While I realized (too late, as usual) that I should have done it before I installed the seat, I’m hoping that gravity will be my friend!
Michael 
4 Likes
A few years back I had to do something similar with a WNW kit. I used electric guitar e-strings painted with black permanent marker. A gunmetal paint pen would work better these days. It was much easier than using elastic threads. Didn’t have to pull tight and no tangled lines!
3 Likes
It’s been a really bad few months for hobby time, but life is good on other fronts.
Managed to get the firewall roughly fitted to the Mk.Vb. First time using resin aftermarket—very fun.
EDIT: the fit of the resin bottom cowl is horrible, so I’m going to try to cut all the internals out and install them in the kit plastic. Then thin the sidewalls down a bit. We’ll see how that goes…
6 Likes
Started with my Eduard Spitfire Dual Combo in May and have done some work already …
Both cockpits are finished now and ready to join the fuselages …
The instrument panels have 3 PE parts each. Unfortunately I’ve lost one gun sight to the evil carpet monster but found another one in a surplus of a Hasegawa Spitfire. The difference in 30 years of molding technic is clearly visible …
The whole build blog can as always be seen in my “Torsten’s bench works” thread. I’ll post some w.i.p. photos here from time to time … 
Torsten
7 Likes
Looking great!
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Still working on the Kotare Mk.I early:
Starting to look familiar now.
It really is going together great. Probably shouldn’t have said that, fitting the fillets and wing to the fuselage comes next.
Michael
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Michael, great to hear it is well enginered. I have supported some of their recent projects, so trust they will turn out just as good.
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That really is a beautiful kit. Can’t wait to start mine.
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NOW it’s a Spitfire!
Getting the wing on was a little tricky. I ended up getting one side firmly glued on, then bending the other wing down just very slightly, then it all popped into place. Very nice fit then!
Michael
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First paint on my Spits!
The Vc has got Black (Vallejo 71057), White (Revell 301) and Sky (Revell 59) on the underside.
The Vb has got Azure Blue (Vallejo 71108) on the underside and fresh from the paint bench this morning Middle Stone (Vallejo 71031).
Have all a great weekend!
Torsten
6 Likes
Looking good Torsten!
Finally got the CMK resin sets fitted. First time working with resin, but it’s also not the greatest aftermarket set ever. She’s in rough shape right now, but hopefully a little sandpaper and TLC will get things smoothed out.
8 Likes
Most of the parts in the Spitfire TR.9 kit are intended for the cockpit, which builds up nicely and is very decently detailed out of the box. The only additions were Quinta 3D seatbelts, and some wiring to the back of the rear instrument panel. Photos indicated this might be visible through the rear fixed section of the front canopy.
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
I also ended up adding some new Exhausts from Eduard that were hollowed out on the ends. Even though recommended for Eduard’s own Spitfire kits, they fit perfecrly into the Airfix kit.
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
Eduard mounding plate fitted on the left, versus the unmodified Airfix on the right.
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
Once that was done, and the fuselage closed up everything else has gone together very quickly.
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
9 Likes
Outstanding job on that cockpit, Ernie! Looks fantastic. Will you show it open to reveal the details once finished?
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Thank you! Yes the canopies will be open on the finished build.
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Great work on the TR 9, Ernie! 
Have the same kit in my stash since a few months.
Both my Mk. V’s make good progress. Painting and most assembling is finished . Now they wait for the decals …
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The TR.9 is masked up and ready for paint.
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
Priming was done with Mr. Surfacer 1500 White. Over this I sprayed Tamiya XF-19 grey through a photo etched “splatter” template to add some texture or variation I guess you would call it, to the surface of the model. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the model at that point. 
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
The overall color is is MRP Aircraft Grey/Green built up slowly so as to not totally obliterate the tonal variation between the white and grey undercoat.
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
The kit supplies wing walk decals, but looking at photos of the Irish Air Corps machines shows the wing walk areas varied over time and by airframe, so the best alternative was to mask and paint them rather than use the supplied decals. This was done, and the masked areas were sprayed with Tamiya Rubber Black and Nato Black blended to show some wear to the walkways.
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
And in an amazing instance of good fortune, when the masking was removed no touch-ups were needed!
Decaling is next, I decided to go a bit different from the kit option and use markings from Xtradecal as I really wanted to use the Celtic Boss tricolor roundels on the model and found photos of this aircraft still in the green paint with these roundels applied.
Untitled by Ernie Schafer, on Flickr
Getting closer to the finish line now!
9 Likes
Your TR9 looks fantastic, Ernie! Well done!
I call my double build finished today. The Vb trop (AB502, IR-G) was flown by W/Cdr Ian R. Gleed, CO of No. 244 on the day he was shot down over the tunesian coast, 16. April 1943.
Most paints used are from Vallejo. Final coating was made with a 70/30 mix of Revell Clear Gloss and Clear Matt.
The Mk. Vc trop is from No. 79 Sqn, RAAF, used in October 1943 during the fightings over New Guinea. Pilot is not known to me. Paints used here are mainly from Revell. Final coating is the same as on the Vb.
If you want to see more of these builds check out my “bench works thread” in the aircraft section.
Thanks for this campaign and good luck for all your builds!
Torsten
9 Likes
Great builds, Torsten!
2 Likes
