I’m currently working on a MK XIV, and I read that the Buzz Bomb chasers were highly polished to increase speed. Polishing along with removing a few guns gave the Spit almost the same performance as the Tempest V.
Anyway, should I finish this bird with a glossy polished finish, or go flat?
Your collective thoughts would be appreciated…
Steve
Personally I’d split the difference & go with a very clean semi-gloss satin finish.
Regards, Rick
I agree with Rick.
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
I can’t cite an authoritative source, but I have read that some pilots had their Spitfires polished to increase speed. I understand they may also have sanded off a layer or two of paint to reduce weight and smooth the surface before polishing. I have read that some P-51 pilots used paste wax to seal the seams between body panels and access doors in order to reduce turbulence in the airflow around the aircraft. By the time Spitfires were chasing buzz bombs, the allies enjoyed air superiority over the North Sea and Western Europe so there was less concern about camouflage, and therefore no need for a flat finish.
Biggles
From the RAF website. http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/spit7.html
On 12 June, the first V-1 flying bombs bean to fall on England. Eleven fighter squadrons were called upon to deal with the threat, including those operating Spitfire Mk IXs, Mk XIIs and Mk XIVs, but the only aircraft capable of catching a V-1 in level flight was the Tempest V. The missile’s high speed of nearly 500mph meant that the Spitfires were hard pushed to intercept, even out of a long dive. To try to improve the Spitfire’s speed the armour and some of the guns were removed and the whole aircraft polished, after which the Mk XIIs and Mk XIVs did well.
Consider the scale you’re working in. If you’re working in 1/72nd, for example, the gloss effect should be less apparent than it would be in a larger scale.