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1/48 Spitfire Mk Vb


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Box is open !

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Will be using the Aces of the Empire sheet for decaling.

A little info on the subject:

Sgt. Peter Durnford became a handful of RAF pilots to take part in night interception duties in late 1941/early 1942. Painted completely black and omitting serial numbers and wing roundrels, black Spitfire Mk Vs of No. III Squadron, were tasked with the complex mission of seek and destroy missions at night. Using an array of search light techniques, reckoning, and radar communication, pilots hunted for key targets in the dead of night. Unfortunately, the “Smack” technique of intercepting night fighters proved to be terribly challenging.

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Cockpit parts are in their temporary home: Altoid tin.

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Just have another dark skinned beauty to finish up. 1/72 Revell SR-71:

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My first total rescribe job. Lots of work.

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Edited by nickdanger
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If you are doing the black nightfighter scheme do some research on it as you need to add exhaust shields on both sides above and to the rear of the exhausts. It is very easy to do as you just need some thin rectangles of sheet plastic but you need to look at pictures as to size and placement. I did the same machine in 1/72 a few years ago. The plane also had the IFF antennas that ran from the front of the horizontal tail surfaces to the fuselage in the roundel area. again photos help. HTH...

Cheers

Bruce

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If you are doing the black nightfighter scheme do some research on it as you need to add exhaust shields on both sides....

I've looked through my books and done some Googling but I can't find any pictures of exhaust shields. Do you have any I could use for reference?

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Just moved and all my stuff is in boxes but they are the same idea as the ones put on Hurricane night fighters and there are probably more references in that regard as there were only a few night Spitfires. If I recall the info I used was in one of the Osprey Spitfire books but can't say which right now. I know some 1/72 Hurricane kits even include them and I may have even used a set of those but can't help as to 1/48. Sorry.

P.S. Look at closest Hurricane here: http://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/hurricane_87sqn.jpg Designed to shield pilots eyes from flame of exhaust...

Edited by RCAFFAN
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The picture you found (in post #5) should serve you well although most shields I have seen are just rectangles with right angled corners, not the rounded ones like in you picture but I think that as long as you put the shields on all is good. Note that your picture also shows the IFF antenna wire I mentioned. You can see it coming from the lower right corner across the "F" code letter and into the center of the roundel where it enters the fuselage through the "pimple" to the left of the center red dot. It starts at the outer tip leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer and there is a wire like that on each side. Many plans of earlier Spitfires show these wires but it is nice to actually see them in pictures. They changed to a different IFF system (with small underside antenna) later in the war.IFF would be very important for a Radar operator to tell which was the Fighter when he was guiding it to a target. A nightfighter Spitfire is pretty rare as I believe there was only the one squadron so keep up the good work......

Cheers

Bruce

Edited by RCAFFAN
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Good news to simplify your build. Was doing some unpacking and found my model of JU*H. While I remember researching the shield question, I did not correctly remember my findings. JU*H did not have the shields (but did indeed have the IFF antennae) so that simplifies your build. I know that what I built was confirmed by a picture somewhere but I can't say where right now but can say leave the shields off. I think I was remembering wanting to add the shields, not what I actually determined. Plane looks weird with nothing but black wings, except for small red square patches over the outer machine gun openings. Sorry for the confusion but don't think you have gone that far yet. Keep up the good work................

Edited by RCAFFAN
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  • 3 weeks later...

Finished up the Blackbird and so now I'm more focused on the Spitfire.

Got the cockpit parts painted

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And assembled. Decided to use the kit's instrument panel decal. Not the greatest fit but with a little MicroSol and a squeeze, looks ok.

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Future is drying. Next step will be a quick dirty wash.

Quick SR-71 shot for fun

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Edited by nickdanger
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  • 2 weeks later...
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A couple of weeks after my last post here I ended up in the hospital for 7 weeks and missed you finishing this. Took a look at all your pictures today. Very nice job and well done.....

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