Paul's Airfix dogfight double.1/72

prichrd1

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
614
Points
93
First Name
Paul
Well here is my offering for this year's build and my first ever blog.
Purchased after many long hours and being out bid at the last second! ;)
The fruits of my long toil:-
MEBox.JPG

Rather "tatty" box - but there again I don't buy because I like the box ;).
This set-up has been going for many years - this latest offering is just a re-box of earlier kits.
Bought as "used", so with trepidation I opened the box and emptied out the contents, then sorted them into nice
neat little piles for their pictures!

Here's what I got:-
SpitSprue.JPG

A likkle thingy with wingys - not many bits tho :smiling:, and some bits of paper with drawings on

SpitInstr.JPG SpitInstr1.JPG SpirDecs.JPG

and a not so likkle wingy thingy with two spinney bits! ;)

MESprue.JPG

Again, more paper with drawings:-

MEInst.JPG MEInstr1.JPG MEInstr2.JPG MEDecs.JPG

No little pots of paints or glue included :sad:

The kit instructions date from 1989 & 1998 but the Me110 decal sheet has a 2006 date printed on it.

Total cost a bargain :-
Aircraft.jpg
The eagle eyed will notice two purchases - well I would have been rude not to buy 2 from the same seller -
and surprisingly won the bid (Well no one else was interested!!). Think I will save the second one for later
if I have time.

Please go easy I don't normally do "things with wings" and do not normally work at this small a scale.
The last time I built one of these was back int the late 70's early 80's.

Paul
:smiling:
 

yak face

Wossupwidee?
Staff member
Moderator
SMF Supporter
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
12,270
Points
113
Location
sheffield
First Name
tony
The toolings date from Victorian times Paul ! I remember doing this as a ’dogfight double’ boxing in the mid seventies , when it used to come with a big black A shaped stand with two sticks to put in each end with the aircraft on , as if they were going to ram each other!:smiling5::smiling5: Great nostalgic choice , looking forward to this one . Cheers tony
 

prichrd1

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
614
Points
93
First Name
Paul
Tony - that reminds me - forgot this piccie:-

Stand.JPG

It fell out the box as well - prefer the clear perspex ones that they used to supply.

Paul.
:smiling:
 

yak face

Wossupwidee?
Staff member
Moderator
SMF Supporter
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
12,270
Points
113
Location
sheffield
First Name
tony
Tony - that reminds me - forgot this piccie:-

View attachment 379031

It fell out the box as well - prefer the clear perspex ones that they used to supply.

Paul.
:smiling:
That’s the baby ! I did loads of these when I was a nipper , they always seemed like a big deal because you got two kits in one box . I liked to use the stands and have the two aircraft in an action pose , they were that close the one chasing couldn’t have missed if he tried. Some of the subjects were a bit mismatched though , I always remember thinking that a dogfight between a mig 21 and a Cessna 02 wouldn’t have been a very fair fight !
 

colin m

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
SMF Supporter
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
8,572
Points
113
Location
Stafford, UK
First Name
Colin
Nice choice Paul. Just watch out for those 'Quick drying acrylic paints'
 

prichrd1

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
614
Points
93
First Name
Paul
Started with the Spitfire first.

Washed all the bits in soapyish water then let them air dry.

Did a bit of fettlin' to remove the flash from the flappy bits & the spinny bit plus anything else that
kept still long enough.

Quick coat of white primer on everything except the spinny bit and the two bouncy bits underneath!
They were black primer!! Re-scribed the very limited and very shallow panel lines on the wingy's.

So here I am at the moment :-
Primer.JPG

Also held the two fuselage halves together - and slotted the wingy bits in there are some major gaps to fill!!! :rolling:

Plus me pilots got a hole!!!! :flushed::flushed::smiling:

Pilot.JPG

Hopefully will get the crayons paint out tomorrow and put some colour on the white.

Paul.
:smiling2:
 

SteveH

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
1,293
Points
113
First Name
Stephen
See what you mean Paul

Smooth sided and little else!

Its going to be green and covered by the canopy down, with a Mr Blobby pilot filling up every spare inch!

Its amazing what you can do with the kit sprue, a sharp knife and a candle flame!

Have fun

Steve H
 

prichrd1

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
614
Points
93
First Name
Paul
Little up date so far, painted fuselage interior & pilot's ironing board interior green,
alloy wheels painted and wheel wells colored in.

Paint.JPG

Polo the Pilot as best as I can do at this scale!!!!

Polo.JPG

Paul.
:smiling2:
 

prichrd1

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
614
Points
93
First Name
Paul
A bit late posting this one -
Followed the comprehensive instructions yesterday -
Instr1.JPG

and ended up with this!! :flushed:

Topside.JPG

Prop spinner to be painted before attaching - but after I've painted the plane.

Tested the canopy against the fuselage - there's a gap so that will need filling.
Also when I cemented the flappy bits on - there is a step but mainly on one side, its as
if the molds are about 0.5 mm adrift - this was also apparent with the locating pins on
the fuselage halves!! :rolling:

So after much filing/scraping/sanding - I had a bottom looking like this:-
:flushed::smiling2:
Underside.JPG

There's still a step in it but not as noticeable!! :cold-sweat:

Today I will be following the comprehensive instruction sheet again to finish the bottom
bits - perform major surgery to fit the canopy, and will possibly drip some paint on it ;):smiling:

Paul.
:smiling:
 

prichrd1

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
614
Points
93
First Name
Paul
Well I've followed the comprehensive instructions to the letter !!
Instr2.JPG

So this one is nearly finished :smiling:

Cut a small piece of sprue & glued it onto the fuselage behind Polo's seat.
This fills the little gap and also allows a better fit of the canopy.
After some hacking and whittling followed by lost of sanding & filing it was
thin enough and the same shape as the fuselage :thumb2:

Sprue.JPG Mod.JPG Mod1.JPG

Whilst the glue was drying - I dribbled some paint underneath twice, but
used a hairy stick the second time instead of me finger !!!! :flushed::rolling::smiling::smiling: :-

PUnder.JPG

TBH it does look better than the photograph.

Paul.:smiling:
 

prichrd1

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
614
Points
93
First Name
Paul
Last part of the paint instruction guide - more finger painting!! :smiling:

Instr4.JPG

The instructions show 4 color boxes - 90, 30, 64 & 106 - the main colors of the aircraft.
They are supposed to have varying degrees of shading and should match the line drawing of
the aircraft. However Humbrol 90 (Sky), 64 (Light Grey) & 106 (Ocean Grey) are blank :sad:.

Process of elimination and tinternet helped out here :-
The Mk IX variety came into service around mid 1942. JE-J Was delivered to Wing Commander Johnson at the end of 1942.
The RAF changed the camouflage coloring on daytime fighter aircraft used in the Northern European Theater in August 1941 using the following colors:-

Spitbot.jpg Spittop.jpg

Underside : RAF Medium Sea Grey.
Topside : RAF Ocean Grey / RAF Dark Green.
"A" Pattern.
(Thanks to aircraft.net forum for the answers :thumb2:)

So at the moment my likkle Spitfire looks like this:-
Topside after two coats :-
Topgrey.JPG

Bottom side:
BotGrey.JPG

Paul.
:smiling:
 

colin m

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
SMF Supporter
Joined
Dec 26, 2008
Messages
8,572
Points
113
Location
Stafford, UK
First Name
Colin
Nice work Paul. H90, sky, there's something about that colour just takes me back to building kits as a kid. Could it have been the first colour I ever used ?
 

prichrd1

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
614
Points
93
First Name
Paul
A lot of us "cut our teeth" building little kits like this one, almost racing to complete it.

I think duck egg blue was the first color I used underneath an aircraft.

Painting it whilst the glue was still tacky!! and probably completed it in less than a day, including
the decals!! ;) .

In retrospect tho - I only spend possibly 1 or 2 hrs a day on this one - its taken 7 days to get this far:-

SpitL.JPG
SpitR.JPG

Just got one or two details - then sticker time!!

Paul.
:smiling:
 

Lee Drennen

Box Stock Builder with a Twist/ Rabble Member
SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Messages
5,577
Points
113
Location
Wortham Mo
First Name
Lee
Paul. Very nice it’s starting to shape up. Looking forward to the finish
 

prichrd1

SMF Supporter
Joined
Apr 27, 2018
Messages
614
Points
93
First Name
Paul
Thanks Lee, that will be the halfway point - got the Me110 as well :cold-sweat:

Already made a start on it, there is so much flash to clean up :flushed:

Paul.
:smiling:
 
Top