realworkingsailor

Thanks for contributing the explanation of the various Spitfire wings! I’m sure I would have got that in somewhere, but no I don’t have to 😁! The clip winged Spits aren’t really my favourite either, but it’s different enough from the first time I built this kit that it’s not a total repeat. I would still rank them above the high altitude wing, though… those look like the result of a spy who tried to copy the original wing and didn’t get things quite right…. Andy

Oh, wow, yeah, that’s going back a long time. Honestly I haven’t touched that project in years. Because of life circumstances, I’m no longer a member of the model railway club for which it was intended. The model has been sitting in a closet ever since. Andy

Ok, so it seems my Chevy FFW truck build is back on the back burner waiting for replacement parts. I've gotten about as far as I can with it, so I've been looking for something to help pass the time. About a year ago or so, I picked up this kit as my GF at the time had expressed interest in trying to build a scale model, so I had bought her the Airfix Spitfire starter set, and I got myself this one so I could build along. Well, things didn't quite pan out and the situation changed over the summer, shall we say. I had built the earlier iteration of this kit, so I have a pretty good idea of what I'm getting into. Four sprues of the new Airfix dark grey plastic, along with one clear sprue containing the canopy parts. It's still a fairly new tool, so there's very little flash to speak of. I purchased some aftermarket decals to do a Canadian Spitfire. Kitsworld have a pretty decent set: Spitfire EN921, YO-A from 401 Squadron RCAF. After checking over the parts, the first order of business was to engage in some hacking and slashing. The Airfix kit is a MkVc and the plane I wish to model is a MkVb (that's not a typo in the build title!). To change a C into a B requires the removal of one of the cannons as well as a reduction in the blister in the wing. As you may have noticed from the photo of the kit parts, both the regular and the clipped wing are included. EN921 was a clipped wing Spitfire. Fortunately, I had saved the leftovers from the last time I built this kit, so I felt free to hack and slash without fear, as I had a backup in case things went wrong. The two canon blister is enormous. I'm not sure how accurate it really is, but no matter, it's going away! I taped around the offending blister and began to sand it away using some pretty coarse sanding sticks. It didn't take too long to smooth out the blister. Airfix moulded a recess on the underside of the blister, and this was perilously thin after the initial savaging. Looking at it, it's about the right size, shape and almost the right location for the single canon blister on the B wing Spitfire. Using my knife, I cut away the remaining thin layer of plastic, and opened up a big hole in the wing. Using some styrene sheet, I cut out the approximate shape and sanded it to fit snugly into the hole, while at the same time leaving the new blister proud of the wing surface. Using some fire sanding sticks, the new blister was given a pleasing aerodynamic shape. You can see the difference in the blisters, as well as the different plastics that Airfix use. Overall I'm pleased with the results, and I will use the older parts in place of the new kit pieces. I will fill the extra holes for the canons after assembling the wings, later on in the build using the kit parts themselves. I'm sure the purists will point out a whole plethora of other differences between the two types of Spitfire wings, but I'm happy enough getting the bit details sort of, more or less, almost but not quite, correct. Andy

I wonder if that mark is an alternative take-off centre line, for aircraft not using the catapult, or if the catapult becomes disabled. Perhaps given the size increase of postwar aircraft, adequate clearance was needed around the superstructure, hence the angled nature of the line (rather than straight down the centre line). Andy

Looks like it belongs out in the Aussie bush with a couple of metal-detectorists looking for gold nuggets! Andy

Nice looking airplane! I can only begin to imagine how difficult it would be to avoid marring that kind of finish! Out of curiosity, will you be adding the fin flash decals as well? Andy

Not much to report in this update, I'm afraid, I've been busy with other fall chores. I have built the hanging antenna support bracket (at least, I think that's what it is). The resin antenna is a bit too dome shaped as compared to the prototype. I don't know if I can find a replacement, so I will just live with it for now. The pole antenna had a protective basket surrounding it, but I cut that off as it was unnecessary. The resin set does provide an unguarded pole antenna, but I will need that for the cab of the truck. I've also made the control panel for the Johnson Chorehorse motor. Eight stubby little bits of 0.012" brass wire to represent the various switches, and a quartet of rotary knobs. The power feed wire at the bottom came up from the auxiliary motor to the panel, through the cargo bed floor. I made that with a scrap length of wire I had kicking around that seemed to be an appropriate diameter, and flexible enough that I can stuff it into place after everything has been painted. That's about it for now, thanks for all the "likes"! Andy

Seems to be the trend no matter which medium you choose. Some kits seem to simply fall together, others you can spend hours trying to figuratively hammer into shape only to start eyeing a real hammer in an overly friendly way Andy

You just need a Devastator in the same livery to complete the set! Andy

He just wants a cookie…. And maybe a belly rub!

I remember being in school at the time, I was seven or eight years old. We had been talking about space in class all that week leading up to the launch, and were supposed to go to the school library to watch the launch. On the day of, the viewing was unexpectedly canceled. I think they had planned to record the launch and show it a few times as seating space in the library was limited. The cancellation was very last minute. We were all lined up ready to go from the classroom to the library, when we were told to go back to our desks, no show today. It took a while to put two and two together, but it’s one of those things that has stuck with me. Andy

Some more work on the frame for the tilt. I think, at this point, the metal work is finished for now, we shall see! After adding the hanging brackets on the right hand side, I then added the inner top battens, followed by the aerial base plates. I followed this up by making a couple of guards from some flat brass stock. I suspect this was to prevent the aerials from getting destroyed by any errant low hanging tree branch, or comm wire! The right hand aerial base had some sort of hanging steel structure beneath it, presumably part of the aerial support. The left hand aerial looks like it was a simple buggy-whip type, while the right hand aerial was made of several sections and could be extended to some height when in use. There was a third aerial, of the same type also attached to the right rear corner of the cab, just behind the driver's door. For anyone curious, I have been using the photos on this site as a reference: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=25984 Anyway, that's all for the moment, thanks again for the "likes" and kind comment! Andy

Is there by any chance a dragon?

Well, the postman was on the job this week! Hooray! Some goodies arrived at lunchtime. Still waiting on the replacement part, that might still be another week or two. A nice resin No 19 Radio set from Resicast. I opted for this version as although I've heard the offering from PanzerArt is slightly better, the Resicast one includes all the various aerials that I need, as well as a headset and microphone too! The decals are by Archer, printed by Cartograph, so no trouble to be expected in that department. In the mean time, work has continued on with the bows and battens for the tilt. All told, there are six battens, three on each side. This was to accommodate additional support for the aforementioned aerials. For those eagle eyed viewers, that may notice, I have also added little brass wire securing points for the bottom of the canvas tilt. These were made out of 0.012" brass wire. Before I add the third batten (whose spacing will be determined by the size of the aerial base, which I have to make yet, but now that I have the aerials, I can guesstimate the proper size base plate), I have begun to add a series of hanging bracket which spanned the lower two battens. These were made from some flat bass strip, that was then wrapped around a suitable mandrel (in my case an appropriately sized mechanical pencil). The little springs were then cut into half circles which were in turn glued between the battens at the appropriate spacing. Once dry they were then trimmed to length. These brackets were used to hold extra aerial sections, although I'm sure other long pole like things could have conceivably been tossed up there for safe keeping if needed. As always, thanks again for the "likes"! I've still got a good amount of work to do before I have to tackle the cab, so it doesn't look like things will grind to a complete halt just yet! Andy

You kinda need another one of these guys.... the action pose suggests he's having at it with someone...... or ....... something...... 😳

And then repeat two more times… yeah… sure… 👍 😏

Thanks for the continued "likes"! A small midweek update on where I'm going with this project next! The postal service has resumed so perhaps a spare part from Poland will arrive sometime before the end of the year (fingers crossed). In the mean time work goes on where it can. I have ordered a radio set and decals, and while I await their arrival, I have begun work on the canvas tilt. The kit supplies some very fine plastic bows for the tilt support. I think they attempted to make them scale thickness, so they look and feel quite fragile. They also have a slightly incorrect shape. The top run of the kit applied bows has a very gentle arch to it. Looking at prototype photos, the top should be flat. There are also additional cross pieces and brackets to support the aerials and other paraphernalia. I thought this was a good opportunity to beef things up a bit, so I have mande replacement bows out of some 0.020" brass wire. Once the cross pieces are added (also out of 0.020" brass wire), I should have a solid structure, secure from any accidental rough handling. Wish me luck! Andy

Thanks for the "likes" everyone! Some more progress to report. I've spent some time this weekend building seats. I ended up using the kit supplied cab seats as templates for the seat and backrest. They are somewhat simplified from the prototype, but they'll work for my purposes. I used two layers of 0.040" styrene sheet for the seat, and one of 0.020" styrene sheet for the back rest. The curve was imparted manually, but after gluing to the seat, the backrests seem to be holding their shape. The bases were constructed using various bits of 0.020" styrene strip, with extra height built into the forwards edge to give the seats a realistic backwards lean. Starting to get crowded in there! On the prototype, the seats could stow flat by folding the backrest down, but I'm not that ambitious! I've also had to add some bracing to the stowage bins, as the sides demonstrated a proclivity to bow inwards. I plan on putting a "canvas" cover over the bins, so the insides will not be noticeable when I'm finished. Aside from a few small details, the only major component left to add is the radio set. I've found a decent looking resin kit online, so I will be ordering that soon, along with what I hope will be the necessary decals. Andy

Thanks for the kind remarks, Ken! A bit more to show for this week's efforts! First up, the locker doors now have something that might pass for a latch! I ended up using a short strip of 0.010" styrene strip for the hasp and a sliver of 0.040" styrene rod for the latch. Maybe a bit oversized but they only need to suggest the presence of a latch, they don't have to actually function... I think.... Following the latches, I began work on the table/desk that will eventually hold the No 19 Radio set: The sides and ends were built from styrene "L" angle, with 0.020" x 0.040" framing in between. The work station featured one drawer as well as a pull out work surface. I still need to add some detail to the drawer, but the work surface does slide in and out! 😁 On the right hand side there was a bracket that held s spool of antenna wire. once again, the spares box came in handy. Some Tichy pulley parts spaced out with a small sliver of styrene rod. All in all, it looks like it should fit perfectly. I'm going to have to paint this part separately, so it is not glued into its final position yet. Interestingly, the work station was quite low compared to what you would expect for a desk. Knee height at best. There were 2 seats for the radio operator and assistant. From what I've been able to deduce, they were typical (for the time period) automotive style seats, and very low to the floor. Once I have finished up the work station, those seats will be my next challenge! Thanks, as always, for the kind comments and "likes", they are very much appreciated. Andy

A little bit of weekend progress to report! I've managed to sort out most of the rear stowage lockers and bins for the cargo area. This required a little bit of estimation, seeing as my primary reference photos are grainy little thumbnail images, so while the measurements might not be perfectly spot on, it's close enough and resembles the prototype well enough. First up there are four storage lockers to be built. I used some 0.020" styrene sheet, reinforced with some 1/16" square stock for strength: The first two lockers were fairly easy to sue out, as they were mounted above the wheel wells, and from the looks of things, were just a hair shorter than the side sheets of the cargo bed. These had one long door, hinged on the bottom. Behind this was another set of lockers. These lockers had rear opening doors and were as tall as the wheel well lockers. It looks like they stopped just short of the tailgate. The hinges were located to the outside. In reality, all of the locker doors were recessed, but for the sake of visibility I made them stand a little bit proud. To simulate the hinges I used some short lengths of 0.015" brass wire. I will be adding the latches too, later on. After the lockers, I need to add the bed side extensions: These were made using laminated lengths of 0.020" x 0.125" styrene strip. Some 0.010" x 0.030" strip was used for the joining straps as well as a spacer between the "boards" and the bed sides. A short length of 1.5mm styrene angle was used to connect the from end and sides. Last to be added were two large bins that mount above the lockers. It took me a while to figure out how exactly they were built. Some careful study of the thumbnail photos and I realized they were open topped bins, with a canvas cover. I'm assuming they were to hold the radio batteries. These were also fabricated using 0.020" styrene sheet. Two more items remain to be built for the cargo bed. first on the front left corner there was a small panel that had some switches on it. I assume that was the control panel that connected the Johnson Chorehorse motor (on the left cab step), to the battery banks. Finally there is a table with a drawer upon which the No. 19 radio set was mounted. This sat at the forward end of the cargo bed. I think things might be improving with the postal service situation, so I may be able to order a resin radio and antenna set soon. Thanks for all the likes and kind comments! Andy

I could have managed a fix, but I would rather see what kind of support I get from the kit maker first (So far I’ve got a response, so I think I’m just waiting on the post office to get itself sorted). I’ve had to go the same route with a couple of Airfix kits, and by being a little patient, replacement parts are obtainable. If it was my mistake, then it is mine to fix. If there’s an error in the product, then the company should fix it. At the very least I hope it alerts their QC to look a little more closely for errors. Andy

Thanks for the kind comment sand likes, everyone! I've been working on the cargo bed for the last little while, specifically, modifying the side panels. The kit supplies a very nice rendering of the early war composite style bed. These were built in anticipation of a steel shortage during the war, so aside from steel frames, the rest of the cargo bed was wooden boards. The kit pieces also include the raised seat back for the wheel well seats. Unfortunately most of this nice detail had to go as the C15a FFW had a fully steel cargo bed. First up the back rest had to be removed: Quick work with a sharp hobby blade and that was gone. This was followed by remove most of the remainder of the moulded on details with a chisel blade: Not much left! I kept the brackets for the support hoops for the canvas cover, and a little bit of the perimeter "framing". The gloves between the "boards" was filled with putty and sanded (eventually a lot smoother than in the above photo!). I suspect the main steel paneling was quite thin, as the steel framing was rather thick. I first added some 0.010" styrene strip to fill around the hoop brackets up to the level of the cast on frame detail. I then added another layer of 0.020" styrene strips to bring it to the final thickness: The top piece has the steel frame finished, the bottom has only the 0.010" layer added. Ultimately some compromise was required; in reality, the hoop frames were mounted outside the heavy steel frame, which tapered inwards slightly from bottom to top. Once the hoops are added later on, the slots shouldn't pose too much of a visual problem. For the front panel, I simply sanded off the rivet detail and filled in the space between the uprights with some 0.010" styrene and most of this part will not be easily visible on the finished model. From pictures, it appears to be a single sheet of steel anyway, so not much detail to note. After working on modifying the sides, the cargo bed could be assembled: I have decided to not modify the tail gate for my model, and leave it as the kit supplied wooden version. The "D" shaped foot holes should be lower on the steel version, and while I could remake one from scratch, I'd like to keep something of the original kit, as the detail is really nice. My excuse will be the original tail gate was damaged and replaced in theatre with whatever spare the RCEME unit had on hand! Next up I will be building all the internal stowage lockers, and then adding side extensions to the sides. Thanks again to everyone following along or just looking in! Andy

In the legal sense, payment of any tariff is the responsibility of the importer (buyer) not the exporter (seller). Some companies are electing to absorb part or all of this additional cost in order to keep their products competitive, but they don’t have to. In this case the company is paying some or all of the tariff for the buyer. In Canada, if an item is taxable (remember tariff=tax), and the fee has not been pre-paid, once the tariff has been calculated by the CBSA (Customs), the shipping company or postal service will invoice the receiver for the amount owing. Once payed, these fees collected are remitted to the relevant government agency (in Canada that would be the Receiver General). I’m sure the process is similar in many other countries. Prior to the current global trade situation, if I had to pay any extra on an imported item it was usually only Federal sales tax. Interestingly, in the past both Model Expo and Micro-Mark were registered with the Canadian government to collect and remit the GST (Federal sales tax), so even a big order from them would not be subject to extra fees at the border. Andy

Ok, so things aren't totally paused. I was able to move forward with some other parts of the build while I wait for the replacement cab parts to arrive. Following the cab assembly (which I have skipped for now), the next part of the build involves building up the chassis. Other than brake lines and electrical cabling, I don't think IBG missed very much in terms of details. I didn't take any photos of the sub-assemblies as that would have gotten very tedious. The chassis starts with the assembly of the right frame rails, followed by the left. The rails are the correct "C" channel and include a multitude of added on details. The only moulded on details are the rear leaf spring brackets and the front spring stops. The frames are brought together with two crossmembers at the rear, a plate to which the transfer case will later attach, the front radiator support, the rear hitch spring and front bumper. A little care is needed to make sure everything stays square, but by and large assembly was fairly straight forward. If I had to do it again, I would leave off the steering gear box and front bumper so the frame could be placed, inverted, on a flat surface during assembly, this would have made it easier to keep things square, and then added these components afterwards. The front axle was added next. All the appropriate linkages for the steering are included, and everything lined up as it was supposed to. Im assuming the other linkage is the shock absorber. A quick word of note, the plastic has that distinct reddish tinge as it is quite sunny today, and the roll-down awnings on my house are bright red canvas. In reality the plastic is a medium grey colour. After the front axle, I then tackled the transfer case. This is partially glued to the support plate, and partially to an "L" shaped PE bracket. This was followed by the rear axle and shock absorbers and finally the drive shafts to connect everything together. I can probably keep going with a few more bits before I will really have to stop. I can begin to tackle the cargo bed, and the modifications I need to do to change it from personnel to FFW. Still missing the radio details, though as the postal strike has kiboshed a lot of things, but I can scratch build the various compartments and the support tables etc. Thanks to everyone who has posted a comment or clicked a "like"! Andy

Good to see you back hanging around this quaint little part of the internet! You gotta love the peace and quiet! I think in the grand scheme of things, even though it’s showing its age, Tamiya have taken good care of their old toolings. The IBG kit, on the other hand, is light years ahead in terms of the level of detail. Some of the parts are incredibly fine in cross section. The body and fender panels are about as close to scale thickness as you can reasonably expect to get using injection moulded plastic. It remains to be seen how robust these toolings will be in the long run. I think that’s probably why I ended up with the short shot on the cab floor part, so thin that the plastic cooled too quickly before it could fill all of the mould cavities. Anyway, welcome back! Andy