Eduard 1/48 Scale Spitfire Mk.I | Douglas Bader | Battle of Britain 

Beautiful build and the Old Tin Legs Bader (pronounced Bahdah) figure is a definite bonus, great stuff. When he became a Squadron Leader ( I think from memory) his markings were DB and his call sign was Dog's Body. Read Reach for the Sky it's his biography. He was apparently a difficult man but that was what got him through.

I met Bader when I was a 11, spent 15 minutes chatting to him about Spitfires and Hurricanes. That was the moment I began my life long love of this aircraft. Nine years ago my wife bought me a flight in one with Carolyn Grace, Spitfire T.IX ML407 twin seat. Let me tell you that was an experience. Anyway great build

That cockpit detail is so crisp! You've done a really lovely job. As a bit of a Spitfire geek, just a couple of points - the aluminium areas behind the cockpit are painted aluminium and not bare metal. There's also something not quire right with the Sutton harness - the reason that there is a slot in the seat back is that part of the harness passes through it. Anyway, that's just nit picking - it's a lovely looking kit that you've done a great job.

Superb build! The movie about Bader is definitely worth watching.

I think it is amazing the quality of these kits and products available to us modelers. When I started my first kit 43 years ago we didn't have such great products to work with.

Beautiful build as always Brett!!! Thanks for the shout out!!

Beautiful work! Can’t wait to start on mine. When my dad was still in the South African Airforce, they had the chance to meet Bader on one occasion. He told me he was a very interesting gentleman 😂

It looks stunning really lovely work.😂😂😂

Great build 👍

It was a pre-war directive to do the black/white wings but it was maintained through the evacuation of Dunkirk. I think it was early June the "sky" color was directed to be painted over the black/white wings.

That is a beautiful build. In fact, I dont think that exquisite is too strong a word for that little masterpiece. A Spitfire is a thing of beauty and it is just as easy to get it to look 'wrong' as it is difficult to get it to look 'right'. Nothing is perfect, but that looks .......right. 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻

Great build! I'm a Spitfire geek! Built many Spits over the years. Your build is undeniably high quality! It may not be 100% accurate, but no kit is! Our hobby - scale model military aircraft building, can be straight forward if you just follow the instructions verbatim, but for those who strive to build an accurate representation of an actual aircraft, research is vital. When the subject is an aircraft before the 1960s, it is a problem when it comes to colour accuracy, the obvious issue of lack of colour photos for the earlier aircraft combined with the poor colour accuracy of early photography, makes colour selection problematic. Other elements as you mentioned, the streaking on the wings due to gunfire is another issue, I have seen photos of this, but they are not common. Some historical points on the Spitfire & RAF, grey was not used until 1941, the red fabric on the gun ports was to stop moisture from entering the barrels and freezing, which happened at high altitude, As you accurately depicted, when the guns were fired, the fabric was torn & would be replaced. Regarding Douglas Bader, he is definitely a unusual character, to say the least. He lost one leg below the knee & the other above the knee, I think. This happened when he was with the aerobatic team of the RAF before WWII. His life is chronicled in the biography Reach for the sky by Paul Brickhill, which is a great read, Reach for the sky was made into a movie, which is worth a watch. Keep up the great work from across the pond, Not Great Britain, the other side - Australia! 😁🦘🦘

Great work! I learn so much from your work.

Excellent job and love the way you do your builds and talk thru the build. Thanks

From England, Interior grey/green sir. Your colour looks pretty good to me. By the time of the Battle of Britain or thereabouts the underside of home fighters was changed to Sky type 'S'. Interesting fact about Douglas Bader (eventually Sir Douglas), you may have read. When he was eventually shot down one of his false legs was trapped by the foot under a control pedal so he had to detach his leg to bale out of his burning "Spit". He was captured by the Germans and tried to escape so many times he was transferred to the notorious Colditz Castle. What a fine chap. Another really superb build sir. You have done a beautful service to a beautiful aircraft. Thank you.

Loved the video. Again, thanks for sharing the process. it looks great... keep them coming....

Currently building that kit and its so famn awesome

Really nice build Brett.

great work, it really turned out gorgeous! ive had a Eduard Puma kit and have been intimidated by it but this has helped me!

I really enjoyed this build. Nice to hear the builder talking about the build and what you are doing as the kit comes to completion.

Hi Excellent build. I would like to comment on some of the questions you posed during the video. The black and white undersides were purely applied to aircraft for 'Friend or foe' purposes which enabled observation from the ground to identify which side they were on! This was then removed later on during 1940 and replaced by the standard Sky type 'S' colour, almost a duck egg green. Once the Battle of Britain had been won camouflage schemes changed from defence of the Homefront to the more offensive Ocean Grey and Dark Green as we took the fight to the enemy. Also, Douglas Bader hated his surname pronounced Bayder and always corrected people saying...It's Barder!! although it is spelt Bader. 🙃 Anyway if you watch the movie of his life Reach for the Sky this is brilliantly portrayed. A beautiful build my friend. Well done. Martin.

Great build, nice editing and presentation. Very enjoyable to watch.

She turned out really nice. Well done.

What an outstanding finish chap! So glad the paint recipies worked out well 😊👍 When you said you were going to build this kit I knew you would enjoy it and make a cracking recreation of an early war Spitfire, only thing is what are you going to do with the second on in the box?! I have some spare photo recon decals for the early Spitfire Mk's in the stash if you fancy a pink or blue Spitfire in the display case 😁 Thanks for the shout out, extremely kind of you Brett.

Magnifique travrail

Another awesome build 👏 there is an old film about Douglas Bader called Reach for the Sky. Proper old school film but a good little watch 👍🏻

I have an Eduard kit mark lla spitfire and it seemed a bit serious for me. It is in my stash I actually may build it now. Thank you, oh yes, great job! Beautiful!

I think it was only a few months ago I was telling you that I had started my spitfire and now you made the same and its amazing looks awesome man good work I’ve just started an F-16 Tamiya 1/48th Version

There's a movie about Douglas Bader, it's black and white and called Reach For The Sky, it was made in the 50s so fresh in a lot of people's memories.

Stupendo!!!!

Beautifully done. Eduard's models are gorgeous, even on the sprue, which is something I can say about very few models. I wonder though if you will do either Contemptor Dreadnought (or any other that tickles your fancy!), or something like a TAG from Infinity as a non-commission model/ diorama model?

Very, Very nice build, very straight and forward, simple but extremely effective and eye catching!!!! Very inspiring! Very interesting even the subject, the pilot, Douglas Bader! Was not the guy that was shot down, become POW and due to mutual "aviators" respect, the Luftwaffe, (I think Adolf Galland was involved?) managed to get the RAF to parachute a pair of new wooden legs for him? Beautiful war stories!!! Keep up the great stuff!! Greetings from Italy! 🙂

Dear Mr Hammer, I was interested in the build up of this kit and it seems that Eduard (with their profi packs which enhance the areas you mention considerably) have a nicely researched product. I am greatly taken with the masked roundels and fin flashes as they have no real depth at all (compared to decals) which serves to considerably enhance the look of the model. I have used them for the first time on a Kotare 1/32 project and like the result. The colour mentioned in the air ministry instructions for the squadron markings was 33B/157 Medium Sea Grey. There were a number of changes made to the instructions for colouring of aircraft during the 1939/ 40/ 41 period, and this is evident in the number of variations visible in models that are available. Aircraft emerging from factories were painted a standard colour and more often and subsequent changes to colouring were made at OMU and Squadron. This of course meant that colours used were sourced locally which resulted in colouring variations which were sometimes quite significant. I like your finish and the care you have taken to retain the authentic look of this example. Thanks for showing the project! Regards, Z

I sat in a Spitfire at Biggin Hill near London and the seat was cockpit green. I think operational aircraft added seat cushions/padding etc which may explain the confusion about colours.....

Great build. The black and white underside was indeed a prewar thing. It was used from 1938 up until June 1940, half white half black, for observation of friendly aircraft (IFF) from the ground. (Also, the yellow gas-patch usually went on the left wing, tilted 90 degrees for some reason. But now you know for the next time. :) )

Fantastic job. I'd love to see a WW1 plane on the channel.

Amazing build! What do you thin your Vallejo primer with? I’m building the mk V Malta story right now!

Absolutely stunning build, just wanted to ask. What is the blue masking stuff called? Many Thanks

Masterclass! I'm heaving nothing but difficulties spraying Vallejo varnishes,what mixture/airbrush settings do you use?

Beautiful work. I can’t wait to start mine. There is a book about Douglas Bader called “Reach for the Sky” , written by Paul Brickhill. It’s a fantastic book if you would like to learn a bit more about Douglas Bader. It’s an inspirational read.

What is the name of the blue roll up putty for the camouflage?

How long did it take for you to get the masks for the insignia? I sent an email a week ago, and so far, I haven’t gotten a reply back from him

👍👍

The wing colouring was used early in the war as a recognition feature..........until the Germans decide to do the same on their fighters

Just thought id tell you , you have no audio and no resoulution options buddy ..Shaun.

Scale 1/48?

I don't know how true this story is, but i hope it is! He was giving a talk at a posh girl’s school about his time as a pilot in the war. “’So there were two of the f***ers behind me, three f***ers to my right, another f***er on the left,’ he told the audience. The headmistress went pale and interjected: ‘Ladies, the Fokker was a German aircraft.’ Sir Douglas replied: ‘That may be madam, but these f***ers were in Messerschmitts’.”

Bader was a bit of an idiot (of course brave and honourable, but...) your model is, as always, superb.

Bader is pronounced Barder, as in bar with a long "a".

It’s pronounced Douglas Barder,not Douglas Bayder,

Dark Green and Dark Brown are absolutely wrong colors