Kotare 1/32 Spitfire Mk 1.

[Steve64]

Hi guys,

It’s been hot here - over 30 degrees - which keeps me inside until night falls. That vampire lifestyle is good for bench time so there’s been progress. A quick flick through the next few steps made me decide not to follow Kotare’s order of assembly. Instead - after a test fit - I decided to add the undercarriage legs before joining the wing halves together. That made it easier to paint the inboard sections of the wheel wells, but more importantly, it made it possible to get the tabs that hold the legs in place seated correctly. It is so much easier this way. The tabs need material removed to fit, just as Kotare’s instructions show. Why the extra plastic is there in the first place is a mystery to me, but with the excess plastic removed, they slip into place with a satisfyingly positive feeling after some wiggling. The tabs do a great job of adding strength and keeping the alignment correct.

All that got me to the point where I could add some more paint. The underside of the Spit’ I’m modeling is interesting. Most of the surface was overpainted in ‘sky’ on top of the original black and white pattern, but it seems like there wasn’t time to paint everywhere or even add the roundels. So the original colours remain inside the radiators and wheel wells, as well as on the undercarriage legs and covers. I decided to paint the harder-to-reach places now. Et voila, this is where I’m up to.

You can see how complex this section is. Trying to get it all aligned and painted after it's enclosed by the upper wing seemed like trouble waiting to happen, at least for my modeling style.





Here's a look at the white radiator interior. You can see I've sprayed the undercarriage leg aluminum but its final colour will be black (er... or white, not sure which without checking the instructions ). The aluminum will be part of the weathering later.





And aluminum on the inner parts of the wheel well roof and gun ports. I doubt the inside of the gun ports will show much, but better safe than sorry, and I had AK's matt aluminum in the airbrush.

Sigh, I lost the battle with Grammarly trying to put an extra 'i' in aluminum to make it... aluminium *stands to attention and salutes the King*



Happy modeling guys.

[digger303]

We'll over look it this time

Nice progress and the plans coming together.

[Stokesy44]

Great work but I dont understand why the kit has all that internal structure in the wings. Does it have an effect on the external surface detail like the 'canning' on the Border Models' Lancaster?

Otherwise its just making the kit more expensive me thinks

[Steve64]

Hey Digger, I hope that I'll keep writing about colour with a 'u', etc. Even now Grammarly is fighting me! Maybe I can change the settings.

Stokesy, it's a good question. There's no oil canning that I can see and no other aesthetic reason that's obvious. The internal bracing does add strength - both the upper and lower wing sections have a nice sturdy feel. Other than that, I'm at a loss.

Is anyone from Kotare reading this? Maybe you can help us out if you are.

[digger303]

Hey Digger, I hope that I'll keep writing about colour with a 'u', etc. Even now Grammarly is fighting me! Maybe I can change the settings.

Stokesy, it's a good question. There's no oil canning that I can see and no other aesthetic reason that's obvious. The internal bracing does add strength - both the upper and lower wing sections have a nice sturdy feel. Other than that, I'm at a loss.

Is anyone from Kotare reading this? Maybe you can help us out if you are.

Might help to keep it all straight to make for a seamless join of the 2 halves.

[Steve64]

Hi Digger,

Yeah, and they do a nice job too.

I've been working on the lower wings. Painting and weathering the radiators seemed like a good idea at this point - it will be an unwieldy job with the whole kit assembled. Here they are, before and after some weathering.





I also noticed a ghost seam on the underside, which I've now treated to superglue and sanding to remove. Here's the patient before the operation.



Talking of seams one of the wing halves left a noticeable lip after assembly, so there's more sanding in my future.



See you soon, and good luck with your projects.

[digger303]

Damn....One point for Tamiya then.

[Steve64]

Hello folks,

I've reached the stage where progress seems to go from slow to 'almost finished' very quickly. With the wings cleaned and sanded, they can be joined to the fuselage and suddenly a Spitfire appears. Generally, the fit is exceptional, with no filler required. Clamps are essential. I get the feeling that the tolerances between the mating surfaces are so tight that they resist each other. Force is required to get the best fit. The only place where filler will be needed is at the rear underside of the wings where they meet the fuselage.

The whole model has a very solid feel to it now - almost as if it has been cast as a single piece - which might explain the ribbing discussed earlier.

Here are a few shots so you don't have to take my word for it.

Happy modeling folks.

P.S. Digger, yeah that leading edge is possibly the worst join on this kit. It's not terrible at all but it needs work.

[Steve64]

Hello gents,

I've discovered a problem with this kit, or should I say a problem with my attitude to building it. There is so much that's good that when problems do arise, they seem, well... disproportionately annoying. Imagine Michelangelo just finishing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and a fly landing in his last dab of wet paint. I'm not saying I'm a Michelangelo, but I mean that kind of annoying. So, when I encountered the first and only, tiny miss-mould on the exhaust, and realized that they needed hollowing out too, I instantly ordered some printed replacements. This was probably an overreaction, but it's done. Worrying about a tiny gap left when fitting the rear canopy, and a tiny lip exposed after I fitted the front canopy isn't consistent with a well-balanced attitude to life either. Of course, it's all Kotare's fault. Here's a look at the pimples on the supermodel.

Time to do my ten-minute meditation. Actually, maybe I'll try for fifteen tonight.







OK, now try zooming in and using a magnifying glass.

[aur0ra145]

Nice looking cockpit. It should all come together well. I'm always tempted to buy up all the aftermarket stuff if it makes it easier on me to complete stuff, without needing to do a total rework.

[digger303]

I must admit I was expecting better given the fan fare around Kotare. Tamiya is still the King of FIT !
I think I would have ordered another set of exhausts too.

[Steve64]

Hi guys,

The printed exhausts arrived yesterday. Here's a comparison with the kit part...



I ordered a set of masks at the same time, so there'll be more progress soon.

Happy modeling.

[RangerNeil]

Those new exhausts look really good!! Looking forwards to seeing them installed.

[digger303]

Those new exhausts look really good!! Looking forwards to seeing them installed.

They do indeed and I too look forward to the installation.

[Steve64]

Hi guys,

The time to paint and install those snazzy new exhausts is getting closer. I've been laying down some aluminum in places where I'll want chipping. There's nothing fancy here, just AK Extreme Polished Aluminium sprayed straight on, after a little masking and a thorough clean. I spayed Cockpit Green on the canopy frames first. These photos will help me remember where I can chip as well as show you progress:







Happy modelling chaps. Mine is getting happier as I get closer to adding the camo and weathering. They are my favourite parts of most builds.

[digger303]

I'm intrigued

[aur0ra145]

Looking good so far!

[WordenB]

Been following along with interest even if 1/32 is a little larger than my norm at the moment but I do love a Spitfire. It does look to be a very nice kit despite the few areas you point out Steve. I have the Tamiya 1/48 Mk 1 at exactly the same stage so look forward to being inspired to get it finished!

[Steve64]

Hello gents,

Thanks for keeping up the interest. I hope the Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire is fun. I must admit, had it not been for this release, I would have been building that kit too. It looks like a gem. I grew up in Kent and was born on September 15th (Battle of Britain Day), so I guess it was almost inevitable that I'd have a thing for Spitfires. Anyhow, here is more of the Kotare story.

First, this messy object...



...was a step on the road to getting here:



What on earth was I playing at? Well, to add some visual interest I wanted to spray the spinner a slightly different tone from the prop blades. I'm not sure you can see it in my pics (and it's pretty subtle in real life too). That mess is my masking off the spinner having painted it black with a hint of desert yellow. The blades are painted black with a hint of red. There's a bit of weathering too. Of course, the yellow tips still need to make an appearance.

I've also been working on the wheels. Here they are in the original black and white which survived on the actual aircraft after the underside was repainted Sky. The tires still need painting, and you can see some chipping too. I'll be breaking out the Sky next.



Talking of Sky, does anyone remember these guys?



That's all for now. I hope your kits are behaving.

Cheers guys!

Hmmm, that doesn't seem like a lot of progress, but, er... the dog ate my homework???

[digger303]

[Steve64]

Hello fellow model makers,

With the construction largely finished it's time for the part that really floats my boat; painting and weathering. I started on the underside, with a layer of brown/grey pre-shading on a base of Tamiya Sky and White. That was covered by a few very thin and random layers of pure Sky. The result is, well, what you see below. I hope and imagine that it looks stained rather than filthy.

Here's the pre-shading





And the end result after a few layers of Sky





Happy modelling chaps.

[digger303]

Yep the filth is good.

[BigWall]

I love it! It really came out well

[DRUMS01]

Nice, kit, nice modeling, and nice paint... it just keeps getting better every update.

Ben

[Steve64]

Gents, you are gentlemen,

Thanks for the encouraging comments. I used the same technique on a Spitfire MkVb and it works a treat, especially on the lighter underside. Let's see how I get on with the camo - that's a bit harder. References help in deciding where to put the pre-shading, and what colours to use. On a Spit' it seems pretty consistent regardless of the mark.

Thanks again and happy modeling.

[Garion77]

Nice way of tackling it ! and since they were filty lots of time on the underside. I'll have to do that in ones of my numerous spitfires in my stash. I'm resisting the urge of buying the kit. Still loving it ? As I haven't follow much unfortunately being absent from the forum the last few months.

[Steve64]

Hi Francis,

Yes, it's a great kit, and I've enjoyed the whole build. I've also been distracted by other things recently, but there's progress now. That same technique is going to be used on the upper surfaces. It's an experiment, and I'm figuring out how to make it work with two colours instead of one. Even so, I dived right in.



Fingers crossed that this gets me the effect I'm looking for once the green and brown go on. You may see where I've sketched out the camo pattern. I'm not sure that's going to be a big help - I'm figuring out my workflow.

Good luck with your own kits. I hope you have a whole squadron of Spit's one day.

Steve.

[Steve64]

Hello again,

It has been a month since I last posted, and I'm sorry about that. My job has been intense. It left me without the energy to do much in my spare time except watch Netflix and YouTube. Now that's passed and I'm back at the bench with a happy mind and a steady(ish) hand.

I had fun with the upper camo. Using a mix of freehand and masking, and matt and satin paints created a satisfying variety in surface reflectivity and tone. The combination seems to mimic how paint behaves when it's polished or lightly worn but still relatively fresh; like that on a Battle of Britain Spitfire. See what you think...

You can see some unintentional chipping; the result of household masking tape being peeled off too vigorously. I'm calling it a happy accident.



You can also see just how little of the pre-shading shows through. I'm hoping that at least it will provide a base for chipping. Maybe it added variety in tone in places, or maybe I just wasted paint.





With the masking removed the black and white wheel wells are revealed; areas that were missed when the real aircraft's black and white underbelly was hastily painted over with Sky. What's harder to see is the white interior of the oil cooler.



So, more progress at last. After finishing this post I'm going back to the bench. It feels good to be relaxing with this lovely kit.

Happy modelling chaps.

[digger303]

Good to be able to read another of your updates.

[Stokesy44]

Some nice variation in the camo. Once you add the decals and washes and weathering it will look even better.

[Steve64]

Hello again gents,

Thanks so much for the encouragement. I hope this is all helping and/or entertaining you.

It's time to start applying markings, and at this point, I deviated from the kit. I really like painting large insignia. The technique fits well with my weathering style, and I enjoy the process of masking and airbrushing. With some masks left over from another build, I decided this would be my approach on the Spit'. I may make my own masks for the squadron letters too.

Here's where I got to. You can see I'm still working on the fuselage roundels.



I made a small and irritating mistake. You may notice that the red center is just out of alignment with the blue surround on both wings. It leaves a small amount of base color showing on one side and creates a tiny purple crescent on the other. Damn. I'll have to fix this. Maybe careful hand painting or even more careful re-application of the mask and airbrushing will do it. I'll experiment on paper first.







I started painting and weathering the exhaust too. At this stage, it's all airbrush work. I'll finish off with oils later.



She's starting to look like that iconic aircraft, I think.

Happy modeling folks.

[digger303]

Bugger about the markings. If I try to fix that with a brush I'd make it worse with my shaky hands a crook eyesight.
Lovely work so far.

[Steve64]

Cheers digger,

Yeah, I know what you mean about hand painting. I'll have a play around with the masks and see what I can do. Double damn, and it was all going so well.

More news next week. This weekend I'm going to see Greta van Fleet. Now that will give me shaky hands

[Garion77]

Just read the last few posts I had miss being not very active on the forum once again..
Really nice build and paint job. The kit looks amazing and let's hope someone in my entourage thinks of giving it to me for Christmas ...AKA my mom or my missus !
Considering the price of the kit I think you get worth a lot the money comparing to Tamiya's one from what I've seen from it. Yes you get the engine, but that's fun only if you want to show it.
Great work ! can't wait to see the next update !

[Steve64]

Hey gents,

I may not have posted in a while but decaling and weathering have been going on.

But before I share what I have been doing, I want to say hello to Francis. I'm hoping you get the kit too. It has been a lovely build. I'd recommend it to anyone. Building models is my main hobby so I don't mind spending every once in a while, but I understand that's not what everyone wants or can do. I have my fingers crossed for you.

Now, back to the kit.

I used a combination of decals and masks for the markings and stencils. The decals are lovely and conform to the surface very well, especially with a few coats of Tamiya Mark Fit Strong. Even so, I had a few areas of silvering and some obvious raised edges. Those I took care of by spraying a few thin coats of matt varnish. Perhaps I could have avoided that by gloss coating before I applied the transfers, but I dislike that process, so I paid the price for my choice.

Here are the decals before the matt varnish. The squadron letter is a decal, and the roundel is masked.





Recently, I spent a few evenings adding weathering. I was especially interested in recreating the patina seen on these Spits. It looks like a combination of dirt, scratches, dust, and wear. So that's what I did to the model - I scratched, rubbed, buffed, and used oils for dirt. The result is below. These shots were taken after applying matt varnish to the decals.







I'm getting close to finishing now. Avoiding a last-minute corner-cutting rush is at the top of my agenda. Next, I'll post some shots of the finished model.

Happy modeling folks.

[digger303]

The masked roundel looks great came out well and I like the chipping.

[Stokesy44]

Stunning paint effects. Lovely close up pics too

[Steve64]

Thank you, gents, it has been a pleasure to share the build with you.

So, this is it - the end of the Kotare Spitfire Mk1a journey. Here she is as she might have looked shortly after a foray into skies above Kent in June 1940. My grandparents were below, watching the contrails of dog-fighting aircraft and - I guess - wondering what the future held for them and their families as Britain stood alone against a power that had taken over Europe. This one is for Bill and Joan.

[digger303]

Excellent build and paint.

[BigWall]

Excellent, excellent build!

I'm trying to think of something to say regarding your grandparents, and can come up with nothing. I can not imaging the angst they must have been feeling.

[Stokesy44]

Excellent, excellent build!

I'm trying to think of something to say regarding your grandparents, and can come up with nothing. I can not imaging the angst they must have been feeling.

A beautiful build of an icon.

If their feelings were in line with the nation in general there would have been real angst as the battle of France unfolded and then the people became galvanised by what happened with the evacuation at Dunkirk. Things looked dire when the Royal Navy said they might get back only 50,000 men if they were lucky. They ended up bringing home a quarter of a million men plus 50,000 Frenchmen. At the same time, Churchill was telling the people it was going to be tough but we would fight on, regardless of the cost. All that finest hour stuff and never in the field of human conflict etc. The morale of the nation carried us through the summer of 1940 as the RAF beat the Luftwaffe (and yes, they did beat them, the stats prove it) and even The Blitz did little more then draw the people together, united against the common foe (something that has been proven in every war fought since when you bomb civilians). The below clip from 'Dunkirk', while not historically accurate, sums things up rather well. I always get something in my eye when I watch this clip.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Enjoying this build
Some great progress showing
How was your Greta concert?? A band that sounds more like led Zepplin than Led Zepplin did

[aur0ra145]

Very nice finish! Such a lovely plane!

[Steve64]

Hi guys,

It was so lovely to read your replies. Thanks a million for taking the time to express your thoughts and feelings.

Digger, you followed the whole build - amazing!

Joe, yes, I have those feelings too. They are both dead now, and I wish I had spent more time asking questions and learning about their lives.

Stokesy, that is a cool clip. Have you ever read Roy Jenkins' biography of Winston Churchill? It has a lot to say about Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain.

Scott, Greta van Fleet rocked. My friend and I enjoyed them so much that we're planning to see them again in the summer.

And yes, auro0ra she's a beauty and deserved some t.l.c. Sorry I couldn't see your name but maybe you prefer it that way?

Thanks again, gents. There'll be a short break and then maybe something quite different will hit the bench.

Have a very merry Christmas.

[BigWall]

[xcellent, excellent build!
quote=Stokesy44 post_id=394120 time=1702887157 user_id=7255]
If their feelings were in line with the nation in general there would have been real angst as the battle of France unfolded and then the people became galvanised by what happened with the evacuation at Dunkirk. Things looked dire when the Royal Navy said they might get back only 50,000 men if they were lucky. They ended up bringing home a quarter of a million men plus 50,000 Frenchmen. At the same time, Churchill was telling the people it was going to be tough but we would fight on, regardless of the cost. All that finest hour stuff and never in the field of human conflict etc. The morale of the nation carried us through the summer of 1940 as the RAF beat the Luftwaffe (and yes, they did beat them, the stats prove it) and even The Blitz did little more then draw the people together, united against the common foe (something that has been proven in every war fought since when you bomb civilians). The below clip from 'Dunkirk', while not historically accurate, sums things up rather well. I always get something in my eye when I watch this clip.


[/quote]

Very nicely stated. That clip definitely makes my eyes sweat, along with most of the rest of the film.