Subject: Re: Spitfire MkXVIe
From: "Steve Bamford" <[email-masked]>
To: "Tim Carroll" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2003 10:45:55 -0800

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Carroll" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 8:41 PM
Subject: Spitfire MkXVIe

Hi Steve,
Below is an attempt at an article for ARC.  Hope it's OK

Cheers

Tim Carroll

(See attached file: 001.jpg)(See attached file: 002.jpg)(See attached file:
003.jpg)(See attached file: 004.jpg)(See attached file: 005.jpg)(See
attached file: 006.jpg)(See attached file: 007.jpg)(See attached file:
008.jpg)(See attached file: 009.jpg)

Gallery Template #09

                            "Spitfire Mk XVIe"

                             by "Tim Carroll"
                           --------------------

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here |
|                                                                   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

I have the excellent book by Robert Bracken, "Spitfire - The Canadians" and
aquired a number of sheets from Watermark as a result of the artwork in the
book.  I had been toying with doing the Mk XVIe conversion using the Falcon
vacform conversion set for a while. Recently I was involved with Ron of
"Ron's Resins" and his Seafire Mk 15 & 17 (I built the prototype Mk 17)
conversions for the old Occidental kit.  In the resin pieces he provided
two shots of the resin low back spine.  Then Hasegawa released their Mk IXe
and with the leftover spine I had all I needed (Canopy from the Falcon
Spifire set).

Build:

the following items were used in the conversion:

Hasegawa Mk IXe kit,

Eduard Seat harnesess - Coloured

Resin spine from Rons Resins,

Canopy from Falcon "Spitfire Special", Mk XIVe from memory

Watermark decals for codes, serials and Dorothy II,

Extradecal for national markings

Paint was Aeromaster and Polyscale Acrylics.

Destruction before construction

The first thing I did was to cut the spine off both fuselage halves.  To do
this I cut down the fuselage break panel line in front of the tail until I
had reached the panel line running fore/aft.  This cut is only about 2-3mm.
I then placed a piece of plastic label tape (Dymo) from the rear canopy
cut-out to the the first cut.  It follows the for/aft panel line.  I scored
this with a "P" cutter several times then gently flexed it untill the
plastic broke away.

                                                               -------------
----------------|
                                                              |Click on
images below to see |
                                                              |
larger images        |
 ------------------------------+------------------------------+-------------
----------------|
|  Steve Bamford will insert a | Steve Bamford will insert a | Steve Bamford
will insert a |
| click-able smaller version of| click-able smaller version of|  click-able
smaller version |
| photo 03.jpg here. Clicking | photo 04.jpg here. Clicking |    of photo
05.jpg here.    |
|  on that photo will bring up |  on that photo will bring up | Clicking on
that photo will |
|   the full sized version of  |   the full sized version of  |   bring up
the full sized   |
|         photo 03.jpg         |         photo 04.jpg         |   version of
photo 05.jpg   |
|                              |                              |
|
|                              |                              |
|
|                              |                              |
|
|------------------------------+------------------------------+-------------
----------------|

The cockpit was built with the addition of the canopy opening mechanism on
the right hand side of the cockpit.  Also I cut out the cockpit access
hatch and substituted a door from the spares box.  A downside of the kit is
that the fuslage is quite thick for the scale so it is a trade off to view
the excellent cockpit detail. It was painted interior green with the famous
red-brown bakelite for the seat. Details were picked out in different
colours and a wash was applied to add depth.  The cockpit that comes with
the kit looks pretty busy and I think it is a reasonable representation. I
used the kit supplied "Windscreen" but the rear bubble canopy was taken
from the Falcon Spitfire Special set for the spitfire MKXIVe.

I added seat harnesess from the Eduard British "coloured" late harness set,
(these are wonderful things and make it easy to add realistic fittings).
The fuselage halves were joined and the glue allowed to set overnight.  I
was carefull as it is weakened without the spine.  I then dry fitted the
spine and found it about 2mm long (no suprises there) and it was sanded
until it fit. The cockpit was glued into place from the bottom and the
spine was secured with super glue.  There was almost no filling required
and what was, was done with Mr Surfacer.  All panel lines and the radio
hatch were rescribed at this point. The windscreen was fixed in place and
masked and the door and Bubble were "tacked" in place with white glue to
allow them to be painted along with the main airframe.  I do this because
it avoids the "after thought" look that some have if they are added later
and not washed or weathered along with the rest.

I read on one of the discussion groups how somebody had shortened the kits
spinner by deepening the prop cutouts and sanding the same amount off the
rear of the spinner before attaching it to the back plate.  I did this  and
removed about 1.5 mm and like the result.  (Thanks Drew)

The remainder of the kit was then built as per instructions and without
need for filler.

|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                   |
| Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here |
|                                                                   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

Paint & Decals

The kit was given an overall spray of medium sea grey and checked for
blemishes.  i spayed SNJ along the wing roots for later "chipping" I then
masked and sprayed the ocean grey.  I masked out the ocean grey and sprayed
the dark green.  This only took an afternoon as I use a hairdryer to speed
the drying of the paints.  The model was then polished with "smokers"
toothpaste and washed to ready it for decaling.  The toothpaste gives the
model a nice sheen and negates the gloss clear step so many use it also
removes any things that may adhere during the process.  Just becareful not
to be too vigorous or you can rub through the paint. I then chipped various
areas by gently scratching the kit with a toothpick.

The Watermark decals were a bit disapointing in that they were thick and I
could not get Micro Sol/Set to make them to snuggle down.  I substituted
Extradecal for national markings. The stencils came from the kit sheet.
After the decals had dried I washed the model to remove setting solutions
and then applied washes to the panel lines.  I use a student acrylic range
of tube paints called "Chromacryl" that are available from newsagents quite
cheaply here in Australia.  I add some liquid dishwashing detergent to the
wash so that it cleans off the "unsealed" polished paint.  I use either
black or dark grey on the upper surfaces and dark brown on the underneath.
When the wash was dry I cleaned the model with small pieces of damp sponge
wiping back in the direction of the airflow.

The model was sprayed with Polyscale matt acrylic varnish and dried.  I
then applied chalk to simulate exhaust staining, fuel spills, oil leaksand
dirt left behind by shoes.  The pictures I have of this aircraft show her
to be fairly new and "looked after" so this was the look I attempted to
capture in the weathering.  I sprayed another light coat of mat varnish to
seal the pastels.

The canopy was unmasked and the door and bubble glued into their final
postions, The Exhausts, undercarridge, bombs and aerials were also attached
at this point.  Prop pushed home and she was finished.

                                              ------------------------------
---------------|
                                             | Click on images below to see
larger images  |
 --------------------------------------------+------------------------------
---------------|
|   Steve Bamford will insert a click-able   |    Steve Bamford will insert
a click-able   |
|    smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.   |    smaller version of photo
07.jpg here.    |
|  Clicking on that photo will bring up the  |   Clicking on that photo will
bring up the  |
|     full sized version of photo 06.jpg     |      full sized version of
photo 07.jpg     |
|                                            |
|
|                                            |
|
|                                            |
|
|--------------------------------------------+------------------------------
---------------|

There has been a lot written about the Hasegawa Spitfire that I'm not going
to comment on only to say that it looks like a spitfire to me.  This kit
goes together without problems and I will definately build more.  The
conversion is a simple one and took me two weekends to complete.  To my
mind the Mk XVI is the prettiest spitfire of them all especialy those with
the full span wings.

Thanks to Ron for the resin bit and to Jamie Davies for the excellent
photgraphs. Also to people like Bob Swaddling, Bruce Archer, Graham Boak
and Derew Manton and others for freely sharing their knowledge on the
discussion board, as I have picked up a wealth of knowledge on this
aircraft from them.

                                              ------------------------------
---------------|
                                             | Click on images below to see
larger images  |
 --------------------------------------------+------------------------------
---------------|
|   Steve Bamford will insert a click-able   |    Steve Bamford will insert
a click-able   |
|    smaller version of photo 08.jpg here.   |    smaller version of photo
09.jpg here.    |
|  Clicking on that photo will bring up the  |   Clicking on that photo will
bring up the  |
|     full sized version of photo 08.jpg     |      full sized version of
photo 09.jpg     |
|                                            |
|
|                                            |
|
|                                            |
|
|--------------------------------------------+------------------------------
---------------|

              Photos and text © 2003 by "your name goes here"

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<---->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>
   Privileged/Confidential information may be contained in this message.
          If you are not the addressee indicated in this message
       (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person),
            you may not copy or deliver this message to anyone.
In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender
           by reply e-mail or by telephone on (61 3) 9612-6999.
   Please advise immediately if you or your employer does not consent to
                Internet e-mail for messages of this kind.
        Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message
              that do not relate to the official business of
                            The Transurban Group
         shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<---->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>