Spitfire Mk Ia from Revell 1/32 Mk IIa Kit

[Vaughan]

Looking good Steve your moving along at a pace now. Didn't know about those gas patches made very interesting reading. Looking forward to the top camo going down.

[Ian M]

Often wondered about the viability of gas patches on the out side of aircraft. I can see more sense on those inside a cockpit, like on the Lancaster and Mosquito. But as you said it also warns the ground crew, I can see more of a point to it.

Ian M

[stona]

Some gas patches or gas paints were applied in positions invisible to the pilot or crew of the aircraft. They must have been to warn ground crew that the aircraft was contaminated.

I don't think that the patches had anything to do with flying as if exposed during flight the pilot would know he had been 'gassed'. I suspect they served the same purpose on parked aircraft as on ground vehicles, buildings etc. I've seen a picture of a trolley accumulator with a patch attached for example.

The patches or paints were an indicator that chemical weapons had been used against or in the vicinity of the airfield, unfortunately they didn't work very well. Fortunately such weapons were not used in any case.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Aslways Steve, a really interesting read. Many thanks for taking the time to share it with us. What a cracking example of weathering at the wing root as well!!

[Guest]

Excellent Steve, too build.

And tons of useful info too.

[Guest]

This is looking brilliant so far Steve another master piece in the making.

scott

[stona]

What a cracking example of weathering at the wing root as well!!

Also notice how 'sharp' the demarcation between the camouflage colours is.

I believe that masking was used in the spray shops and there is evidence, not accepted by everyone, that some kind of mats were used. They were good for the A and B schemes. For the latter just flip them over and place them on the other side

I am referring to the original painting at the point of production. What happened after that when serviced or repainted is anyone's guess.

Here's more early Spitfires showing the same thing.







I like the wheel chocks on this one. I've seen a similar set with 'Spitfire' written on the cross member and might just knock something up like that for this model.



The good thing is that these demarcations can be made with hard masking even at 1/32 scale. There is no need for any feathered edges, raised masks or any other tricks, which makes life easy for the modeller.

Cheers

Steve

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Steve

Great progress. This looks like an interesting Mk1 scheme.

Of note also on your reference photographs is the hole for the hand crank starter on the starboard side just above the wing root. It's evident on the first 'gun test' shot and the last shot.

Cheers Paul

[stona]

Good point Paul. I shall be drilling a little hole in the relevant position.

I've applied the Night to the port wing and post shaded this morning. It will tone down once I start to add coats of varnish.



This will be masked tomorrow morning hopefully, though I'm on a bit of a work standby. Whenever it does get masked I will be on to the dark Earth and Dark Green upper surfaces.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Also intertesting to note that the demarcation between upper and lower camoflage does not follow the panel line below the engine but takes a direct line from the spinner to the wing root. Lovely tonal differences on the black Steve. Makes a huge difference on the realistic effect.

[stona]

Also intertesting to note that the demarcation between upper and lower camoflage does not follow the panel line below the engine but takes a direct line from the spinner to the wing root.

Another very good point. It was supposed to be like this on the original scheme, and even some late aircraft exhibit this feature whereas some, even early ones, do follow the panel line. I don't know but it might depend on where the aircraft was built. Again, once they left the factory and were serviced and repainted anything could happen.

Here's a late mark Spitfire with a straight(ish) demarcation not following the panel line.



And an early one where the demarcation does follow the line.



There really is no substitute for a decent photograph

Cheers

Steve

[flyjoe180]

Great research and references Steve. Your Spitfire is coming along nicely. Going to be a fantastic build when it's all done. Some very interesting facts and pictures in your previous posts. I think that long bar-type wheel chock with "Spitfire" painted along it would make a nice finishing touch.

[stona]

I've just unmasked the touch dry camouflage and the light is just about okay for a snap shot so here it is.



The sharp eyed will notice that this is the 'B' scheme, a mirror image of the 'A' scheme which became standard later in the war.

I've also unmasked the undersides and their slightly unusual arrangement with the wings in the regulation White and Night but the rest of the fuselage left in silver.



That's it for 24 hours or so as I need to allow the paint (colourcoat enamels from WEM) to thoroughly dry and cure before any further messing about with them .

Cheers

Steve

[Vaughan]

Nice crisp masking there Steve. Just a question why was the rest of the fuselage left silver?

[stona]

Just a question why was the rest of the fuselage left silver?

The White/Night undersides were originally applied to limited (50 aircraft) Hurricane production. They rolled of the line in March 1938. Initially only the outer, fabric covered, wing sections were painted in the colours. When the aircraft entered service in April 1938 Dowding complained that the silver band between the two colours caused them to merge, making the recognition marking less effective and had the scheme corrected so that the entire main plane, with a division at the centreline was painted. This left the rear and front fuselage and tail plane silver. Eventually the Night and White were extended onto this area so that there was a longitudinal division down the centre of the aircraft underside. Spitfires first left the Eastleigh production line in the Night/White scheme in about April 1939 and Supermarine were still only painting the main plane. This was rectified later.

Cheers

Steve