Tamiya AS-11 Medium Sea Grey was used for the lower surface colour. Tamiya Sprays were also used for the upper surface colours, but these were decanted into glass jars and applied with the Testor Aztek airbrush.
CHAPTER 5 SPITFIRE Mk.IXc (EARLY), 453 SQN RAAF
RAAF SPITFIRE
OVER THE CONTINENT
Brett Green finishes his 1:32 scale Tamiya Spitfire Mk.IXc
as an RAAF machine in the UK with the aid of
home-made markings and masks.
Tamiya masking tape was applied to the painted lower surfaces and the bottom of the horizontal tailplanes. The extra time spent masking is more than compensated by the speed and precision of subsequent painting.
It is important to thoroughly seal off the cockpit. Here, the cockpit door has been used to aid this important task.
The upper surfaces are coated in Ocean Grey. A slightly gritty finish at the wing roots has been polished out with Micro Mesh abrasive cloths.
The base colour was broken up with streaks and patches of a paler shade.
Tamiya’s camouflage instructions were enlarged to 1:32 scale and printed out. The printed camouflage pattern was cut out and applied to the model using a combination of Blu-Tack and Tamiya tape.
advantages over tinned or bottled products. For example, my favourite silver
paint is Tamiya’s AS-12 Airframe Silver, which is only available in an aerosol can. This covers thoroughly, dries quickly, resists fingerprints and other damage, and features a very fine metallic grain. It is ideal either as an overall Aluminium paint colour, or as a dull metallic shade combined with
Alclad or other metallic lacquers. The problem with aerosol cans is that that the air pressure and width of the spray are not adjustable, making fine line and mottling work virtually impossible. Also, aerosol cans often leave an orange peel effect on the surface of the paint.
CHAPTER 5 SPITFIRE Mk.IXc (EARLY), 453 SQN RAAF
Tamiya AS-9 RAF Dark Green and AS-10 Ocean Grey were used for the upper surfaces.
The camouflage pattern is previewed with all the masks in place.
Tamiya AS-9 Dark Green was sprayed between the masks in several thin coats.
The areas surrounding the rear fuselage band were masked off with various widths of
Tamiya tape... ...and sprayed with Tamiya XF-XX Sky.
We can over- come these limitations yet still take advantage of the aerosol paints by decanting them from the spray can into a bottle for later use in our airbrush.
The first step is to find a disposable glass or plastic container. I usually cover the top of the container with cling wrap, and punch a small hole in one corner. The hole should be large enough to spray paint from the can, but small enough not
to let too much vapour escape from the container.
Next, find a common household bendy plastic drinking straw and attach it to the nozzle of the paint can. The diameter should be close to the diameter of the nozzle, but the nozzle may need to be trimmed with a sharp hobby knife if it is too large.
After thoroughly shaking the aerosol can, a quantity of paint may be sprayed through the hole in the cling wrap into the con- tainer. Tip the container so that the paint starts to pool in a bottom corner (if the paint is spread too thinly along the bottom of the container, it will quickly congeal).
You might notice that the longer you hold down the button on the spray can, the colder the can will get. Spraying pressure will also decrease. If you want to decant the entire contents, you will probably need to do so in several sessions to allow the can to warm and for normal spraying pressure to return.
Immediately after decanting, the paint will be cold and may be effervescent. The pro- pellant gases from the spray can will need some time to bleed out of the paint, so leave the jar open until the liquid stabilises.
Once the liquid has stabilised, the paint may be used normally in your airbrush. After decanting Tamiya spray paints, I find
CHAPTER 5 SPITFIRE Mk.IXc (EARLY), 453 SQN RAAF
that they do not usually need to be thinned. If they do, however, I use lacquer thinners.
The lower surfaces were masked with Tamiya tape, and the fuselage, wings and tailplanes received a base coat of Tamiya AS-10 Ocean Grey decanted from the spray can into a jar. The paint sprays beautifully straight from the jar after it has settled, but it may be thinned with up to 70% Tamiya Lacquer Thinners if it thickens over time.
The upper surface camouflage plans from Tamiya’s kit instructions were
scanned, scaled up to 1:32 in Photoshop, increased in contrast and converted to monochrome before being printed and cut into masks. These were attached to the model using small blobs of Blu-Tack underneath, and Tamiya tape at the edges, in preparation for the disruptive camouflage colour of Dark Green. I did not worry about camouflage masks for the mid-rear fuselage, as this would be completely covered by invasion stripes. Tamiya’s AS-9 RAF Dark Green was used for this colour, also decanted from the spray can into a jar before being applied with the airbrush.
The Sky fuselage band was the last masking and painting task for the moment. I used Tamiya XF-21 Sky acrylic
paint. While the airbrush was still loaded with Sky paint, I sprayed the spinner and backplate at the same time.
When all the masking tape was
removed, the overall picture was revealed. The paint job looked very stark, but this was toned down once weathering and decals were in place.
I was not really satisfied with some of the camouflage demarcations on the fuselage, so these were revised and improved until I was eventually satisfied with the result. I think that there are particular elements of RAF camouflage that really define the scheme.
Two coats of Future were now sprayed, providing a nice glossy coat for the decals.
Similar to the Ocean Grey, the Dark Green camouflage was treated to irregular mottling.
The artwork under the cockpit was drawn
freehand onto a large piece of paper. The question mark code was created by cutting up and rearranging the parts of a number 2 on a Carpena decal sheet.
The artwork was scanned, scaled down to 1:32 and printed onto clear decal film. The outline was
CHAPTER 5 SPITFIRE Mk.IXc (EARLY), 453 SQN RAAF
Here is the model still wearing its glossy coat of Future floor polish following application of the decals.
The propeller tips receive a base coat of Tamiya White Primer to ensure opacity of the
yellow to come. I used Tamiya TS-34 Camel Yellow for the propeller tips. The tips were masked prior to painting the rest of the propeller assembly.
The propeller hub was painted using Tamiya AS-12 Bare Metal Silver, followed by a wash of
CHAPTER 5 SPITFIRE Mk.IXc (EARLY), 453 SQN RAAF
Decal setting solution stained the gloss coat. Sometimes this stain will disappear over time. This one persisted, however. A further thin coat of Future eliminated the pale discolouration.
Additional weathering was applied by airbrush over a topcoat of Polly Scale Flat. Key panel lines and structural details were highlighted with a thin mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown.
MARKINGS
I wanted to finish my Spitfire as an early Mk.IXc attached to 453 Sqn. RAAF. Several of these aircraft featured interest- ing artwork on the nose or under the cockpit. I have built a few of these 453 Sqn. Spitfires in the past, so I was looking for something a little bit different.
One of these early Spitfire Mk.IXs from 1943 featured an interesting “Question Mark” code and a boy painted under the windscreen holding a sign bearing the words, “You Have Been Warned!”. As there was no commercial decal release for these markings, I set about making them myself.
Decals were scrounged from a number of sources.
The under-windscreen artwork was a homemade decal. Using a wartime photo
as a reference, I first drew the artwork onto a half a sheet of A4 paper using a pencil. When I was satisfied with the design, the pencil outline was then traced over with a black Sharpie.
I scanned and reduced the line drawing to 1:32 scale, then printed the artwork onto clear decal film. The outline was sealed with a coat of Flat Clear, then the coloured details were picked out in Tamiya and Vallejo paints with a fine brush. The outline was tidied up with a 0.03 Copic Multiliner before another coat of clear. The decal was then cut out and applied under the windscreen.
The Sky codes came from a Carpena decal sheet. The question mark was a bit of a challenge. In the end, I sliced up a number “2” and rearranged it into the
appropriate shape.
The roundels and fin flash were robbed from Barracudacals’ 1:32 scale BC32004 Spitfire Mk. IX Series - Part 1. I think these offer the best representation of Dull Red and Dull Dark Blue of any decals available today.
A selection of stencil markings from Tamiya’s decal sheet completed the job.
FINISHING TOUCHES
The model was given a topcoat of Polly Scale Flat. Two thin applications over the glossy surface resulted in a nice flat finish.
CHAPTER 5 SPITFIRE Mk.IXc (EARLY), 453 SQN RAAF
Tamiya supplies self-adhesive painting masks for the canopy, but you’ll have to cut them
out yourself. The masks were applied according to the instructions.
A base coat of XF-71 Cockpit Green was sprayed first. This will remain visible on the
canopy framing when viewed from the inside. The painted canopy fits perfectly on the completed model.