The Wooksta! - The Plan, a Spitfire Blog

[The Wooksta!]

Attackers.  I now have more of these than I can shake a stick at, thanks to several Ebay wins and also a deal with DaveT on Britmodeller which netted me a total of twenty complete airframes plus miscellaneous bits.  Some of these were two sets of wings which I'm thinking of combining with some Frog/Novo Spitfire 14 fuselages and spares from the Special Hobby Spitfire F21/F24 (mainly rudders and canopies) to do a pair of Sea Victors.  I may do one flying to make life a little easier.

Most of the fuselages were assembled and as they didn't have any intake trunking or blanking plates, all of which had to be cracked open.  That's now done, with varying degrees of damage.  One complete fuselage half has been written off, but thankfully there was a spare half sitting in the Attacker spares bin - the other half had shattered when I was trying to grout out the cockpit.

I'll need to get casting, as I'm almost out of belly tanks and canopy plugs.  However, I'll need to do some moulding too - one of the ebay wins was part started with an old C Scale Attacker FB2 upgrade set.  Lots of nice useful bits in it, including an FB2 canopy, tailplanes and a vacform belly tank.  


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[The Wooksta!]

I've started the book.  Well, the preliminary layout mock ups anyway.  The writing will come later, although I've got some of teh modelling notes over the past few days.

Should have something to show off in a few weeks time at 'uddersfield.

[The Wooksta!]

No updates for a while as I'm doing a tour on Lancasters.  However, I've found time th'neet to advance a pair of Attackers - they're already decalled so it was just a case of painting the exhausts and the canopies.  Haven't got the back room configured for spraying so their final matt varnish will have to wait a tad longer.

Also did some running repairs - a 2TAF FRXVIIIe got it's canopy sorted and the tailwheel replaced.  The Seafire XVII finally got some tailwheel doors and the Xtrakit F22 got the entry hatch replaced.  Not sure if I actually fitted it originally but then I *really* hated building that kit so if I didn't, I'm not surprised.

At the mo, an Isreali low back IX has it's rudder curing before I finally get the stripes on it.

Not a lot, but gets another few out and ready to display. 


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[The Wooksta!]

After I posted that, I managed to get another pair of Telford hang overs finished off, both 16s.  Well, one was a 16, t'other was a late IXe low back.  

The former was a Polish FR16, built with a Heller kit kindly donated by PR19 Kit.  Proper markings but with the subtle addition of a camera port just aft of the cockpit.  Don't know why it never got finihed as after the rudder, there was nowt else to do on it.  I had intended to fit a resin Freightdog rudder but found that I hadn't corrected the height of the fin, so had to go hunting through the spares box to find a Heller fuselage to cut the rudder off.  Quick bit of gluing and painting (grey/green primer) and it was done.

The Egyptian LF9e was a bit more involved but at a similar stage, although I still hade the canopy to do and the prop to sort out also.  The former took a few minutes and another Heller rudder was found after some more frantic searching in the spares bin, but given that it was fast approaching 4am saturday morning and I *really* needed the sleep, I took the easy step of using a preprepared Airfix IX prop with a yellow spinner rather than faff about with the (correct) Heller prop with a white spinner.  It was assembled and the spinner half painted and I knew it would take too long to do.  Well, a blind man and David Blunket won't tell the difference and I only glued it in place with white glue, so should I find the time to get it finished, it'll take seconds to replace.

Sunday's Northern Model Show saw the first (and likely last) full display of everything finished for The Plan.  Why?  Well, given that there are 13 boxes, each containing a minimum of 10 models, plus a pair of shoeboxes with another 5 each, they're an arseache to tovey about.  In addition, unpacking to display and then sorting them into some semblance of correct order is also problematical.  It took an hour to do, although it did look very impressive when finished, especially with raised plinths and a back shelf.  Even so, the export section had to annexe part of the What If SIG display area.  As I'd arranged the display to have the exports/foreign operators at that end, I had the overspill being largely Isreali.

Another reason for taking the main display down in size is that some models are old and looking very tatty plus there are several more that I was never happy with to start with.  Three of the Spitefuls have a date with some Fairy Power Spray after they've been photographed as they need bringing up to standard.   The one that I'd rather not retire just yet is the Supermarine 224 but some of the paintwork is looking iffy and I'm sure it's due to using superglue as a filler.

I entered three into the competition, more to bulk out the numbers than any intention of winning and was quietly surprised to win both classes I'd entered.  Second year in a row too - the Speed Spiteful winning last year.  One of the ironies is that I nearly entered the Seafang last year. Wonder if I can pull a hat trick and win next year?  Nice to think so, but somehow I doubt it as I can only see Lancasters in the immediate future, although there's a pair of Attackers that need decalling soon.

One thing I did find in the spares box - but frustratingly not enough - were several Pegasus Spiteful sprues.  These contain all the bits I generally replace and I've been thinking of using the supercharger intake as the oil cooler blisters on the Centaurus Lanchester.  I wanted something similar to those on the Bristol Brigand and my mould of the Brigand bit is both old and only has one item on it - the Lanchester will need eight.  Okay, the Spiteful intake is much bigger, but I can explain that away as "tropical filters".  however, I only found six sprues, even though I *know* that there are more to be found.

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[The Wooksta!]

Well, it's official - the Lancaster phase is over - for now anyway.  I have just cut the bits of the sprues for 4 PR19s and I've a feeling there's more follow.  One's a model I planned for last year but dropped at the last minute (Norwegian), two are to be 607 (entry and exit of service, so two different schemes) and the last will be another that I'd planned for last year but somehow morphed into a 2TAF aircraft - clipped wings, contraprop, big rudder, low level cameras and all in the post war Intruder scheme.

So, having started that, it was time to resurrect the hard copy of The Plan, and proceeded to cut it down to size.  Having done so, I was still over two A4 sheets.  No doubt some more judicious pruning is in order, although quite a few of the ones remaining actually have paint on them - a few even have decals and varnish.  A target of a maximum of twenty, but no doubt I'll start getting more ideas along the way.

Speaking of ideas, I had a few on friday, after seeing a photo in the Morgan/Shacklady "bible" but I'm not going to say much else except that I don't think that anyone's done anything like this before.  This started me thinking of more hybrids and test fitting some bits got me thinking about the back story for yet another....  Must stop.  Really.

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[The Wooksta!]

Not a lot of updates to this recently, largely because I'm simply too knackered to do any real modelling - breakfasts are killing me at the minute and over 8+ hours a day on my feet is starting to grate.  Reason being is that I have a new job.

Hmmn, August is nearly over and this time last year construction was almost finished.  This year, I've barely started and having pruned the already cut down plan even further leaves me with no fewer than 20 models to do.  Far too many, even if at least four have their decals on and require minimal work to finish.  I think it'll have to be pruned again to something a bit more manageable, so basically anything already painted and decalled or a mix of Airfix 19s and 22s, although there's a started Hasegawa VIII that will be done.

But there's other things that should be finished first.  Would it be better to just crack on with them, because they're assembled (the early Sea Hurricane idea mentioned in another thread) primed (various Lancasters) and in some cases painted and decalled needing final work (at least two Tempests plus a Meteor, but that's likely to get stripped anyway as I was never happy with it) or carry on with The Plan?

Need to make a decision one way or another - and very soon.

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[The Wooksta!]

Well, I've decided to do a VERY limited version of The Plan and no more than ten but possibly 15, the latter being the largest possible number I can do in the limited time available.  A month max to get all the construction done and then another month for all the painting, leaving a few days to do some final tinkering.

It's also going to be limited to some easy builds, meaning Airfix 19s and 22s, although some of the latter are being converted - one is using the Freightdog bits as a Seafire 46, although I'm saving the cannons for something else as it's going to be a rather polished hack.

One or two that are kicking about in my head are hybrids but may need a little more work than I'd like, although swapping fuselages about with a couple of AZ kits may prove to be the answer.  Th alternatives are either CMR using their 22 with a spare IX wing or the Ventura kits which I do know are cross kittable. 


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[The Wooksta!]

First of September and it's been a construction day.  An HF21 started (Airfix 19 with my resin wing and some spare F22 bits) - it's getting a contraprop, big rudder, slipper tanks and short barrel cannons to take on Ta 152s.  Plus that nice high altitude day fighter scheme.

Whilst looking for the bits, I dug out an extra wing or two as I fancy another FR21 but unsure of what scheme or markings it may end up in - 2TAF is so last year - although a Seafire FR45 is tempting and I have the requisite spare bits.

Not one but two Airfix 22s have been allocated for conversion to Seafires - found a lovely scheme that I wanted to copy.  One had two undercarriage sprues, so another kit got opened and I'll use it for spares.  The Seafire mentioned above will get the spare doors from a SH Spitfire 21 as well as the hook attachment - I don't have enough of Colin's conversions but I know I've plenty of spare contraprops and I can live with the Airfix wheels.

Also dug into the box of half built Spitefuls and pulled one of mine out with attached Pegasus wings.  Again, another Ta 152 chaser in the MSG/PRU Blue scheme.  Tailplanes on, plus slipper tanks and I'll use the drop tank from the Freightdog 46 conversion.  That may end up getting primed in a day or so.  I've been thinking about this one for a while. 

I know there's a number of part started Spitefuls that wouldn't take much effort to turn round but I also need a late model Seafang, if only to do the Dutch one I've been planning.  Wonder where the part started AZ one is?

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[The Wooksta!]

Not a lot to report as the day job seems to be getting in the way - breakfasts are a killer.  Have got some fuselages closed up and the wings on.  Off on wednesday so I foresee a lot of sanding being done.

The AZ Seafang is together and it's a far superior kit to their abysmal Spiteful.  The fuselage seems chunkier.  I still prefer the Magna kit, although that has problems of it's own.  I did dig out a part started one but I doubt it'll get any further than the cockpit getting painted black.

The fuselages of everything I want to do are by and large closed up apart from 3 Airfix F22s and an Airfix Mk Ia being crossed with a PR19 to get  PRIV.  The former takes the latter wing, so with a Falcon PR canopy and the Rotol prop from either 3D or Airfix, I have a PRIV without having to spent Sword money.  The PR19 wing is spare as it was left over when I was converting the 19 into a Seafire 45.

Had a quick flip through one of the Commando comics recently and found a PRVII.  Now this is an HFVII but as a PR machine.  Conversion looks to be a fairly simple one crossing the Airfix IX and XIX but needing a few extra bits.  May look into this one a bit more closely...


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[The Wooksta!]

Well, getting a bit closer.  All the fuselages are closed up with the wings on and I've reached a cut off point  - nowt else is going into the build programme now.  Doesn't help with the last minute addition of a pair of Airfix Vbs.  Both are FR versions, one being a cannon armed PR1G in PRU Blue and the other being a late Vb (with the mk IX tailplanes, canopy, six stub exhausts and four blade prop) and will be a traning machine attached to 16 Sqn and in overall PRU Pink.  The PRIV mentioned in the last entry will be similar - with the same mods as the pink Vb, but with a modified PR19 canopy as I found that it fitted the Aifix Ia (old tooling) with a modicum of surgery.  Med Sea Grey and PRU blue for that one with post war markings, although I'm leaning more towards overall PRU Blue for speed.

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[The Wooksta!]

Construction is very nearly over.  Everything is now on it's u/c with one exception (a Hasegawa mk VIII) so if the weather's nice tomorrow it's out into the back garden to do some priming.  One or two are going aluminium - certainly one of the Seafire 46s but possibly the contraprop 45 also.  I'm not quite sure quite what I want to do with that and I'm leaning more towards an aluminium scheme with post war roundels as a station flight aircraft at possibly Culdrose.  Ditto the AZ Seafang as I did want to Dutch in a Sky/EDSG with the low demarcation but again, aluminium is quick and I'd like one in a stripped and polished scheme - the Magna kit is a bit rough for an NMF scheme.

Final question - is anyone still following this thread?

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[The Wooksta!]

Got two Spitefuls primed but progress today has been somewhat slow, although pretty much everything is ready to prime, barring the Hasegawa VIII mentioned upthread.  There's also a Heller XVIe that I did have plans for but can't remember what they were - possibly an Italian low back IXe in NMF - it's together and just needs an u/c.  May just finish it off to get rid of it.  Italian or Egyptian markings perhaps.

Cut off point for construction is tomorrow, so as usual, there's some latecomers, this time a pair of XIXs have just been thrown together - they'd been part assembled and the interior's painted and given that both will end up in PRU Blue (with Norwegian and FAA markings), they shouldn't prove too much trouble.  Having said that, I am considering South African markings for one, but in their two tone grey scheme with Type D style markings.

Whilst prepping the PRIV for priming, I did have an idea to do it in BoB colours  but with some fictitious codes as though it was one of the aircraft used in the film.  That's a possible small subset collection - whiffed Spitfires used in films.  Certainly one worth considering.  I know I want to do an He 111  with Merlins in Luftwaffe colours but with RAF markings overpainted, ditto a Buchon.

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[The Wooksta!]

Everything is now primed, barring an FR.Vb and two 19s, and much of the remedial work has been done and reprimed.  Again, typical of me, another latecomer but again, thrown together from part assembled components - another PR.IV.  With a modicum of surgery to the fuselage, the wing from an Airfix 19 will fit and the 19 canopy will also fit the Airfix Ia (old tooling though) with some alteration.  

Now this isn't quite a PR.IV, as the canopy alone is incorrect (should have the side blisters).  It also has the later u/c, four spoke wheels, mk IX tailplanes with the enlarged elevators, Aerovee filter and will probably end up with a four blade prop.  Just remembered I need to fit the Coffman starter bulge on the already primed model - oops!  Backstory?  Rebuild PRIV with mods given to late mk Vs and then used as a hack by one of the PR units post war. The second one on the go will get the pointy fin and because - as usual - the ideas were flowing and enthusiasm was kicking in, I dug out enough spare bits to assembled a THIRD although this would end up in BoB colours for my small but growing collection of whiffed Spitfire survivors as extras in the film.  I've even toyed with a highback F22 sans guns.  That'll really confuse people, although bearing in mind that the two PR19s that were with the BBMF were used, it isn't that far a stretch.

Somewhere I have a assembled Aeroclub MK 12 fuselage conversion mated to an Airfix Ia wing as an early Griffon Speed Spitfire.  Very tempted with it now in PRU colours instead.  Really must dig it out, although I'm not adding that into the programme because I doubt that there's time, although an overall PRU blue scheme is easy to do.  Just means adding more wheels and yet another prop to sort out, not to mention PR canopies.

Another idea that's got me thinking is an Airfix F22 in the air race colours applied to one of 41 Sqns F21s, either as a genuine aircraft (and I am considering a 41 Sqn F22 but in MSG/PRU Blue colours - their Hornets were delivered in that scheme and that's another sort of whiff I've been planning) or a warbird.  Again, another one for post Telford due to time constraints, although maybe not...

Warbird hybrids are an interesting area to mine for potential whiffs and not just for Spitfires.

Mention earlier of a low back XVIe reminded of me that's already sitting in NMF in a box from last year - another stalled one - and it's one I really should as I remember buying it.  It was only later in the day that I found it had belonged to a member of one of the Yorkshire clubs who had sadly passed away shortly prior to February 2000. I'd known Ken Oxley well enough for some pleasant chats over the years at various shows, so it deserves to be finished, if only as a small tribute to remember him by, so I may have to do it in real markings.  May try to find something a bit more obscure though.

With the bulk of the priming done, I'm hoping to get a start to the spraying on either sunday night or Monday afternoon.  Need to fit canopies and start masking too.  Thankless task that one, as is painting wheels.  Another job for sunday night, although most of the hubs are done, they're still sprued up and thus need snipping and sanding off.  Don't enjoy that although about a third are done.  Also found some finished ones in a box left from last year.  Result!

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[The Wooksta!]

I really must stop looking for bits, because I keep turning up airframes that are together and just need minor work to get them to primer stage.  Obviously, there's that Heller 16 mentioned upthread (Italian or Egyptian) but then I found a crosskit Airfix IX with a XIX wing that I think may have been going to be an XI at some stage.  However, I did a hybrid Isreali machine ad wanted to do it later in it's career so I've dragged that out too.

The air race 41 sqn F22 is now underway.  This adding things in has got to stop.  

All the wheels sprayed so far are now cleaned up and ready to be mounted.  There's a half dozen or so sets to be sprayed, largely from the airframs that I've just added to the programme.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtVhIQ4e9fo

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[The Wooksta!]

Priming is finally finished, canopies for the most part are now all on and the bulk of them are now masked.  Everything that's going in an NMF finished is at the stage where the decals can go on.  Fingers crossed I can get some of the paint on this weekend as all the single colour schemes (ie PR/FR machines) should be ready to decal by Tuesday - wednesday night at the latest.  Thankfully I have Tuesday and Wednesday off.  

IIRC, there's only about four with a three tone scheme and one of them I'm seriously considering binning: it's a Hasegawa VIII which appears to have been warped as the rear fuselage is out somewhere.  Really dislike that kit and I'm considering using an Airfix IX with the Freightdog conversion.

The Heller 16 which I'd mentioned I had already painted has been located - along with another pair.  How many more did I leave unfinished?  Don't answer that one.

Time is running out and I'm seriously behind.  The numbers may have to be pruned.  Drastically.

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