I also drive past this absolute beauty of a #Spitfire (RW388) on my way to work, and can see it from the road lit up in various ways through the floor to ceiling windows.

I think a trip to the #PotteriesMuseum with The Boy may be on the cards very very soon.

ICYDK: we’re big on Spitfires around here because the designer, Reginald Mitchell, was from North Staffs. I have loved them for far longer than I’ve lived in the area though, ever since meeting a WW2 Spitfire pilot when I was 16. A very famous and much decorated one at that. He and my mum were on first name terms. I own three pieces of Spitfire artwork that he dedicated to me and signed - as did two of his colleagues and the artist.

Anyway. I love the Spitfire and am glad to be passing that on to The Boy.

I pass this sculpture on the way to and from work each day. The Boy (who is 3yo) passes it once a week en route to gymnastics.

This week he was in gymnastics camp two afternoons and when his mum was bringing him home on one of the days he said “Look mummy. It’s a #Spitfire.”

His mummy was very surprised. I was very proud.
I am teaching The Boy the important things and I’m absolutely delighted to discover he’s retaining them.

(During that same journey he told mummy off for skipping a song that he wanted to sing, so she replayed it. He sang along at full volume. It was From Now On, from The Greatest Showman. He knows all the words from when it picks up in the middle. Maybe not quite in the same class as recognising a Spitfire, but I’m insanely happy to see my influence having an impact. )

Starting to look like a fighter now. Decals look pretty good, white is opaque over the camouflage and still very thin

That moment of peeling off the tape and putty and wondering “how is it? Did any paint run?”

Just a little bit. First time using elastic putty and it was a dream to use.
#scalemodel #raf #spitfire

I've built horizontal stabilizers and attached them to the fuselage. #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

Added skin to the rudder frame. #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

The frame of the rudder (now for real). #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

Completed the fuselage and added skin to the fixed part of the vertical stabilizer (not rudder, that will come later this week; I need to work on my aircraft vocabulary). #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

So.. the second winner in the poll (in my tgc) is Spitfire! #mlp #Pony #Spitfire

Built the frame of the rudder. #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

Haltet mich jetzt nicht für bekloppt, aber hier ist eben ne #Spitfire übers Neckartal geknattert. Erkennt man sofort an den elyptischen Flügeln.
Wer zum Henker hat so'n Teil in der Garage stehen??

Added skin to the front part of the fuselage. #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

Added the frame to the rest of the fuselage and built shafts for exhaust pipes. #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

#rnzaf #rnzafpastandpresent #spitfire #triumphspitfire #LiberatedFromFB

URGENT CLARIFICATION: We’ve been made aware of widespread confusion between the Triumph Spitfire and the Supermarine Spitfire, which we wanted to move quickly to clear up.
This is not surprising. As well as having the same name, these doppelgangers share rakish good looks, stunning performances, and both Spitfires were plucky battlers that took the world by storm.
However, there are a few subtle differences that the untrained eye might not spot, so we’ve put together a handy guide so you can tell them apart at a glance.
The first major difference is under their graceful bonnets.
The Triumph Spitfire was powered by a gutsy 1.1 litre inline four producing 63 horsepower, and had a top speed of 148 km/h. This little beauty went from 0 to an infringement notice in a brisk 16.4 seconds and drank its fuel at a thrifty rate of 7.41 litres per 100km.
By contrast the Supermarine Spitfire was powered by a slightly more powerful 27-litre V12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine capable of producing up to 1860 horsepower, depending on its supercharger.
This little sportster would earn you a fine by the time you took off and could exceed 700km/h when you decided to give it the jandal. However, this performance came at a price: The Supermarine Spitfire consumed up to 409 litres of fuel per hour when in a hurry so it paid to have a service station nearby when you were out buzzing about.
The second major difference to look for is in armament. Triumph did not provide its Spitfire owners with gun choice as a factory option. By contrast Supermarine gave its owners variety, with an early choice of eight machine guns and, in later models, four 20 mm cannons. Bombs were also an option for some models. Of course, disappointed Triumph owners could always go for retrofit options.
Finally, the biggest, and probably most easy-to-spot giveaway, is in colour choices.
The Triumph Spitfire came in a huge range of colours, ranging from Leyland White to some 1970s stunners such as Carmin, Burgundy, Scarlet, Mimosa and, of course, British Racing Green.
Spitfires came in shades of green, brown and sometimes with a two-tone pattern to distinguish their undersides. Later models came with black and white racing stripes but they were mostly variations of green and brown, and it was a dull range compared to the Triumphs.
So, there you go – hopefully you will never be confused again and we won’t have Spitfire fans arriving at our museum hoping to see a Triumph, when we only have a Supermarine Spitfire on show.
This urgent clarification has been brought to you by Optrex.

Built a frame for the nose of the aircraft. #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

The central part of the fuselage, including the rear (fixed) part of the canopy. #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

The cockpit is now closed and most of the details are hidden in the darkness. #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodels

Added more details to the seat and installed it to the cockpit. Also, I think this was the time when I finally got proper workbench lighting. #archive #papercraft #Spitfire #scalemodel #histscalemodel