Spitfire Down
Completed November 2016
I was given this 1/32nd Revell Spitfire Mk.IIa in the form of a severe glue bomb for my birthday. The guy had hand painted it using enamel and it was bad (Really bad) but I was grateful. I searched the internet and tried many different suggested techniques to strip the enamel. To no avail.
Eventually, I managed to get some off using (the most often suggested) oven cleaner, but by no means did oven cleaner do the job completely. Eventually, I managed to strip all the enamel by covering the model with strips of modelling tissue (for non- modellers: toilet paper) and soaking this with brake and clutch fluid.
After leaving it to soak overnight, I was able to scrub off most off the old paint by using a toothbrush. I then sprayed the whole lot with brake cleaner and again scrubbed with a toothbrush. This removed the last stubborn bits.
After a thorough cleaning in washing powder, followed by a really good rinse, the model (as was I) clean ready for priming.
Next up, I painted the parts of the cockpit area assembled them. (I even
constructed seatbelts using masking tape and copper wire, which was not bad, considering that this was my first aircraft!)
The fuselage had to be broken in half to be able to fit the parts just made, but I managed to do that and seal the gaps without much hassle. I had to carefully shove cotton wool into the cockpit area, marked where I would cut the plane, and proceeded to apply grey primer by airbrush, followed by two coats of brown.
I manage do find free-to-download Spitfire camo markings online that scaled on a printer and cut them out. I then redrew this onto clear plastic cover, stuck some under-sized paper over that and then Tamiya tape over that. Then I proceeded to cut the shapes out, leaving an edge of tape that I used for sticking the camo shapes to the plane. (I hope that makes sense!)
Next, I painted the entire plane brown. Then I stuck the camo templates that I had made over that, and applied the green.
I had heard enough of people battling to apply decals due to breakage, silvering, etc. to know that I was to be very careful when applying these but I was not unhappy with the end result even though there was slight silvering on the roundel. (After all, it was my first ....)
"Ah! Wass ist dass??" Frizt, Max and Heinrich were on patrol and stumbed across the crashed Spitfire.
Fritz was curious and hopped onto the wing to see what he could see, Heinrich was too lazy and waited in the riverbed, while Max decided to answer the call of nature.
I moved on to making the base, first using the plane to determine the required size. Then I cut and laid strips of cardboard to form the shape and slope of the ground, constantly checking with the
plane to ensure that all fitted as planned. (Including, of course, a dry fit with the figures).
For strength and to ensure that the cliff face would not collapse, I hammered in some nails before applying a layer on cretestone over the cardboard. I applied some glue to the base and positioned some stones randomly. I used smooth stones because this was supposed to represent a semi-dried out river bed. (It was not the rainy season at this time!)
After some greenpaint, and some faux fir, (also painted green), I had a dry river bed.
Trees and other greenery was made by rolling sawdust in a runny mixture of craft paint and then microwaving that in 5 minute bouts, separated some stirring, until the liquid had dried out of the sawdust. Then I applied wood glue where I wanted the greenery, and liberally poured the (now green) sawdust over. Once the glue had dried, I shook off the excess sawdust. The grasses are simply pieces if twine that I had painted green.
The water was made by pouring thin layers of clear wood varnish until the desired thickness was achieved. (Allowing to dry between layers). Pouring thin layers allowed for a smaller, more natural-looking, miniscus.
I made the final weathering touches and gave the plane a light dust coating using my airbrush, before positioning it on the base.
