Tamiya 1/48th Scale Spitfire Mk Vb

[SteveT]

Hello everyone, yes it's time for me to build my first Spitfire since the mid 1970's. The kit is a Tamiya 1/48th code number: 61033.
I've just this minute opened the box but work will start now, I'll update this with images as I go.

Here's the box art and the sprues!

Note to mods:- Apologies for starting another thread, my Me109 build has been put on hold for a couple of kits.

 

[SteveT]

Mini-update! I've primed the parts required for the first couple of steps, painted them tamiya cockpit green then primed the fuselage pieces.

I will say this now, I lack around 50-60% of the paint colours listed in the instructions, so for some of the colours, I'm just guessing based on what I have, so if it's totally wrong please forgive me.

 

[SteveT]

Trying to add a little paint to the cockpit area. Image 1 is just plain Tamiya cockpit green, image 2 is my feeble attempt at giving it a bit of detail and dirtying it up.

 

[yak face]

Great start steve , this one shouldnt give you any problems, cheers tony

 

[Jakko]

Nothing wrong with that. As for using what you have instead of what the instructions say: that’s how (nearly) all of us started

 

[SteveT]

Done a bit more, my painting skills leave much to be desired but most of this you won't see once it's inside anyway.

 

[colin m]

but most of this you won't see once it's inside anyway

Exactly. But we do it anyway. So do we need absolute perfection ? no of course not. It's a great kit, enjoy yourself. I wonder how long it will be until you build your next Spitfire.

 

[Ian M]

That looks fine Steve. Just remember that a dirty aircraft is sometimes called a wreck. Outside that is. A bit of oil, a bit of soot. If a typical grass airfield a bit of staining on the tyres.

 

[Geoffers]

Nice start Steve

Geoff.

 

[SteveT]

Exactly. But we do it anyway. So do we need absolute perfection ? no of course not. It's a great kit, enjoy yourself. I wonder how long it will be until you build your next Spitfire.

Cetainly not as long because I know I have the Airfix 1/24 Spitfire coming ..gulp..

 

[Airborne01]

That is a lovely little kit Steve - I have the same one perched on the shelf of doom - can't remember why though!
Steve

 

[SteveT]

I'm a little puzzled about the upper wing surfaces. They have two rather thick and pronounced lines on each side and the instructions say to remove this.

Why put it there if it's to be removed? also i'm not sure I can remove them cleanly because they are quite thick and are surrounded by things that's going to make it
quite hard to get in and sand smooth.

Quite frankly I'm even thinking I'd rather leave them there than make a mess of removing them.

 

[Geoffers]

Hello Steve,

Sometimes a manufacturer will use the same basic kit part for various Mks of the same varient.

For instance this wing may also be for the Spitfire MkV tropical version for which those bits would be appropriate.

It’s often easier to remove lumps and bumps than try and add them.

Hope this helps.

Geoff.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Leave them if you want,it's your model, whose business is it but yours?
The whole point of this is to build your confidence, don't do things to undermine that at this stage. Most of us made our mistakes in our teens and didn't care, we just moved on to the next one. Channel your inner teenager and just go for it

 

[Waspie]

Just leave em Steve. Lines ain't worth losing sleep over. If they don't interfere with anything else then ignore them.

 

[Andy the Sheep]

Ditto!

 

[Easyrider5258]

was going to say the same, leave them

 

[SteveT]

Okay been doing some more work on this, it was going okay-ish until I noticed some gaps and tried to use humbrol filler putty but ended up making an almighty mess.
anyway, it's ready for the dreaded painting, the instructions say to mix this paint and mix that paint and I reply is "no chance". So I'm going to try and use Grey/Green
Tamiya XF81 and XF82 (ocean grey 2 and raf dark green 2)

Feeling a bit crap right now so i'm not going to start this until the morning.

 

[SteveT]

I've just used my trigger Ghaaleri (spelling?) airbrush for the first time and I must say I really like it. I sprayed it grey as I've been told it's better to do the light colour
first and then the dark, so I'll probably do another coat later today and then leave it until tomorrow to mask.

Masking is going to be ..interesting.. as I have options now. I've got proper model masking tape this time and I have a tin of AK camo putty. so i'm not sure what I'll try yet.

Unfortunately I can't seem to get rid of the mess the humbrol filler putty made, have sanded it but it's still visible. Make have to suck it up and accept it.
also I've just watched a video on sprue-goo and started to make some. Will stick an image in later when she's dried.

 

[Jakko]

Unfortunately I can't seem to get rid of the mess the humbrol filler putty made, have sanded it but it's still visible.

You can always sand filler back to the plastic to get rid of it entirely But I’ve found a good way to check if it’s smooth or not is with your finger: just feel carefully with a fingertip, and if you can feel anything that isn’t smooth, such as a transition from the plastic to the filler, it needs more work. Another way to check is to paint a neutral colour such as grey over the filler and surrounding area — once the paint dries, if you can’t tell where the filler is, it’s smooth enough