SPA Modeler

Well, I do believe that I had a thread for this one going on the original SPA Proboards site that was lost... And Jim here brought it up in conversation earlier today asking whatever happened to it... well it's still sidelined for other projects, but I may as well show what I did do...

Now why did I build this ancient kit and decide to go on the path that I did? Well pure and simple, the exterior is pretty damned nice. The detail is a mix of raised rivets, overlapping skin panels, and recessed rivet heads (not simple divots) and scribed panel lines where appropriate, just like on the real Spit.... have a look





These were hand made molds made nearly 50 years ago and are as good as any surface detailing today and better than most. So I wanted an interior that would match, and lets just say that the kit while cutting edge for the late 60s, is not up to par and had lots of open or blank empty space interior wise...

so with some internet research and strip styrene I went to work making detail to match the exterior panel details







I built the engine OOB, although I did hollow out the exhast stacks







and then a coat of interior green on my interior work





basic cockpit parts built up. I did add some control linkage rods to the rudder pedals and stick floor area



IP painted





interior ready to be closed up after detail painting







as you can see, I can insert the IP, seat, etc. from the lower fuselage wing opening

then it was time to move to the wings

onto the wings now...

Aside from some inner surface of the top wing detail, there was little else in there...

first I created an oil cooler using some sprue and brass screen



then I went about making up wheel well detail based off of photos I found online









so that is where she sits now, sidelined after two moves, probably about 50% done or so... As my main goal this year (and next year too I am sure) is to finish up many of these sidelined builds (I have too many to admit), you shall be seeing more progress in the not too distant future. Perhaps this thread will help that...

wow ! very nice work . looks like a great kit
i love the rivet and panel details on the fuse .
great scratch building skills .
i have never seen this kit before.

gino

The original kit is old... late 1960s vintage...

this is the original box art



mine is this re issue from the 90s that I got off ebay for dirt cheap with a 109G



it has a been a fun project so far to see how I could push my skills for creating detail that is not there... an exercise in creativity and improvisation...

That definitly deserves to be finshed Stik after all that great work you've put into it! Great stuff!

Holy crap! That's a nice kit and awesome work done to it thus far.

Oh I will finish it... just because of all the effort I have already put in. I get very stubborn about such things... And I actually have info for a particular aircraft flown by a "Yank in the RAF" in the Battle of Britain that I wish to model. He was a local fellow who joined up, flew & fought with, and was killed in action with the RAF before the US entered the war. My tribute to the few, with a Los Angeles angle.

It's looking great so far Stik! Really like the scratch building!

I really enjoy doing scratch work like that. Measuring, planning it out, cutting, fine tuning the part to fit just right. It's very self satisfying to me. Most of it is quite simple work, even if it is time consuming.