Subject: Re: Spitfire Mk I - Sailor Malan - 1st Pictures and article
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Pablo Calcaterra" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:31:44 -0800

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Pablo Calcaterra 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 3:48 PM
  Subject: Spitfire Mk I - Sailor Malan - 1st Pictures and article

   
  1/48 Spitfire Mk I 

  "Sailor" Malan 

  by Pablo Calcaterra
  --------------------

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

  This is my tribute to one of the most famous WWII Allied fighter pilots. He was the officially top scoring British pilot until Johnnie Johnson overtook him only in June 1944 (leaving Pat Pattle aside with his probable between 41 and 50 victories).

  Merit to Malan is derived from the fact that most of his victories were achieved when Britain was fighting alone against the Germans. 

  As most of you must know, his nickname comes from his times in the Merchant Navy before the war (where he met another great ace, Bob Tuck). 

  After fighting in over Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain (now as Squadron Leader) he became one of the first Wing Leaders in the RAF. He finished with 27 kills confirmed, 7 shared destroyed, 2 unconfirmed, 3 probable and 16 damaged.

  Recent research seems to show that Sailor did not shot down "Vati" Moelders during the Battle of Britain. It now looks like that a pilot in 41 Sqn was the one that actually hit Moelders' 109 taking him out of action for one month. 

  After the war, he continued fighting for the ideals they defended during WWII and struggled to eliminate the Apartheid in South Africa. His organization, Torch Commando, had at one point 250,000 members!

  Sadly, he died before his 53th birthday of Parkinson disease.

  THE KIT:

  I decided to use the very old and basic Revell Spitfire MkII and convert it to an MkI. 

  This kit has several shortcomings, especially now that it is made in China (i.e. the transparent parts in my kit were completely distorted). One of the most important ones is that it does not have the typical seagull shape under the wings. 

  After putting together the wings and fuselage, I sanded carefully the undersurface and rescribed several panels. 

  Click on images below to see larger images

         Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 02.jpg here.  
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 02.jpg here.  

  The union of the wings and fuselage was also a weak point and aftere some sanding and careful aligning, I had to cover the gap with acrylic base (see white lines) that is easy to work with as it can be wiped with a wet cloth and you can achieve a smooth union without sanding.

         Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 05.jpg here.  

  The propeller has a different shape so I sanded it until it got the profile of a MkI one. The exhausts and spinner came from the spares box.

         Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.  
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 07.jpg here.  

  The undersurfaces were painted in black and white leaving the ailerons in metal (dope). This Spitfire had originally had the large yellow/blue/white/red roundels over the wings. This roundel was overpainted with new paint, I first gave the kit a coat of green and brown (Humbrol 29 and 30), masked the wings and applied another coat thru the template with the same colors with some drops of black to represent fresh (unfaded) paint. 

  Paint chips were done with a silver pen and the moveable surfaces were highlighted with a very sharp black pencil. Weathering (exhaust, guns) was made with a brush dirty with sanded black pastels. Finally, a hand of Future sealed everything and left the surface ready for the decals.

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 08.jpg here.  
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 09.jpg here.  
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 10.jpg here.  
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 11.jpg here. 

  Decals are from the excellent Victory Models "Aces of the Empire". It is in this Spitfire that Sailor Malan achieved at least two of victories, shooting down two Heinkels 111 (an outstanding fate considering that he had no radar in his Spitfire) on the night of June 18/19, 1940 and a Bf 109 E destroyed and 2 Do 17 Z damaged on May 27th near Calais.  

  The antenna was scratch built. Fabric covers for the guns were made with red decals. Windshield and canopy came from the spares box (only part I was able to save from the original kit was the fixed canopy behind the pilot and the light behind the antenna). Exhausts were drybrushed with copper paint.

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 012.jpg here.  
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 013.jpg here.  
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 14.jpg here.  
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 15.jpg here.  

  Finally, the kit was given a hand of satin barnish and the little details were added. 

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 16.jpg here 

  Hope you have liked my version of an early Spitfire flown by one of true leaders of Fighter Command.

                                                                     Pablo Calcaterra