Tamiya's 1/32 SpitfireIX

[stona]

After years of interpreting the Luftwaffe I thought the RAF would be simple! As far as that stripe goes the only certainty is what it was supposed to look like as per the AM order.

Most seem to have ended outboard at the navigation light.

Inboard Tamiya has it ending between the inboard machine gun and the blanked off cannon position as on this machine.

This is all good until you see something like this image. The stripe ends at the inboard machine gun position. On the port wing it ends at the navigation light. On the starboard wing there is a replacement wing tip and the stripe continues out past the navigation light AND it's not the same width as the rest of the wing. Someone has done something wrong!

I think Tamiya's instructions have come up with a good compromise and that's what I'll do.

Cheers

Steve

Edit. How rude,I never answered Graham's paint question! I will be using Xtracrylix for the camouflage coat. They are good matches to available references, I don't have to mix the colours,though I usually lighten them a bit and I'm used to spraying them. Oh! most importantly,I've got all the colours I need in the cupboard.

Steve

[stona]

JE*J has a medium sea grey underside....woo hoo! I've also stuck poor old Johnnie's head on. Xtracrylix with a couple of variously lightened coats sprayed in various areas.I did remember to spray all the other MSG bits that are not yet attached,eventually lol.

If this all dries according to plan I'll start the camo tomorrow.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Very nice and not rude at all Steve, I was not sure if the Tamiya colours that they made for it are all that good. Also, why have they had to make another set of colours for this kit, surely they are admitting that the paint they have sold for year is not right. Just as a matter of interest, what codes of Xtracrylix are you using? I have quit a few now but I bet I don't have the right ones lol.

I am really fancying one of these now, must resist....... no space, not good enough..... ;-)

[stona]

Graham I'm not familiar with the Tamiya paints but I would say that you have made a logical deduction! I hope the new ones are a good match for the RAF colours.

I'm using the following Xtracrylix colours on the exterior.

XA1003 RAF medium sea grey (underside)

XA1006 RAF ocean grey (upper camo)

XA1001 RAF dark green (upper camo)

XA1007 RAF sky (fuselage band and spinner)

XA1011 RAF trainer yellow (leading edge I.D. stripe and propeller tips)

With the exception of the yellow and the sky I lighten them all a bit. They are very good matches for the original colours as applied to the full sized aircraft but can seem a little dark on a model. This is the mysterious and oft' debated scale effect. I just add a little white,blue,or yellow (depending what I'm lightening) in the paint cup,very unscientific I'm afraid. I go with what I think looks okay and don't worry too much about it. It's only a model!

Cheers

Steve

[Ian M]

I promise I will keep it short and to the point.

NICE.

Ian M

[Guest]

Yep, I am right... not a single one of those paints in my collection lol

EDIT (and to get to the point of the question) Would the Mosquito camo be the same colours for the upper-side, the green and grey? The sides and lower surfaces will be black

[stona]

What version are you doing? I thought that Mossies were in the DFS,same as my Spitfire.

Steve

[Guest]

The Mosquito is a B.Mk.IV. Of the three markings options there is two that are grey & green on top but black sides and underneath, Lancaster style. It is a mossie bomber not the more commonly modelled fighter. One is 627 Squadron based at RAF Oakington near Cambridge January 1944, just down the road from me, and the other is RAF Marham not far from me, 109 Squadron 1944. The third is grey-blue underneath (Revell say 90% light grey, 10% blue-grey underneath, they don't have the right colour in their range) with green & grey on top. This third one is also RAF Marham, 105 Squadron June 1943. I would imagine the top is the same as the Spitfire and the greyish underside one could be the same underside grey as the Spit. However, wanting to be different I want to do the black underside one, possibly the 627 Squadron.

[stona]

Graham I once had a book that covered Mosquito camouflage. It was by no less an expert than Paul Lucas if I remember correctly. I haven't seen it for ages but will mount a search. I gather that there were Mosquitoes with black undersides. The upper colours were still Ocean Grey and Dark Green. The grey underside would have been Medium Sea Grey. I don't know about the blue'grey underside. There were several blues in the inventory,from the mix it sounds like Azure or a Sky Blue (not to be confused with Sky!).

Cheers

Steve

[Gern]

Hi Graham,

For one mad moment there I thought you'd turned to the 'proper' scale for aircraft - 1/32 - and had to get my kit from the stash to check!

I have the Revell 1/32 Mosquito Mk IV which has similar colours to those you describe. According to their colour refs in my kit, the undersides and tail fin are flat black. The upper sides are camouflaged in Dark Green FS 34096 and Ocean Grey FS 36270.

I've no idea whether these FS references are correct, but if they are, it's a better colour guide than 10% of this and 90% of that. Unless I get other colours between now and when I build it, I'll be using Aqua colours 361 Olivgrun and 43 Mittelgrau for mine. They're the closest I have to the box art colours and close enough for me.

Gern

[Guest]

Cheers guys. As soon as I have cleared the desk, the mossie will be the next project. I would like to take the finished model to the site of Oakington airfild and take a picture with the site behind it. Sounds silly but it is just something I would like to do lol

[Ian M]

I did mine in the medium Sea grey and dark green top and night bottom and sides, All from Xtracryliks. Though mine was a XVII Fighter interceptor. Could be tempted by the bomber version still.

Ian M

[stona]

Ocean Grey is on the upper surfaces. I'll do a bit of shading,hopefully this evening as life has got in the way! Tomorrow,all being well,I'll mask it up for the Dark Green.

Cheers

Steve

[stona]

Got ahead of myself. Yikes! It'll be alright in the morning.

Cheers

Steve

[AlanG]

Lookin great Steve