My Return to Modeling After 30 Years—Spitfire Mk IX

[VegasAWACER13]

I've been chewing over whether or not to share this… Built model aircraft from about age 8 to age 18. Then took a three decade break. Been wanting to get back into it for years. So here's my first one back in the game:

Hasegawa 1/48 Spitfire Mk IX. Had great experiences with Hasegawa in high school. I wouldn't recommend this one. Cockpit fit together beautifully. Absolutely nothing else did. Filler city. Took forever.

I know it's journeyman work at best. I was just going for neat, clean work. No fancy paint mottling or weathering. It was also my first time ever using an airbrush. The learning curve was steep. Got there in the end. There were a lot of mistakes, mostly connected to learning to airbrush. Don't ask how much paint went into the camo. It came out halfway decent, for not having built one in three decades.

Out of the box except for a set of Eduard PE seat belts and canopy masks. Also cut a new gunsight as the kit part had a bloody great seam running through it. Weathering was limited to a panel wash.

 

[Rob]

30 years? Really? That's really nice. Came out great for first time with an airbrush. What's next?

 

[Tommergun]

Beautiful work!

 

[Bob T]

I know it's journeyman work at best.

Oh stop....It's far more than that. Nice work.

 

[Edbert]

One can never see too many Spitfires, and I love the 4-bladed ones.

Nice work, what are you gonna build next?

 

[VegasAWACER13]

Thanks so much for the kind words, everyone. Much appreciated.

I've got a Fw 190A-8 nearing completion, but I don't think I'll be sharing pictures of that one. It was all going very well until I got to painting the mottled camouflage on the fuselage. Thought I could do it but my inexperience with an airbrush didn't produce very good results. Think I'm also probably dealing with the limitations of fairly entry level kit while attempting airbrush detail work. Ah well, you live, you learn.

 

[VegasAWACER13]

One can never see too many Spitfires, and I love the 4-bladed ones.

Yes, the late Merlin marks are pretty sexy. The Spit is my all-time favorite. I've already got six more Spitfire kits in the queue. I'm planning to build every major wartime variant, covering all the different combat theaters and the different Allied air forces.

 

[VegasAWACER13]

Oh stop....It's far more than that. Nice work.

Thanks! No false modesty! I've been watching too many YouTube videos of guys turning out ridiculously realistic kits.

 

[Holz44]

You're going to do just fine! Embrace that airbrush, relax, and remember what most of these guys say... "it's all about having fun, learning new techniques" and finding YOUR own style and "signature".
Looking forward to whatever you share. Welcome back!

 

[Edbert]

Yes, the late Merlin marks are pretty sexy. The Spit is my all-time favorite. I've already got six more Spitfire kits in the queue. I'm planning to build every major wartime variant, covering all the different combat theaters and the different Allied air forces.

I'm working on the Kotare Mk.Va, here's a shot of the interior, and yes I cheated.

 

[Edbert]

Thanks! No false modesty! I've been watching too many YouTube videos of guys turning out ridiculously realistic kits.

Youtube is what brought me back to hobby in 2024. I was only away for about 24 years though.

 

[VegasAWACER13]

I'm working on the Kotare Mk.Va, here's a shot of the interior, and yes I cheated.

That's some beautiful work, sir. Seriously nice. And there's no such thing as cheating with these things. Just making your life easier.

Here's the cockpit of the IX before I sealed it up. I know the colors aren't correct. I originally painted the cockpit components during an abortive start a few years back. Before I researched the correct colors. When I pulled it out to actually build it, I thought I was going to repaint it. But then decided I liked what I'd done with it and it wasn't worth repainting what wouldn't even be seen once it was sealed up! The next Spit will be right though.

 

[Ttrex]

Very nice! I am just getting into modeling after retiring. I am about to try putting a cammo pattern on an ME262 and not quite sure how to go about it. How did you create the borders for your cammo pattern. Tape? freehand? I do not have an airbrush and will be using a can of testors spray paint.

 

[VegasAWACER13]

On this model I used strips of poster tack, a technique I picked up from YouTube. I don't know that I will use it again, though, as it doesn't allow for precise enough recreation of all the nuances in the camo (all the little twists and turns of the paint lines). If you're using rattle cans and try this, you'd want be sure to mask over the areas you're not painting.

On the Fw 190 I'm building now, I used masking tape for the majority of the camo. I laid strips of 8mm tape on the model a piece at a time, drew the camo line on the tape, removed the tape to cut it, and then re-adhered it. Some people will tell you masking tape isn't a good technique because camo usually has feathered edges to some degree. But it's a scale model, and we're not all airbrush masters. And it depends what you're looking for. I was satisfied with the result. You could also copy the paint schematic in the instructions to the appropriate scale, then cut out the camo sections and stick them on the model. If you use poster tack to adhere the paper, you can have it slightly raised and allow you to get a feathered edge.

 

[BarleyBop]

slightly raised and allow you to get a feathered edge

Nice idea. There is a rattlecanned plane somewhere in my future, and was pondering the same thing, how to get a feathered edge. Worth a test application! (before the build).

 

[VegasAWACER13]

Worth a test application! (before the build).

Yeah, always good technique to test these things first!

 

[Wig41]

Your Spitfire looks absolutely beautiful. I hope I can get mine to look as good and I've been actively building for years !!

 

[VegasAWACER13]

Your Spitfire looks absolutely beautiful. I hope I can get mine to look as good and I've been actively building for years !!

Thank you so much! That's very kind.

What Spitfire kit are you building?