1/48 Spitfire Vc, 249 Squadron, Malta, June/July 1942
Spitfire Mk Vc, BP966, was originally manufactured in the desert scheme, then routed to Renfrew, Scotland for shipment to Malta. While there, it was refinished in the temperate sea scheme (as per a misunderstood Malta request), and shipped to Malta on operation Calendar, to serve with 249 Squadron.
The 1/48 kit is the Classic Airframes Spit Vc, "Yankee Spitfires", which is the same plastic as the Special Hobbies Spit Vc.
The kit is quite nice, with a good cockpit, photo etch, but with a few small problems ... the wrong prop and spinner, the fuselage is too short, the wings are in the wrong place, and the tail is canted up at a strange angle - so - a challenge!
The fuselage was cut forward of the windscreen and extended .060" (moving the wings forward at the same time), and the rear fuselage cut and repositioned. A spare DeHavilland prop was sourced, and the spinner chucked onto a bur in a drill and machined down to the proper DeHavilland short spinner.
Extra details added to the cockpit, a vac canopy, and Ultracast exhaust and entry door readied it for the paint shop.
It is finished in Tamiya acrylics, and weathered in oils and pastels.
It is one of 3 (a triple Malta build) and the first ready to be shown, hope you like.
Colin
16 additional images. Click to enlarge.
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- 1. tail unit cut and canted down to the correct angle
- 2. Forward fuselage and wing fairing stretched .060"
- 3. .060" spacer to move wing forward
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- 1. Rectangular mirrors made from brass wire and photoetch scraps
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- 1. The seat on the left is for the Airfix Vb, one the right is the Special Hobbies seat with the kit photoetch belts- 4 parts soldered together just for the back belt!
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- 1. Making two DeHavilland blunt spinners out of the large bullet spinner
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- 1. Classic Airframes 'Yankee Spitfire' Vc
- 2. Special Hobbies 'Malta Defender' Vc
- 3. Airfix Spitfire Vb
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- 1. First painted with Tamiya 'Titanium silver', then chipping done with hairspray technique
Pedro L. Rocha said on June 2, 2022
I like it a lot Colin. Remarkable Spitfire model
George R Blair Jr said on June 2, 2022
Nice job, Colin (@tail-dragon). Camo and weathering are really well done. They had some interesting paint schemes in Malta.
Tom Cleaver said on June 2, 2022
And the much easier way to do it will be to get hold of the to-be-released-in-July Eduard "Double CombO of the Spitfire Vc, which includes this marking option. All you'll have to do is assemble it correctly and paint it right.
That said, you certainly turned this sow's ear into a respectable cloth (if not silk) purse, @coling. Having built that kit in the SH variety, Ah Feeeell! Yo' Pain! 🙂
Colin Latta said on June 2, 2022
Thanks, the fun is in improving an older kit - not much to improve on an Eduards release. (I'm not @coling, by the way)
Tom Cleaver said on June 3, 2022
Oops. There's too many Colins here. 🙂
Spiros Pendedekas said on June 2, 2022
Amazing result, Colin! Your improvements definitely paid off!
John Healy said on June 3, 2022
Nice work, Colin!
John vd Biggelaar said on June 3, 2022
Very nice work, Colin @tail-dragon
The applied scheme and the weathering is excellent done.
Greg Kittinger said on June 3, 2022
Beautiful work Colin - love everything about it.
Kevin M. Batterman said on June 3, 2022
Hii Colin,
Great work and I LOVE the Malta Spits. How did you do the camo? Looks like you overpainted the desert colors if I am correct? Finally, did you do the underside in Sky Blue as it looks like you did?
I built the kit several years ago and had some fit issues with it. If by chance you want more SH Spits I can offer you some at a very good price.
Cheers,
Kevin
Colin Latta said on June 3, 2022
Thanks! According to the latest research by Paul Lucas, this particular airframe was refinished in Renfrew, Scotland by the AMU (Aircraft Maintenance Unit) in the standard 'Temperate Sea Scheme' of Ocean Grey, Slate Grey, and Sky type 'S' in what is know as the 'Renfrew' scheme - the camo colors being carried down the side of the air filter.
This kit was painted these colors from scratch with full stencils as the original was refinished at a proper maintenance unit. The other two kits shown (that are in the process of being completed) were finished in desert colors with stencils, then over painted with the final colors (UF-S being over-sprayed with thinned USN blue-grey on the USN Wasp, and GN-H having the Sand color only being over-sprayed with some type of grey in Malta), overpainting some or all of the stencils.
That's what makes Malta schemes so fascinating, every shipment (or parts of each shipment) were finished differently!
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
1. Overpainted desert scheme and stencils with USN Blue-Grey
Jay Mitchell said on June 4, 2022
Impressive workmanship making all those corrections and in the painting you are doing on those spitfires .
dale travis said on June 4, 2022
Great work on your Spitfires. .
Lis said on June 5, 2022
great work! Love Malta's Spits!