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Yep, that's right, another Academy Spit. Despite the damning reviews, people still seem to be building these, so I thought I'd join the party. I'm not going aftermarket (unless the decals turn out to be really bad), so all the interior detail will be cobbled together from stock styrene and old bits of photoetch fret, and fluff and string. Let the mayhem begin...

First up, port sidewall, which I tackled today. Bent some old bits of PE fret (bit like using spare sprue I suppose) to make a couple of boxy things, chucked in a homemade trim wheel, found a little cog from my recently finished Storch, and threw all that, some glue, and some wire at the sidewall, and this is what came out (I.P. is Blu-Tacked in place for effect):

Spitfire_XIVc_01.jpg

The I.P. etch is a spare bit from an old Eduard Spit set, and is actually wrong, but you'll hardly notice under a layer of paint and some drybrushing!

Thanks for taking a look, and also big thanks to all those posting in the GB; it's great so far!

Edited by thom
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Hi all,

Managed to get a bit more of the detailing done on the 'pit. The first thing I want to show you is my solution to the weird step that Academy has on the port side of the sidewall - I've simply removed the area shaded in blue below. I know that won't fix the small-rear-canopy-section issue, but it looks so much better without the step!

Spitfire_XIVc_02.jpg

Of course, that means the kit door no longer fits, so out with the scrap P.E. fret and plastic stock. This little dude is composed of 20 individual pieces.

Spitfire_XIVc_03.jpg

It'll look better under a coat of paint, I promise!

Last bit for now is the starboard sidewall. I wasn't feeling very inspired on this side, so it's quite bare.

Spitfire_XIVc_04.jpg

Thanks for taking a look.

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Nice work Thom. Looking real good.

I am using the Eduard cockpit door, so no chance of me removing that extra 'step' like you did. In that last picture, are the cables coming from the quadrant a little thick? Love your scratchbuilding :doh:

Jim

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Stung into action by Jim's criticism of my thick cables ( :D :thumbsup: ) I've redone the starboard sidewall. Scratched a new chassis control, and also revised a few bits. Added emergency chassis controls, too. I reckon this is a bit of an improvement.

Spitfire_XIVc_06.jpg

[hydraulics for the chassis control to be added later]

Thanks for dropping in.

Tom

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Agreed. The cockpit is phenomenal. What paint did you use for the Brit interioir green? The polly scale paint I have looks very washed out in comparison to yours.

I must say though, that you and Jim are putting my OOB pit to shame. No worries though, now I'm inspired to try scratchbuilding cockpit detail on my next build!

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Thanks Ralph. The paint is Tamiya's IJN Cockpit Green (XF71), of all things. I used it in a hurry once and have stuck with it ever since. I think it looks quite accurate (though judging from 60 year old colour shots is always difficult), and it has the bonus of being lovely to spray. Smoothest thing to ever pass through my airbrush.

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Ok, now we're moving. With the cockpit sorted, I've been freed up to get some serious construction done. Just a few details before I show you the overall shot.

The first thing is the area behind the pilot's seat. I've added the spar which ran from the back of the frame to which the seat was bolted to the next frame aft, and also (you can just make it out in the gloom) added the cable for the Sutton harness running back into the fuse:

Spitfire_XIVc_12.jpg

I've cut out recesses and added wingtip lights from scrap clear sprue:

Spitfire_XIVc_13.jpg

This little intake was drilled out because I think it's the little details that make all the difference on a build:

Spitfire_XIVc_14.jpg

And finally, the overall progress:

Spitfire_XIVc_15.jpg

If you're confused about the clipped wings, check out my recent posting in the Entries thread.

As ever, thanks for taking a look.

Tom

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A few more little bits and pieces in the last couple of days. I've got a couple of pieces of PE left over from a MkV build I did a while back (back when I was even more rubbish with PE than I am now!!), so I downloaded the Eduard .pdf of instructions for their MkXIVc set to see if any of it was appropriate. Turns out the eyelets attaced to the main gear were, so they've gone on, along with a little bit of wire, and I've thinned down drilled out the hinge-y things, so now the gear looks like this:

Spitfire_XIVc_16.jpg

One of the other bits was the pull handle for the canopy, which I've mated to a (slightly undersized but much more elegant and seamless) spare Tamiya canopy:

Spitfire_XIVc_17.jpg

The final pieces of this free PE bonanza were two strange little hook things on the bottom of the fuse, near the trailing edge wing root. No clue what they're meant to represent, but I thought I'd trust the mighty Eduard and pop them on.

Spitfire_XIVc_18.jpg

I've done a few other bits - weaponry, tailwheel doors, rear view mirror - and overall we're looking something like this:

Spitfire_XIVc_19.jpg

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I see what you mean by obsessed :)

Attaching PE to a canopy, now that's a place I fear to tread.

FYI, the little hooks on the underside are to hook the back end of the drop tank to. If the pilot has to release it in flight, it will pivot back and away on those.

Coming along very nice indeed.

Cheers,

Matt

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Lovely work so far. I like the little etch details you added. I'm attaching mine today but waited till after I primed with alclad grey primer as I didn't trust myself with the micromesh cloths and those tiny bits :cheers:

Jim

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More stuff!

First the bit I didn't photograph - Jim goaded me into doing something about the tailplane actuators in my twin thread in In Progress, so I found some old bits of PE that did the trick. It looks a bit of a mess on the macro lens though, so you don't get to see.

Secondly, the bits I do have pictures for. I spent a bit of time (for 'bit of time' read 'hours') this evening making some masks for the serial codes. I achieved this by printing them out on normal paper, then sticking that to some old Tamiya masking sheet (it's sort of plasticised, and I keep precious spares of it for delicate jobs like this). Then, with a brand new No 10 blade I cut them out. The successful ones are gathered in little groups at the bottm, waiting to be applied:

Spitfire_XIVc_20.jpg

The other achievement was the pre-shading of the beast, done super-heavy because she'll be war-weary:

Spitfire_XIVc_21.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Found five minutes to throw some paint on. First time I've masked all the markings instead of using decals. Saves money and means no gloss coat, but I'm still not going to do it again if I can avoid it. Camo is just freehand, couldn't be bothered to mask except for the demarcation line from upper to lower, which should be sharp.

Spitfire_XIVc_22.jpg

Cheers,

Tom

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