Little Red Bits

[Guest]

Hi

I am building a 1/72 scale Spitfire Mk1A and was wondering what I could use for the little red covers that they put over the gun holes on the edge of the wings? The kit instructions tell you to paint it on, but the reference pics I have, show it to be a type of tape that has been stuck over ?? Any help for a novice would be appreciated !

[Guest]

Not too sure what you could use at that scale. Would sprayed tamiya tape do the job? Sticks well, paint adheres and dries well, though not permanent. You could also pierce the tape to suggest the guns have been fired. Other than that, some thin plastic scratch build plastic could be shaped and fixed.

[Centurion3RTR]

Hi all, how about cutting down some decals from the spares box? Find some with red in and away you go, should look scale too.

Have fun, John

[Guest]

On the full size it was actually fabric doped to the wingleading edge with red tinted dope to keep the guns from getting in water and freezing and splitting the barrels.

Theuns

[Guest]

Hi SpitfireGirl, I would try cling film, nice and thin. Look forward to seeing the finished Aircraft. Derek

[stona]

As Theuns says they were fabric patches. They came precut and backed,rather like a sticking plaster. I use tape at 1/32 but at 1/72 it would be such a small scale thickness that I would just paint them on.

Steve

[Guest]

Another interesting thing about these fabric paches is that they were far from being aplied neatly and with perfect masked crisp square edges! Remember that the dope (activator)was brushed on in between missions,so time was not plenty.

Theuns

[Guest]

Thanks guys for all the info and the help ! Finally went with the bits of red decal left over from another kit ... it is looking good will upload a pic soon !

[wonwinglo]

Micropore surgical plaster is ideal for this job,it shapes neatly around the wing leading edge and replicates the fabric effect when painted with red oxide colour paint,the red oxide colour comes from the red tautening dope scheme application,in full sized practise the edges are pinked but reproducing this to 1=72nd is hardly worth the effort.