Some Soviet Spitfires - Float Spitfire & Some WIP Added

[McGreig]

And now for something a bit different, involving a (small) amount of kitbashing.

This the Airfix 1/72 Mk.IX converted into a floatplane by using the floats from the PM Mk.V kit.
The beaching trolley is a white metal item from the long-gone Esoteric Models.

The model was made for the Anthony P Memorial Build but it also seems a good idea to post it here as part of the revival of this Soviet Spitfire thread. For the backstory see:  http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,39027.0.html

[McGreig]

Some work-in-progress for this topic:

Another Airfix Mk.Vc. This will be finished in an early to mid war black and green scheme, like a LaGG-3 or LaG-5.



Another Airfix Mk.IX. If I can find suitable decals for the number painted on the rudder, this will be a real-world scheme.



Having read rave reviews on several modelling sites, I made the mistake of buying two resin CMR Spitfires (Canadian Mk.IX and Mk.IX two seat trainer) at Telford a couple of years ago. Now, I'm prepared to believe that these might be the last word in accuracy, but they are over-engineered and no fun to build.

However, one saving grace of the Canadian Mk.IX is that it comes with three wings, one standard and two clipped. The wings are one piece mouldings (the problems of over engineering, fragility and poor fit are, to be fair, restricted to the fuselages) and I thought that I'd use the spare wings on some old Matchbox Spitfires. This required rather more cutting and filling than I'd expected but it seems to be working. The model is intended to be finished in a white-tailed scheme based on real-world high-backed Mk.IXs.



Finally, for now, I'm also working on a KP Mk.IX, an Italeri Mk.IX and an AZ Mk.IX UTI. The KP kit (the one that's almost complete) has been a bit of a disappointment so far. I remember when this first appeared (in the early Eighties?) that it was the most accurate 1/72 kit available and my memories of building it were quite positive. Unfortunately, this example had very poor fit and has needed a lot of filling and sanding. However, as I found it in my stash with no box or instructions, I can't tell how old it is or where it came from and it may be that it is a relatively recent moulding and that the problems arise from wear and tear on an aging mould. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to be doing with this – maybe real-world Czech.



The AZ UTI is basically a nice kit but is spoiled by the wings (this seems to apply to all the AZ Spitfires that I've seen) being moulded as clipped. This means that, not only do you have to add the standard wing tips but that you also have to cut off the moulded-on clipped wing tip before you can do this. Not exactly advanced modelling, but irritating and not always as easy as it looks to get a good result. Also the standard tips have to be butt joined and they don't match the existing wing profile that well. I've lined mine up so that the upper surface match is good with filling and scraping being restricted to the underside.

On the plus side, the UTI comes with an attractive ready-made whiff scheme for a blue/white/red DOSAAF trainer.

More on these in due course, work, holidays and children permitting - - - -

[NARSES2]

Having read rave reviews on several modelling sites, I made the mistake of buying two resin CMR Spitfires (Canadian Mk.IX and Mk.IX two seat trainer) at Telford a couple of years ago. Now, I'm prepared to believe that these might be the last word in accuracy, but they are over-engineered and no fun to build.

Have to agree with you there mate. Look terrific but are a bit of a pain to build