Supermarine Spitfire Eland A-19 for Kitnut ++FINISHED ++

[McColm]

I'm using the Brengun 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Vb floatpane kit plus some spare parts. The kit has options for the landing gear and three variations can be built. Having used the floats and vertical tail fin on the Gloster Gladiator Eland build, most of the remaining parts will be used.
Devoid of the cockpit, I had a go but it was too fiddly for me so I have glued the clear canopy  (option of two but the other one doesn't fit as well). The fuselage halves have been cleaned up and glued together, the other vertical tail fin glued in place and the exhaust pipes from the Revell Fairey Rotodyne with the awkwardly cut engine front end is now drying.
I will attempt to add the skis from the Airfix Gloster Gladiator Finland option.

[McColm]

Skis fitted and steady progress PSR.

[kerick]

Interesting. Carry on!

[McColm]

A little bit of work.

[McColm]

"Houston, we have a problem ". I don't know how that indentation got there on the wing, a bit of colour to highlight the parts that need more PSR. I've gone for the sportier lower ski height.





Backstory

There was a demand for a turboprop version of the Supermarine Spitfire for the use on the Air Racing Circuit, several countries were interested so a conversion by SJMcColm Engineering Ltd started using the MkVs fitted with the Eland turboprop engine.
The Eland Mk2 was fitted with wingtip fuel tanks and a larger vertical tail fin, the Mk2A became the two-seater.
This didn't go unnoticed by the Air Ministry and the USNAVY, primary as two-seater training aircraft but later adapted to COIN and then flying SANDY missions during the Vietnam War.
Sweden, Finland and Canada fitted skis to theirs whilst over in Iceland the RAF found that the skis could be used on water if the conditions were right for take-off and landing, confined to lakes and canals. Trials were also carried out on the North Pole and British Antarctica but reverted back to training duties in Blighty.
 In the 1970s with new lighter materials and modern avionics SJMcColm Engineering Ltd was granted a licence to build the Eland Mk3 and Mk3A. These were new builds using existing components as templates, customers could ask for longer wings and fuselage extensions, this ended up as the Eland Mk4 and Mk4A which was slightly wider than the original design with alternative turboprop engines, by the early 1990s carbon fibre and Teflon had been incorporated into the latest versions. Sales had been steady with 250 examples sold,  rebuilds and refurbishment.
The Eland Spitfire was found to be good at ground attack or ground support which could be launched from an aircraft carrier, a bolt-on in-flight refuelling probe could increase the range and endurance . The British Mk5s were fitted with kevlar to protect the pilot from ground fire, the number of Mk5s is unknown but a disclaimer made by the MODUK says 50 airframes are available, as and when required.
The American Military have shown an interest in developing a ground attack version to suit their needs,  either refurbishing the remaining USNAVY aircraft or ordering the new builds.

[kerick]

The indent on the wing is probably too much glue inside the wing eating its way out.
I keep seeing a car in the pics with number 92 on it. Are you building a Rolls Royce love bug?
I love the Spit on skis!

[McColm]

The indent on the wing is probably too much glue inside the wing eating its way out.
I keep seeing a car in the pics with number 92 on it. Are you building a Rolls Royce love bug?
I love the Spit on skis!

That is a 1/24 Tamiya Jaguar Mk2, which is being converted into a coupe 2 door. The rear wheel arches are from a Matchbox Ford Mercury Capri Mk1. The engine might be replaced with a V8.

[McColm]

The brush marks give that weathered and well used look, decals have been applied and ordinance added.
Not quite there yet and needs a wash of exhaust, oil and other oily lubricants.

[McColm]

Paint it black.
I've gone down the route of painting it matt black all over and its turning out better than I expected, I'm still sticking with the USAF markings, apologies for the wrongful application of the decals. I should have checked the correct positioning.