spanner's 1/72 Airfix Starter Kit Spitfire.....'Reach for the Sky' (1956)

[Tim Marlow]

This is looking good Ron. Interesting idea as well.
Like most, I’ve been brought up on the collision idea, mostly due to the excellent Kenneth More film, but it seems there is quite strong evidence these days that points to him being shot down by his own side, by accident of course……

[adt70hk]

This is looking good Ron. Interesting idea as well.
Like most, I’ve been brought up on the collision idea, mostly due to the excellent Kenneth More film, but it seems there is quite strong evidence these days that points to him being shot down by his own side, by accident of course……

Did not know that.....

[JR]

Thanks chaps. I'm more than happy with the result so far and I'm chuffed you folks approve too! :thumb2:

453, quite right. I don't worry about light brush marks as they can be part of the weathering process, but at the same time I do like to try and avoid them.

On our pond I've rigged up an overflow system out of plastic overflow pipe. I siliconed it to the stonework at a suitable height and hid it in the ground. The excess water now runs out into the lane.
Could you not make a basic soak-away?


Graeme. Thanks for the question. I've read the book and seen the film. Both very good. I've reasoned that if the collision did actually happen and was not a result of friendly fire, then the impact speed could have been in excess of 400mph. So I reckon the damage would be severe and not as suggested in the film and book just "Sliced off"
Also, on the model, the two oxygen cylinders are in the same area as the antenna, so if the impact was there, I would suspect the cylinders would have exploded.

Either way, I'll try and model the impact somewhere just aft of the antenna, mid way towards the tail section and just hope no one suggests it was further this way or that along the fuselage.......

Cheers
Ron

Thanks chaps. I'm more than happy with the result so far and I'm chuffed you folks approve too! :thumb2:

453, quite right. I don't worry about light brush marks as they can be part of the weathering process, but at the same time I do like to try and avoid them.

On our pond I've rigged up an overflow system out of plastic overflow pipe. I siliconed it to the stonework at a suitable height and hid it in the ground. The excess water now runs out into the lane.
Could you not make a basic soak-away?


Graeme. Thanks for the question. I've read the book and seen the film. Both very good. I've reasoned that if the collision did actually happen and was not a result of friendly fire, then the impact speed could have been in excess of 400mph. So I reckon the damage would be severe and not as suggested in the film and book just "Sliced off"
Also, on the model, the two oxygen cylinders are in the same area as the antenna, so if the impact was there, I would suspect the cylinders would have exploded.

Either way, I'll try and model the impact somewhere just aft of the antenna, mid way towards the tail section and just hope no one suggests it was further this way or that along the fuselage.......

Cheers
Ron

570, the ground is so wet that soak away just couldn't cope.
I normally have along hose connected to the back flow on the filter and have it running along the bottom of the fence .This normally takes the water at least 25 ft away ,but the cold snapped the pipe. Unfortunately left me with15ft , and the water ran back across the slabs into the pond !

453 now dry .

[Mini Me]

Just had a read through 570......another "bang up" job in the works! Keep it coming Sir! :thumb2:

[Allen Dewire]

Mr. Ketchup here, Ron. Had a read through and loving the idea of the mid-air crash. I also take it there will be the usual chucking-up for the pics at the end of the build. Bet your good lady is happy about that too!!! Funny, I just used your hairy stick tips on my lozenge pattern work earlier. Thanks again for the SBS Sir...

Prost
Allen

[Jim R]

Very interesting to think that the collision portrayed in the film may not be the case. The idea of "friendly fire" must be hard to accept but it probably happens often in the confusion of battle.

[Guest]

Like most, I’ve been brought up on the collision idea, mostly due to the excellent Kenneth More film, but it seems there is quite strong evidence these days that points to him being shot down by his own side, by accident of course……

Luckily, this being the movie-and-TV-GB, the movie version is the one that counts here

[spanner570]

Thanks for all your most excellent input boys.

A special thank you to Steve (stona) for his patience and help during our exchange of P.M.'s on certain aspects of my build.

....and luckily for me, all I'm modelling is Bader's Spitfire. So be it the collision or friendly fire which actually broke his aircraft in two, matters for nothing.

Incidentally, there is good evidence and I firmly believe, that he was shot down by friendly fire and he invented the collision story to protect his ego whist a p.o.w.


On the operating table. "Nurse, the hacksaw, if you please."

Roughly painted so I could see where to cut.



Operation successful and ready for tidying up and fixing to the aircraft.
Bader would have almost certainly jettisoned the sliding part of the canopy



Cheers.
Ron

[JR]

You'll be getting like Neil and Wabble at this rate with all this surgery 570 !
453 .In bed !

[spanner570]

In Bed! Now't debilitating I hope matey?

On we go.....

Decals done for now.

Bader's aircraft I.D. letters were D * B (Dog's Body was his call sign).

The kit luckily contained a couple of duhs, but no buhs, just two wuhs. So I altered a duh by cutting a bit out and added a bit of a wuh to what was left of the duh. This left me with an acceptable buh. I've stuck on a duh and a buh, but left off the remaining duh and buh until I have decided just how much damage to do to the airframe. I might even try and hand paint the duh and buh onto any rippled aloominum. Likewise I have left off the two roundels until later.

Both works numbers will probably be obliterated, so their no doubt lack of accuracy is of no importance, so can hopefully be dismissed from any rivet counters agenda.

The cockpit is now in place too.









Ready for some bending......

Cheers.
Ron

[Jim R]

Looking good. Nice work making a buh from a duh with a bit of wuh. Very inventive.

[spanner570]

Thanks Jim.
Sorry mate, the usherette has gone home - No customers...... I'll nip out to Ice**** and buy us both some lollies.

The butchery begins.
Fuselage cut in half and elevators repositioned.



Kitchen foil glued on and ready for some paint.


Cheers.
Ron

[Mini Me]

'ang on to yer 'ats, it's about to get interesting!!....great work on this 570!:thumb2::thumb2:

[Jim R]

...... very interesting

[Allen Dewire]

It is very interesting Jim! But to me, Aloomiumiumy or what we call tin foil, usually means you put it in the oven @ 400° for 15 minutes.........Oh wait, that's a pizza, not a Spitfire..........Sorry Ron, got confused a bit...

Prost
Allen