Spitfire Innards...1/48 ICM kit.

[Dave Ward]

Richard,
top view of a Merlin III......................................

The Merlin has two spark plugs per cylinder - one on the inlet side, the other the exhaust...................
Dave

[outrunner]

Fantastic detailing Richard, I just love the term "gizmology".

Andy.

[Neil Merryweather]

super job Richard

[rtfoe]

Thank you gentlemen.
I'm just happy I managed a certain level, Tim.
Appreciate that top shot of the merlin Dave. Can't recall it having a spine at the top.
Andy, that term came from Shep Paine.
Super comment Neil. :smiling2:

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Let's get strapped in...
I make my own seat belts with tape and wire...not exactly accurate but enough to get by.

The first thing is to get the buckles and attachments sorted out. I shaped theis attachments with tweezers and flat nosed pliers. Didn't have to get the straight ends perfect as they would be hidden under the tape.



British belts were weird in that they had great eyelets for their buckles so another material had to be used to make this. I used paper thin plastic sheet for this, drilled and sliced in belt widths. The rest of the belt was masking tape pre-painted in buff.



The wire attachment were taped on and thinner strips of masking acted as straps on the belts...



Painted and weathered.I tried as best I could to paint the rims of the eyelets silver.



They look pretty okay in place over the seat. The belts are secured through a gap in the armoured headrest and behind across from the panel to the bulkhead. You'll see this in the next pictures.



First I made the hook that will attach to the bulkhead...



This is it attached...



They really didn't want the pilot smashing forwards in a collision did they...:smiling2:



Simple and that's got the job done...

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Richard,
top view of a Merlin III......................................
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1150167[/ATTACH]
The Merlin has two spark plugs per cylinder - one on the inlet side, the other the exhaust...................
Dave

I just realised why there is s spine. These were on early Mks of the Spitfire. Later RR engines had a box like thingy in the way after the cam shafts so the spine was removed I think. The later engines were even busier at the top and plumbing different. Many versions which I just found for all types of aircraft from the Lancaster to the Mosquito.

Cheers,
Richard

[Jim R]

Hi Richard
Engine and cockpit detailing adds so much to the look of the model. I think people will notice the wires and cables and fasteners in the engine bay but very few observers indeed would have any idea of it's accuracy. Probably the same would apply to the seat belts. I would look at it all and think "Superb detailing, the modeller really knows his stuff" :tongue-out3:
Jim

[rtfoe]

Thanks Jim, I studied commercial art and am used to delivering a simplified image that at one look is understood by all with as little interpretation as possible within the budget...basically taking the lazy way as opposed to fine art where meticulous hours are spent to define your style and finish and still have differing answers everytime by new 'experts' as to why the artist did it that way.
Thank goodness Shep came up with the term Gizmology for this sort of building innards...I would have called it bluffalogy or wingitlogy.

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Here comes the basic prep before painting the colors in. Gunze Primer 1200 sprayed throughout the kit to even the base color and hide any blemishes besides having a surface for the paint to grab on.



Pre-shading with diluted Nato Black carefully applied...



Lighter colors like white for the invasion stripes are applied first...also it makes for easier masking and the pre-shade can be seen nicely.



Removed the masking to check if anything creeped in...also checked on the fitting of the rear canopy section. Notice the pre-shading to create darker shadows on the side of the fuselage. I have also started masking the invasion stripes.



Cheers,
Richard

[john i am]

Looking great with all the extra work and details you've put into it.

[scottie3158]

Richard,

An excellent build as one would expect from you.

[Jim R]

Top work Richard.
Jim

[rtfoe]

Thanks John, Jim and Scottie,

The kit itself provided the impetus to do it justice so I poured as much I could into it.

After I sprayed the black for the invasion stripes, I started with the dark green...



Careful masking to make sure no paint creeps into the cockpit. The side door was temporarily attached with white glue.



The canopy cover was not easy to mask due to its curved nature.



I got carried away with the spraying that I forgot to take snapshots of the masking for the grey. The sequence now starts with all masking off except the canopy and cockpit area as a coat of varnish was to be applied.



Some paint actually managed to creep into the corner of the engine bay which is easily dealt with paint and brush. The step at the wingroot is seen clearly here and only annoyed me much later to eventually correct it.



The pre-shading is there in very subtle tones...



After the varnish a spot of white was sprayed onto the area where the roundle decal will be applied just in case the black will show through the thin decal.



Thanks again for sticking in so far. Not much to go now...decals next.

Cheers,
Richard

[yak face]

Lovely work richard , the enhanced merlin looks excellent , cheers tony

[Jim R]

Hi Richard
Great paint job. Good airbrush control to have kept the preshade.
Jim