Subject: Re: Spitfire build submission
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Nick" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 23:21:02 -0700

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: Nick 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 10:15 AM
  Subject: Spitfire build submission

  "Airfix 1/48th Spitfire Mk22" 

  by "Nick England"
  --------------------

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  Flashback about 3 years ago. I was in a bookshop, and saw some Airfix kits. Not built one of those in YEARS I thought, and as we were in the middle of a long, drawn out, quiet Dubai summer, I thought "I wonder what it might be like to build one?"

  So I did. I had a basic knowledge of kit building from childhood, and picking up a few tips from this site I found called ARC, I built this..

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  I thought it was great, and I was really proud of myself.

  I started buying a few more kits, and then the bug hit me. Once I had been on ARC enough, picking up tips, etc, I realized how many things I had done BADLY, and there were so many techniques I could have employed on the Spit that could have made it a real winner, that I thought, why not try it again? It's such a nice kit, it would be a shame not to try and do it some justice.

  So, I stripped the kit down with oven cleaner and then began the restoration project that took around six months on and off.

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  I wanted to finish it off as a bare metal Spitfire. Don't ask why. You just don't see too many around. It wasn't the easiest of finishes to complete, as there were various disasters along the build progress, but overall, as my first metal finish, I'm happy with it.

  I eventually decided on the idea of it being a Spitfire from No.1 Squadron of the Southern Rhodesian Airforce, Rhodesia, 1953. I had found out during research that their Spits could have been grey, but as I'm not a fan of grey planes, I decided to stick with silver instead. 

  The decals are Eagle Strike "End of the Line Mk 22/24, part 3" and the canopy's from Aeroclub (well the bubble is). The front part's the original Airfix one. The panel wash is Promodeller.

  If you're interested, there's a more detailed build thread here.. 

  http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=150024

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  Anyway. I hope you like it, and thanks for looking.

  Cheers,

  Nick

  Photos and text © by "Nick England"