"Well, I think that should do it!"

I've finished the last two Airkit Spitfires that were on the go - one being an F21 that I got as part of a salvage lot:



It's the grey one with some green on the engine cowling.  The silver F22 is also an Airkit one and that had several goes with Mr Muscle to get the paint off.  I've tidied it up a bit and filled where necessary but I've yet to think of anything to do with it and I've done the courier/communications thing with the F21 twice.

And the other being one I got off Bungle in 2018 and didn't finish in time for Telford that year and it's been sitting there gathering dust. IIRC, it's in the same markings as the first Airkit Spitfire F21 I did back in 1990 and that's still about somewhere but as it's one of my oldest surviving models, I really don't have the heart to strip it and redo it.  Neither needed too much work other than the vacform canopies.  The next few on the completion list are a pair of Airkit Seafires, the 15 having priority as I don't yet have one completed, an Egyptian F18 and the 203 AFS F26.  These have been long term hangar queens and I want them done.

I've got the next few scheduled for decalling sitting waiting, but I'd really just like to carry on building!


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PS  The F.XII in the photo is a hybrid comprising parts from the Italeri V and IX and an unknown source Griffon cowling.  I suspect the vile Modelnews kit.

" Ah-hah! Just wait one moment, Michael."


Well, that's one milestone passed - the Seafire 15 (early) is finished, which means I only need to do a late Seafire 15 and a Seafire IIc and I've done the entire Spitfire family.

I've just put the finishing touches on the Airkit Seafire 15 and it looks better than I thought it would.  Of course, it was still fighting me to the end - the catapult spools for the underneath were so small and fiddly I just couldn't fit them and after one went ping into the distance, I decided to just stop there and then.  Technically speaking, it really needs an arrestor hook and possibly a whip aerial or two, but I'm calling it done.

So, what's next to finish?  The gypo F.18, because I want something simple!  Then probably the FR26, mainly as it really just needs a prop and teh seat and she's done.  Very happy with that one.


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"Okay, I'll change it, then! Hello, Cliff Richard!"

Well, I've got the PR Swift on the go.  Bearing in mind it's ye olde Hawk/Testors kit and basic in the extreme, it doesn't take much work.  Few minutes with a file to grout out the intakes, pop in the Airkit ducting and glue the fuselage together.  The nose was lopped off and on with the Airkit FR5 nose. Almost a perfect fit, so it's now got a fair bit of filler slapped on it.  I used the undercarriage to plug the holes in the wings where they actually go - I'm doing an inflight model as it's easy just to throw together.  The Testors kit is so basic that it's not really worth doing much else with it, especially considering the availability of the vastly superior Airfix kit. 

Depending on how it comes out, I may have a bash at another one, possibly in an NMF finish - IIRC, some of the Meteor PR10s wore that scheme so I can get away with it.  I think.

I still want to do a PR6 at some stage, but I flogged off my spare Airfix one a while back, and given that I have a spare Airkit nose I'm thinking about cutting of the nose of the Magna F.7 and using that as the basis for it.  I've ordered another Magna one from ebay to do a camo'd F7 toting Firestreaks.

I've also looked at sticking said PR nose onto an Attacker and one has had the relevant surgery.  Lo and behold it fits, although I'll need to do some filling underneath.  Given that I now need two of these noses, it's going for a bath in some moulding rubber, along with a few other Swift bits.  The intakes blanks from the Xtrakit Swift fit the Novo Attacker well enough to use and I've been meaning to mould them for some time.

I also cut out and sanded one of the Type 545 wings.  One was all I could manage as I was losing the will to live after all that sanding.  Hopefully, tomorrow should be just as sunny, so I'll crack on with the starboard wing tomorrow.  I've a set of spare Swift tailplanes, so I'll probably use those instead of the vacform ones. 




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"See?...God! Mike's floating! How's that done, then?"

The assembled - well, wings and fuselage anyway - Spitfire F22 floatfire is getting closer to primer.  Not much - the underfuselage strake is all sanded down to relative satisfaction and the rest of the bits should be going on tomorrow.  I've yet to find a suitable intake to replace the standard  undernose intake, so it may return to the backburner.

The early PR Swift is now assembled and awaiting multiple PSR sessions.  It's looking pretty decent and hopefully should be primed in a day or so.  I've the second partially assembled, but it needs a PR nose and thankfully, the bits are in a mouldbox awaiting rubber to be poured.  I've got the nose, two exhausts and the intake ducting in it.  I'm still thinking about how to do the ventral slipper tank - I did have a look on Colin's site but he's got none in stock currently.

I'm somewhat undecided about the second PR as I'm thinking more of converting it into an FGA instead - the Swift was largely useless as a fighter, being about as manouverable as a brick, but was pretty solid at low level so as a replacement for the Venom in the fighter bomber role it may have been a better bet.  IF I could get another Hawk/Testors Swift, I'd be laughing - there's a couple on ebay now but the sellers are charging way over the odds for a kit that at best is really only worth a fiver.  I certainly wouldn't go over that.

Haven't gone any further with the 510 but the 545's starboard wing is now sanded down.  I've decided to use a spare set of Swift tailplanes that was in the box of resin Swift bits instead of the kit parts - they're close enough to the plans I have and if anyone was to say they're wrong, well, MFM and if that doesn't work I have a more pithy response.

Part of me is tempted to drop the 545 wings into rubber to have a basis for the proposed production version, which looks something like an overweight F86D with a crescent wing.  I'd like a second, but I'm not paying the price Whirlybird are charging for the current release - 30 notes for a vacform of something roughly Hunter sized with a few resin bits is not a bargain.



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"You didn't know I was going to do that, did you?"

I've actually started a Spitfire, the first for three years. Nowt startling really, just an Airfix one that's going to be a 1960s RAF one.  It's spun off from something else I'm working on and will be potentially one of a trio - I only wanted to do the one, but ideas always get out of hand with me. I have a Heller low back that is assembled and without a user, plus a two seater that needs salvage work.

I already have a unit in mind, and a graphic for the unit badge, which I need to do some Photoshop work before asking Kit to do his thing.

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