Global Scale Modeller

Hi,

I have various Spitfire/Seafire variants in the stash but have never built one before.

In the end I settled on relatively new tooled 1/48 Airfix Supermarine Seafire F.XVII.

I'm opting for the all over top side in extra dark sea grey over the light grey underside as represented by No. 800 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Triumph, 1947.

So let's kick off with the box, sprue shots etc.

**Update** - Cockpit and Basic Assembly Part One.

Apologies, I am getting stuck into this build so much so I have not taken photos of every stage done.

First was to get the cockpit partially assembled, fuselage halves prepared and some other parts ready. Parts were cleaned up and partially assembled and then primed with the new badger grey primer.



Then the cockpit was split into the two colours using Tamiya XF-69 Nato Black and XF-71 Cockpit Green. This was then drybrushed with some medium grey and then a little silver. This was then washed with a thinned down wash of army painter dark tone. I made so seatbelts from tamiya tape and some lead wire to liven the seat and cockpit up.

The exhausts stacks were drilled out to look a bit more authentic and the sprayed with Tamiya XF-84 dark iron as a base coat.



Then the fuselage was buttoned up. The only fit issue here a is a gap on the front nose section. I dry fitted and tried to reduce gap but it's still there. I tried to be clever and jump ahead by getting the griffon engine bumps on early which has now made it difficult to sort the seam line out on the nose.




The mid fuselage lights were glued in with micro crystal clear and the painted with the respective tamiya clear paints.




Now waiting for the glue to harden so the seams can be sorted out.

Looking good Sir. Made this Seafire a couple of months ago and she was a beauty of a kit. Enjoy! Looking forward to your progress, more updates!!

Looking great mate build this one at the mo and really enjoying it. What scheme you going for?

**Update** - Basic Assembly Part Two.

So hopefully got the nose section seam sorted but will need to check it again after priming.





Then the wings and fuselage were joined a few minor gaps were filled with liquid styrene.



Once fully dry/cured I just need to do a little sanding to tidy up.

Excellent progress, I've got this in the stash myself to build as some point, if it goes together as well as the other seafire it'll be a great kit

Paul wrote:Excellent progress, I've got this in the stash myself to build as some point, if it goes together as well as the other seafire it'll be a great kit

What i have heard it is somewhat better that the older seafire kit.

The canopy is an improvement on the last kit...

Although looks like a bath of gloss/future would help.

**Update** - Basic Assembly Part Three.

So got the assembly finished and seams sorted. Canopy and windscreen fitted and frames sprayed with XF-69 Nato black.



**Update** - Priming.

After a quick clean the seafire and assorted bits were primed with badger stynylrez.





**Update** - Painting Part One.

Then the pre-shading was carried out with with XF-69 Nato black.



**Update** - Painting Part Two.

Moving on after pre-shading.

Underside was painted with Tamiya XF-21 and then bleaching was carried out randomly over the panel centres.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--7Kx ... CF1243.JPG




Then the upper side was painted with Mr Hobby Aqueous H333, extra dark sea grey. Agin, centres of panels were randomly bleached by adding a little white to base colour.

The model was left to dry/cure for at least 24hrs. Then a couple of coats of alclad aqua gloss.






**Update** - Decals.

Once the gloss coat was nice and hard, the decals were applied with micro set and sol.

vey nice, I like the idea of using nato black rather than 'plain' black for pre-shading, I'll give that a go

Great build and beautiful paintjob!!

**Update** - Weathering Part One.

After sealing the decals with aqua gloss, I gave the seafire a dark dirt wash and then a clean up.

Then a coat of sating varnish.

**Update** - Final Touches and Done.

OK, I tried to use some very thin grey paint at low pressure to weather the decal but that went horribly wrong. When the paint dried the effect was too strong. I removed the paint with x-20-a as nothing else was strong enough to carefully remove it. This did also remove the satin varnish and wash underneath.

I resealed the decal with satin varnish and then re-applied the dark dirt wash. In the end, this worked in my favour as the wash sat nicely over the satin varnish so i ended with a set of decals that didn't look factory fresh.

Then it was onto the final touches.

The exhausts were dry brushed with some mr hobby iron metalizer, then some burnt steel blue and soot from a tamiya weathering set. These were then fitted and exhausts stains applied with the tamiya weathering set.

Front screen and canopy unmasked and cleaned up. Canopy was glued in place with a little micro crystal clear.

Then all the little aerials bits were dry brushed with mr hobby stainless metalizer and fitted.

Just need to find time to take the final reveal photos. No real issues with this kit and my fastest build to date.

Very nice finish. Lovely job.