Supermarine Spiteful and Seafang

[kitnut617]

I had a look but couldn't find if there was a thread dedicated to these two aircraft (Mod's, if there is I apologies and please move to the appropriate thread).

I bought the AZ Models 1/72 Spiteful and Seafang recently and I was interested in how these models are.  I think it's been mentioned that the Spiteful is a little short (it's also under span too) but after doing some checking and comparing, my opinion is it's just a different scale.  This is because it matches the 3-View I've been using lately, but only after I reduce the size of the 3-View and I found it matches it quite well if the scale is equal to 1/73 scale.  Not a lot of difference really.

From that I had a look at the Seafang, I was expecting to see some additional parts and some modifications to do to the Spiteful kit. Well, not at all, it's a completely different kit, aaaannnd --- it is 1/72 scale.  That's because the kit is just that little bit bigger than the Spiteful kit plus the engraved paneling is much more refined and also changed in some areas which actually looks more correct.

[rickshaw]

Might make it a little difficult to display side-by-side?  Is the size difference really noticeable?

[NARSES2]

Interesting observations. I put my Spitefull on the plans in Aircraft of the Fighting powers and saw that the spinner diameter was correct and the fuselage a trifle narrow. Didn't notice the length issue and definitely haven't compared to the Seafang. On my next Spitefull I will simply cut the one piece lower wing in two replace place a shim of card between the two halves and use card to pad the forward fuselage out to match the spinner - seemples, I hope ?

Definately need to get my Seafang out now and compare

[Aircav]

I know I was scaling up some plans from Aviation News for the Sopwith Baby, if I went by the engine cowling diameter the rest of the aircraft was too big and if I went by the span the engine cowl was too small, so after a bit of digging I found a drawing in the Flight International archive which looks like it was taken from the original works drawings and after scaling up both measurements turn out right, a lot depends on how accurate the drawings are to start with. Isn't the Spiteful rear fuselage the same as a late mark Spit?.

[kitnut617]

Interesting observations. I put my Spitefull on the plans in Aircraft of the Fighting powers and saw that the spinner diameter was correct and the fuselage a trifle narrow. Didn't notice the length issue and definitely haven't compared to the Seafang. On my next Spitefull I will simply cut the one piece lower wing in two replace place a shim of card between the two halves and use card to pad the forward fuselage out to match the spinner - seemples, I hope ?

Definately need to get my Seafang out now and compare

Your plan with the wing would work Chris, but I wouldn't add any more the the forward fuselage. Compared to my Airfix Mk.22 (and taking into account it's under scale), the nose might be a tad too long. If you're going to extend the fuselage, do the rear from just behind the frame that mounts the seat.  Something interesting with the Spiteful and Seafang comparison, the cockpit opening on the Seafang is further forward ---

[kitnut617]

Might make it a little difficult to display side-by-side?  Is the size difference really noticeable?

I don't think you can notice the difference when the models are built Brian, it's just when you start matching parts from one kit with the corresponding part on another kit (which I tend to do ---  )  My plan is to built my Spitfire Mk.21 and the Spiteful OOB, then display them with my Seafire (Hybrid) Mk.45 in between them.

[kitnut617]

Isn't the Spiteful rear fuselage the same as a late mark Spit?.

It's my opinion it's the same as a Mk.VIII, Mk.XIV or MK.21, from the frame just behind the seat in the cockpit to the frame where the tail assemble is joined on.  Also all of the fuselage forward including the engine and prop that is under the horizontal panel line that's half way up the side.  The only thing that changes is the top line of the forward fuselage --

(see here)

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,36310.0.html

[kitnut617]

Interesting observations. I put my Spitefull on the plans in Aircraft of the Fighting powers

Me too, but it wasn't the 3-View I used.  I have now six or seven 3-views of the Spiteful thanks to my friends Steve Gardner and Jon Car Farrelly, but unfortunately four of them just don't represent a Spiteful very well at all.  The one I've been using is this one:



It does fit over the Aircraft of the Fighting Powers 3-View quite well ---

[Daryl J.]

Regarding the Trumpeter kits which changed significantly from their prototypes shown on BM:   I'm hoping Barracudacast do resin replacements for the cylinder head fairings in the Airfix short nose Griffon kits.   Then, because Trumpeter badly futzed the shape there so they would have no undercuts in the mould, grind off the Chinese plastic and replace it with Airfix styrene. 

Looking at the trailing edge of the drawing I wonder if that was a Trumpeter reference?

[kitnut617]

Looking at the trailing edge of the drawing I wonder if that was a Trumpeter reference?

Not sure what you're referring to Daryl   

Concerning the valve cover fairings, I wouldn't use the short nose Griffons as the engine used in the Spiteful was the same found in the later Griffon engined Spitfires.  I found out why these cover fairings blend in like they do at the rear (Jon has posted a very nice photo showing that) and it's all to do with the width of the fuselage.

[Daryl J.]

Wing trailing edge at the root to clarify.  It's pretty close to where T-town put theirs.

[kitnut617]

The wing root fillet is all wrong on the Trumpeter kit Daryl, it doesn't come out far enough. This is comparing it to photos of the Spiteful in the Morgan/Shacklady book.

[Daryl J.]

There is little correct on the kit IMHO and to say I was disappointed, yet not surprised would spot on. But a few tweaks here and there should bring it up into a more presentable What-if.  The too deep radiators have me leaning to some desert or tropical variant at the moment.  

[NARSES2]

Interesting observations. I put my Spitefull on the plans in Aircraft of the Fighting powers and saw that the spinner diameter was correct and the fuselage a trifle narrow. Didn't notice the length issue and definitely haven't compared to the Seafang. On my next Spitefull I will simply cut the one piece lower wing in two replace place a shim of card between the two halves and use card to pad the forward fuselage out to match the spinner - seemples, I hope ?

Definately need to get my Seafang out now and compare

Your plan with the wing would work Chris, but I wouldn't add any more the the forward fuselage. Compared to my Airfix Mk.22 (and taking into account it's under scale), the nose might be a tad too long. If you're going to extend the fuselage, do the rear from just behind the frame that mounts the seat.  Something interesting with the Spiteful and Seafang comparison, the cockpit opening on the Seafang is further forward ---

Wasn't going to try and lengthen the fusalage just pad it out width wise to match the spinner dia

[kitnut617]

Interesting observations. I put my Spitefull on the plans in Aircraft of the Fighting powers and saw that the spinner diameter was correct and the fuselage a trifle narrow. Didn't notice the length issue and definitely haven't compared to the Seafang. On my next Spitefull I will simply cut the one piece lower wing in two replace place a shim of card between the two halves and use card to pad the forward fuselage out to match the spinner - seemples, I hope ?

Definately need to get my Seafang out now and compare

Your plan with the wing would work Chris, but I wouldn't add any more the the forward fuselage. Compared to my Airfix Mk.22 (and taking into account it's under scale), the nose might be a tad too long. If you're going to extend the fuselage, do the rear from just behind the frame that mounts the seat.  Something interesting with the Spiteful and Seafang comparison, the cockpit opening on the Seafang is further forward ---

Wasn't going to try and lengthen the fusalage just pad it out width wise to match the spinner dia

Gotcha !