Phil Lewis

I've just discovered that I'm in the same boat missing SAMI and AM from November and December last year respectively to the present. I've just sent an email to Mark as advised so I'll let you know how I get on. Phil

I forgot to post. This model got a second in class at the IPMS Birmingham 2016 show

Another post updated where Photobucket did the dirty on me.

I noticed that Photobucket finally pulled the trigger so I've re-uploaded the original pics from Flickr now. Hope you can all see them again.

Another old thread fixed replacing old Photobucket hosted images with Flickr ones. Should be visible to all

I know this is an old post but after the Photobucket debacle I decided to use some of my recuperating time to re-upload the images from Flickr. Hopefully you can all see the pics ok Cheers Phil 👍

Just caught up with this Jon, all I can say is WOW! Inspirational stuff Phil

Fantastic job. It really is a lovely kit isn't it

I don't know about brave Jeff, more obstinate and blindly determined. I know this will never be truly accurate as there are significant and insurmountable shape issues which I shall make absolutely no attempt to correct. However, when I start a kit, I am always determined to make the best of it so, with this in mind I obtained a photo-etch set for it from White Ensign models when at the IPMS model world show at Telford. Hangar doors added And also chopped out the AA mount floors as the kit had them moulded as platforms instead of walled enclosures. Aft And forward Plus the etch for the bridge 'wings' 'Before' picture in insert Etch added to the funnel Added etch platform to funnel Fire directors cleaned up and one missing end replaced with a scratch item and etch radar grids added... looking a lot better Etch catapult and aircraft handling tracks added I then turned my attention to the (distinctly NOT ROUND) main guns, making them actually round and drilling out the ends. I also added a little more detail to the turrets including the director covers and an attempt at the small, sliding port covers on the front face of the turrets. And that's it for now. More insanity to come... polishing a for fun Phil the mad

Wow! it's really been over 2 years since I did anything on this? Well, I have picked it up again recently and got busy again... here's a teaser Yep. There's etch. I'll post more soon. Phil

Finished! This post essentially covers the reassembly and painting of the B-Wing. Circumstances prevented me from posting the ongoing build at the time it was happening but here's the process. Masked the canopy and primed everything with UMP black primer. Here you can see the main wing, cockpit module and engine pod shell assembled along with the brass mounting rod and power leads installed ready for connecting. Some seam issues have been addressed... And re-primed Base coat of XF-2 Flat White and a little deck tan to warm it applied Masked off and applied the blue-grey panels. Decided to change the blue-grey mix to the one recommended in the Bandai Kit instructions Added a little detail to the port on the rear of the cockpit module. This was a main wheel from the Airfix 1/72 Vampire kit cut thin and with the tyre bulge sanded flat After a coat of Tamiya rattle can clear I applied some spurious stencil decals from random decal sheets in the spares box followed by a sealer coat and a judicious application of Tamiya Dark Brown panel line wash. Engines connected up to the power leads and brass tube used to created the nose mounted guns. Further streaks and smears applied using powders etc and all sealed under a matt coat. Unfortunately I cannot post a lot of the pictures as they show a shop card for another forum I post to. And finally mounted on it's MDF base with a heavily processed image of Home 1 to keep it company. Battery pack connected up and set into the underside of the base (temporarily held in with masking tape. So that's it for this build Apologies that things got away from me so we didn't get a blow by blow account. Thanks for looking in Phil

Where does time go? Wow, I haven't touched this since January 2017. I have been working on other things and I found myself struggling to decide where to go with this old bird. Fast forward to Sept 2018 and a packaged drops through the door all the way from Japan containing one of my grail kits, an accurate, standard scale B-Wing from BanDai. Do I rush to build this beauty?... nope, I look at the exquisitely detailed parts on the trees and realise I can now correct some of the issues with the old kit. I hate to give up on an old model so here we are with a new round of updates. Lighting Drilled out the engines to accept 3mm yellow LEDs with 200ohm resisters on the positive lead of each led. This is to power them with 2x 2032 coin batteries in a switched carrier. Wired the LEDs together in parallel, insulated and light blocked with Tulip. Gave all the interior and exterior surfaces a good coat of UMP Black primer to provide additional light blocking. Nose Job The nose of the MPC B-Wing was particularly underwhelming in the detail stakes so I set to with drill, scalpel, files and plasticard and arrived precisely here More to follow... I hope Phil

Actually finished the stain on the base some time ago but forgot to post it here so here's the finished article. Thanks for looking in Phil

Just caught up with this thread. Another cracking build there Johnny. Love how you take those little hiccups, punch them in the eye and while they're staggering around blinking smack them over the head with an ingenious solution

At least you've got a pristine one to work with as opposed to my pre-mutilated one