Spitfire Fuselage Rivet Patterns and Canopy Rail Stiffener

The colour codes for the std wartime camouflage are all BS381C – just google BS381 Dark Green or Dark Earth and you will get the codes.

You can get solvent borne cellulose mixed at your local body shop supplier. Alternatively you can buy some types direct from LAS aerospace. As mentioned before solvent borne are being phased out in EU and water borne coming in – you can still gets solvent borne but prices are rising.

The alternative codes are RAL – ( R standing for Reich) – which are the german standards that are now more commonly used. There is some cary over from BS381 and you can online search for comparisons.

cheers Ross and Ian

Here are some close ups of the stiffening bracket on frame 11 stb side from a Mk1 (X4773). It’s two parts of welded steel which have been bent a little out of true. The rivets through the top and bottom of the bracket to the external skin are different sizes, larger countersunk top, smaller countersunk bottom. Hope this helps, Ian.

Stiffeners

for the canopy rail stiffener brackets that go on frames 11 and 12?

Like this…:D

…..Tad expencive though !! ….. Steve

The date on the data panel of the MF drawings varies by four years, so I think that partly explains the price. While the drawings are good, there are several areas lacking in detail, or only partially covered from some angles. I don’t know whether the book fills in the missing areas of the drawings as I haven’t seen that.

Steve

Just PM me if you need any close up photos of the IWM Mk1 Spitfire.

Another good person to ask is “Mark V” (assuming you like how the new H11 Hurricane is painted!)

Cheers Steve, much appreciated
Tony

Cheers Steve that is very helpful and will help me no end, many many thanx. I have the internal paints, it is the external camo etc I require.
Just to clarify, are the tops of frames 12, 13 mush too?

AVI, thanx for the website details
Thanx again
Tony

Hi Tony, yes the tops of all Frames from 12 to 19 are mush-heads, likewise the bottoms as well. The PRXI we did for HFL had a very similar rivet pattern being based on an early MKIX fuselage. We dont apply any external paint other than etch prime & green & yellow primer so cant help you with camo paint. Some one like rhoobarb or Fluffy on this site may have the ans to that.

Steve

Hundred-Buck-Book

Hi AVI , good book with exellent drawing & photos. Tad expencive though !! saves on lots of timely research though.
Steve

Yeah, at a hundred-odd bucks, it is a bit pricey. Unfortunately, the hundred-buck book is far from uncommon these days. Good news, if you’re spending US dollars, is that our dollar is back down a whole lot from last year when it was at or above par.

Did you order the book and drawings? I suppose that I’m also asking whether it’s worth the price of admission. Based on the promo on the website, it does appear to be an excellent piece of reference material for somebody building a replica Spitfire, or for that matter, a highly detailed scale model. Hell, I’ve paid more for a few copies of factory drawings of a well-known German WW2 fighter! At least with this Spitfire volume you don’t have to translate the text! :)-

Cheers Steve that is very helpful and will help me no end, many many thanx. I have the internal paints, it is the external camo etc I require.
Just to clarify, are the tops of frames 12, 13 mush too?

AVI, thanx for the website details
Thanx again
Tony

Tony, check out this website. Might be what you are searching for. Book with photographs of Spitfire details and accurate drawings.

http://www.monfortonpress.com/

Hi AVI , good book with exellent drawing & photos. Tad expencive though !! saves on lots of timely research though.
Steve

Another begging requirement, sorry chaps……

1. I am shortly to begin skinning the fuselage….I notice that the BBMF MkII uses many mushroom heads, whereas MkIX’s built by HFL use many flush rivets. As my project is supposed to be stock MkII-V, anyone got any ideas as to a good compromise?

2. Does anyone have any drawings (or indeed static original parts!!) for the canopy rail stiffener brackets that go on frames 11 and 12?

Tony

Tony, check out this website. Might be what you are searching for. Book with photographs of Spitfire details and accurate drawings.

http://www.monfortonpress.com/

Another begging requirement, sorry chaps……

1. I am shortly to begin skinning the fuselage….I notice that the BBMF MkII uses many mushroom heads, whereas MkIX’s built by HFL use many flush rivets. As my project is supposed to be stock MkII-V, anyone got any ideas as to a good compromise?

2. Does anyone have any drawings (or indeed static original parts!!) for the canopy rail stiffener brackets that go on frames 11 and 12?

3. I need to source suitable hard wearing paint for the fuselage suitable for a MkII-V’ish….any current restorers suggest suitable codes and suppliers?

Many thanx, the project is about 1 month behind schedule, it is vaguely MkII-V due to parts availability….that is why I am being vague. I would like to adopt a RCAF MkV scheme if I can.

regards

Tony

Hi Rocketeer, the riveting patterns on a MKII is the same as MKI, MKV & early MKIX’s. Basically from Fr5 to Fr10 above fillet fairing line are csk rivets, below fillet fairing are mush-head rivs. From Fr11 aft the vertical frames are 3/32 mush-heads except Fr19 which are 3/32 csk rivs. along the spine they are 3/32mush-heads.
The horizontal intercostals from Fr11 aft are 1/8th csk rivets, but you will have to dimple the skins & structure . Fr8 to Fr11 the horizontal stiffeners are csk 3/32 rivs, again skins & stucture are dimpled. Fr5 to Fr8 you can cut csk for 3/32 rivs. Fr5 side channels are 5/32 dia riv,again these are cut csk. Radio bay & battery bay doors are both 3/32 mush-head rivs. On the early MKs there were no doublers under the skin around the radio & battery bay door holes.
Hope this helps you Tony. As for the paint do you mean inside or out side?We use the same cockpit green & silver on the inside as HFL but couldnt get codes until monday.
Best of luck

Steve