The Bobby Oxspring Spitfire Mk1 build....

[BarryW]

I could also call this my 'cufflinks' build... why? Photos tomorrow...

Bobby Oxspring was a RAF ace who fought in the Battle of Britain.

Bobby Oxspring - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In October 1940 he was shot down and his Spitfire crashed near Capel Le Ferne in Kent. The crash site is about half way between my home in Hythe and my office in Dover. Capel le Ferne is also the site of the cliff-top national Battle of Britain Memorial.

A few years ago my 'other half' gave me a set of cufflinks made from that Spitfire's (X4170) Merlin engine. Below is a painting of this aircraft, sadly I cannot find a photograph.


This project is to build a 1/32 scale model of this aircraft to be display next to the cufflinks.

Sadly there is not a really good Mk1 Spitfire from a major manufacturer, but I have a solution and tomorrow I will explain more along with a photo of the cufflinks in question.

Originally I did intend to keep to fairly simple, straight forward, builds over the next six months or so until I finally retire but this one will be just the opposite. Why? I really dont know, I have have intended to do this for a while now and I am just too impatient...

 

[stona]

Most excellent subject Barry.
I'm intrigued to know what you are going to adapt to make Oxspring's Mk I

As far as the Germans were concerned, F/O R W Oxspring was Werner Molders's 52nd victory. We can make of that what we will. His was the only aircraft lost by No 66 Squadron on the 25th.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Barry
I look forward to this. Something rather special.
Jim

 

[Steven000]

Nice project Barry, will follow along
Steven

 

[BarryW]

With no Mk1 Spitfire a MkII is the easiest base for a conversion. That really means, in 1/32 this kit


The main external visuals to consider.
A small bulge below the exhausts on the starboard side of a Mk II that is not on a MkI (coughman? starter I forget what exactly it was called)
The prop could be a De Havilland or Protol, I get these mixed up but it is the more ‘pointed’ one I need, based on the pictures.
I also understand that there would be no IFF on Spit 1’s in the late BoB.

There may be some internal differences in the ‘pit and if anyone can let me know of any changes I need that would be great

The Revell kit has the pointed spinner and the ‘coughman’ bulge, if that’s what it’s called, as a separate part easily identified. That makes it an easy conversion except this kit has a number of inaccuracies and shortcomings that need addressing. For this I need some aftermarket.

So...




the above is described as a Mk II seat but I understand that for a later Mk1 this would be accurate.

I also got this:


I may not use all these p.e. parts and this is where I could do with some advice on what differences there might be for a late Mk1.

Lets take a look at the kit plastic:





There is some flash but the parts seem fairly crisply rendered. Sprue gates are quite big and the surface detailing lacks the subtlety and refinement of the Tamiya kits. but you cannot expect this kit to be up to that standard. Overall it looks good apart from inaccuracies.

The transparencies are not great and thanks to the way Revell pack them there are scuffs on the canopy which will need polishing out.


The sprues are not identified in the instructions against the parts, not good, so there is no point in labelling the sprues as I usually do. it’s just one of those irritating things, having to search all over all the sprues to find a part.

I will, of course, need to get the correct markings.

I have this decal set for the serial number:


I will want to paint the roundels and fin flashes for which I will use the appropriate masks from this set:


what I have missing are 30“ code letters. I will order some masks or decals for that today as I only have 24” in my spare box.

So, that is my ‘cufflink’ build and here are the cufflinks In question.


I like the fact that there is nothing ‘flashy’ about them. They have been a talking point for black tie dinners over the last few years. What I did not photograph was the RAF logo on the reverse. I will post a pic of that later.

Finally, here is my bench, all cleaned up, ready to cut plastic.

 

[BarryW]

Here is the promised picture of the back of the cuff links.

 

[stona]

Barry I have the notes that the late Edgar Brooks made on this kit, which I referred to when I built mine. You may already have them but I've attached them to this post anyway.







I remember Part 25 being the voltage regulator which is on the back of frame 11 opposite and slightly below the pilot's headrest. The domed one preceded the kit one (made up of two cylinders). I did change the oil cooler and ailerons on mine, but wouldn't bother with the ailerons again.

 

[adt70hk]

Barry

Looking forward to this. And as ever very envious of your modelling set up.

ATB

Andrew

 

[BarryW]

That is brilliant thanks Steve, it has certainly filled a few blanks for me. Much appreciated.

 

[BarryW]

Two quick pics and some questions...

From the Eduard p.e. Instructions



Removing the detail for the ip is fine but What about the compass. We are expected to cut away the plastic and glue the p.e. in its place but, it is very precarious being glued on an edge. I have never succeeded in using p.e. that way and even when I got it into place it would invariably get knocked off and lost.

Likewise below for the gunsight. The attachment on the ip gets cut off, its the attachment to the frame and then the frame to the fuselage that seem precarious to me, perhaps not the latter so much as the former.



How do others do this? Has it worked for you?

it is quite a bit of risk with the surgery to do first that could leave you with no sight or compass.

With the compass I just might use what we have and glue the p.e. compass face to where it should be.

Eduard do seem to expect you to do things that are just not really practical to achieve accuracy.

 

[stona]

Good luck with that etch, I have never used it but I agree with your assessment; precarious attachments to put it mildly.

I did use the Barracuda set for the oil cooler, radiator and ailerons and found that worked well with just a little bit of fettling.

 

[BarryW]

I am using this to attach most of the etch.

The I.p. elements I am using are these.


I won’t be using these etch parts below, the brackets, instead I will attach the etch to the kit plastics. Less accurate perhaps but it is very much the art of the possible and reasonable. You can see relatively little of these parts when the fuselage is closed up anyway.


I will often use various set-ups like this to hold parts in the right position.


I am using my David sander to remove detail from the I.p. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth, you just need a good levelish surface to glue the etch to.


I also had to cut away a section of the etch ip to accommodate the part Eduard would have you cut away.


I will glue them once I have painted the base coats.

I have also pulled together some more of the pit parts ready to paint.

 

[BarryW]

I have been making some corrections to parts.

first even the aftermarket seat needed modification. The very pistol rack is not needed. A simple modification. From:


to


Then there is a change to the rear of the bulkhead behind the seat. Some plastic from the spares box cemented in place and sanded. A little more sanding is needed.

 

[BarryW]

I have prepped the cockpit subs for painting including the etch and resin.

some ’uncoloured’ etch is attached by c.a. With the painted etch cleaned up ready to be attached with Gator Grip once painted.








There is no doubt that the etch has added to the pit. The kit is remarkably short of cockpit detail in itself.

I have also looked at the resin radiator and oil cooler.

Comparing the kits part to the resin, looking at it from all angles, I can see do discernible difference and seeing fitting this resin part requires some very drastic surgery to the wing I decided not to use the resin.


The oil cooler is a different matter and the kit one is well documented as being incorrect.

so, out comes my power tool.


I started by drilling holes to remove plastic from the area identified in the instructions. Then I change the bit to grind it back closer to the edge before using a skinny sanding stick to finish the job.


I got to this stage and did a dry fit and found that I did not need to remove all the plastic as per the instructions. So I stopped and just tidied it up. I will use c.a. to fix the two oil cooler parts into place and then I will have some filling to do. More pics to follow....

 

[BarryW]

Here is the oil cooler fitted and the first layer of fuller applied. Vallejo Plastic Putty. I treated the gaps with thick c.a. gel and a little plastic strip first.

I will be using first Mr Surface 500 and then finally to finish off with Mr Dissolved Putty to get the oil cooler fitting blended in.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

I do enjoy your builds ,Barry.
always very informative

 

[BarryW]

i have been filling and blending in the oil cooler.

After first I filled the gaps with Vallejo Plastic Putty and, when dry, I used MR Surfacer 500, applied with a fine disposable brush where needed as below.



The next step, once it was dry, was to soak a cotton bud in i.p.a. and rub away excess Mr Surfacer. You need to use some elbow grease with this and be patient but slowly the surplus comes away, I used about three cotton buds in the process until in the end the Mr Surfacer was only where I want it and no detail was sanded away.



But, it’s not finished yet, there will still be imperfections even if you cannot see them. so next I apply, again with a fine disposable brush, some Mr Dissolved Putty. This product self-levels into and dents and cracks and being very fine grained it really gets into the smallest cracks. This too can have any surplus removed with a cotton bud.

I will have to do a little careful localised sanding in that small gap between the cooler and wheel leg. Another application of Mr Dissolved Putty might be needed.

I have also been doing some painting of the interior, spraying MRP and detail painting with Vallejo MC. Pictures to follow In due course.

 

[stona]

Looking good Barry. Sooner you than me with all that photo-etch, though it makes a big improvement.

The Barracuda radiator does look a lot like the kit supplied one. I have a vague recollection of hacking holes in both wings so there must have been some difference, maybe the depth of the cores in the wing? Maybe I just thought that I'd paid for it so I was bloody well using it

I also remember making some adjustments to the wings to take the new ailerons before finally sticking the halves together.

 

[BarryW]

Looking good Barry. Sooner you than me with all that photo-etch, though it makes a big improvement.

The Barracuda radiator does look a lot like the kit supplied one. I have a vague recollection of hacking holes in both wings so there must have been some difference, maybe the depth of the cores in the wing? Maybe I just thought that I'd paid for it so I was bloody well using it

I also remember making some adjustments to the wings to take the new ailerons before finally sticking the halves together.

That’s right about the ailerons. I will be looking at that soon. The Barracuda resin says it is for the Hasegawa Spit as well, perhaps the rad is more for that. I looked at them side by side from every angle and I really could see no difference.

 

[BarryW]

I have been fitting the painted etch after detail painting.

I find Gator Glue to be best for flat panels of etch and a pick-up pencil is ideal for positioning.

Below is the panel above with all its etch.


I have also finished blending in the oil cooler. When I prime I might find some more treatment is needed but for now it looks fine.