g0_command0 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) Outside of the fact i wont finish it, is there anything i should know about the kit? And what are my aftermarket decal choices for this particular model? and what about aftermarket seat? I know nothing about spitfires...sorry guys! Edited January 12, 2009 by g0_command0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 What are your aftermarket decal choices?? Are you kidding? Only about 12.73 million. I'd wager that just about any Spit Vb sheet ever made was made for, or can be readily adapted to the Tamiya kit. Other than the well noted foibles of all of the Tamiya Spit family, it's a beautiful kit. Easy to build. The parallel stiffeners on the upper wing surfaces were a post-war mod, so sand 'em off. J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
g0_command0 Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 I only saw a few aero master and eagle strike sheet Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MaRiO FDZ Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Alfons, throw some glue, paint and decals in a box, shake and out comes a model.... one of the BEST kits i've ever done You'll love it! Take Care Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MaRiO FDZ Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) Ups! double post. Sorry! Take Care Edited January 12, 2009 by MaRiO FDZ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edgar Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 The parallel stiffeners on the upper wing surfaces were a post-war mod, so sand 'em off.J No, they weren't, so don't touch them, unless your model predates 27-1-42. Mod 532, which stiffened the upper skin, on the Va & Vb, was incorporated from that date. Mod 529 (also for stiffening) for the Vc, was entirely inside the wheel wells, so nothing was visible; this commenced 16-12-41. Edgar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Jennings pretty much hit the nail on the head. Depending on what you are looking for, I might have some Vb Trop markings left on the Victory Production sheet that I probably will never use. Drop me a PM if you are interested. It would just be serials/squadron codes and special markings. You'de have to source roundels and stencils separate. If you can't find any Trop marking that appeal, I'm pretty sure the kit still has all the original Vb parts in it, so you could look at plain Vb markings as well. For aftermarket, if you really want to go there, look at the Ultracast seats. Big upgrade in cockpit from the kit seat and its easily visible. After that, the Eduard Zoom set dresses up the cockpit nicely if you are into that. The best upgrade there is a PE/film replacement for the IP. Ultracast do a bunch of other bits, Exhausts, Wheels, control surfaces, cannons etc. Their stuff is all top notch, but the kit parts are also pretty good, so you'll have to justify if the step up is worth the price. I don't recall what prop the kit comes with, so some aftermarket decal options may require an alternative prop, in which case Ultracast will have what you need. If you haven't already, look at the current Spitfire Group build underway. I'm sure there will be quite a few Tamiya Spits coming together there. Cheers, Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 No, they weren't, so don't touch them, unless your model predates 27-1-42. Mod 532, which stiffened the upper skin, on the Va & Vb, was incorporated from that date. Mod 529 (also for stiffening) for the Vc, was entirely inside the wheel wells, so nothing was visible; this commenced 16-12-41.Edgar Sorry, I was confusing Vb and Vc... I stand corrected. When is Tamiya going to do a Vc??????? JH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edgar Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Ah, now that's a question that's way beyond my research capabilities ;) At the moment it'll have to be the Special Hobby Vc, or there is (or was) an Airwaves conversion set of wings for the Tamiya kit. Edgar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thom Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Couldn't you also mate an Airfix Vc wing to the Tamiya kit, or is my ailing memory letting me down yet again? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crazydon Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 The only thing you'll need to watch when you build the kit is the cockpit and how high the frame sits. You can push it into the fuselage too far and then when you go to put the back canopy bit on it will sit too high. What I like to do is tape that in place while I'm putting the pit in place, this gives you a idea where to sit it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crazydon Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Couldn't you also mate an Airfix Vc wing to the Tamiya kit, or is my ailing memory letting me down yet again? It's been tried IIRR but takes lots of work, "gappy" is what I remember. I'm waiting for someone to take the new Airfix Mk I fuselage and mate it to the Vc wing....needs the leading edge of the wing thinned down IIRR but might work. I might do it if I can find a cheap Airfix Mk I kit someday Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-4Silverfox Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Alfons, throw some glue, paint and decals in a box, shake and out comes a model.... one of the BEST kits i've ever done You'll love it!Take Care Ditto :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrallman Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I have the Airfix Mk I and Vc wing ready to do just that bash. If I have time it will be for the Spit GB, if not, then whenever I get to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edgar Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Just received a reminder; the fuselage is the same as in the Mk.I kit, and the radio should be up, on the port side of the fuselage, just under the glass, not as supplied down, near the bottom, more-or-less in line with the pilot's knee. Where Tamiya put the radio should be the mapcase (and it's a modern set, too.) For some reason, they left out the operating bar, for the radiator shutter (should be coming up by the pilot's left elbow,) and the intake, for the oil cooler isn't circular, which it should be. Sorry, but my excuse is that I normally build 1/32nd scale. Edgar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DonSS3 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) One thing I liked about the Tamiya kit, is the way the wing assembly locks to the fuselage. This is my SAAF Spitfire Vb (unfortunately markings are for a Vc, but I didn't realize that at the time). A trouble free build and IIRC I used next to no filler. Finished with Xtracolor paints and Aeromaster decals. Somewhere along the line the radio mast went missing… <_< Edited January 14, 2009 by DonSS3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
g0_command0 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Thanks for the info guys! I dont know which decals to try to get! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
g0_command0 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 What are the right colors for a VB's landing gear and wheel wells? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Unless there's photographic evidence to the contrary, the general rule of thumb is same as the underside colour. As with any generalization there are probably going to be exceptions. Cheers, Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrallman Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Unless there's photographic evidence to the contrary, the general rule of thumb is same as the underside colour. As with any generalization there are probably going to be exceptions.Cheers, Matt I thought that most had interior blue/green wells and the same color or silver lacquer legs? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I thought that most had interior blue/green wells and the same color or silver lacquer legs? Well, there's the rub. I wasn't around during WWII and I don't have a time machine to take a DSLR back with me. Thats the generalization that's been bandied about as long as I can remember. Unfortunately its a tough one to clarify from photographic evidence. Most pictures are B/W which add to the analysis issue, and those areas are either generally not visible, or in heavy shadow, which can effect relative tone in a B/W photo. Added to that is the long service history of the Spitfire. Early marks underwent a number of colour changes during the first years of the war. How sure can we be that any station or MU repaint carefully masked out these parts ? Even a relatively decent period colour photo like that is tough to judge. To my eye, the hub,leg and fairing are all the same colour, and a good case can be made it the under side colour. But they could all be a dull Aluminium ... However, I don't see any Interior green. But this is just one picture. Hard to generalize from that. In the Spitfire II The Canadians there's a nice colour picture of a 400Sqn PRXI. The leg/fairing/well certainly appear to be PRU blue. The wheel could be PRU blue or grey or very oxidised Alu. Could be just a PRU thing ? or again, a more general scheme ? Personally, I like an easy life, so I shoot them all the same colour, but it would be mighty hard to argue against any alternative, including all Alu for early prewar Mk Is. There are some good clear BW shots of early MKIs that it would be hard to argue against an Alu leg and wheel at the very least. Cheers, Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edgar Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 It's impossible to be absolutely certain, but I've seen several unrebuilt Spitfires, from I to XIVs, with green wells. This leads me to believe that this is how they were painted on the production line, but, during repaints, with silver going to black/white, then to Sky, then to Sky/black, then to Sea Grey Medium, with a lot of the work being done at MUs, and on Squadron, with the a/c standing on its u/c, and masking the wells (probably) a total pain, it would have been easier to run the gun over the well, and just mask where the leg would retract. Wheel cover insides, and u/c legs, initially, were silver, but, for the doors, the above caveat should apply, and the legs were regularly serviced. This entailed a complete stripdown, with the parts being washed in paraffin (kerosene to you Colonials) to remove oil & grease (which wouldn't have been very beneficial to the paint.) After the servicing, the leg had to be repainted, and the erk would have used whatever colour came to hand. Edgar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigjim Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 Gday guys, I know nothing in regards to Spitfires, and was wanting to do an example from RAAF. My question is can i use a Tamiya MK.Vb to do a Mk Vc example? What are the differences between the two? Is there a link anyone can provide which will help me decipher the different variants of the RAAF spits? Thanks in advance, Josh Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edgar Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 (edited) The wing bulges were completely different; the Vc's were further forward, on top, and there wasn't one below. The c wing didn't have strengthening strakes over the wheel well, and, because it had provision for two cannon in the gunbay, there were two housings sticking out of the l/e. Also, on the c, the position of what had been the no.3 .303" was moved out one bay, to make room for the ammunition trays for the cannon. Only one Vb went to Australia; the rest were Vc, followed by the VIII. Airwaves supply a pair of c wings, for the Tamiya kit, but an easier option would be the new Special Hobby Vc. A compatriot of yours, Ian K.Baker, has done a lot of research on RAAF Spitfires; the last address that I have is 31A Mercer St., Queenscliff, Vic 3225, with a fax of (03) 5258 3166. You need book no.55 "RAAF Spitfires Camouflage Special," and the ISSN (for the whole series, by the look of it) is 1322-0217. Edgar Edited January 18, 2009 by Edgar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
g0_command0 Posted January 19, 2009 Author Share Posted January 19, 2009 Man, ww2 stuff hurts my head. Would anyone be able to tell me which ultracast seat i want for the spitfire? they have 3 or 4 different ones. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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