Seafire FR.47 tamiya 1/32 english part 1

Seafire FR.47 Tamiya 1/32 part-1

Great thanks to Larry for English text.

Introduction
Spitfire is one of my most favorite aircraft. Above all, the LAST Spitfire - Seafire Mk.47 - has been listed at the top of my waiting list for a long time. Thus, I'd prepared for building 1/48 Airfix Mk.47 and collected a lot of aftermarket parts. In the meantime though, Tamiya released their 1/32 Spitfire Mk.IX series. Tamiya kits are as near perfect as models get. So I changed scales from 1/48 to 1/32. If Tamiya were going to release Griffon Spitfire, I'd wait. But, unfortunately, Tamiya might not do one. So, I decided to semi scratch-build a Seafire FR.47 from the Tamiya Mk.XVIe.
Drawings
Before starting, I made original drawings of Mk.47. I didn't trace existing drawings but referred to photos of actual aircraft and original factory drawings.

Large size drawing

Port side is the late production type and the starboard side is the early production type. They are almost common except for the windshield and canopy.
The length of the nose cowl and spinner is the same as other long nose Griffon type (i.e. Mk.XIV)
The demarcation line of the lower cowl of Mk.47 is higher than other model. Airfix 1/48 Mk.47 kit is not correct at this point.
The airfoil is unchanged from Mk.I through Mk.47. The Super Spitfire wing is not the laminar
flow wing. See the photo of the cross-section shape of folding wing.

The windshield and canopy
There are three types of windscreens & canopys for the cut down fuselage. The first one is for Marlin Mk.XVI , Griffon Mk.XIV to Mk.22 and Seafire Mk.46. The second one is for Seafire Mk.XVII and early Mk.47. The third one is only for late production of Mk.47. See the following figure. They are drawn from actual aircraft. The length of the slide canopy frames are all different. The windscreens of the second and third one are identical.

Top and bottom view drawings

Large size drawing

The left side wing and the fuselage are FR.47 and the right side wing is Mk.22. Mk.46's wing is almost the same as the Mk.22 except for the catapult hook.
There are many changes in the Mk.47's folding wing. That is; the length of the cannon, flap hinge line, trailing edge line of radiator cowl, gear cover (47's gear leg cover is shorter than 46), blister for the tire house, position of rocket launcher and some small access panels.
Two IFF antenna masts (green) are only on the starboard. The pitot tube and access panel (red) are only on the port.
The blue lines are low degree of certainty. The purple line shows variations.
The plan shape of main wing from sta.0 to sta.21 is identical with the Mk.I. (See following figure.)
The airfoil is NACA2400 series and this is identical with the Mk.I. Some references states that "the new wing was re-designed to laminar flow wing", but this is incorrect.
There are some differences in the early production manual folding wing and the late mechanical folding wing. This drawing shows the latter one.
Details (panel lines, rivet lines, small access panel etc.) of my drawing is from existing original Mk.22's wing.
The third tab on the starboard elevator is only for Mk.22/24. Seafire Mk.46/47 doesn't equip this tab.
There seems to be two types of variation of the access panel rearward of cannon barrels.

The cross section and front view drawing

Large size drawing of FR.47

Large size drawing

The cross section shape is basically traced from factory drawings.
The diameter of Mk.46/47 propeller is 10'4". Mk.14 to 19, Mk.12 and17 is 10'5", Mk.21、22 is 11' and Mk.24 is 11'10".
The red line of the propeller blade shows the developed figure.
The tread of Super Spitfire is enlarged to 6'8". I think the position of the gear leg pintle is unchanged. The angle and length of the leg, the angle and thickness of the tire are changed and then the tread finally is widened.

Detail photos
My friend sent me photos of rare angle.

The Mk.22/24 starboard elevator tab rod. This tab may be only for the Mk.22 and 24. Mk.46 and 47 don't have is.

See the ellipse access panel afterward the cannon and two oblong access panel beside the ellipse panel.

This photo is the starboard.

These are the bomb rack and rocket launcher of Mk.18 (?).

Kit review
Tamiya 1/32 Mk.VIII/IX/XVI
As for the outline shape, panel and rivet lines and details, Tamiya 1/32 Spitfires are perfect as well as P-51and F4U. These three kits are the highest standard for accuracy of all aircraft kits. Matchbox 1/32 Mk.22
This kit is too old to comment. If you want to build a correct Griffon Spitfire model, my approach may be better. Airfix 1/48 FR46/47, 22/24
Generally, Airfix kits are excellent. Main parts of the fuselage and wing are correct in dimension. Only a few points should be corrected. That is; the joint line of the nose cowl bulge is incorrect, the nose air intake and lower cowl of Mk.47 are narrow, propeller blade is thin and the shape of the slide canopy is not good. Airfix 1/48 PR.XIX
This new tool kit is the best Griffon Spit in 1/48 scales. Main parts of the fuselage and wing are dimensionally correct and good shape. If you build Airfix Mk.46/47 or 22/24, I recommend replacing the nose cowl with this kit nose. Airfix 1/48 Mk.XII Mk.XVII
These two kits are basically equal. The outline shape is to fat and macho. The height of fuselage is 2mm (0.08") high. If I build Mk.XII model, I will use PR.XIX kit.
Construction of the nose cowling
The first step was the nose cowl. The nose section of my model is absolutely full scratch-built. The nose cowl was made of heat formed 1mm (0.04") styrene sheet.Scratch-building works were trial and error. As a result, I had to make three sets of wooden masters.

The wooden mold was made of layered 5mm (0.2") thick wood plate.

The proportion was chacked with the fuselage and wing.

Styrene sheet was heated and formed with this vacuum former at the first trial. The thickness of the side portion became 0.5mm (0.02").

So, after the next trial, heated styrene sheet was formed by hands.

This is the third and final wooden molds. The mold is divided vertically. The left and right cowl panels are formed separately.

The inner structure was made of styrene sheet for reinforcement, holder of propeller axis.

The left and right half of heat pressed nose cowl parts were glued to each half fuselage part.

Small pieces of styrene sheet were glue on the adhesive line to hold the precision position.

The rear fuselage

The tail fin was scratch-built. I used wing parts of Airfix 1/48 Seafire.

The camera window was made from 0.4mm clear styrene sheet. I depicted inner frames, but they might be almost invisible from outside.

The cockpit
Basically, I used kit cockpit parts. According to the pilot manual (Mk.45/46), the instrument panel was corrected and some equipments were added on the cockpit side.

Guessing from some circumstantial evidence, the cockpit of Mk.47 was not painted in interior grey green but black. That is, post war jets are painted black, cockpit photos of existing Mk.XVII of "Warpaint" show upper half is black and lower half is green (I guess the cockpit paint is original), original photo of the inner side of cockpit door looks very dark. So I painted my model with RLM66 black grey. Caution markings were all-sorts of decals.

The spinner
The spinner was made of chemical wood. It is sold under a trade name "RenShape Modeling and Styling Boards". Two blocks of chemical wood (because, FR.47 has contra-rotating propellers) were drilled 4mm (0.16") diameter hole. At first, the rotating plane of each block was sanded separately, then connected two blocks were set to the rotary tool and sanded to spinner shape with #80 to #600 grit sandpaper.

The 4mm (0.16") vinyl cap and 2mm (0.08") metal rod are set to the rotary tool.

The outline shape was checked with the template paper which was cut from the drawing.

The gear box of contra-rotating propellers

The gear box was made to be inserted from the front end of the fuselage.

Gluing of the fuselage
Then the left and right halves of fuselage were glued together.

The ceiling of the air intake duct was glued on the inner structure. And battery wires for light-up were connected to the inner structure.

Finally, the left and right halves were glued together.

The consideration of the nose bulge
Most kits don't depict this bulge correctly. The front and rear end isn't ball shape.

I found that the conceptual image of the shape is as follows. First of all, there is a bar with half ellipse cross section (step 1). This bar is bent at two points. The rearward curve is tight and forward curve is not so tight (step 2). Then the bent bar is inclined about 20 degrees (step 3). Finally, the bar is cut out (step 4, 5). Of course, the actual shape isn't exactly equal to this conceptual image but this image may help you understand what I'm describing.