Kotare Spitfire

[moon puppy]

I tell ya Paddy, if this had an engine I probably wouldn't be building it right now. I think I paid $70 at the Squadron booth at a show last year.

 

[paddy]

Sounds like you got it a a good price. Of course you dont actually have top use the engine in the Tamiya build. I just hear a lot about how good the Kotare is but haven't seen anyone have a smooth build or turn out anything better than the Tamiya ? That said i am just throwing thoughts out there and i haven't even seen one of these let alone built one

Edit The prices i have seen i think are Canadian $. which i though were US $ , its a major problem with having to use VPN now to see sites outside the UK especially when you try and log in to accounts like Amazon / Ebay /Banks / other forums.

 

[moon puppy]

I don't have the Tamyia kit to compare but I get the old WnW fill with this one, for obvious reasons. The fit so far is spot on and they don't split panel lines in assembly. Like the spine and engine cowl. Really nice touches.

 

[moon puppy]

Iconic shape isn't it?

 

[Heavens Eagle]

It's got wings!

 

[paddy]

I love the shape of those early Spits, they started to lose that after the Mk V ... enjoying the update

 

[moon puppy]

I'm wondering about my scheme here. I'm doing the B option, Spitfire K9798. Instructions call for the black and white underbelly but I wonder would it have ever had all white underside?

 

[paddy]

Never all white Bob but black and white up to 1940 when they went to duck egg blue/Sky , that said some sky aircraft then had the black retrospectively applied from 40 to 41so you could use Sky and black but not really on a Mk1. The black and white was an aircraft recognition thing from about 1938 but it was abandoned once the radar chain was effective over land (previously it looked out to sea) I think

 

[moon puppy]

Never all white Bob but black and white up to 1940 when they went to duck egg blue/Sky , that said some sky aircraft then had the black retrospectively applied from 40 to 41so you could use Sky and black but not really on a Mk1. The black and white was an aircraft recognition thing from about 1938 but it was abandoned once the radar chain was effective over land (previously it looked out to sea) I think

Thanks Paddy, I was just reading more about how Dowding ordered the scheme fresh out off the factory floor. What's curious to me is the scheme as presented in the instructions shows an outline for the roundels as if they were over painted. What I'm reading was the order was for no roundels or serial number on the underside. The black and white scheme would be identification enough.
what's your thoughts?

 

[paddy]

As a rule of thumb i would think Roundels with black and white for the Battle of Britain but not earlier so early to mid 1940 ish until the Sky scheme.

EDIT
looks like they had gone to sky and black by the time they added roundels. note yellow ring round roundel on black side

nothing is ever simple

 

[moon puppy]

Alright, I did an inventory of my RAF colors and found I have RAF interior, RAF Dark Green and RAF Sky....but Sky not needed on this early bird. OK, no problem, underside is black and white. Got that covered. Where's RAF Dark Earth? I started checking references and found Humbrol 29 is my match. I don't use Humbrols often so I checked my stock. Got it! Even had some Humbrol thinner because I didn't want to risk the wrong thinner. So I thinned that stuff up and loaded it in the Sotar with the fine tip. I'm sure it's me but it sprayed like freakin' Vallejo. I'd get it squirting then I'd have to pull back on the feed some more to get the paint coming again, go like that, more feed...Then I'd have to clear the tip. It did not spray well but I did get coverage.
Was I using the wrong tip?

Yep, it'll be mottled and random.

 

[RichB]

The "black" is actually "Night", not to be confused with "Special Night", a mix of Carbon Black and Ultramarine pigments. The Ultramarine was added to harden the paint and changed it to a Dark Blue Grey when compared against a true Black. As it was more resistant to wear it was also used to paint the propeller blades, spinners and serial numbers.

I've used Vallejo Model Air Dark Blue Grey (RAL 7024) 71.054 for Night. Some modellers swear by NATO Black, but usually comes across as a Dark Green Grey. A mix that is sometimes recommended is one part Blue and three parts Black as a starting point, adjusting until you are happy. In the Vallejo world the blue would be Model Air Blue 71.004. A blue in your stock close to that should also work.

Happy mixing.
Cheers
RichB

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Alright, I did an inventory of my RAF colors and found I have RAF interior, RAF Dark Green and RAF Sky....but Sky not needed on this early bird. OK, no problem, underside is black and white. Got that covered. Where's RAF Dark Earth? I started checking references and found Humbrol 29 is my match. I don't use Humbrols often so I checked my stock. Got it! Even had some Humbrol thinner because I didn't want to risk the wrong thinner. So I thinned that stuff up and loaded it in the Sotar with the fine tip. I'm sure it's me but it sprayed like freakin' Vallejo. I'd get it squirting then I'd have to pull back on the feed some more to get the paint coming again, go like that, more feed...Then I'd have to clear the tip. It did not spray well but I did get coverage.
Was I using the wrong tip?
View attachment 188298
Yep, it'll be mottled and random.

I was having those problems as well with my Badgers. I would usually have to take the brush all apart to find a big clog of stuff inside the nozzle. Once I got it cleaned, if I mixed the paint well and thinned it, it would work for a while then start to clog again. (I have used Testors thinner and Xylene to thin Humbrol) I always mix with a stirring paddle both the paint in the tin (or jars), and then the paint with the thinner in one of my little plastic mixing cups. Doing that helped, but it would still clog up. At this point I think that a lot of that is due to the small passages inside the Badger brushes which allow smaller chunks to start sticking and depositing inside the tip.

Bob if you need any of the mixing cups, let me know and I will shoot a few to you.

 

[paddy]

I doubt its clogging in the tubes, its more likely drying in the tip.
A retarder will help the drying but also, thinner paint will allow lower pressure so the thinner paint has more thinners and the lower pressure reduces airflow over the paint on the tip, both of which will reduce the tendency for paint to dry early.

 

[moon puppy]

Airbrush is clean Paul. Paddy I actually upped the pressure, will try lowering it.

 

[centaur567]

I found that the Humbrel thinner is crap for airbrushing. Had better luck with Testor's MM airbrush thinner if you can find it. Gary S.

 

[moon puppy]

Thanks Gary, I have some Xylene so I'll try mixing that with the humbrol.

 

[moon puppy]

Thanks for the input guys, the Xylene stinks but it sure sprayed humbrol better. Stinks so much that I doubt I'll be spraying humbrol much. I think my sotar needle is bent, will run it over the wetstone this evening.
And oh, that armless regulator I was showing on another thread? Something wrong with it also, when I have it install I get no airflow, just back flow.