SAAF Mk 9 Spit

[T. van Vuuren]

Here is my Hasagawa Mk9 I will be doing in either WW2 or 1950's SAAF colours.

It is a Mk 9 E but the kit gives cannonbay covers for both inboard or outbord cannon blisters, sharp or rounded rudders, normal and cliped wing tips and different tailwheels.

There are some length issues with the fuselarge acording to the experst, but I will just do a fun build. I painstakingly drilled out all the former's lightning holes just to see they are not visable inside the fuse anyway LOL

Pitty the kit does not give the option of the side door being open, but the malcomb hood will be posed back.

I had to remove the controll collomb from the now sealed fuselarge as it was pointed out to me I have not painted the compass!

I would be very happy to get some imput and advice from the Spit experts please.

Thanx

Theuns

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[stona]

Hi Theuns,it looks good to me.

My only resrvation would be the routing of the harness through and behind the seat. I can't check at the moment as I'm away from home (and books) until after the weekend.

Cheers

Steve

 

[mossiepilot]

Great beginning Theuns.

Tony.

 

[Ian M]

Looking good.

The door can always be cut out with a scalpel.

The Sutton harness did go through the back plate and was connected to a double steel cable that was attached to a cross brace in rib 15...

Good fun drilling out all those hole isn't it.

Ian M

 

[stona]

The Sutton harness did go through the back plate and was connected to a double steel cable that was attached to a cross brace in rib 15...Ian M

Yep,I was thinking of the part that holds ths pilot down in his seat. It seems unclear whether this went through the seat or over the back of it.

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Where in the backplate should I have put it? The only logic place I saw was the cutout in the bottom of the head armour plate.

Theuns

 

[Ian M]

Your OK Theuns, the harnesses you have go through the back plate as you have done, these connect via a triangle bracket to a double steel wire.

The Part Steve is naming is the Y shaped part of the harness that holds the pilots bum in the seat. That came up through the back of the seat just under where the padded part starts.View attachment 51426

Hope the picture helps.

Ian M

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[T. van Vuuren]

Thanx lads, I will however call my system an "after market" thing the SAAF did LOL!

SOfar I have put the fuse halves together and mated the wing to the fuse. The fit is actually good and I only need some paint and sanding to get the seams correct.

If I make it into a 1950's SAAF 9E I will have to make 4 "zero length" rockets as the SAAF trained on Spits before heading to Korea.

I would assume the rockets to be like the RAF air to ground WW2 rockets, the ones with the "rugby ball" as a warhead.

Any idea where I could find info on what the sizes were ect?

Theuns

 

[stona]

Hi again. Ian is correct I meant the bit passing through the seat as on my model here.

This may have passed over the back of the seat.

As for rockets did the SAAF use the 5" HVAR which was an American rocket or the RP-3 which was the 3" British rocket? It was the British rocket which had the large 60lb rugby ball warhead.

Cheers

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Oh darn, I did not see that bit of the harnass, to late now

I believe it would be the 60 Lb tipe used on the zero length launchers , 2 aside just outboard of the bomb racks.

On the F-51 Mustprangs we had in Korea they used the USAF rockets with the sharp point.

I have in the meantime cut the elevators free from the stabs and re-glued them in a slight down position , just to try and give it some feel.

In the instructions for the 9E wing I have they say I need tofill anth casing ejector shoots in the two outer bays of bottom part of the wings and fill up the holes in the leading edges.

I can only assume that the E had only the 20mm and a 50 cal in each wing? The wing does however strangely have the access covers ontop of the 2 outer bays where I am supose ti fill. Were these guns just removed from a standard Mk 9 c wing?

Theuns

 

[Ian M]

I think that the access covers would of been left and just the holes for shell cases and MC barrels would of been blanked off due to drag.

You could say that your Spit was re-harnessed by the SAAF to take the type QS Harness.

Ian M

 

[stona]

Theuns the E wing didn't have shell ejection ports or the deflectors fitted so you do need to fill/remove them and fill the leading edge. That's from memory,but I'm pretty sure! I believe the access panels were still there but I'm not so sure about that and can't check.

Cheers

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

I couldn't leave the harnass as is so I installed the two straps. Not as neatly as I would like but so we learn!

The LE holes have been filled and I will do the same to the ejector ports.

Thanx for the info safar guys.

Pix to follow.

Theuns

 

[T. van Vuuren]

A little update.

Theuns

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[T. van Vuuren]

So after a long "lie in the box" I started on this model again. Did the final filling and sanding witch lead to re-scribing lost detail!

Primed and did some pre-shading witch is just about visable through the underside grey, I am happy with that.

Theuns

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[T. van Vuuren]

Completed in 1950's era SAAF sceeme of semi gloss extra dark sea grey over light sea grey with springbuck roundals.

Side # is that of # 5632 and this particular plane had no Mast

All humbrol enamels and Furture clearcoat ,after marke decals

Theuns

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[Dave W]

Looks good in SAAF colours.My wife gave me the Revell boxing of this kit for Christmas and its next on my to build list.So your seat harness installation pics will come in useful.

 

[Vaughan]

A very nice finish Thenus great cockpit detail.

Vaughan

 

[mobear]

thats a beautiful spit there,nice colouring as well worthy of 5*s

mobear

 

[stona]

Nice job Theuns. It's good to see a slightly unusual Spitfire.

Cheers

Steve