fastzx Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) Looking to convert a Hasegawa 1/32nd scale Vb to a Mk 1b - the first cannon armed Spitfire during the Battle of Britain No 19 Squadron. Can anyone provide photos of or point me to some photos of this rare bird - they only flew them for one month until trading them back for regular Spitfires with 8 .303 Mgs. I can't seem to find photos and serial numbers for these canon armed Mk1b Spitfires. No 19 Squadron was the first RAF squadron equipped with Spits and also the first equipped with this cannon armed version of the Mk 1 the Mk1 with a B wing. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT! Thanks Jon Edited January 13, 2009 by fastzx Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VG 33 Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Looking to convert a Hasegawa 1/32nd scale Vb to a Mk 1b - the first cannon armed Spitfire during the Battle of Britain No 19 Squadron.Can anyone provide photos of or point me to some photos of tis rare bird - they only flew them for one month until trading them back for regular Spitfires with 8 .303 Mgs. I can't seem to find photos and serial numbers for these canon armed Mk1b Spitfires. No 19 Squadron was the first RAF squadron equipped with Spits and also the first equipped with this cannon armed version of the Mk 1 the Mk1 with a B wing. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT! Thanks Jon Hi Like this one made after an Osprey drawing. Patrick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fastzx Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thanks Patrick, I have 1/32nd super scale international decals for QV * K Flt. Lt. B. J. E. Lane's Spitfire Mk1 Battle of britain serial # P9386 Looks very close to the picture you posted. The wing looks very similar to a MkVb are they exactly the same??? Thanks. Would love to see more pics Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VG 33 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Hi Actually I used a 1/72 Revell Mk Vb kit where I used the windscreen with the external armored glass. I modified the oil cooler to get a half rounded intake. I chnaged the airscrew with an Airfix Mk I. Patrick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrallman Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I remember looking into this before because i have some decals to do a BoB Mk Ib in 1/48. I will use the tamiya Mk I fuselage and the Mk Vb wing but replace the under wing coolers with the pieces from the Mk I kit. I will look and see if I still have some of the pics I found for research on here, but as far as i remember, the Ib wing was the same as the Vb wing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fastzx Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thanks Jay, So the smaller oil cooler is different? how much different is it? And does the carb intake look different too? I am using the older style armored windscreen making a knockout oval panel, early style 3-bladed (Rotol or DeHavilend ?) prop and more rounded spinner. I will change the exhaust as well from the fishtail MkV to the kidney shaped earlier ones. I'll also sand away the additional heat scoops just behind the exhaust stacks as well. Anything else you can think of? I would at least try to find a serial # and exact code letter photo otherwise I may just have to use the code and serial for an 8 gun aircraft. Thanks guys for your help. Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VG 33 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thanks Jay,So the smaller oil cooler is different? how much different is it? And does the carb intake look different too? The Mk I/II type had a semi-circular intake because it is less deep than the Mk V type which was a circle. Patrick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fastzx Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 thanks I will look much closer at my drawings of the oil coolers on both Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crazydon Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thanks Jay,So the smaller oil cooler is different? how much different is it? And does the carb intake look different too? I am using the older style armored windscreen making a knockout oval panel, early style 3-bladed (Rotol or DeHavilend ?) prop and more rounded spinner. I will change the exhaust as well from the fishtail MkV to the kidney shaped earlier ones. I'll also sand away the additional heat scoops just behind the exhaust stacks as well. Anything else you can think of? I would at least try to find a serial # and exact code letter photo otherwise I may just have to use the code and serial for an 8 gun aircraft. Thanks guys for your help. Jon You'll have to change the ailrons somehow, Mk I's had fabric ones and the Hase Mk Vb has the metal type. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jrallman Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Also, I think that there are stiffening strips on the Vb wing that wouldn't have been present on the Ib wing. Easy to sand off. Ultracast makes replacement ailerons etc. though the fabric ribbing is very subtle. I used to have a pic of a 92sq Ib from 1940, but I cant seem to find it at the moment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I had a quick spin through some old bookmarks. There is an often published pic of 92nd Squadron scrambling with MkIbs, but I can't find a copy online. I found a couple of articles/profiles that suggest QJ.F as a code, and either P6908 or R6908 as the serial. Its possible that the port wing underside was black at this point. Here are 2 more pics that we debated here a few years ago. Given the early exhausts and obvious cannon, these could be 92nd Sqn Mk1b's If so, then the first one is going to be either QJ.N or QJ.W based on the code on the chin. http://www.cs.kent.ac.uk/people/staff/djb/...adron/group.gif http://www.cs.kent.ac.uk/people/staff/djb/...sty-morning.gif Hope this helps Matt. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Sorry, I just realised you wanted info for when they were in service with 19 Squadron, and not their later service with 92nd. I still haven't found any pictures that are conclusively 19 Squadron, but I did pull some serials for you from 'Spitfire The History'. The first 'cannon only' conversions from Mk1 to go to 19 Squadron were R6261, R6770 ,R6776,R6761,R6889,R6904,R6919 and R6833. These were the aircraft that bounced back and forth between 19 Sqn and 6 MU to deal with the problems. P9504 was originally converted as a development platform, and still retained the outer 4 MGs, thus being the prototype 'b' wing. X4257 was built with a new 'b' wing as a second test platform, then eventually all the aforementioned 'R' serialed aircraft were returned for 'b' wings. In addition a number of 'X' serial Mk 1s were converted and delivered as 'b's but there isn't a list. Also, the following serials appear described as 1b's. X4272,R6908 and R6293 Other than that, the mockups were originally done to K9791 and the first trial installation to L1007, but neither would have seen squadron service. These aircraft really weren't with 19 Sqn very long. R6261 went to 19 in July, by 25th August they were pulled for the upgrade to proper 'b' wing, with R6889 being the first to come back on 3rd October. By 'winter' of '40 they were going to 92nd Squadron. Not sure when 19 Squadron finally got rid of the last of them, or they were upgraded to Vb spec. Hope this helps, Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fastzx Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Matt, Thanks for the info I read they had the Mk1b from july - august and wanted mk1a due to canon stoppages Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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