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Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:07 pm
by bfrd
My first Airfix kit. So far things are going together well.
20170816_044744 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
20170816_044814 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 5:14 pm
by StuartClark
Looking good!
Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 5:25 pm
by sheppsea
Very nice - I'm building this at the moment too

Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2017 11:13 am
by bfrd
StuartClark wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2017 5:14 pm
Looking good!
sheppsea wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2017 5:25 pm
Very nice - I'm building this at the moment too
Thanks! I am no where near the collective talent here, but I am working on it.
A few updates from yesterday.
I got a little overzealous with the razor saw when I cut out the door opening. Oops!
20170816_152049 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
I had to do a little sanding on the the last bulkhead to get the two halves together.
20170816_153054 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
These little bastards have been the most difficult part of the build so far.
20170816_162907 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
A little overspray never hurt anyone, right?
20170816_162911 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
First stage of filling, need another
20170816_182138 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
20170816_182130 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 12:03 pm
by bfrd
Added some more bits to the underside of the wings
20170817_160217 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
Instead of stuffing the canopy area with something, I chose to use canopy pieces that won't be on the final model. I applied Krystal Klear around the joints and let dry. I then cleaned up the overflow with a toothpick.
20170817_160209 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
I also finished out the wings and tail section.
20170817_160203 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
Please hold while I clean up the mess (and curse like a sailor) from dropping my airbrush...
Primed with Ultimate black (really not the Ultimate brand, but Ultimate is easier to spell than the other name)...
20170817_193322 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
My plan is to paint the entire body using Model Air Aluminum, then come back with hairspray, and then the top coat. I have never attempted this; hold on to your seat, I am sure laughs are sure to follow.
Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 11:58 am
by bfrd
My test piece with aluminum and hair spray was a total bomb. I will need to find a different hairspray, the paint wouldn't stick. So, I skipped the aluminum and just sprayed my top coats.
I didn't have the "right" colors so I just picked what I liked. I heard a rumor there were no rivet counters here, so the wrong colors shouldn't bother anyone either.
Here is what I am using for anyone laughing along at home.
20170819_211107 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
This is the first camouflage pattern I have painted so I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out (or how to do it really). The bottom layer went on very well. I wasn't quite sure how to do the leading edges of the wings, so I just taped up the bottom surfaces and the let the paint fall where it may. I didn't try to only paint the base color where it was needed. I just sprayed up the whole thing.
20170820_174752 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
I missed the opportunity to photo the masking stage. I just used the 2mm Tamiya for curves to define the edges and then regular Tamiya to mask the insides. I did have to paint tear in a couple of places, and a few more where I nicked the body with the tweezers. Hopefully won't be too bad to fix.
20170820_205519 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
20170820_205507 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 5:40 pm
by SprueSurgeon
I have the 1/24 version of this kit which by all accounts is completely dreadful.
Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:45 am
by 1975GinjaNinja
Nice, like he idea of using the spare canopy to cover the cockpit.
SprueSurgeon - the 1/24 version is right dog although I have seen some amazing models built from it. Was the first model I built getting back into the hobby. Even used a hairy stick to paint it. Not doing that again
Nige
Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:23 pm
by bfrd
Not too much to show from yesterday.
Landing gear is done. Which still needs some touch up.
20170821_212030 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
Prop is done. I don't know if I like the color of the cap. It is painted the same as the bottom, which is the correct match to the callout. However, it just looks like it doesn't belong. Thoughts?
20170821_212018 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
20170821_212052 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 12:52 pm
by bfrd
I sprayed my model with Pledge Floor Care in prep for the decals.
20170825_060648 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
I am not sure what happened here. I think the water may have been too warm, I don't really know. I would love ideas. Something turned the finish cloudy. You can also see where I accidentally cut through the curve tape. I only sprayed one coat of green on top of the brown, but I still got a line through the decal .
20170825_060700 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
Let's all give me a round of applause for hosing one of the roundels on the bottom. Note to self: Self, don't mess with it after applying a generous coat of Micro Sol followed by a generous coat of Mr. Softer.
20170825_060800 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
It did lay down well, at least. I suppose I am going to have to paint match the color. Or, perhaps bullet damage is the way to go? Anyone have some tips on creating bullet damage to hide screw-ups?
Re: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire mkvb
Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 4:48 pm
by bfrd
I put another layer of pledge on the model after finishing up the decals. My Ultimate washes haven't come in yet so I made some out of pastels, water, and a drop soap. I can't say that I liked the results.
20170826_082449 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
Here is a shot prior to cleaning off. On a positive note your can't really see where I hosed the decal.
20170826_082508 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
20170826_083903 by
Matthew Morvant, on Flickr
I may wash up the entire model and just wait for proper washes, or just call it a day and matte coat it.
EDIT: You can also see that I snapped off the antenna. I was just waiting for that to happen.