Ex-FAAWAFU
-
Posts
8,190 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
49
Content Type
Events
Profiles
Forums
Media Demo
Everything posted by Ex-FAAWAFU
-
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXC Airfix 1/24
Ex-FAAWAFU replied to diablo rsv's topic in Work in Progress - Aircraft
I used HGW rivets for that, & they worked well (though there is a definite knack to applying them so they really adhere properly, because they are the type where you peel off the carrier film afterwards). Archer were also an option, but at 1/48 they were overscale for the look I was after. As far as I know, HGW do rivets in 1/48 & 1/32. Hope it works out for you! -
I have also moved on in other areas today, namely painting the deck (Tamiya Lacquer LP-15 IJN Grey Yokosuka Arsenal, which is a pretty decent match for RN dark deck grey). There’s a little more work required towards the bottom of the photo, but this shows you where I’m going with this; the inboard face of Garden Wall will also be painted before fitting, which should deliver a level of accurate painting that is very hard to achieve with masking in this scale.
-
I haven't disappeared or given up - just been head down in Fusion 360, designing the roller fairlead to fit by one of those two holes above. Here's what a real one looks like (taken from the fo'c's'le of a County Class DLG, because it's easier to see than on a CVS): Here was version 1 over the weekend - abandoned because it wasn't looking right... before I found some much better measurements. And here are two views of version 2, which is now complete and has been exported to .stl ready to see how well it will print - bearing in mind that the whole things is about 5 mm across. More soon Crisp
- 897 replies
-
- 11
-
-
-
Good progress on two fronts today. Firstly, the loose boat bay. 1. Re-attached: 2. This DSPIAE tool is often a bit OTT, but when it really matters to get precise sanding angles, it’s fantastic: 3. Now fitted and the gaps filled with Mr Dissolved Putty: Happy with that - the only irreversible casualty of the effort to fix this is the raised lip round all the bays. I can live with that. The other sub-assembly now complete is the “garden wall” on the fo’c’s’le - this includes the real “squeaky bum time”, namely drilling & carefully filling into shape the two drainage slots at the rear (to allow free surface water to escape) - you can’t really do these until the supports are all in place, so there’s always the risk that you’ll stuff it up & have to start again (the joys of scratch building!). Seen from inboard (roughly taped in place; the visible gaps at the bottom centre right aren’t there when it’s fully fitted, but I only have 2 hands!): Seen from outboard: The next stage is to paint the deck & the inner face of the wall (this saving an awful lot of intricate masking). More soon Crisp
- 897 replies
-
- 10
-
-
Work has been carrying on slowly in the margins; in particular, the “Garden Wall” (this is Mk.2, because it’s not been simple) is now close to being done: So that’s all good. But… Picking up the hull to measure something for the 5 millionth time, there was a distinct rattle. Rattles are never good with a fuselage or hull that’s been closed up, and sure enough closer inspection revealed that one of the boat bays had broken loose; spot the gaping hole… What to do? The answer is somewhat daunting, but I think the only way to fix it. First, cut out the area around the vagrant boat bay: Then find the wandering bit - not small, as you can see: Then thank your lucky stars that you have access to a second set of hull parts - I bought them from my neighbour today! Mark & cut out the same section of hull (deliberately leaving it a bit too big in each direction): I have chain drilled the Olympus plenum chamber grille (to be replaced by PE) & filled the two prominent slots, which are for a platform which Lusty had but 1988 Ark did not. A lot of work, but pleased with progress & I hope to be able to fit the new section tomorrow. More soon Crisp
-
I joined Ark (well, 820 embarked in Ark) in late-86, so I’ll be surprised if there were any significant differences between your version and mine - no CIWS yet & maybe the odd Golly aerial or similar missing from your CST version, but otherwise nothing much. Off the top of my head, the things you need to change to convert Airfix Lusty into Ark are: - different, more streamlined profile underneath the ramp - port quarter CIWS platform (again, more streamlined - see early stages of this build for details) - reinstate the forecastle & Sea Dart launcher - ditto 909s - back end of the island needs major rework - mainmast different (UAA1, 992 etc) - revert the bridge / Flyco area to original config (single row of windows) - shorten port midships chaff / 20mm sponson There will be others that come to mind as I think. I’ll add them here. C
-
The nose OC aerial would have been well & truly destroyed by the impact, but the other 4 (aircraft sides and on stub-wings) wouldn't - and they are not visible in any photos.
-
Thinking a bit more, the cab seen from above has Orange Crop, but the damaged cab doesn’t; they’re definitely different airframes (though still a useful photo, for which thanks to my friend John “Foxy” Connell, WAFU ninja).
-
I reckon no RBF intake blanks, because there are no covers on the exhausts (as there are in the colour photo from the tanker) - I’d expect none or both. No idea whatsoever why the access panel to the starboard side of the MRGB was open. And yes, thin yellow tip on the blades
-
STOP! Step slowly away from the bench. No sudden movements. Now go back to the reference shots of the damaged cab on deck. Do you see any intake grilles? Cos I don’t. They’re there in the photo of A.N. Other MAD-fitted Lynx taken from BW’s hangar roof, but it appears they weren’t on 25 May. [I suspect they’re two different airframes; trying to keep track of which airframes were in which ship on a given day during the campaign is really hard - since not all cabs were Skua capable at that stage and only a few were MAD-fitted, they probably moved around depending on the ship’s tasking on a given day].
-
Now working on the inside face of the “Garden Wall” - specifically the supports. There have been a couple of false starts & a lot of measure-cut-sand-swear-remeasure-cut-rinse-repeat…. but it’s getting there. The side cutters might serve as a reminder of how small this stuff is! More soon Crisp
-
Thinner lines, as well as revised BW
-
Try this: The bomb hole was somewhere between the SMR (the guy in the red FD jersey) and the steps. You could see it from some angles (there was still a slight dent), and when she was rebuilt they obviously didn't bother with reinstating all the insulation, because snow / frost melted around the bomb hole before everywhere else, like the only badly insulated house in a terrace! [I'd love to model this, but suspect I will never get around to it; scratch-building the entire innards of a Lynx with both ECUs exposed and the MRGB out on the deck is probably a bridge or three too far - still a man can dream!] Crisp
-
Yes, that’s exactly what it is; bounced off the sea, came inboard travelling upwards through the JRs heads, through the flight deck & Lynx nose, and over the side. Bill, I’m pretty sure I have some photos of Battleship [it’s better than “gunboat”, which seems to be the press’ description of any warship] Broadsword’s deck from above, taken during a MRGB change on deck in Gib in 1990, but the configuration of the deck ringbolts won’t have changed. I’ll get back to you.
-
I was around in 82 (sprog bridge watchkeeper & flight deck dogsbody in Fearless), but nowhere near a carrier; I didn’t start my flying training until 84. Thank you for your kind words!
-
If you want to build Invincible or Ark (or Lusty in a pre-refit configuration), then the WEM set is essential; it sorts out the whole catwalks thing for you (which would be the toughest bit to scratch build). Atlantic Models do a Sea Dart back-dating set (launcher, blast shield & 2 x 909 dome). So that leaves the mast configuration to scratch build…. You know you want to!
-
90% of us on here are bonkers (and I definitely include myself in that category). But this is taking it to a whole new, beautiful level of bonkerdom - the sort of thing to which the rest of us can only aspire. I salute you, Sir!
-
Shape refined a bit more - almost there now - plus first of two holes for berthing hawsers etc cut. About two hours’ work! More soon Crisp
- 897 replies
-
- 14
-
-
I do have a second hull (kind of) available, but in this case it doesn’t help; the kit doesn’t have a fo’c’s’le, since it depicts Lusty after her Sea Dart was removed & the flight deck extended forward. This changed the profile of this area significantly, so using it as a guide for the scratch built replacement wouldn’t work. The second hull will deffo help in some areas - but not this one!
-
I have decided not to extend the legs, as such, for precisely the reason you say. Instead, when I get to that part of the build I plan to add short sections of rod of the same diameter as the legs, fitting them in deck below so that they give the appearance / illusion that they are extensions of the leg. Sounds OK in theory, of course, but I am yet to actually try it!
-
Thanks, and already in the plan. To be honest, it’s only towards the rear that the bends require annealing - almost all of it is a gentle curve which is easily accommodated by the gauge of the metal
-
First raid your materials drawer for some brass sheet: Then make a paper template to account for the compound curves, checking it vs the Jecobin drawings & photos. Start scoring the brass, leaving some over so that you don't overshoot and have to start again. Eventually, about an hour or so later, you end up with something like this: Then tape into position and start refining the shape with your indispensable Tamiya Diamond file (without which I would never tackle brass / PE). Seen from inboard; still more work to do to fair it in properly at each end, but it's beginning to look roughly like what I had in my mind's eye... More soon Crisp
- 897 replies
-
- 15
-
-
-
This section of scratch built garden wall that has failed has some quite tricky compound curves - only now that it has failed have I properly remembered what a pain it was to do (& I was never 100% happy with it. My cunning plan is to use brass for the replacement, because it will handle the compound curves better while still retaining strength. I have therefore removed all the remaining styrene down to fo’c’sle deck level, and marked the area where I am going to remove some sytyrene, thus kind of counter-sinking the brass into the hull. The same area seen from above, in horrible close-up! More soon Crisp
-
There’s good news…. and less good news! The good news is that the underside of the ramp is now very close to being sorted - this is it after a layer of Mr Surfacer 1000 was brush painted on; I’ll sand it smooth over the weekend. The bad news? Well you know the hideous trench on the fo’c’s’le I showed you yesterday? I started work to fix it today, and the whole bloomin’ “garden wall” bulkhead came away in my hand… so I now have a gap in the starboard bow (the broken piece can be seen at the bottom of the picture). All fixable, but still not pleasing! More soon Crisp
