Model in a Month - 1/48 Tamiya Spitfire VB - Mission Accomplished

Well I made it. It took the 4 weeks but I still had a week to spare before I go.

It was quite refreshing to build a kit and not obsess over every little detail. This model has a few flaws that I'd usually have tried and repaired. I'm not going to tell you where they are though ;-)

I finished the weathering off with a few more pastel chalks, some more filters which I streaked in the direction of the airflow to try and some mud pigments for the tyres. Chipping was done with varoius pencils , using 4H to 4B, along with a silver pencil.
Everything was tied together with a couple of coats of dullcoate.



For the record the details are as follows:

• Kit - 1/48 Tamiya VB Spitfire
• Decals - Red Roo The Away Team Part II
• Seat - Ultracast
• Exhausts - Ultracast
• Paints - Mr Color for the base coat. Various Tamiya and Gunze greens and greys for various shading and details (airbrushed). Vallejo for any detail painting done with a brush.
• Weathering - Windsor and Newtons Paynes Grey for the wash and filters. Various Artists Pastel chalks for shading and streaking. 

Onto the photos, which aren't up to my usual standard I'm afraid. Like the build this was rushed as well.

 

Spitfire VB - Part 3

With only 1 week to go I haven't spent much time photographing as I go. So there isn't any images of a lot of what I'm about to write.

Last weekend I got the decals on.

The Red Roo decals performed pretty well. I did have the usual problem with decals on Spitfire kits, that being decal the decal to conform over the fairings on the underside without damaging or getting crinkles in the roundel. I was fairly  successful but still ended with crinkle in each roundel. I decided to sand it flat and touch up with a brush, and then add some weathering to tie it all in

The next issue was the colour of the Sky Codes which on the decal sheet looked very close to Tamiya version of Sky.

However when they were applied to the model they were a bit lighter. I like to match the spinner and sky ID bands to the decal colour. Usually I'd repaint the spinner and band but in this instance I didn't bother.

Finally, I had to use the Tamiya Stencils, and quite frankly these are shite. They are so thick and they are prone to silvering. I solved the silvering by using Future as a setting solution but this did result in a bit more thickness to the decal. Even the subsequent gloss and satin coat didn't hide it.  Still the brief was model in a month so I pushed on through the AMS and got onto the weathering.

I've ordered some of Barracudacals Spitfire Stencils for the next few Spitfire builds.

I've been reading a few Armour modelling mag's and looking at some web sites. I really like the way they weather models. Looking at the photos I had of this machine plus others of VB Spitfires and I came to the conclusion that many of these aircraft were pretty beaten up.

Using a 2B mechanical pencil I touched up the panel lines through the decal. I then applied a filter using Paynes grey oil paint thinned with Mig thinners.

Once this dried I used various pastel chalks to add some darker patches on the skin. I also streaked the chalks in the direction of the airflow. I used the filter mix, with a bit more oil paint to do more streaking.

 

All that's left are the small pieces, some chipping and maybe a little more weathering.

1/48 Tamiya Supermarine Spitfire VB - Flt Lt J.A. Gibson - No 457 Sqn RAF December 1941

 This aircraft was flown by Flt Lt J.A. Gibson (no relation) who was member of the RNZAF whilst posted to a RAAF Sqn in 1941.

He was a pretty interesting guy being the only fighter pilot to have flown combat sorties in the Battle of France (flying Hurricanes), Battle of Britain (again Hurricanes) , the Pacific (2 tours flying Kittyhawks, and 1 flying Corsairs in the Solomons) and the European Theatre (no 80 Sqn flying Tempests) .

He is credited with 15 kills, 14 German and 1 Japanese. His post war life seems pretty interesting as well (Wikipedia link).

Another bonus is that this Spitfire has a nice bit of Donald Duck nose art

The Kit

• 1/48 Tamiya VB Spitfire

The Decals

• Red Roo The Away Team Part II

Aftermarket

• Seat - Ultracast
• Exhausts - Ultracast

Paints

• Mr Color for the base coat.  
• Various Tamiya and Gunze greens and greys for various shading and details (airbrushed). 
• Vallejo for any detail painting done with a brush.

Weathering

• Windsor and Newtons Paynes Grey for the wash and filters
• Various Artists Pastel chalks for shading and  streaking

The Photos