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rob Lyttle

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About rob Lyttle

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  1. A quick marker to declare my intention to have a go at this little stash-dweller. Novo decals are shot, but my Dora kit has several civil options and my intention is to utilise some of those. There's a bit of an issue with the front windscreen. The military Proctor has a rounded shape whereas the Vega Gull is made up of flat panes. But let's see how it goes 😎
  2. Just been up in the loft doing some real world stuff and I retrieved this little bag of dereliction When I got the Dora edition of the Percival Vega Gull in civil style, I tucked the bag of Novo in with it. Dora supply several decal options and paint schemes and the intention was to use some on this little Frog relic. I notice that there are NO TAKERS yet for the Proctor 341P kit, so I'm going to put a marker down and have a go 😇
  3. Marvin, I'm no expert on vacform canopy work..... maybe the only one was for the little L10 Electra which included a vacform cockpit top. I found it challenging....🤭 All very flexible and uncertain. I found it useful to add stretched sprue to the bulkhead at the right height to hold the clear stuff in position for a smooth roof joint. I had a couple of other bits positioned to aid the fit at the sides. BUT... my roof was painted white with the fuselage so any visibility of my sprue addons wasn't an issue. Your joint is all see-through, especially with the open escape hatch arrangement I'm just throwing it in there in case any help along those lines sparks a solution in your mind. 😎 The nose part looks great
  4. Setting aside the hand drawn lettering procedures, and by tenacious application of my efforts on the chromebook, I appear to have cracked the challenge of getting the right font onto a document 😄😇🤭 No kidding, check out this bad boy... Zoom on the letters... That's your actual Amarillo USAF font style created online and downloaded and stuck on a doc page (along with some other stuff I'm working on) The only snag I had was with the "1". It had a peak just like what I've typed there. Replaced with a capital "I" and I got what I need. Scaling these is the next step. A test print on copier paper will show me where I'm at in terms of size. I've never had any success with this stuff previously so I'm feeling elated. Old dog new tricks...? Bring it on, I'm on a ROLL 🤩🥂🍾
  5. I ought to mention a slight enhancement on the cowlings. The definition of the cooling flaps is a bit poor and I applied some strips of skinny plastic to give a clean edge and the slightest of overhangs. That gives a better idea of the cooling gaps under the flaps. I did a couple more strips on the horizontal joints which weren't that good. I think with a bit of rubbing down and paint these will settle down. I learnt early on that any work on the inboard sides of cowlings and nacelles should be done BEFORE fixing the wings to the fuselage...🤪 No use people telling you this -- you need to learn it the hard way. Then you know it....
  6. Right, we have an airframe to work with. And started to look at the undercarriage parts. And after searching and clearing debris, I found the door!! Bit of a relief
  7. Adrian, 240 ÷ 60 = 4. And two of you on the case, discounting visitors, guests and neighbours....! Not good enough 😅 One thing I had to test before going further was the masking on the windows. Plenty of scope for disappointment there, but I think it's OK 👍 The astrodome is fitted. I have to own up that this is not the Frog part. I have some Special Hobby transparencies for a Hudson which are modern and much better and I've substituted. So the only Frog clear part used here is the cockpit canopy
  8. Time for an update on the Ventura, I think 🤔....!! Goodness, doesn't Time fly when you're enjoying yourself? Obvs I got a little bit sidetracked- mostly by the Frog Voodoo, plus I'm being kept busy with real world stuff. The 2nd wing got some attention and is pretty well up to date with the 1st. The main endeavour was the painting of the fuselage decor. I used mig acrylic without too much preparation of the white base coat and it's a bit "temperamental". A bit flaky on the edges just where a nice clean line is required. Rubbed down, 2nd coated after remasking, and things are improved but still a bit sketchy on the edges. So, left a while..... This evening I had what may be a breakthrough, although it may not, let's see how it goes 😅 What happened was..... I needed to replenish the teabag situation and started cutting the cellophane and noticed a "tear strip" still half-attached to the wrapping. I haven't seen one for a long time and don't even bother looking for them these days. But this was Yorkshire Tea, where things are done proper, and it turns out that the little gold strip has a glue side, probably an aid in the manufacturing process. Turns out that one complete tear strip is long enough to do a cheat line on both sides of the fuselage....😎 It's happy enough to tack down with its own glue and I've been over it with Pledge floor polish . There are touch-ups to do and thinking about the bottom lines too, but this feels like a lurch in the right direction (if it stays on...) So this is not a particular airline livery I'm trying to replicate, there's no reference material of "the real thing ". I'm just going for a decorative civil period style. Cellophane tear strips, eh? Who-da thought it 😅‼️
  9. Just in addition, Heller make a decent kit of the Talbot Lago T26 racer, much better than the smer/merit, and the Heller wheels and tyres would be a good fit on this, but of course it's still a wasteful process unless you make them exchangeable and share I'm keen to see how you work this out. This is my best effort with the Merit wheels on the Talbot-- this is without removing the tyre parts. I'll readily admit it's a bit rough and ready 🤭 That's the Alfa behind, with removable wingnuts waiting for its turn with the Mercedes wheels and tyres. So don't give up, something can be achieved with these 😎
  10. Well done so far with this 👏 I spent many happy hours doing battle with one of these, and the Talbot Lago, which suffers from the same wheel issues. I had several attempts at wiring wheels but never achieved a successful outcome. I discovered that the quite decent wheels and tyres from the Revell Mercedes SLR Uhlenhaut coupe gullwing is a perfect replacement, and the SLR open race car too, I guess. It has the bigger size pair on the rear axle. If only Revell would produce the wheels and tyres as a separate set!! I made my one set removable and share them between cars, depending on which one I want to display. It's a haphazard solution but it stopped me trying to make wired wheels, and failing. I remember modification to the dashboard panel on this, to let it fit deeper into the car. Nice job on the engine installation 👌😎
  11. Well who cares about THEM ⁉️ They need to be taken out of their comfort zone and experience the freestyle modelling method 🤭 The rest of us are just thinking "Yeah, I know what you mean, Marvin. So I'm not the only one...." That's a great looking nose arrangement you've sorted 👌 What have you in mind for the final styling? Mounted on a base of some sort, or free standing "with the bits attached"? I'm thinking of the bent leg and wheel, the tilted angle, the crew getting out etc Any other bits of wreckage planned?
  12. 😎 Well yeah, it has a definite space age look. I sort of think of the F101 as the mother of the F4 Phantom series of planes, with the general layout of the engines, the proportions and styling. More so I suppose with the 2seater versions of the Voodoo, but let's face it if your mum is a F101 you're probably going to turn out to be a good plane ‼️
  13. Jolly, isn't it ⁉️ 🤩 All 6 aircraft in the Sun Run had a distinct individual scheme, and I'm guessing it was to facilitate the elaborate refuelling scheme worked out with the KC135 tankers. This one, #3, was one of the 2 reserve planes and turned back after #1&2 were on their way after the 1st rendezvous. The choice was made on the basis of what looked achievable and with some good references to look at. I'm trying to make some reg decals as 60166 and FB-166 Graphics isn't an easy process on an android phone 🙄 The idea is that when these images are shrunk right down, the wobbles and imperfections all shrink to nothing too. Pfff....let's see 👀
  14. Decision made to have the canopy closed. The content of the cockpit doesn't warrant close inspection, so the ladder idea is shelved Undercarriage is done and fitted and she's happy to stand with the tail up and nose wheel on the ground. A couple of wheel chocks already in place The canopy itself has been done with foil tape strips and the only tricky bit was the front screen with the horseshoe shaped frame. There's a bit of disparity between the foil and the paint but I think I can tame it. Having the frames in foil makes it easier to brush paint. Just working my way through the various camera port transparencies
  15. In addition to a few more decals, the seat has recieved a bit of scratch work, A few straps and arm rests. Some extra paint touches and in it goes, I borrowed an access ladder from another Voodoo-- something I scratch built -- and it looks quite tidy on this one. But I'd have to cut the one-piece canopy to pose it open Next up I'm looking at the legs and wheels. See if I can get her up on her feet
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