"What if" straight from the box! (Just picked up an AZ Spiteful today)

upnorth · May 28, 2009, 01:23:57 PM

Thanks sequoiaranger, but I think I'll be OK. I gave the kit canopy a dip in our Future like substance here and it did improve things enough that I think I can live with it.

NARSES2 · May 29, 2009, 03:18:30 AM

Well mines going together very well. Just a little attention to the instrument panel and the rear bulkhead (although you can't really see it when installed) and the bulk of the assembly is done.

PSR, paint and markings next week - this weekend is Rugby/Football/Rugby tommorow and Hendon Sunday

kitbasher · June 01, 2009, 02:22:12 AM

What a lovely little model. Just need the new Airfix Spits to come out (and live up to expectations), mainstream F22/F24 and Seafire F46/FR47 kits, Penelope Cruz scrubbing my back and my life will be complete!
I don't ask for much.

kitbasher · June 03, 2009, 01:17:50 PM

....but, I think it's a tad under scale. The wings seem about 3 mm too small in span, the canopy doesn't seem quite as big as it should, and the nose contours are very definately pinched compared to all of the Griffon Spits I've got in my stash. Disappointing, but hey ho, it'll still get built - and soon.
Anyone else think it's underscale?

upnorth · June 04, 2009, 01:47:29 AM

Quote from: kitbasher on June 03, 2009, 01:17:50 PM
....but, I think it's a tad under scale. The wings seem about 3 mm too small in span, the canopy doesn't seem quite as big as it should, and the nose contours are very definately pinched compared to all of the Griffon Spits I've got in my stash. Disappointing, but hey ho, it'll still get built - and soon.
Anyone else think it's underscale?

Ohhhh...Ohhhhh! Aren't we fancy! "I think it's a tad underscale" Well pardon me while I play my grand piano!!!

NARSES2 · June 04, 2009, 03:02:14 AM

Just measured her up and yes about 3mm short on span. Looks like a Spiteful to me and mine is now in the paint shop

When I spoke to Lee on Sunday he reckons it's the same as the Czech Master kit - not compared mine to the CM kit in the stash, but compared to the completed Magna kit I have the AZ kits span is shorter, length longer and yes the nose is not quite as broad, all the differences are very small, but then I never let the lack of a few millimetre get me down

upnorth · June 04, 2009, 04:00:00 AM

Well, considering how thin on the ground injection moulded Spitefuls are, you gotta work with what you're given.

Mossie · June 04, 2009, 04:07:36 AM

This is, of course, how the production versions would have turned out.....

sequoiaranger · June 04, 2009, 07:22:26 AM

>......but, I think it's a tad under scale. The wings seem about 3 mm too small in span, the canopy doesn't seem quite as big as it should, and the nose contours are very definately pinched compared to all of the Griffon Spits I've got in my stash. Disappointing, but hey ho, it'll still get built - and soon.
Anyone else think it's underscale?<

I think all three can be "rectified" fairly easily, considering that it is an injection-molded kit and not solid resin.

First, the wing span can be rectified with a little wingtip substitution. Find a Spit in your stash you can hack up, carefully saw both the Spite's and the Spit's wingtips so that when one is substituted for the other the 3mm discrepancy disappears, or make new wingtips out of stock. OR.... I could send you my wings from the Pegasus kit (I had offered you the canopy but got turned down).

Canopy-wise, you can Vac-form your canopy that will be a scoshe larger than the kit one, or I can send you mine to see if it's larger.

Pinched-nose problems can be dealt with by adding a spacer from stock. Figure out how much wider you would want it and put some spacers in at the nose, behind the spinner both under and over the nose. Then add thinner stock and/or putty on the way back to "normal" width. You will have to sand-to-shape the now-oblong nose so that the prop spinner will fit, and may have to add a thin disk of your spacer plastic to the back of the spinner to increase size slightly. The reason I had the two Pegasus Spitefuls for a Griffon Mossie whif was that the Testors/Hawk Spit 22 noses I had intended to use were "pinched"--at the time, $$ were no object, so I bought the Spitefuls.

If the slight off-scale (maybe it's actually 1/75 or something) bothers you, it's all do-able to correct.

kitbasher · June 04, 2009, 03:59:45 PM

Quote from: sequoiaranger on June 04, 2009, 07:22:26 AM
I think all three can be "rectified" fairly easily, considering that it is an injection-molded kit and not solid resin.

Yes, I agree, and please don't get me wrong, it is a lovely little kit and I look forward to building it.

Quote from: sequoiaranger on June 04, 2009, 07:22:26 AM
First, the wing span can be rectified with a little wingtip substitution. Find a Spit in your stash you can hack up, carefully saw both the Spite's and the Spit's wingtips so that when one is substituted for the other the 3mm discrepancy disappears, or make new wingtips out of stock. OR.... I could send you my wings from the Pegasus kit (I had offered you the canopy but got turned down).

I don't recall the canopy offer, sir. I've got a pair of Novo Attacker wings but they're going to be grafted on to a Spitfire XIV to produce Spiteful prototype NN660 - but before then they can provide me with a template along with some plans I have.

Quote from: sequoiaranger on June 04, 2009, 07:22:26 AM
Canopy-wise, you can Vac-form your canopy that will be a scoshe larger than the kit one, or I can send you mine to see if it's larger.

I've a Magna canopy available, so I need to see how well that matches up.

Quote from: sequoiaranger on June 04, 2009, 07:22:26 AM
Pinched-nose problems can be dealt with by adding a spacer from stock. Figure out how much wider you would want it and put some spacers in at the nose, behind the spinner both under and over the nose. Then add thinner stock and/or putty on the way back to "normal" width. You will have to sand-to-shape the now-oblong nose so that the prop spinner will fit, and may have to add a thin disk of your spacer plastic to the back of the spinner to increase size slightly. The reason I had the two Pegasus Spitefuls for a Griffon Mossie whif was that the Testors/Hawk Spit 22 noses I had intended to use were "pinched"--at the time, $$ were no object, so I bought the Spitefuls.

It's not just that itis a little narrow in plan, It looks as though it rakes down a fraction (tad?) too sharply from the indscree. Again. not a major issue as the nose contours can be be built up in any direction.

Quote from: sequoiaranger on June 04, 2009, 07:22:26 AM
If the slight off-scale (maybe it's actually 1/75 or something) bothers you, it's all do-able to correct.

I agree - it will be done!

kitnut617 · June 04, 2009, 08:32:47 PM

Quote from: kitbasher on June 04, 2009, 03:59:45 PM
I've got a pair of Novo Attacker wings but they're going to be grafted on to a Spitfire XIV to produce Spiteful prototype NN660

Oooo! I'm going to watch this one as I did just that some time ago before I discovered the internet, I built mine after seeing a photo of it in 'The Complete Book of Fighters'.

NARSES2 · June 05, 2009, 01:25:43 AM

I like that a lot

Knightflyer · June 05, 2009, 02:45:09 AM

Yes that is very nice!

One question does the Mk.XIV fuselage + the Attacker wings = the Mk.XXIII (Mk.23) Victor, or was it something completely different?

JayBee · June 05, 2009, 04:08:18 AM

Just got mine from Hannants, and if it is slightly small in some areas that is logical.
Mine is slated for the Spanish Civil War '46 GB if it goes ahead, and will be Republican.
Logical shrinkage, yep, it shrank in the wash, for as you all know from the old song, "The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly on the Planes". LOL.

JimB

sequoiaranger · June 05, 2009, 06:26:52 AM

kitbasher--I forgot that TWO of you were talking about the underscale Spiteful--I had offered a Pegasus Spiteful canopy to "upnorth" and *HE* declined, not you. Offer goes to you now. Heck, I could throw in the wings, too (though I don't know if they are millimeters off, as well), since I won't be needing them for my whif. Your call.

kitnit617--WOWZA! I *LIKE* that prototype. Somehow I just think the Spit/Spiteful series looks better with the "turtleback" canopy rather than the bubble. Nice work.