The Wooksta! - The Plan, a Spitfire Blog

[The Wooksta!]

No spraying as yet - everything is going arseachingly slowly - realised that the areas around the rear canopies needed rebuilding, so the two Seafire 45s are waiting for filler to cure.  The HFVI needs the canopy cutting out, Spitefuls need doors and bulkheads.  Almost tempted to give up.

May just get these bits done today, start to spray tomorrow.  At least Xtracrylic dries sharpish...

Wheels are all done, as are the exhausts and the props are about halfway - all the spinners are done, some blades undercoated. I found I needed two coats of Xtracrylic for decent coverage so I've been doing the blades with Revell acrylic paint - I know in the past I've said I hated it - in general I still do, but quickly using a pot left lying about (probably from a Lancaster) I found the coverage decent and better than Xtracrylics so have decided to use it on a trial basis.

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[The Wooksta!]

About half of the spraying is done - with two exceptions (one of which will probably get axed...), all of the single colour stuff is done, although one needs a respray.  All of the two tone stuff has it's upper surface done, although the Med Sea Grey HF21 nearly went off a wall in frustration at the airbrush repeatedly clogging, despite the paint being more than thin enough.  I did get the uppersurfaces of the Avro Lanchester done, although a second coat along the fuselage top decking may be required.

At a guess, about half a dozen have yet to receive any paint, but that's a nice position to be in.  Nowhere near as good as last year, but I'm organised as I can be and it's been a turbulent year, so if the planning falls apart, then I won't be too upset.

Masking is now on the canopy for the Met Flight HFVI and the two last Spitefuls have the relevant missing doors created from plastic card.  All three have a date with the airbrush tomorrow.

Very happy with the finish on one of the Seafire 46s - first time I've sprayed with Tamiya paints (a cheap bottle from Modelzone's demise) and it went okay.

The hard copy of The Plan (2013) has been amended and those being culled are greyed out.  There's one late addition that isn't on it and for the third year running, the captured F22 in Luftwaffe colours has been deferred.  It was only started in 1992...


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[The Wooksta!]

Finally started the decalling and about a third at least now have some markings on - largely just the national markings until I can sort out serial and squadron codes.  The Spitefuls and Seafang are going to be nightmares as usual in that regard, although I could just nick a serial from a Sea Fury for the latter as I doubt anyone would notice.

Two or three have yet to have their undersides sprayed, but one I just don't care and the other two...  Nothing this year is desperately important - just being at Telford is amazing enough and having some new models to show off even better.

That said, quite a few I'm seriously unhappy with.  The Malaya F24 being the most hated, the Seafire F45s don't quite tick my 'Like' box either.  General finish, build quality.  You get the picture.  That said, I've seen far, far worse on display at Telford so I feel a bit better.

Three days left to do the decalling, varnishing on Monday.  Gives a day for final tinkering and pack on Wednesday.

Down to the wire.  Again.


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[The Wooksta!]

Time is now drawing very short indeed.  With one exception, all the decals are on, although I hthink one or two really need some numbers on them.  I may just leave them off as the Isreali PR one may not have had any due to their usual paranoid secrecy, whilst the Norwegian one because it was RAF operated and only had their markings as a cover.

The one exception is a desert schemed IIa - I did intend it as a hack but 60 Sqn SAAF originally wanted Spitfires as fighter recce aircraft - indeed, they demanded them - but got a pair of Mossies instead.  The plan was that they did get the Mosquitos but also managed to scrounge a hack and modified it locally for use as a PR machine.  Can I find the Airfix Vc with the decent SAAF markings in it?  Can I fairy cakes! The irony is that I saw it last week and can't remember which box it's in...

Varnishing tomorrow, then paint the u/c and tailwheels.  Sort out the canopies for the bubble tops and then start banging on the pre-prepared fiddly bits.

Maybe, just maybe.  I can get it all done, but again, it'll be down to the wire. Again.

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[The Wooksta!]

Well, it's been and gone.  In the end, there were some new models - largely the PR birds and the converted 19s.  Anything that didn't require too, much work to finish and in fact, they still need their tailwheels/pitot tubes sorting out.

Am I unhappy?  Not really.  If I'd had wednesday off, I could probably have finished everything I wanted done but given the events of the past year, just being at Telford was the important thing.  New models to display was a bonus.  

This one isn't new - one of the 2011 builds - but I don't think you've seen a pic of it yet:



The Airfix IXc converted to a Floatfire using the floats and tail from the Eastern Express floatfire.  Trust me, these are far superior to the relevant bits in the PM kit.  Tail is a bit thick though. I did use the same parts with an Airfix Vb but that was in one of the boxes that stayed here.  I've a part converted Vb with the horrid PM bits yet to see paint.


PR19_Kit did remark that he thought this year's Alternate Spitfire display was a little muted and on reflection that's probably true.  However, it did represent a reasonable amount of the last two years output and the fact that there wasn't more was down to sheer laziness on my part - I just cannot face unpacking, sorting into order and then repacking so many models. On top of that, the display is on my club's stand and had to be pruned slightly to get their models on the table.  I can't hog a whole club space for myself (Mind, if anyone at the club did/does complain then they'll be told in no uncertain terms, and no doubt with a lot of swearing, that next year they can fill the table themselves and I'll just not bother).  

I will confess that I really put out my own favourites, rather than follow any plan this year and most were the same small display I took down to the Southwell show a few weeks back.  Cheating?  Yes, but it's my display.  So there.

So, where do I go from here?  Well, finishing off this year's Telford laggards is in order and in most cases, it shouldn't take too much effort.  Tarting up a few in the boxes and some running repairs are also in order.  

After that, I think I'll put the Spits away and do a few other things for a while, perhaps finishing the numerous Tempest and Lancaster whifs that are cluttering the place, not to mention that Meteor PR3 that's kicking about.  And I *must* get the decals on the Lanchester.  Want that one finished for Huddersfield.

Then again, the long wing PR.VII is itching to be done.  Just wish I'd remembered what I wanted that Freightdog PRXI conversion for when I was at Telford!  Although given the number of MPM PR XI's I have stashed away, I may just tinker with that one instead.


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Photo with thanks to PhilP.

[The Wooksta!]

There were another two pics taken by PhilP of some of The Alternate Spitfire display models which I'd placed on the SIG display, if only to contribute something to the table.  As it was, they seemed to be in good company, with several by JayBee, Narses2 and A N Other (whoever they may be).

I would have posted them earlier, but couldn't find the links.  Some head scratching ensued and technology was sworn at, but we got there in the end. 

First up:



A four cannon mk IXc of the Polish Fighting Team in North Africa.  This used a spare set of cannons from another Airfix IXc (possibly the Acklington Station Flight high back XVIe which got four stubs) and the large blisters from the retooled KP IX.  Apart from that, straight from the box, although I have a suspicion that I should have used the smaller intake rather than the Aerovee filter...

I don't like the desert camo, because I always seem to have a problem with it, but this looks okay.

Second one is one I'm a lot happier with.



A 541 Sqn Spiteful PR15.  A reworked original tool Pegasus Spiteful, with my own resin tail surfaces, wheels and radiators, an Aeroclub Seafire 47 canopy and a Frog XIVe prop.  Of the four PR Spitefuls I did in 2011/2012 (and it's split because although I did the bulk of the work in 2011, I only finished them in 2012), this wasn't one of the favourites but it seems to be growing in my affections, possibly because of the scheme, possibly the glossy post war roundels. Must do another PR Spiteful at some stage, possibly using the Magna kit.

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Photos with thanks to PhilP.

[The Wooksta!]

After some searching, I did manage to find a photo of the 2013 Telford display posted on Britmodeller.



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Photo with thanks to Ørjan Utne.

[The Wooksta!]

Tall Eng's recent Spitfire two seater has impressed me so much that I'm going to have to steal the ideaand tweak it a tad:

Merlin - use a Heller 16 kit but use the big tail from the 18 and possibly the 22 tailplanes to cure the stability problems caused by the lower spine.  Obviously, the cockpit gets moved forwards.  I'd keep the guns, although the cannons may go and be replaced with .50 cals.  I'd add the underwing slippers.

Griffon - use the Fujimi kit as Keith did, or possibly one of the spare AZ fuselages I have lying about.  Possibly the same armament or I may just keep the cannons.  It'll get the contraprop to cure the stability issues. 

On reflection, the spare AZ fuselage is probably the way to go as I've a few of them (you don't say...) and I can find the rest in the spares box - I certainly have a spare CMR wing for it and some AZ tailplanes too.

Just a scheme and unit now.  Overall NMF with yellow trainer bands? 

Thinking about another whiffed 18 now as this thinking is proving fruitful.  An armament practice school or an advanced flying unit?  One of the pilot refresher units?  They did have 22s and an alternate scheme for an 18 is a good idea.  Don't have many whiffed 18s at the minute.

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[The Wooksta!]

Not a lot going on, apart from finishing off a few of the stalled Telford 2013 builds in time for 'uddersfield.  One that didn't make it got finished on the following day - I'd been given a bag of spares which included a set of Italeri 6 stack exhausts, so the BBMF Mk Ib got finished.  The AZ Seafang got there but didn't make the journey back - smashed u/c and prop.

Ideas?  Not many at the moment, although Tall Eng's recent F22 has me thinking - I really think that they'd have gone with the post war style markings and I have plenty of them, so I may do a variation on his idea.  There's some extremely subtle Mk Is planned, although I need to know when the armoured screen and 3 blade prop came in - was it post Sept 39?

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[The Wooksta!]

Time to update this methinks, although really there's little to say because I haven't been building anything.  That's not quite true, I've done some tinkering with a Heller 109C and done some minor assembly on the new Airfix Blenheim, but other than that, nothing since before Huddersfield.  No real interest.

However, came in last night and was determined to find something.  Couldn't find it but did find a Brigade mk 12 conversion.  I've got a few of these but they've been sidelined as they're intended to go with the Italeri Spitfires which are frankly garbage and not even fit to scavenge for spares other than the canopy.  So I decided to see if the bits would fit another donor.  The C wing uppers will fit the old Airfix Vb wing lower.  Good, got plenty of them and could do with a cheap Vc - the Airfix C wing is attrocious - but what about the 12 fuselage?

Hmm.  Tapes it up and offers to Airfix Vb wing.  Kind of fits, although the wing will need some minor surgery.  So far so good, that gives me a XIIb or c if I use the Airfix wing lower/Brigade wing uppers.  Then I tried the new tool Airfix Ia wing.  Even better fit, although some surgery required to the wing and a little sanding on the fuselage.  Will the Airfix interior fit?  Lot of sanding and grouting out but yes it will. 

Result!  I now have a wide option for early Griffon Spitfires, mainly mk IVs but also FR and PR hybrids.  Everything can be bodged without having to resort to using the Aeroclub fuselages.

I'm also starting to think about Telford and what I want to do this year in terms of Plan items and the SIG display.


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[The Wooksta!]

Been through the Spitfire spares box to find a set of Airfix Vb wings to play with and with the front fairing/lip/lower cowl removed, it's a nice fit onto the Brigade 12 fuselage.  Then a quick look for an assembled Airfix PR19 wing.  Again, some minor surgery and we're good to go. 

I'm not too sure about tailplanes, given that the fuselage is geared to go with the Italeri abortions, but the AZ Spitfire IXs all come with early and late tailplanes and the mounting lug looks similar, so I may be able to bodge it.

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[The Wooksta!]

"The invasion... it's begun!"

It's been a funny year and for various reasons I haven't done anything.  Little bit of tinkering here and there but no actual gluing.  I was still having ideas, but nothing serious and still buying kits although at a much reduced rate.  However, my creativity has returned... and with a vengeance!

Spitfires are now being thrown together with some speed as the clock is ticking for Telford.  A completely new and revised version of The Plan has been drawn up specifically for this year.  Apart from a Spiteful and the two Spitfire Tr's there's no holdovers from previous years.  I need to keep the numbers down too - the current job has unpredictable shifts that play havoc with a build programme, as I learned to my cost last year. This time it *will* be different and if anything isn't ready to spray by the cut off point, it gets axed.

The other thing I'm doing now, as long as the weather holds, is to photograph as many of the finished builds as possible.  Why?  Well, there's the projected book and also possibly sticking some on photobucket or one of the other online hosting sites.  But what I am going to do is a flip book, one Spitfire to a page with some brief modelling notes.  From the 224 through to the Attacker.  Basically because the whole display is simply too large to lug around - there's at least 15 boxes with 11 Spits in each - you do the maths!  It was a hard job getting them into a 12ft double depth space and an hour to sort out.  So, rather than scale it back, take them all but in a different format.  Most in the book and a box of my favourites plus a box of anything new.  Depending on the reaction to the flip book, I may just try and get that published.  I still need to start designing the pages, but have some ideas in mind already.  The modelling notes for quite a few are already done and in the can.

I've also been thinking more and more recently about slightly widening the scope of The Alternate Spitfire.  Not a lot, I grant you, but just a little.  I mean, the Attacker is in there and really it's there due to being an outgrowth of the Spiteful.  One or two suggested including the ill-starred Swift (of which more later), but I'm thinking more of the true alternates that were put forward to the same spec as the Spitfire, such as the Gloster F5/34, Martin Baker MB2 and the Vickers Venom.  I did gather the bits to have a stab at the Bristol 133 but they're buried somewhere deep in the stash.  Say Mitchell fell off the perch a few years early and never finished the Spitfire except as the halfway house between the 224 and K5054.

It's possibly more to add a little bit of interest and break up some of the display, because a table full of Spitfires is, well, a table full of Spitires to the untrained eye and only the afficianado can tell the difference between them.  And some are so subtle that you *really* have to study them to know why they're whifs.  Plus it's an opportunity to give the 30s section of the projected book a bit more depth.

Anyway, I'd really rather talk about the Swift.  I did some tinkering with the old Hawk/Testors Swift some months back, really just cleaning it up and getting the old Airkit resin intakes to fit.  Airfix are about to release their FR5 so it's perhaps time to finish this relic off.  Quickly glued it together, using the laughable u/c legs themselves to fill the holes and filling the engraved fin flash and some ejector pin marks on the wing.  I left the horrendously thick fences, partly through laziness but really, it is what it is, an old kit and if I want a bells and whistles Swift then the Airfix one is imminent.

As for a scheme.  Well, 74 Sqn were mooted to get the F2 at one point, so that's likely even though it breaks my rule on whifs getting the obvious squadrons.  Probably overall NMF but with a black fin.  Obvious?  Yes, but it is quick and I do have some 74 Sqn markings for Hunters I can steal.  I did briefly consider either 92 or 111 sqns using markings from other Hunter sheets, but again, these are terribly obvious so back to 74 Sqn.

The amount of money the RAF wasted on trying to get the Swift to be any sort of interceptor was horrendous and IIRC, production lines were being set up in Belfast to build a considerable number of Swift F4s.  The reheat never worked properly and it had all the agility of a brick but... The Swift was a very tough airframe and excelled in the low level tactical recce role.  Perhaps that toughness could have been used properly, turning the aircraft into a low level strike fighter?  After all, the Typhoon was crap at being an interceptor but excelled at blowing up German tanks and other such low level fun and games. 

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[The Wooksta!]

"Don't you understand? It's all up here in my mind. The information's here, but I can't reach it."

Right.  Update on progress... Mixed...

It happens every year.  I set a plan, with everything I want to do set out and every year something gets added.  Kind of.  What's happened this time is that I'd actually started pruning The Plan (2014) down to make it a tad more manageable - 3 Fujimi 14s which I'd forgotten what I wanted to do with them got axed, along with a Hobbyboss Vb and an Airfix Vb for similar reasons.  The proposed Tr.XVI is very likely to go the same way, although that does have the benefit of having the wings assembled... in 1991. Recycled bits!

Having done that, several more get added in a few days back (2 PRIVs and a mash up Tr.21 from a load of spares box bits and a resin 21 wing)  and then yet another today - idly test fitting a CMR HF7 wing onto a MPM PR19 fuselage only to find it fits and off we go with an HFXIVc.  See what I mean?  Mixed. Yet again.

Actually, it's not that bad.  Everything I want from the revised plan is closed up - ie fuselage together and wing on bar two.  These are the Xtrakit F.XII which will be a F.XIIe (and, worryingly, apart from cutting bits off the sprue, that's as far as it's got) and a PR.IV mash up (Airfix mk Ia new tool fuselage with Airfix PR19 wing) and that only needs a tad more sanding and the wing will fit.  I do have the PRIV which will end up in Battle of Britain markings as a taxiable extra in the film.  Lots of things have been covered with filler, so there'll be a lot of mess when I get sanding in a day or so.  Then tailplanes on and we repeat.

Any further additions?  I hope not, although if the promised F23 wings get handed over on saturday...  Well, all bets are off then.  Another one I added in at the last minute  was a Heller F.XVIe which may end up as a Navy target (they did use Mosquitos) in overall silver.  Simple scheme.

Timewise, anything which doesn't have it's wings on by sunday night gets axed whilst everything has to be together, filled and sanded and on it's u/c by Sept 15th, so it's ready to prime.  Depending on progress and pressures of work, I may bring that deadline forward to Sept 10th, so everything has to be primed, remedial sanding done and ready to spray by the 15th.  Doable.  Ideally, I want everything ready by the saturday prior to Telford, leaving a few days to finish off the few holdovers from previous years, two of which are two seat trainers which I really want finished as the two seaters aren't represented yet. I'm still undecided about the Tr.16 that got axed - the bits to do it are there and i was considering an overall yellow scheme similar to the ones worn by Mosquito trainers issued to RAuxAF units.  I may have to do the Tr.21 in that scheme due to the large amount of filler that comprises the fuselage - masking will involve tape at some point and undoubtedly, the filler will get torn off.

This year I will not be tinkering on the day prior to going. Sick of it really - I'm getting to old for all that 4am friday morning malarkey.  Just want to chill out, possibly go for a ruby and maybe a drink or two.

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[The Wooksta!]

"Time, Professor. It is all a matter of time."

Updatey type thing...

Well, everything is assembled and, bar one or two, all filled.  Everything is all primed, although as usual everything that's going NMF is primed in aluminium.  Still need to get a few canopies on and masked before I can start spraying, although those that are going aluminium are generally ready to decal.

As usual, my promises not to add anything into the plan fell through - two Airfix 19s got added at the last minute, although as these are easy to assemble and both going in overall PRU Blue so easy to spray.  Still have to cast a few 18 rudders for the contraprop aircraft.

Again, as usual, plans are fluid and there's a few that I *still* don't know what I'm doing with them.  The F.XVIIIe with the Spiteful tail is now going Aluminium in the absence of a proper idea - I'm now thinking Central Fighter Establishment hack but with Type D markings rather than Type C.  Rather pleased with that one.  There's a NMF Heller XVI that I haven't a clue as how to finish - there's still two from last year! - but I'm thinking about 6 Sqn in Cyprus as they did have some rather beat up Hurricanes before they got the Tempest VI.  I had considered the Airfix IX converted to an VIII but that's going to be a Pakistani aircraft in desert colours.

I'm actively thinking about axing some now rather than later to ease the spraying load, so the Academy 14 and an Airfix Vb that's become a VI face the chop.  The former because I hate the kit and also because it needs a big rudder and contraprop, both of which I have in limited numbers.  There's one that was converted to a 21 that needs the prop more urgently.  The latter because I can't face the vacform canopy, TBH.

Most of the smaller bits - wheels, props, exhausts - are largely done.

So, compared to last year I seem to be in a reasonable position.  Plenty to do, but I'm fairly organised this year and I don't have the added complication of a new job to contend with too.  I still have to work around shift patterns, but apart from that, I'm confident that everything I want to do this year is achievable.

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[The Wooksta!]

"It's started!"

No, not the airbrush - although the workroom has been reconfigured for spraying - but several aerosols.  With one exception, all the NMF ones are done, including an Airfix Vb that was going to be a hack but is now a 6 Sqn aircraft.  Two Malta based aircraft now have their uppersurfaces done, thanks to a can of £1 paint from Poundworld - the top looked similar to Dark Sea Grey so I took a chance on it.  It's somewhere between Dark Sea Grey and Extra Dark Sea Grey - too dark for the former, not blue enough for the latter - but if explained away as a temporary colour sprayed on whilst aircraft in transit to Malta were aboard a carrier?  Then again, sunlight and salty air can have odd effects on paint.  One I had envisaged in EDSG and Sky, but the thought of Azure blue underneath won out and I'll add Dark Slate Grey on top too.  It's a lovely scheme which I've used before and was rather keen to use again, although not on Spitfires.

Looking through Alan Lake's "Flying Units of the RAF" revealed the proposed use of the Spitfire PRXI by a Met Flight unit.  Rather handy as I've one on the go, although now I'm considering overall PRU Blue and said unit's code letters rather than the MSG uppers/PRU Blue lowers with the high demarcation line and Type D markings I was planning on.  Back to the time factor again, but I've several MPM PRXIs in the stash and they're not difficult to obtain - my LHS has one I can lay my hands on fairly quickly.  I had considered using PR.Xs in a similar role - their pressurised cockpits would make them a bit more comfortable for the role and post 1945, they were surplus.  PRU Pink with Type D markings?  Seems an eye catching scheme.

I was reading through the book to check on something with regards to code letters allocated but never used - I had planned a pair of early Spits with two such squadrons but as usual my imagination goes into overdrive and I planned a few more.  In addition, there's an Airfix Mk Ia that's built and painted but never finished, so that'll fit with the same unit as a training hack.  The same info also helped me make a decision with regard to a built Airfix Vb that I really can't remember what I had planned for it.  My short term memory is shocking these days.

Back to 6 sqn.  I had promised myself that I wasn't going to start anything else - the cut off point has well and truly passed - but I almost started a pair of Airfix F22s, one of which would end up with 6 Sqn.  The Vbs I'm giving them in 46 to replace their beat up Hurricanes would be replaced with low back 9s or 16s and then F22s later on.  In the real world, they went from the Hurricane to the Tempest 6, which is quite a jump in performance. 

It would seem that I'm building several mini themes within a larger narrative.  The Alternate Spitfire is a good catch all for these, much as The 1946 Berlin Airshow was a good catch all for the Luftwaffe stuff I was building in the late 1990s, which some of the older hands may well recall.  I *really* wish I knew what happened to the Fw 3x1000 delta and the Ar 96B Nachtjager.

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