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NO.
610 SQUADRON, ROYAL AIR FORCE
WEST
MALLING, ENGLAND – JANUARY 1944
Kit
used: 1/72
Academy Spitfire XIVc, kit no. 2130
History
of the aircraft modeled:
| First
of the Griffon-engined Spitfires to enter large-scale production, the Mk
XIV was still something of an interim type. Suitable for quick production,
it was intended for combat at all altitudes and incorporated all the
refinements of the later Merlin and early Griffon-engined machines. It was
based on an Mk VIII airframe, the power plant being the Griffon 65 or 66
with a five-blade Rotol propeller. Production machines were built to F or
FR standard. |
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All
examples of the Mk XIV had a broad chord fin, which was taller than that of the
Mk XII (the rudder height also being increased). Use of an intercooler
necessitated two under wing radiators, these being larger than the starboard
wing unit on the Mk XII. Fuel capacity was boosted by 26 gallons, with a
13-gallon tank fitted into each wing’s leading edge.
A
total of 957 Mk XIV variants were constructed, including the XIVe wing, and FR
Mk XIV photo recon models. The first entered service with No. 610 (County of
Chester) Squadron in January 1944. Subsequently 37 RAF Squadrons flew it, some
well into the post-war era.
According
to Late Marque Spitfire Aces 1942-45 by Dr. Alfred Price, MK XIVc code DW*D was
the mount of Squadron Leader R. Newberry, OC, No. 610 Squadron, West Malling.
Building
the model:
Cockpit:
The cockpit
is pretty complete for this scale. I added a small headrest from a
Waldron-punched disk to cover an unsightly pin mark. The cockpit entry door
comes separate and the kit gives one two-canopy option, a closed one or a
three-piece open canopy. This is a nice touch Academy and is appreciated by all
modelers. I used the kit’s gun sight, but cut the reflector glass away and
replaced it with a piece from clear sheet styrene.
The
cockpit was painted Polly Scale British Interior Green-Grey, the instrument
panel black, and various boxes black also. Instrument decals were done with
white paint and Reheat Models Instrument Gauge decals. I also utilized a few
Reheat Models Control Panel and Data Placard decals.
The
pilot is a resin PJ Production figure. I primed the figure in gray and brush
painted it using an Osprey profile sent by Len Thompson, thanks Len.
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Radiators:
The
kit’s radiators were pitiful and had huge cutouts in the lower wing to boot. I
sawed the molded in radiators away and filled the huge void in the bottom wing
with sheet styrene. I then replace the radiators with separate radiators from
the Fujima Spitfire XIV. Thanks also go out to Len Thompson for sending these to
me for use. I must say they fit like a silk glove. I made the actual scale
radiator screens (which you cannot see in photos) for the front and rear of the
radiators but printing scaled down reproductions on photo print paper. They were
cut out and edged in graphite paint, then white glued into place.
Exhausts:
Although most
XIV models changed from fishtail exhausts to round exhausts, photo reference
shows that early XIVs and indeed, DW*D, had the fishtail style. So, again thanks
to Len, I used Fujimi’s flatter exhausts in lieu of the round ones in the kit.
The Fujimi exhausts fit like they were made for the Academy kit.
Landing
gear:
Nobody knows
da trouble I seed! Well, as with most attempts at doing an in-flight model from
an Asian kit, it just isn’t a snap fit. I had to cut the shallow wheel wells
out and still sand much of the cemented wheel halves before they would like
correct retracted. I only used a portion of the gear struts for each wheel. The
kit’s cover doors also had to be sanded to fit and I had to work with them to
get them to match the wing bottom. The tail wheel doors were no problem. Tires
were painted Medium Sea Grey and then brushed with Polly Scale Grimy Black and
given a light wash of Dark Earth.
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Exterior:
The intake
opening was reshaped a bit with jeweler’s files and once cemented into place,
I had to sand and remove the join seam line, as none should be seen. I cemented
the spinner front to the back plate and dilled the seam, then chucked it in my
Dremel tool and spun it as I sanded it smooth. I rescribed a small seam forward
of the props as per reference photos.
The inner
cannon barrels were replaced with small sections of 25-gauge hypodermic needle.
The whip antenna was done with a piece of stainless steel surgical thread. I had
to replace the kit’s rear-view mirror with a Fotocut photoetch mirror, because
I lost the kit piece. Waldron punched disks of Bare-metal chrome foil was used
for the rear-view mirror and two under wing landing lights.
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Painting
and decaling:
The one-piece
canopy was used and was masked with bare-metal foil and given a couple coats of
Interior Green-Grey. The entire airframe was then primed ion Aeromaster Medium
Sea Grey. I next masked the undersurfaces and a Sky fuselage stripe. This was
masked and the upper surfaces given a coat of Aeromaster Ocean Grey. Using the
instructions, I enlarged the camouflage pattern to scale and cut masks to cover
sections to remain Ocean Grey. Once done, the uppers were shot with Aeromaster
British Dark Green.
All masking
was removed save the canopy’s and I gave the model three light coats of Model
masters Acryl Clear Gloss for decal prep.
For the most
part, the kit decals were used, but the split badly and required much TLC to get
them proper. After they had settled to my liking, I coated them with a little
Micro Sol and the nestled down very well. However, I did not like the yellow
surround fuselage roundel, the yellow was much too translucent. So, I scavenged
my spares and found a suitable Microscale replacement and it looks much better,
albeit the red is a touch lighter that the kit’s red. IFF leading edges
marking were done with cut strips of Yellow decal trim film and touched up where
needed with a little Polly Scale Reefer Yellow.
Once dried
and cleaned up, the model was given another light coat of clear gloss to seal
the decals. I then shadowed all control surfaces and access panels with a
0.005-n. Prisma technical pen and Windsor & Newton inks. I finished the
model with a couple of coats of clear flat and buffed the flat once dried for a
sheen.
Wing and
rudder navigation lights were sanded down a wee bit and painted chrome silver
followed by clear red and clear green on the port and starboard wing
respectively. The rudder light was left silver. Once all paints had dried I
treated each light to a drop of Krystal Kleer for their lens.
All said and
done, this was an excellent kit for the 99 cents I paid for it. With a little
TLC and replacement of the radiators, thanks Len, the kit can be made to look
very respectable.
Caz
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