Christopher
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Airfix 1-48 Scale Hawker Fury I
Christopher replied to tommyinuk0's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Enough is enough - the model is a failure and is poorly done. There are two features that need to be observed with interwar biplanes and their replicas - clean and gleaming. The weathering is inappropriate and totally inaccurate. All those who praise the model should do an image search on G-CBZP. Then those that praise will see from the images just how inaccurate it actually is. With interwar RAF biplanes one does not weather at all. They were kept pristine. This is also the case with the replicas. If the builder intends to build more interwar biplanes then image searches on how these machines were cared for are essential. Everything about this model is wrong for the actuallity. If the modeller wishes to reproduce a fantasy that is fine but it is not an accurate interwar biplane or a replica. -
Airfix 1-48 Scale Hawker Fury I
Christopher replied to tommyinuk0's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
I would suggest for these biplanes that the weathering be toned down. The prewash should also be abandoned. The metal panels at the front were highly polished and reflective. Alclad or bare metal foil is very appropriate. The rear fuselage definitely needs rubbing down and the tailplane would benefit from some rigging too. -
Well I rather think that it's a better way to get to 100 (and the poster mentioned 300) than the vacuous praise used by some others in the RFI and WIP sections. It does at least have the advantage of being informative.
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1:48 Trumpeter Supermarine Spiteful
Christopher replied to wingnut's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
Wrong - pointing out flaws is important and this is why others present their models to be critiqued. What is bad is the posters who just comment about how wonderful the model is come what may. The idea of critiquing is to help the modeller improve their technique and maybe their next model. One can call it a learning experience and one should enter this forum prepared to learn. However, for those wanting to critique one should not do so in too negative a way but accuracy issues which aren't addressed should be pointed out. TCinLA produced a very detailed commentary with suggestions on how to improve things. Just the sort of comments we should be seeing. -
Photo etch parts are available for the Heller version but possibly could be modified for the Airfix model. Decals include Free French camouflage, RAF camouflage, Aviation Workshop and some nice ones for 87 Squadron from Modeldecal. Rowan of Pheon Models was supposed to be shrinking his 1/48 decal set but this doesn't seem to have happened yet.
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Thanks for the information Nick - I was tempted to buy one but was wary of the surface detail (which looked a bit too heavy from the photos available). From what you say waiting for the AZ models version is probably the better option. Christopher
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Replacement of a lot of the kit parts by after market WEM products is recommended. The detail is finer and it will immeasurably improve the appearance. Parts that could be replaced would be main armament, torpedo tubes, AA armament and boats. The WEM etched brass set will also help. Where the kit does score is the bow flare which is very good but there is a lot of filling needed on what is a small model. There is evidence to indicate that Kelly's final colour scheme was pale Mountbatten pink which would make an interesting model. Kipling can be modelled with both sets of tubes in place (early life ) or with the 4 inch gun in place. The same for Kelly. Another great feature is that one can model all the JKN class destroyers should one choose.
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The Fiat CR 32 is probably the ulitmate art deco aircraft. It really should be painted in silver though the Spanish variant with copper bands on the radiators is attractive. Putting camouflage on that aircraft is a comment on fascist aesthetics.
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Heavy bombers such as the Heyford were painted NIVO. Light bombers and medium bombers, Harts, Hinds, Overstrands got the silver treatment. By the time the Wellesley entered service aircraft were being painted in camouflage. The prototype was in silver though. Early Bombays were in silver as well - an internet image search will turn up plenty of advantage. Bombay's were bomber transports, not pure bombers. The Blenheim was from a different time period and would not have been painted silver at all. Camouflage started to appear at the time of the Munich crisis in 1938 though there were some experiments earlier.
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I believe that the Vildebeest had trouble getting into the air with the extra crewman and a torpedo which is why said individual was never carried and the hatch slid shut. I actually thought it was a nice touch to have it closed.
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Model Junior LUBLIN R XIII 1/72
Christopher replied to Xantippos's topic in Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
An impressive piece of work and an interesting prototype. Did you use the kit decals? -
This is actually one of the easier aircraft to attach the upper wing on. There is no stagger so the struts are vertical. You're right that you do need to drill out the location holes. Once you've attached the lower wing attach the interplane (wing to wing) struts to it making sure they are vertical. Then once they have set in position attach the top wing. This is the nervous part - until the cabane struts (fuselage to wing) are attached it is a bit wobbly. Once again wait until whatever cement you use is set - if you're confident use superglue. Then attach the cabane struts which just snap in to place.
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Refence colour for Gee Bee red on R1 aircraft
Christopher replied to Mick_Gannon's topic in Classic - up to 1968
Perhaps I should have explained myself clearer - I was not thinking that people mixed red themselves but that they bought ready mixed red paints. This would have been any commercially available bright red suitable for aluminium or fabric skinned aircraft. It may have indeed been a standard colour but I would think it was more that people accessed a single supplier; the supplier varying from state to state. Red is a notoriously difficult colour to reproduce in black and white and often looks very similar so it could be that the shades were actually different. I would suggest going with what you feel comfortable with unless you do find the exact match. -
Refence colour for Gee Bee red on R1 aircraft
Christopher replied to Mick_Gannon's topic in Classic - up to 1968
I suspect they used whatever they could get their hands on as long as it was colourful enough. -
AIMS did do an A-1 conversion kit but I never got my hands on it as he switched to a resin full kit of the A-1. I don't know if he still does the full kit but my opinion is that it's expensive for what it is.