1/48 Airfix Spitfire Mk.I - LV-N "Jumper" - Final Reveal

[AAC]

All done! I think it came out quite well and am happy with the work. The kit goes together well with very few gaps which are quite small and easily dealt with. The instructions are quite good but you do need to refer ahead at times to confirm how a section it’s meant to look when completed. I stuffed up the landing gear at the early stage as I wanted them up not down but installed the wrong parts when putting the wings together. Easy fix though but doh!

I would do things a bit differently on the next one like rather that sand down the instrument panel to attach the aftermarket one (Airfix have it as two parts, a backing and a separate instrument panel) I’ll just leave the kit one out altogether as this introduces some fit issues in that area if not sanded down enough.

The decals were a bit of a surprise they went down well in the end but I resorted to X20A to do it. The last time I did an Airfix with Cartograf decals I only needed Micro Set/Sol. Well these are bigger being 1/48 and the others were 1/72.

One thing that has become apparent is that I’ll need a bigger photo booth . I hope the photos do it justice. The build thread is here.













And in her final resting place



Thanks for looking

[SteveW]

Great work Alexander, well done.

[Stokesy44]

Nice and clean

Love the subtle panel line wash, particularly against the yellow nose with picking out the cowling details

[ElCapitan]

Great job, love the yellow nose!

[Rathalos]

Awesome work, well done!
Thanks

[Tomcat64]

Very nice work - well done

[jgaudon34]

I refurbished a model a few years back for a chap whose Grandfather flew Tiffies in Europe. I got a copy of his grandfathers logbook recently and was thumbing through it, what do you think I found?

Apparently he did Operational training at 57 OTU, and in the logbook for Aug 10, 1944 is a hop in LV N for air to ground training!
Wicked coincidence!

[AAC]

I refurbished a model a few years back for a chap whose Grandfather flew Tiffies in Europe. I got a copy of his grandfathers logbook recently and was thumbing through it, what do you think I found?

Apparently he did Operational training at 57 OTU, and in the logbook for Aug 10, 1944 is a hop in LV N for air to ground training!
Wicked coincidence!

It would be great if you could scan that part and post it here

[jgaudon34]

Yeah, sure! Here you go...
Flight log entry of F/O D.E.G. Martyn RCAF Aug 10, 1944 flying LV-N
Third Entry from the top. No comments on the right hand page for that hop..
I Imagine it was the Spitfire Mk I. He just says "Spitfire" in the log. In other cases he calls out "Spitfire II" and "Spitfire V". Unfortunately no registration numbers jotted.
He had taken his very first hop in a Spitfire with 57 OTU on Jul 7 1944 in XO-F.
Comment for that flight was "What a lovely aircraft!! Not a vice in the world."

After 57 OTU he took a 20 hr conversion course on the Tiffie with 3 TEU (Tactical Exercise Unit) and flew operationally with 137 Sdn RAF from Oct 44 - Jun 45. He flew 65 Ops, transferred to 440 Sdn RCAF in Jun 45, and went home to Canada with them in August 1945.
His reaction to his first Typhoon flight was not exactly the same as the Spitfire
"Thrill! Thrill! I think the A/C flew me, instead of me it, Tho?"
Fourth Typhoon flight "You certainly don't stand still in these jobs."

Also attached is a Sdn picture of 137 Sdn mid Dec 1944 at B.78 Eindhoven
F/O Martyn is the small guy in the wedge cap in the second row, near the middle.

I hope this increases your connection with "Jumper". It certainly added to the story of F/O Martyn for his family.. thanks.

Untitled by Joe Gaudon, on Flickr

Untitled by Joe Gaudon, on Flickr

[AAC]

Yeah, sure! Here you go...
Flight log entry of F/O D.E.G. Martyn RCAF Aug 10, 1944 flying LV-N
Third Entry from the top. No comments on the right hand page for that hop..
I Imagine it was the Spitfire Mk I. He just says "Spitfire" in the log. In other cases he calls out "Spitfire II" and "Spitfire V". Unfortunately no registration numbers jotted.
He had taken his very first hop in a Spitfire with 57 OTU on Jul 7 1944 in XO-F.
Comment for that flight was "What a lovely aircraft!! Not a vice in the world."

Thanks so much Joe this adds just so much more when you see this stuff, these little plastic assemblies we get caught up in become a little more when you can see a glimpse of the history behind them. You certainly have a little treasure there

[jgaudon34]

I have taken a capture of your kit and a copy of the log page and sent it to the family to show them the exact aircraft their grandfather flew.
I was able to build them a Typhoon kit (1/72 Airfix) a few years ago with the exact markings that he flew in at 137 Sdn as well.
The family now has two examples from the modeling world to bring their grandfathers past to life.

Thanks
Joe

Untitled by Joe Gaudon, on Flickr

[AAC]

Very cool I'm sure they'll enjoy them