Spitfire Mk26 first flight

That aeroplane could have been a real bundle of fun but they have just totally butchered it with that paint scheme. Doesn’t anyone realise what that does to it? It’s like running fingernails down a blackboard.

Excellent choice of helmet! Looks like a Campbell Aeroclassic to me.

Mk 26 improvements

Hi all,

I’m new to this forum, I found it while looking for info on both Dave Austin and the Huse’s Spitfire projects. I have been following the Mk 26 kit for some time and have become more interested in it since the kit has ‘matured’, by that I mean that it has started to look more graceful lately, in part due to the add on options like carb scoop, under wing radiators, rear view mirror, cannon stubs, etc.

The initial version suffered from what I like to call ‘scale problems’, it looked goofy due to the relative size of the canopy to the airframe, tailwheel, cowling shape, propeller, etc. This is a common drawback to smaller than actual size replicas although some, like the Thunder Mustang and the Stewart S-51, look great due to the canopy and prop being in scale to the rest of the airframe. Only the relative size of the pilot gives them away.

I’m quite impressed with Huse’s Mk 26, I think the front end looks just like the real thing, are his exhaust stacks custom made or are they standard on the kit now? A huge improvement if they are stock. The spinner also is much better looking than others I’ve seen. The only complaint I have is why oh why did he not take five more minutes to decide on authentic colours and proper roundel size/placement?!?! :confused:

Here’s some beautiful shots of his airplane at an airshow:

Spitfire Mk 26

As for paint I think one of the best looking Supermarine replicas is the bare metal one owned by Terry Kronk. Paint lovers may have nicer results if they chose a solid Photo-Recon blue or grey (or pink?) rather than a camo scheme. Bad paint can accentuate ugly design features rather than mask them.

I am talking about his two-seater that was really wierd non-standard colours for the camouflage, a blue and green. I always wondered why till I read on this forum he’d used Ford car paint for the colour rather than matching it accurately. I think it said he was somehow involved with a Ford dealership?

It has also appeared in really light grey-green scheme too, looking a bit more like the WWII fighter scheme as well, but I’m talking about when it wore the blue scheme. the online is a really poor quality thumbnail that wouldn’t open for me, from here www.militaryairshows.net/ galld2.htm

Dave, it was BMW paint actually. PT462 has only worn the Charles Church scheme and the current 253 Sqdn scheme – this being the ‘really light grey-green scheme’, but neither are authentic. The current scheme was applied in the USA and the new owner at that time was offered authentic paint chips but never took the offer up. The result is the current ‘guesstimation’ scheme, albeit with accurately proportioned roundels (as per the line drawing supplied to them).

Probably, I didn’t know the thread had rolled over to another page till I posted, and then when I saw your post, all I saw was a white box with red X anyway.

Ahh OK, fair enough. Maybe should have posted that image from photobox.com.

Probably, I didn’t know the thread had rolled over to another page till I posted, and then when I saw your post, all I saw was a white box with red X anyway.

Dave, is that not the same pic I posted first time?

I am talking about his two-seater that was really wierd non-standard colours for the camouflage, a blue and green. I always wondered why till I read on this forum he’d used Ford car paint for the colour rather than matching it accurately. I think it said he was somehow involved with a Ford dealership?

It has also appeared in really light grey-green scheme too, looking a bit more like the WWII fighter scheme as well, but I’m talking about when it wore the blue scheme. the online is a really poor quality thumbnail that wouldn’t open for me, from here www.militaryairshows.net/ galld2.htm

Photo of said Spit taken at Sleap on 13th Sept 2003 by me

More of an off-white?

(Paul Dopson pic – from airliners.net)

Well, I remembered the serial , if nothing else ! Not very white, I must admit, but the blue is ‘unusual’. perhaps it was more white when viewed from below.

The peculiar-looking Charles Church Spit was the TR1X PT462 (from memory), which appeared in a sort of blue and white camouflage scheme, perhaps derived from his company ‘house’ colours.

Now re-imported back from Florida, it is based in north Wales, and looks much better.

That’d be this one, then (pic from militaryairshows.net)

still needs authenticity i feel

The peculiar-looking Charles Church Spit was the TR1X PT462 (from memory), which appeared in a sort of blue and white camouflage scheme, perhaps derived from his company ‘house’ colours.

Now re-imported back from Florida, it is based in north Wales, and looks much better.

I agree with you Janie – the paint scheme looks as bad as Charles Church’s Spitfire did, or the CAF Wildcat

Thats a bit harsh Dave (if we are talking about C-GMAH). The colours and roundel proportions are not bad at all. I think its really only let down by the hard edges to the camouflage demarcartion lines. Janie, I agree, a few W/T’s always improve a Spitfire scheme.

Well, I just hope nobody moans about my Spit’s scheme when I (eventually) build it. It WILL be done right! :p

Agreed Daz, and don’t get me wrong, the plane itself looks great. Just the paint work does not look right. I’m just picky about these things I guess through being involved with painting aircraft in a past life and knowing the right way is just as easy as the wrong way.

Might look bad to you, but it’s better than some of them.

I agree with you Janie – the paint scheme looks as bad as Charles Church’s Spitfire did, or the CAF Wildcat

Why does someone put all that time, money and effort into building af flying machine and the totally mess up the paint scheme? Getting it right isn’t difficult and would make the thing look so good if it was spot on.

She needs a few W/Ts and all the other stencils too.

No need to shout at me – I’ll just see myself off to my own padded cell.

I think the LOM engine installation is better than the Jabiru – it gives the 26 a much more scale-like shape, in my opinion.

I have to agree with you on that one.