Today I present a dual completion, both of the same kit and set in the same time
period. They are both Tamiya Spitfires, a well-made kit with few building vices
but not much in the way of unusual paint schemes.
The
origin story of the two models is kind of unique. A couple of years back, I
took a table at the IPMS-Seattle Spring Show to move a few kits that I figured
I would never get around to building. Included in this were two boxes of Tamiya
Spits. As one of the customers was looking at them, he asked if I knew that
both kits were started. In fact I didn't
know, and probably would not have carted them to the show if I had realized it.
I slipped them under the table and took them home.
So I
decided if I wasn't going to sell them, I had better build them. The problem,
as I mentioned, is that they are both bog-standard BoB paint schemes, which are
not very spectacular. One day while searching for something in my decal stash,
I ran across an old Aeromaster sheet, Battle of Britain Spitfires (72028).
There were three planes on the sheet that at least had some sort of rudimentary
nose art, though they weren't exactly prime examples of the art form. One,
LO-Q, had what I gather is supposed to be a snake, though it looks rather like
something my pug leaves in the back yard. The other, PR-Q, had a white stag on
it. LO-Q is from RAF Tangmere in August of 1940, and was piloted by A
Johnstone. PR-Q is from RAF Middle Wallop, September 1940, piloted by M
Appleby. Both are Dark Green and Dark Earth over Sky.
Any of
you who have built the Tamiya Spit know that it goes together with no issues.
Painting was done mostly in the last days of my previous airbrush, so that was a bit
problematical at times. But I persevered long enough to get them into the
completed column. I do notice, as I was uploading the pictures, that the antenna masts seem to have gone to join the Carpet Monster. I'll need to replace both of them before they go into the display case.
These are
completed models #450 (#14 for the year), and #452 (#17 for the year), both finished
in March of 2016.
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