Profile Photo
gary sausmikat
84 articles

Spitfire MK.I, Phoney War/Early War Group

May 27, 2025 · in Aviation · · 38 · 348

Hi All,
My second build within the Phoney War/Early War Group.
I've had this Tamiya Spitfire kit in my stash for a while and this was the perfect opportunity to build simultaneously with my Hawker Hurricane tribute build.

https://imodeler.com/groups/la-drole-de-guerre-the-phoney-war-planes-from-the-beginning-of-the-war-619806829/forum/topic/spitfire-mk-i-1-48-tamiya/

This was built “out-of-the-box”/OOB, minus major decals. As written many times by others, this was a very nice Tamiya kit to build. Given three different options, care should be given to parts and instructions to correspond with the scheme you are planning. Despite the included kit masks not being pre-cut, I found them easy to cut out and the fit was spot on. But pre-cut masks would be nice.
For camo and markings, I created my own masks using vinyl Oramask 810, cut on my Cricut cutter.
Roundels, codes, fin flash, and serial numbers were painted.
Kit decals were used for various stencils.
Aerial wire is EZ-Line Fine.

A good friend offered me an R.J. Mitchell, Silver Proof Centenary Medal, to display alongside my Spitfire. How could I refuse such a generous gift? Thank you, Dave.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and check it out. Always appreciated.
KEEP IT FUN!

Kit:
Tamiya, 1/48, Supermarine Spitfire MK.I, No.61119

Paints:
Mr. Surfacer 1200 Gray Primer
Mr Surfacer 1500 Black
Tamiya Aluminum, XF-16
AK Real Colors, RAF Earth
AK Real Colors, RAF Dark Green
MRP RAF Marking Red
MRP RAF Marking Blue
SMS Insignia White
Vallejo Model Color Pink Rosa (Undercoat for the yellow)
Mr. Color 329 Yellow
SMS Clear Gloss and Flat were mixed for a clear semi-gloss finish
Artist Oils were thinned and used for Belnding/Accenting/Weathering washes.
Exhaust stains were simulated with Tamiya Pastels.




















Evolution of a Design:




Centenary Medal:




Reader reactions:
23  Awesome 4  1  2 

1 additional image. Click to enlarge.


38 responses

  1. Gary, that is a wonderful model! I appreciate the information regarding your process in the write-up. I am curious about the use of both gray and black Mr. Surfacer. Could you describe where both were used. I am currently finishing some RAF projects and have been wondering whether to use black or gray foe a base coat.

    • Thank you, Russell.
      Sure. The Mr. Surfacer black was not used as a base coat but I did use it as the black underneath, props, spinner and the serial code numbers.
      For the Spit, and the Hurricane pictured, I used the Grey primer, but not for any specific reason.

  2. Beautiful and inspiring build(s), Gary! And thanks for listing the paints you used.

  3. A beautiful job, Gary. My favorite era of the Spit.

  4. Excellent work done on this early Spitfire, Gary @gwskat
    Great pictures and a nice comparison between the early and late variants.
    It was a real pleasure to follow your build thread.

  5. Absolutely superb Gary. Excellent second model with a great build sequence. I have not even started mine yet, shameful 🙄 But I will 😊

  6. Well done Gary. Love the camo colours

  7. Excellent result, Gary! What a superb looking Spitfire! Your build thread was equally excellent!

  8. Really nice Spitfire, Gary. Your work is top notch! I think you have done the Mk.1 proud.

  9. Beautiful work, Gary @gwskat! 👍 And a great presentation too, the photographs are really well done and add a lot to the build. Top work, sir! 👏

  10. Great Spit, Gary!

  11. Looks great - well done!

  12. Hey Gary (@gwskat)

    Beautiful work on your Spit. A credit to your skills and love for your craft.

    I have the same kit in my stash and like you, plan on doing the “Operation Dynamo” version from the Dunkirk evacuation.

    Well done mate 😎

  13. Beautiful looking Spitfire. Congrats on this magnificent build.

  14. Sorry for dropping by late, Gary @gwskat. Your Spitfire is absolutely beautiful! The markings look beautiful and i love the subtle weathering. I am still learning how to use oil colors. Those exhausts stains are amazing.
    Thanks again for participating in the group with your beautiful builds. All good things come in three! 🙂

  15. Gary, a well presented model as well as the quality of the build. Crisp lines on the camo gives it a sort of finish that pops off the pages. The final coat with a slight sheen highlights the sleek airframe of the legendary fighter of the day. Thanks for sharing and comparison of it's stable mates.
    Chuck

  16. Spectacular build and paintwork.

  17. Excellent job on your Spitfire, this is a beautiful build and the paint scheme came out great!

  18. Very nice spitfire!

Leave a Reply