Well, I think you might guess from this what my next BoB build is...

[tr1ckey66]

Not 1 but 5 new tool Spits!



I'm planning poss wheels-up, dios and more...

I can't wait!

Paul

[Guest]

Wow, that's a lot of Spits. Post some pics as you go on with the project.

[monica]

oh wow is all i can say you doing the whole 5 ?

got to see this one oh my my

[Ian M]

Nice.

Ill look forwards to those.

[Guest]

Yoicks. Paul why not go the whole hog and get a squadron ?

1/32. Have you a hidden runway some where ?

Laurie

[Alan 45]

Very nice but where's your hurricane 's

[tr1ckey66]

Very nice but where's your hurricane 's

They're still waiting in the wings. I just wanted with this build to be the first kid on the block! I've been beaten to the punch on so many new kit builds I wanted front row, centre for this one! LOL!

More to the point, what's happening with my 2 Fokker Dr1s? Well, they have progressed a little and I may post the build shots this weekend.

This Spitfire extravaganza starts this weekend

Cheers

P

[Alan 45]

They're still waiting in the wings. I just wanted with this build to be the first kid on the block! I've been beaten to the punch on so many new kit builds I wanted front row, centre for this one! LOL!More to the point, what's happening with my 2 Fokker Dr1s? Well, they have progressed a little and I may post the build shots this weekend.

This Spitfire extravaganza starts this weekend

Cheers

P

Paul will you be doing a row of spits waiting to take off? That one big dio if you are lol I've only just noticed they are all 1/32 scale

[stona]

You're going to need some serial and code letters

Steve

[tr1ckey66]

You're going to need some serial and code letters

Got 'em! I'm way ahead of ya, LOL!

Hope you'll be joining me Steve. I may have some questions, and if Mr Brooks is reading I would be grateful for any of his considerable Spitfire wisdom (In particular the differences between Mk2s and 1s and particular radio set ups).

Cheers

P

[Guest]

5?! FIVE?! wow that's a mega build Paul!

This will be interesting

[stona]

Got 'em! I'm way ahead of ya, LOL!Hope you'll be joining me Steve. I may have some questions, and if Mr Brooks is reading I would be grateful for any of his considerable Spitfire wisdom (In particular the differences between Mk2s and 1s and particular radio set ups).

Cheers

P

That's a bloody good start then

Oddly I just answered a question elsewhere about the differences between IIs and Is. Externally they were identical (assuming we're talking machine gun armament) apart from a small bulge on the starboard engine cowling which covered the Coffman starter.



I'd have to check but I think most BOB era Spitfires still used the old TR9 High Frequency wireless which required the fin to aerial post antenna wire. I've certainly seen pictures of Mk IIs so equipped. Most front line units got the TR1133 VHF radios towards what we consider the end of the BoB (September onwards).

Then you've got the Mk 1 IFF 'cheese cutter' antenna wires running from the horizontal stabilisers to the fuselage. Or maybe you don't. Again date dependent and they rarely show up in photos. The insulators where the wires enter the fuselage are sometimes visible, usually at about 10 or 2 o'clock (depending on which side) in the roundel.

Someone else may have a firmer grasp of what happened and when, with a bit of luck

Cheers

Steve

[tr1ckey66]

Thanks Steve

I knew about the Coffman starter, also isn't there a hole for the hand crank starter on the Mk 1? (same side as the starter but closer to the wing) I think there's a small info plaque above/below it.

The radio sets I think depend on how late the machine is. I also think that gun heaters were introduced on the Mk1 and these have vent bulges on the underside wing tips (these tend to be a real pig to get the roundels decals to sit over!) These bulges will be present on the Mk2- I just need to ensure the machines I'm depicting are the later Mk1s or make the necessary adjustments. I believe there are differences to the cockpit also, depending on date - the hand pump for the U/C is an obvious difference on early Mk1s that I know of.

Thanks for the info and the pic - the Coffman starter cowling bulges will be removed!

Cheers

Paul

[stona]

I'm pretty sure that the gun heating system, the one that used hot air from the starboard wing radiator, was standard on all production Mk Is (and IIs). I think the supplementary heating, from the exhausts came later.

Cheers

Steve

[tr1ckey66]

I'm pretty sure that the gun heating system, the one that used hot air from the starboard wing radiator, was standard on all production Mk Is (and IIs). I think the supplementary heating, from the exhausts came later.

Cheers Steve I hope you're right with the heating system it will mean less work.

My knowledge on Spits is a bit sketchy but hopefully we'll all learn something through this.

The plan with this build is to build 4 of the 5 kits.

3 will be wheels up and of the same squadron (probably 92), the other will have all the aftermarket whistles and bells - flaps down on the ground. All have pilots and the resin kits I've gone for are of superb quality. Hopefully my painting skills will do them justice.

The plan for the 3 wheels up kits will be to do some 'green screen' magic and have 3 Mk1 Spitfires flying in formation. I'll try to make these shots as photo real as poss and I'm interested to see how 3 Mk1s will look in full colour. Later on I plan on using the same aircraft in dogfight action with a couple of Luftwaffe builds. I plan to build one of my He111s wheels up and I think they should look great together. Also, one of my other 109s will be built wheels up - so plenty of action shots coming up. I'd love to recreate how the Kent skies could have looked in 1940, time will tell whether I succeed or not.

Cheers

Paul