Mk Va, R7347, USA Summer 1941

Spitfire Mk Va, R7347, assigned to USAAF for testing, Summer 1941

It seems there is always much to learn about the Spitfire.  When my interest in the Spitfire first began, I probably did what most modelers do:  I made a list.  The list started with Mk I, followed by II, III, IV, et cetera until I thought (wrongly at the time) that I had the full List of All Spitfire Marks that began with I in 1939 and ended with XVI in 1945.  I filled it in as I read about the different marks and where they were used.  Rarely did I see the II, never a III or IV nor a VI; an occasional VIII, lots of V and IX.  No X, XI or XIII.  No XV.  Oh joy, it’s really not a big list so it won’t take me long to make one of each just to see what they looked like, in the flesh (plastic) which was all I’d expect given how rare they are.

Then those darned suffix letters cropped up.  What could that be?  After nearly a year of reading and collecting books I realized it was the armament...sort of.  And the Mark number was basically tied to the engine...sort of.  Some other minor refinements came to play as well.  Suddenly my list grew.  And I hadn’t considered where the PR variants fell, nor those prefix letters.  That's a story for another day...

The Mk V came about as a response to the Me-109F.  Faster and higher flying than the Emil it was replacing, it outclassed the Mk I/II in frontline service with the RAF in 1940-41.  Like any good aircraft manufacturer, Supermarine was working with the RAF to develop a better Spitfire in the guise of the Mk III.  However so many improvements to the basic airframe as well as a new engine meant critical delays in production and one must remember that at the time, the RAF was licking its wounds from the BoB and facing Rommel in the desert.

So the obvious question was asked, “What if we stick the new Merlin on a Mk II airframe, and do it such that we don’t have to modify the airframe so much?”  The engine in the Mk III was the Merlin XX; which was needed for the Hurricane II so an uprated Merlin 45 that was based on the Merlin III was chosen.  It fit the cowling of the Mk I/II and just needed some slight mods that were easy and quick to implement.  The engine was “hotter” so needed a bit more cooling...the larger oil cooler from the Mk III would do.  A bit more torque so we’ll need to stiffen the fuselage...that’s a bit easy.  The Mk V was born and would be a short production run until the Mk III was ready.

History tells us the Mk III was cancelled and the Mk V the most produced single Mk of the Spitfire family (if one doesn’t combine the Mk IX and XVI production).  So much for an interim type.

The Aircraft
When Mk V production began, the cannon armed wing was still causing problems.  So initial production was the 8-gun Va. The intent all along was to make the Mk V a cannon armed variant. Some Mk V were conversions from earlier Mk I/II airframes.  Later in 1941 when the cannon armed “b” wing was fixed most surviving Mk Va aircraft were retrofitted to the Vb standard; as well as any Mk Ib/IIb that were still operational.  Some didn’t but those generally were no longer considered front line aircraft and were used for OTU duties.

R7347 was one of the last of a batch of Mk I’s ordered as Mk I’s but delivered as Mk Va.  Delivered in April 1941 to 39 Maintenance Unit, then transferred to the USAAF for testing at Wright Field later in April 1941, arriving in November 1941.  It remained there for testing until January 1943.  Unfortunately, I do not yet know the fate of R7347.

References: Spitfire the History, RAF Fighters 1945-1950 Overseas Based, Spitfire in Action

The Model
There are currently three alternatives for making a Mk Va:

1. AZModel (limited run, limited availability but a very nice model)
2. Airfix Mk I/IIa (contains the parts but no instructions)
3. Bash together a Mk I/IIa with a Mk Vb to get a Mk I/IIb and a Mk Va (been there, done that, it didn’t work for me)

I have the AZModel kit but I’m reserving that for the usual Va subject, Douglas Bader’s W3185/DB that he was shot down in while over France in 1942.

The recent tooling by Airfix includes not only all the parts necessary to model the Mk I and Mk II, but the larger oil cooler for the Mk V as well as the proper De Havilland prop.  When first released in 2009 there was speculation that a Mk Va was soon to follow, but after 3 years still no Mk Va from Airfix.  So it was off to the spares box for decals.

It turns out the AZModel boxing has the decals for R7347 when tested in the US.  That certainly makes this all very easy. 

Construction is straightforward, but use part numbers 41 and 42 for the oil cooler, the round exhausts parts 21 and 22, and the DH prop.  Photos show the IFF aerials, so I drilled 0.1mm holes on each side, at about frame 17.5.  That is about 12 inches forward of frame 18, which is the extreme trailing edge of the wing/fuselage fairing.  I then measure up 9 inches from the horizontal stringer that aligns with the bottom of the cockpit door.  My method for installing these after all painting and decalling is done, is to superglue one end of the invisible thread into the elevator hinge line (underneath where you can't see them) and once cured run each into the holes.  Using tweezers I pull the IFF antenna taught through the cockpit opening and put a drop of glue to hold them.  I then put the canopy on. You won't see them on this model as I didn't put them on...frankly I forgot and the canopy is on, so there you have it.

Now, technically when on the ground the IFF aerials should be disconnected from the horizontal stabilizers so a ground mechanic or plane captain cannot accidently break it; but it looks "wrong" to me as a model when done correctly because it appears the antenna are broken off. 

Painting is standard Spitfire scheme for April 1941: Temperate Land Scheme of Dark Green (Humbrol Hu116), Dark Earth (Hu29) with Sky (Hu90) undersides, spinner and fuselage band.  I used acrylics throughout.  Night serial and no squadron codes.

Summary
An easy build, albeit I didn't do this one over a weekend, I could have had I wanted to.  I spent extra time on it and unfortunately the build got delayed by 3 months when I transferred due to a job change.

Thanks for looking...

RAF Dark Earth: A good hobby paint match?

13 October, 2013

As promised below, I've added a photo comparing the appearance of Vallejo 921 to Humbrol 29.  The Dark Green is both cases is Vallejo 893.  All paint was air brushed.  Both models have a coat of Future/Klear as a varnish to ensure the sheen is the same.

As I mentioned below, Vallejo 921 (on the right) is darker than Humbrol 29, and when brush painted the Vallejo was greener, but not noticeably redder, as is evident in the photo.  It is also redder in real life.

So how does it stack up?  Well, Vallejo 921 matches the paint chip from the RAF Museum.  It looks the part, in my mind's eye, better than does Humbrol 29.  I am however trained to consider Humbrol 29 as the "correct" shade of Dark Earth.

28 September, 2013

A recent thread on BritModeler offered the possibility that my favorite Dark Earth, Humbrol's 29, has drifted away from the correct shade of dark earth. So, armed with all my favorite acrylics and a couple of mixing jars, I decided to do a comparison.

My color standard is a chip from the RAF Museum's book, "British Aviation Colurs of World War Two". First published in 1976 it's possible to get a second hand copy, as I did, from online auctions. It's a treasure if as a modeler you want to have colors that match.

My method of comparison is using my eyeball under both artificial and natural light. I brush the paint onto a sheet of card and simply lay the card on the color chip.

The paints I use/have at hand are:

• Humbrol 29
• Vallejo 921
• PollyScale 505252
• Model Master 4846
• Gunze H72
• Tamiya mix of XF52 and XF64 (equal parts)

Hu29 has been my standard for Dark Earth for over a decade.  Prior to that I used Gunze's H72 for the handful of RAF types on my shelf.  Once I started paying attention to color accuracy, I realized Hu29 would look better, and it WAS different than H72, being darker and richer.

Hu29 is generally accepted as the standard paint, but against the RAF Museum (the Standard), Hu29 is grayer and browner. It's almost a chocolat color when overlaid on the chip. Unlike the Standard, there does not seem to be a hint of green to Hu29.

Valejo 921 is a near perfect match. Next to the other dark earth paints, Valejo 921 looks greener. Which may be why during the war there was some indication that Olive Drab would be an acceptable substitute for Dark Earth.  I've never used Valejo 921 other than with a brush on details requiring some shade of dark brown.

PS 505252 is darker than the standard, just a bit browner albeit with a hint of green.  I've used it for variation, many years ago, on an AVG P-40C.

MM 4846 is labeled ANA 617 Dark Earth. It is identical in every respect to PS 505252 being just a bit browner with a hint of green.  I've never used it, but purchased it when trying to find the "right" Dark Earth around 2002.

H72 is lighter and browner than the Standard, it's not close to any of the other paints. At best I'd call it a light earth color.  I'd been using this jar of paint since the early '90s.

Finally, I used the formula for mixing Tamiya (my preferred paint) that Tamiya recommends. The resulting color is a very red brown, not much different than XF64.  So I don't consider this a very good match to anything other than a red brown.

Since I like Tamiya paints, I did try adding more XF52 (8 parts total), but that was marginally better as the color was still a red brown. I then added 1 part XF19 (Sky Grey) which was also only a marginal improvement. Finally, I decided to add 5.5 parts XF81 (Dark Green) which only got the color to approximately where both PS 505252 and MM 4846 are. I believe some yellow would get it there, but the jar is full and I don't have any Tamiya yellow handy...

Other than a few minor applications I've never used Valejo. I will try it soon on a Spitfire to see how the scheme looks with a proper Dark Earth shade and I'll update this posting with side by side photos of a Spitfire with Humbrol 29.

Thanks for looking...

Airfix Spitfires

Airfix released 23 Spitfires in 4 scales over the last 57 years and their objective is to release one of each mark, in 72nd scale anyway. As the premier kitmaker foe Britain youd think their kits of their most iconic aircraft would be the best there is.   Unfortunately, some have been pretty horrible as either kits, Spitfires or both. Most are accurate, albeit detail is usually sparse (in the smaller scales anyway) and if one gets past the construction issues a fine Spitfire can be had. 

In two parts I'll cover all 23 to date, in this first part I'll cover the lone 100th & the 72nd scale kits. Next month I'll cover the 48th & their 24th scale kits.  Most of my information on dates and kit numbers are taken from The Airfix Tribute Forum. 

100th Scale

Okay, technically not Airfix, in 2007 they released under the Airfix label the Doyusha tooling of a Mark Vb as kit number T1002.  Considered “pretty good” they typically come pre-painted and sometimes are released with a motorized prop. 

72nd Scale

Airfix began their aircraft models with a release of the BT-K in 1955. Based on the Aurora kit, it was scaled down to 72nd.  It is a very basic kit; its shape is definitely a Spitfire albeit not the most accurate; it is more for the beginner or nostalgic modeler. Only available until 1959 when it was replaced by their first Mark IX and is a collector's item today. The kit number was 1316, which is the same number for their Mark IX. 

Not to be confused with their first true Mark I, released in 1979 as kit number 01065, and re-released in 2003 in the BT-K bag. 

In 1959 Airfix released a Mark IX to replace the BT-K Spitfire. Also not very accurate it had markings for Wing Commander Johnnie E. Johnson's Mark IX. Originally kit number 1316, from 1988-2007 it was listed as 02081 and is generally available. Referred to as "the JEJ kit" it only looks like a Spitfire if it's the only one on the shelf. 

Airfix released a Mark Vb in 1975.  Still regarded as very accurate in shape and exterior detail. Of note, the raised detail is considered by purists to be the most accurate representation of the lapped joints along the panel lines. However Modelers in general prefer engraved panel lines, even if the most crisply done are actually over scale.  Still available as kit number 02046. 

A Mark Vc was later released in 2005 by adding a sprue to the basic Vb kit representing the revised wing armament. The new kit number is 02040.  Unfortunately the wing is overly thick and suffers engraved panel lines not in keeping with the Vb kit. The good news is a tropical filter is provided as well as parts to modify the fuselage to a Seafire, which were added in 2009 for an Airfix Club FAA release. The decals are also quite good. It's apparent the Vc sprue is just a scaling down of their so-so 48th scale Spitfire/Seafire kit as it can also be made into a Vb, Vc or Seafire Ib, IIc or III; suffering from the same faults as the 72nd boxing.

If one can find an Aeroclub c wing, which is quite good and was specifically designed as a replacement part for this kit, a very accurate Vc, or Seafire IIc can be made. 

As mentioned earlier, in 1979 Airfix released a new Mark I, much better in shape than their earlier BT-K. This new kit was very similar in quality to their Vb kit.  The Mark I and their Vb were the basis for all aftermarket products to upgrade, convert or super detail an early Spitfire for the next 20 years. Originally listed as kit number 01065, renumbered a few times but mostly as a variation of 01071, don't be confused by the recent (2010) A01071A that is a new tooling.

After Hornby bought Airfix they pledged to keep the label.  Eventually they released a new, modern tooling of the Mark I in a new red box. Very accurate in shape it also sported a highly detailed cockpit. It's only drawback is overly wide and deep panel lines; it seemed Hornby hired the Matchbox engraver!  This kit is available in both a starter's kit as well as the original and is considered more accurate even than Tamiya's Mark I. Kit number A01071A.  Also included in sets 55100, 50128, 50135, and 50143. 

A company called 3D-Kits shortly thereafter released a double sprue set containing an improved seat, control column, Coffman starter bulge and DH prop to allow conversion of either this new Mark I, the older Mark I or even the Tamiya Mark I to a Mark IIa. Also included were decals for 4 machines. 

In 2011 Airfix released this kit with an additional sprue containing parts to model an early Mark I (2 bladed Watts prop, flat canopy, pole antenna) as well as a Mark IIa (Coffman starter bulge and DH prop). Although no decals are in the box for it, the Rotol prop and enlarged oil cooler are on the sprue to allow the modeler to make a Mark Va. Unfortunate for 3D-Kits who now offer just the decals. Kit number A02010.

3D-Kits does offer a nice conversion for this kit to make the Mark IIa LR (long range). Just a simple conformal fuel tank for one wing, it includes decals. 

In 2009, Airfix released a Mark IXc to replace their 1959 tooling. Long needed in 72nd was an accurate kit and Airfix did not disappoint, however it was not as good, overall, as their recent Mark I. No cockpit to speak of, very similar to their toolings from the 1970's with a recliner for a seat and a plastic semicircle for the instrument panel, not even a decal!  Sporting similar deep panel lines, they weren't quite as bad as the Mark I. Parts were in the box to make an early or late Mark IXc and even a post-war mark, however only the wheels for a late Mark IXc were included (4 spokes). The prop is a bit anemic but is passable and the decals are very good.

Also in 2009 a PR Mark XIX variant was released, their first Griffon engined kit in 72nd scale.  Kit number 02017, it is very similar to the Mark IXc in detail, it does suffer from being too short by about 4 scale inches (it's the length of a late Merlin Spitfire, not a Griffon). Still a very nice kit to build, it's a toss up whether to improve this inexpensive kit or to pay top dollar for the difficult to find Fujimi XIX that also must be converted, albeit from a F Mark XIV. 

Not yet available in the US, Airfix announced a F Mark 22 for release for 2012, I'm still looking for a reboxing of their Mark I/IIa/Va as Wing Commander Douglas Bader's Va he was in when he was shot down and taken prisoner in 1941.

CMR Spitfire Prototype K5054

Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire Prototype, K5054, post modifications after first flight

RAF Pageant, Hendon, 27^th June 1936, “New aircraft No 2”

It's now 75 years after the iconic Spitfire first flew and as a fan I thought it appropriate that I add the prototype to my shelf. I'm not one to make prototypes or one-offs but decided I needed to make an exception. Interestingly, it's beginning to make me pine for related efforts, such as the Mk III, IV, and of course the Spiteful/Seafang line. 

The Aircraft

K5054 is a rather iconic aircraft.  R.J. Mitchell’s design as a Vickers private venture with Rolls-Royce in response to a poor initial design for RAF fighter specification F7/30.  That initial design had fixed landing gear and a gull wing looking much like a single seat Stuka.  Its performance was very disappointing so of course the RAF were not interested.  In 1934 R.J Mitchell was challenged to design something better, ignoring the RAF specifications (which were too restrictive) and taking full advantage of the knowledge at the Supermarine firm.  

On initial roll-out and first flight on 5^th March 1936, K5054 was not painted, the aircraft having a green tinted preservative on the fuselage and wings, the engine panels were unpainted and the fabric surfaces were all covered in aluminum dope.  The Air Ministry was suitably impressed with the performance and issued a specification drawn to K5054, now F37/34).  

Mitchell wanted to make some minor improvements and on 19^th March 1936, coming out on 26^th March with the Mk I style rudder, landing gear doors, a smaller engine intake and a paint job.  She was finished in a blue-grey color, the actual shade is lost to time and much conjecture exists around it.  Publicly unveiled on at Eastleigh on 18^th June then sent to Hendon for the RAF Pageant, where the number “2” was added.

On 27^th June, 1936 at the RAF Pageant, Hendon, spectators got to see both new aircraft for the RAF, No 1 being the Hawker Hurricane and No 2 being the Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire.

Reference:  Spitfire the History

The Model

CMR make the Spitfire prototype in both configurations, first flight on 5^th March and RAF Pageant on 27^th June.  The kits are not the same because of the detail differences between those two dates.  CMR have a reputation for very good accuracy, lots of detail and ease of construction (for a resin kit).  This was no exception as construction was fairly straightforward and did not take long.

Cleanup was quick, the cockpit being mostly photo-etch with some resin and with superglue the fuselage was together over a weekend.  The wing is one piece and with some fiddling alignment was perfect, very little filler was needed.  The nice thing with resin is that I can fill it, then use a cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover and clean the seam with zero sanding and no damage to the underlying resin.

Detail parts were added and the most time consuming item was the vac canopy.  It is very clear and with patience fits perfectly.  While I could have opened the side hatch and canopy this would have been difficult and I typically don’t, so decided to keep it all closed.  The vac canopy being so thin allows some good views inside.

I used Gator Glue on the canopy, first time trying and frankly it was a dream.  Worked very well, filled in the joints and after painting looks very nice.

After priming I decided to look for the proper paint.  The range in descriptions are:

• French Blue-Gray
• Rolls-Royce automotive Blue
• RLM 76 Hellblau
• USN Intermediate Blue (1943 color)
• USN Blue-Gray (1942 color)

There is little help on the web as it seems nobody agrees on the color, and the range of colors for the above are nearly infinite.  Nobody seems to agree on what French Blue-Gray looks like and the RR Blue is similar.  I pulled jars of the 3 paints I had and RLM 76 looked good so I used it.  After it had cured, I put a light gloss coat of Future, decals went on with no trouble and I sealed with a final coat of Future as photos show K5054 had a glossy sheen.

All done in just a few weekends, how I like my builds. Definitely a winner and of course a must for any Spitfire fan. Now to get on with that Mk III...

Airfix Spitfire Mk Ia (1979 tooling)

Supermarine Spitfire I, R6595/DW O, 610 County of Chester Squadron, RAF
Biggin Hill, August 1940, P/O F. K. Webster, KIA 26 August 1940.

I was reviewing the Group Build section of Fine Scale Modeler last month and when I spotted an Airfix group decided I could be in and do a quick build of an older Mk Ia I had in my stash. My original plans for the kit were to convert it to a PR Mk I something or other that would not be a quick nor easy effort. So I rummaged through my spare decals and found an old Aeromaster sheet of Spitfires from the Battle of Britain (72-028). Paint and glue at the ready I jumped in.

The Aircraft

Spitfire Mk I, R6595, from first production batch of 450 aircraft on third contract awarded 9 August 1939.  This was the first aircraft in the batch, delivered 7 May 1940 to Number 8 Maintenance Unit. Delivered to 610 Squadron on 28 July 1940. Because of timing this aircraft would have been delivered to 8 MU with then then-required Night/White undersurfaces. While at the MU it would have been repainted with Sky undersurfaces per directives dating from June 11. This is certainly during the period from June to September where a controversial shade of Sky could have been applied, ranging from Sky Grey, Sky Blue, Eau-de-Nil, through to actual Sky.  As an example for demonstrating all the possible variations, this subject hits them all. Aeromaster suggest Sky.

This aircraft is featured in a fairly well known and widely published photograph from the period.  On Monday 26 August, 1940, the aircraft crashed after being badly damaged by a Bf109; the pilot, Pilot Officer F. K. Webster, was killed while attempting to land at Hawkinge.

References:  Spitfire the History, 610 Squadron History.

The Model

As mentioned above, this is the older tooling Airfix Spitfire Mk Ia dating from 1979.  Airfix modified the molds to be a snap together kit in the early 1980's.  Actually a fairly accurate kit in shape and outline, but the detail is raised (arguably more accurate) and the cockpit is nearly void except for a seat. The cockpit is not much of a problem if using the kit canopy as it is rather thick, most especially if one is to put a pilot in there. But if wanting to use a vac canopy much detail will be needed. For this effort I chose the kit canopy with no pilot.

As this was for the FSM Group Build I didn't want to take too long and it's the last of my old tooling Mk I kits. I removed the snap together pins to correct alignment but overall the fit is very good. As is typical of this kit and similar offerings from that period, construction was very quick and I was ready for painting within an hour. I almost felt like a kid again!

After a primer coat from a spray can, I hand painted the camouflage using Humbrol enamels.  Dark Earth (29) and Dark Green (116), after Sky (90) was airbrushed for the undersides.  Future was applied for the decals and followed with a light wash using Payne's Gray oil was applied.  A 50/50 mix of Future with Acryl clear flat was then applied as a final sealer.

Back to the undersurface color:  Humbrol 90 is listed as a recommended enamel paint for Sky, however the formulation has changed over the years. I have two tins, one the earlier Super Enamel before Hornby and Hornby's version with the blue stripe. The difference is subtle with the older paint looking truer to Sky with a slightly greener hue than the later paint.  Conversely the later paint is slightly bluer. I cannot stress how subtle the difference is and lighting conditions matter greatly. So based on the subject's timing, I used the later tin of "blue stripe" 90 as a local interpretation of sorts for Sky.

And that was that. A very fun build of a fairly familiar subject. It's unique with the oversized markings on the fuselage and fills a void in my collection of early Spitfires. Total time was less than 7 hours spread over a couple of weeks in order for paint and clear coats to thoroughly cure.