fuselage boom. There was actually a rather complicated system which enabled the pilot to loosen the harness to lean forward, but that would automatically re-lock when he leant back again to secure him. I haven't attempted anything like that as it would almost all be invisible. The two wires disappearing into the back are good enough for me.

The divider/guide was attached to the back of the frame behind the pilot and was probably to keep the aerial and its attachment from collecting the wires in the event of the aeroplane ending on its back in an accident. The aerial is mounted on this frame too. I believe this is what happened when the prototype crashed and resulted in the pilot being killed.

I'm looking forward to your airfield dio. Having built three quarters of one of these Spitfires I appreciate what a mammoth task you've taken on

Steve

 

[stona]

Primed, rubbed down, polished and cleaned, just awaiting the start of painting.



I should be able to start tomorrow.

Cheers

 

[Ian M]

Let the magic begin.

Ian M

 

[stona]

Not sure about magic

I've been experimenting over what to use for the silver of the underside. My subject's squadron left the front and rear of the fuselage silver, just painting the two halves of the main plane black and white.

I've experimented with a couple of Alclads and WEM's silver and to my surprise I actually prefer the look of the silver paint. I'll still be using Alclad for things like wheel hubs and undercarriage struts.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

I got the silver on last night and masked it this morning allowing me to get the white on the starboard wing.



I will be able to mask the white in the morning and then spray the other wing Night (black). Once that is dry I will mask that as well, meaning that the entire underside is masked, and start on the upper camouflage.

I've already sprayed a patch of sickly yellow/green on the upper surface of the port wing which will be masked before eventually becoming the 'gas patch' still in use at this early stage of the war.

I've also got some figures on the go.



The ground crew man will eventually be on the Spitfire's wing. He's a resin figure from PJ Production and is very nice.

The officer is from the Masterbox set. I found him in a little draw of various figures and parts thereof in my cupboard. I don't seem to have anything else from the set apart from a dog who doesn't fit together very well. I don't remember ever buying this set which is weird!

Cheers

Steve

 

[papa 695]

Just caught up on this one Steve and it's looking good

 

[Bunkerbarge]

What was the 'Gas Patch' Steve?

 

[stona]

What was the 'Gas Patch' Steve?

It was a chemically impregnated sheet of material or paper, later special paint, which would change colour when exposed to the chemical agents of the period (though not the nerve gases the Germans had).

A 'patch' was applied to the wing of Spitfires and other aircraft, usually affixed with doped on material, and a change in colour would warn ground crew that a returning aircraft was contaminated. Literally millions of indicators were made at a time when gas attacks were a very real fear and they were attached to buildings, vehicles and even special stands on street corners. Everyone in the UK, civilian and military was given a gas mask and it was to be carried at all times.

The patches are usually described as being a yellow/green colour and were supposed to turn red to indicate gas. Unfortunately tests showed that they were very unreliable and most aircraft don't seem to have carried them after the BoB period. There are exceptions.

Here's a Spitfire with a doped on gas patch in the typical position and orientation.



Also visible here.



Cheers

Steve

 

[Vaughan]

Looking good Steve your moving along at a pace now. Didn't know about those gas patches made very interesting reading. Looking forward to the top camo going down.

 

[Ian M]

Often wondered about the viability of gas patches on the out side of aircraft. I can see more sense on those inside a cockpit, like on the Lancaster and Mosquito. But as you said it also warns the ground crew, I can see more of a point to it.

Ian M

 

[stona]

Some gas patches or gas paints were applied in positions invisible to the pilot or crew of the aircraft. They must have been to warn ground crew that the aircraft was contaminated.

I don't think that the patches had anything to do with flying as if exposed during flight the pilot would know he had been 'gassed'. I suspect they served the same purpose on parked aircraft as on ground vehicles, buildings etc. I've seen a picture of a trolley accumulator with a patch attached for example.

The patches or paints were an indicator that chemical weapons had been used against or in the vicinity of the airfield, unfortunately they didn't work very well. Fortunately such weapons were not used in any case.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Aslways Steve, a really interesting read. Many thanks for taking the time to share it with us. What a cracking example of weathering at the wing root as well!!

 

[Ziper_it]

Excellent Steve, too build.

And tons of useful info too.

 

[noble]

This is looking brilliant so far Steve another master piece in the making.

scott

 

[stona]

What a cracking example of weathering at the wing root as well!!

Also notice how 'sharp' the demarcation between the camouflage colours is.

I believe that masking was used in the spray shops and there is evidence, not accepted by everyone, that some kind of mats were used. They were good for the A and B schemes. For the latter just flip them over and place them on the other side

I am referring to the original painting at the point of production. What happened after that when serviced or repainted is anyone's guess.

Here's more early Spitfires showing the same thing.







I like the wheel chocks on this one. I've seen a similar set with 'Spitfire' written on the cross member and might just knock something up like that for this model.



The good thing is that these demarcations can be made with hard masking even at 1/32 scale. There is no need for any feathered edges, raised masks or any other tricks, which makes life easy for the modeller.

Cheers

Steve

 

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Steve

Great progress. This looks like an interesting Mk1 scheme.

Of note also on your reference photographs is the hole for the hand crank starter on the starboard side just above the wing root. It's evident on the first 'gun test' shot and the last shot.

Cheers Paul

 

[stona]

Good point Paul. I shall be drilling a little hole in the relevant position.

I've applied the Night to the port wing and post shaded this morning. It will tone down once I start to add coats of varnish.



This will be masked tomorrow morning hopefully, though I'm on a bit of a work standby. Whenever it does get masked I will be on to the dark Earth and Dark Green upper surfaces.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Also intertesting to note that the demarcation between upper and lower camoflage does not follow the panel line below the engine but takes a direct line from the spinner to the wing root. Lovely tonal differences on the black Steve. Makes a huge difference on the realistic effect.