The SAAF Forum

This is Spitfire Mk.Vb ER882 / AX-F operated by 1 Squadron in North Africa in 1943.

According to Piet van Schalkwyk's book titled South African Air Forcer Fighter Squadrons Volume 3, this particular aircraft was piloted by Lt. J.R. Lanham when he shot down a Focke Wulf Fw190 on 20 March 1943. Lt. Lanham was later killed whilst bailing out of AX-F on 22 May 1943.

The base kit is the Hobby Boss 32nd rendering of the Spitfire Mk.V. The kit is quite nice with good recessed panel line and rivet detail. The kit provides for a complete engine and all gun bays can be posed open. I closed both the engine cowlings and the gun bay covers. The kit provided cockpit detail is great and the photo etch harnesses for the pilot are good. The tyres are rubber which is not preferable but would have to do. Canopy parts are crystal clear and fit very well onto the fuselage. So the model was built out of the box with no aftermarket items added.

I painted AX-F in the standard desert scheme of dark earth and middle stone upper and azure blue lower surfaces. For these colours, I used Mr.Colour lacquer paints : 21 Middle Stone, 22 Dark Earth, 370 Azure Blue. I initially thought that the Middle Stone had an off greenish hue but after weathering and application of matt varnish, it looks good.

Oddly though, the decals weren't great - most HB kits I've built have had really good decals. These ones tended to silver.

Kit box art :

20220713_145235 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8564 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8563 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8562 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8566 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8568 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8569 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8570 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

I first airbrushed Tamiya X-11 silver as a base coat. Then chipping fluid was brushed onto the upper surface, followed by the upper surface camouflage which was airbrushed on. Then using a wet stiff brush, some of the chipping fluid was dissolved letting the silver show through.

Weathering was done using MiG enamel washes as pillows : Starship Wash A.MIG-1009 for the lower surfaces and Starship Streaking A.MIG-1209 for the upper surfaces. These were then sealed with gloss varnish and oils used to provide fluid streaks on the underside and to highlight random areas on the upper surfaces. Another coat of clear varnish sealed this all in followed by the exhaust and gun stains using pastels.

147A8558 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8559 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8561 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8571 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8579 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

To preserve the delicate recessed riveting, I masked and airbrushed the roundels, fin flash and aircraft serial number and codes. The only decals I used were the small data stencils, but these needed some persuasion to prevent them from silvering - Tamiya Extra Thin cement applied very carefully onto the decal surface.

147A8579 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8580 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8582 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8583 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8584 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8585 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

147A8586 - 1200 by Malcolm Reid, on Flickr

Another beauty

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How come every time my ship comes in, I'm at the airport?

Awesome build!