1/48 Scale - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1

[hoggatt]

Finished work early today so i took a run out to the modelshop, and picked up this 1/48 Scale - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1.

It was £19.50, also picked up some Tamiya finishing paper and some more Tamiya Fine Primer (white), (i used to use grey but they didn't have any)

Also they no longer sell Vallejo Paints, which i want to try out so ill get them from ScaleModelShop.

This is going to be a slow project due to me having to buy some new stuff etc, so apologies in advance.

Here is the content of the box, now to convert these Tamiya Paints into Vallejo ..:computer:

Shane

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[Cooperman69]

Shall be watching with interest mate as I've got the kit under my bed at the moment

 

[stona]

It's supposed to be a very nice kit and you can't have too many Spitfires.

Rather than converting from manufacturer to manufacturer it might be worth seeing if Vallejo do the principal colours. Dark Earth,Dark Green and Sky.

I expect one of the members here will know for sure.

Cheers

Steve

 

[hoggatt]

Thanks, im looking forward to getting started.. for anyone that wishes to no i have used a convertion chart and these are my results although some came back with multiple results :/ ..

Any help from people regarding what i will need will be appreciated.. i seen a few people talk of vallejo's interior green for the interior?.

shane

Tamiya Number | Vallejo model colour number | Vallejo Model Air Number

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[Ian M]

If you go for Model Air you can get the colours Steve said as I believe they are standard. They even do a box set WWII Bristish Aircraft Colors RAF & FAA

Model color is a different ball game. You will not get an exact match, but you can get quite close.

Ian M

 

[hoggatt]

My Brain Hurts haha..

thanks ian, ill look into that cheers

shane

 

[colin m]

It looks very promising. It'll be nice to see this one turn out.

 

[Boldman]

Thats a very nice kit - I built one last year as part of my Battle of Britain diorama here: http://www.scale-models.co.uk/planes-helicopters/12446-1-48th-scale-battle-britain-diorama.html

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It goes together well and looks the business.

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[hoggatt]

That looks brilliant mate. Doubt mine will look as good as that but ill give it my best shot

Shane

 

[DavidCee]

I thought I'd add my thruppence worth and suggest you might find some help here ---> Model Master color chart - Model paint database <--- seems to cater for a variety of paint schemes... I too have some Spitfires secreted away including the Airfix Club variant... not going to attempt that until I get my skills up to scratch!

 

[hoggatt]

Thanks for that I'll check it out when I get a moment..

Shane

 

[hoggatt]

Quick question guys, as it's really bugging me.. The oxygen bottles in the cockpit my instructions say it's the green colour but when looking at other people's models some have done them green some have done them silver/metal color .. Does anyone know if they should be green or silver, I have looked about but can't reply tell so would like a second opinion,

Cheers

Shane

 

[stona]

Which bottles do you mean? There were oxygen bottles and compressed air bottles.

The two big bottles behind the seat on the port side are compressed air and were usually silver (occassionaly grey). These were charged from an engine driven pump and powered the pneumatic system which notably operated the landing flaps and brakes,but importantly fired the guns and raised and lowered the landing lamps.

The oxygen bottle was black and on a MkI was on the starboard side,again behind the seat,positioned horizontally.

This is from a MkII manual,essentially the same as the MkI as far as such fittings go.

It was definitely moved further back on later Marks.

Cheers

Steve

 

[hoggatt]

Hi Steve, sorry for my lack of knowledge, and thanks for your help, i have took a pic of the instructions, which say oxygen bottles.. on if im correct the port side?.. I didn't get the colour instruction on the photo but it states the mix which is the interior green,

cheers

shane

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[stona]

Hi again Shane,don't apologise,that's the whole point of the forum,to help each other out.

Those are definitely the compressed air bottles,which I would paint an aluminium/silver colour

They've mis-identified them and given the wrong colour!

This is the oxygen bottle. This is a MkV,I think it moved back on the Mk IX, and the seat has been removed for this photo.

Also the interior grey/green colour should only go back as far as the frame at the rear of the last clear cockpit section. That's the frame just behind those bottles. Behind that would again be aluminium/silver so they got that wrong too. Luckily it is virtually invisible behind that frame.

What do they give for the wheel wells?

When a MarkI left the factory the wheel wells were either aluminium/silver (if considered an internal surface) or the original undersurface colour (if considered external). Noone can say for sure which was which so you are in "prove me wrong" territory. One thing they were not was the grey/green cockpit colour.

When undersurface colours were changed,for example from Black/White to Sky aircraft already in service were sprayed at the squadrons,on their wheels,and it is unlikely that they would have wasted time masking the wheel wells so anything is possible.

If you have a serial number for your subject (the small code infront of the horizontal stabiliser on both sides of the fuselage) we can look up when your aircraft was delivered to a squadron and make an educated guess as to what might have happened. Otherwise just make a guess!

You'll never just follow the instructions again

Cheers

Steve

 

[Ian M]

Typical Tamiya (Far east for that matter) Make great kits but are rather Naff at things like instructions and paint guides.

Ian M

 

[Boldman]

Yes, those are the compressed air bottles, not the oxygen bottle. I've just checked the instructions from the kit I built last year and it looks like this kit doesn't have the oxygen bottle present. It usually sits on the other side behind the seat - you can see it here on someone else's build of the 1:32 Tamiya Spitfire VIII

 

[hoggatt]

Thanks Steve, I have change it on the instructions, I was really bugging me haha, as for the interior I will just do it the green colour, like you say it won't be noticeable on this build but interesting to know for future builds..

And yes Ian I agree, the kits are fantastic, but they list the paints at the top of the first page, but when you look through the instructions there are some they didn't state, good job I checked before I started ordering the paints lol.

Cheers guys,

Shane

 

[hoggatt]

Thanks andrew only just got seen your post.

Shane

 

[stona]

I don't think that the oxygen bottle would have been there on a Mk VIII. The Mk V (so presumably some early Mk IXs which started out as Vs) was the last to have it there. I have a Mk IX manual and the oxygen bottle is shown three frames further back,in front of the battery and,somewhat alarmingly,the upward firing flare chute.

Maybe Tamiya got that wrong too.

Cheers

Steve