SPA Modeler

Anytime Bruce! I love seeing assembly line photos! Those in color are even better! I can only imagine being at those plants during the war with full production roaring for all shifts.

Interesting photo Bruce - looks like Mk.I/II fuselages being converted into mk.V's. I can help you on the colour, although I suspect it was the brown.

Thing are progressing on the North Wales Spitfire factory...





Wings - the PR wing has had it's gun ports and chutes filled and camera holes drilled.



(Yes that IS a P-47 box... yes I have painted up the cockpit)



And this is where I am now. I've just got to finish up the Tamiya mk.Vb cockpit - and then I'll insert it into the bottom of the joined fuselage and put the wings on.



Cheers!

My two Airfix Spitfire conversions are moving along - tail feathers and filler applied.



I've also done some work on the windscreen for the PR. I''ve snipped off the armoured windscreen and spend a lot of time sanding and polishing it with Mircomesh. It's not 100%, and alas it has crazed slightly, but it looks okay from 3 ft and should also look a lot better once I've painted the framework and dipped it in future. I can't do anything about the lack of side bubbles/blisters sadly so I'll just have to say it's been removed for maintenance and replaced with a normal Spitfire canopy.



Cheers!

Canopy glass often seems to include marks from polishing. You could try the old high grit polishing trick as well.

speedgraflex wrote: ↑Wed Mar 11, 2026 6:45 pm Canopy glass often seems to include marks from polishing. You could try the old high grit polishing trick as well.

A clean canopy is the difference between life and death… is that a speck on the canopy, or an enemy fighter?

Yes, the glass is clean and clear but does have something of a texture to it at least in the photo I've uploaded.

If I may, a windscreen cleaning story from my days With the KY Civil Air Patrol….there I was staring into the frosty morning sky.

Actually, I was in our office in thr oldbyerminal building at Bowman Field, a great old airport, by the way. My dad was one if the first two controllers hired there. Anyway, we had a ’s windscreen with a toilet brush. He got mad she I stopped him. This clow was a walking CF.

Thanks Gents!

Progress on the Tamiya mk.Vb - it's finally starting to catch up. Mostly the seams as good but it needs some filler on the nose. I don't think I've ever built a Spitfire that didn't need nose work.



My decals have also arrived for it. I was going to do a Soviet example but as I'm reading a lot on the war in North Africa, I fancy building a desert bird.



I'm going to be building this version. I don't generally build aircraft with 'lady' artwork, I think it's a bit naff, but this one is reasonably tasteful and you don't often see Spitfires with nose art, so I can't really pass that up.



Cheers!