38 replies to this topic

[Dave Swindell]

OK, Just given myself a KUTA to join KUTA IV

Given that it's (Just still) 4th Jan 2012, if it's OK with you guys, I'm in with this one:-



For those not familiar, today is the 45th aniversary of Donald Campbell's "total accident" on Coniston just after recording the fastest ever speed on water.

The model is the old Record Models resin kit in 1/72, currently available from A2Zee Models in a slightly modified/updated form.

I started this build about 6 years ago with the intention of finishing it for the 40th anniversary, this is as far as it got and with the deadline well and truly missed it got put on the back burner (OK boxed & shelved gathering dust!)

As can be seen, the kit has been heavily modified in the cockpit and intake area, both having been opened up, a seat, steering wheel and instrument panel constructed, pilot in suitable attire to represent the Skipper found (arms carved away to allow for separate ones to be fitted with the steering wheel), and new decals designed and printed as I wasn't happy with the size and style of the ones in the kit. That's most of the construction hard work done.

Still to do are:- front port spars to carve away to represent the damage from the argument with the PBS in December, rear hull outrigger shape to modify slightly as it looks a bit heavy at the back, some mods to the fin (I cut it off because I wasn't happy with some aspect of it, need to dig out the references to jog the memory as to what that was!) and a new canopy to plunge mould over the solid resin kit part. Then it's paint it, stick it together and mount it on "Coniston, at speed".

I've got a month to do what I've not done in 5 years, before other commitments take over - if I'm not done then, Bill Smith will have Bluebird running again before this is finished!

Rest in peace Donald.

Dave.

Edited by Dave Swindell, 26 January 2012 - 05:03 PM.

[Jonathan Mock]

[Mish]

Welcome Dave, I've seen this kit and been tempted by it. Will be watching...

[SaintsPhil]

Really interesting subject, I'll be watching closely!
Phil

[stevehnz]

Nice one to watch & nice film clip. Bought back a lot of memories especially of how upset I was at the death of one of my boyhood heros. Keep up the good work.
Steve.

[AndyC]

Inspirational subject Dave - will watch this one.

Andy

[Madmonk]

Nice looking kit of a great subject.

I have built the Touchwood 1/43rd kit and am seriously thinking of their 1/12th kit for the Big Scale GB.

Will be watching with interest.

[Dave Swindell]

Thanks for showing an interest guys, looks like I'll have to get my finger out with this, however I've got to finish my Olympic in the Titanic Group build first, should be on it by the weekend hopefully. Started digging out all the references again for a bit of bedtime reading!

@Jonathan- thanks for the link to the Marillion video, I was aware they'd recorded something about DMC but never heard it, not quite what I'd expected! and the footage was good as well.

@ Madmonk - I'm aware of the Touchwood models, but never seen one -what's the 43rd one like as a kit? all resin? their website only shows built up ones. I believe the 1/12th one can be built for R/C - I quite fancy having a go at an R/C EDF one but suspect this might be a bit big & heavy (& expensive! but it does lolok good!) for what I have in mind. The speedline 1/24 one may be a bit small and looks kind of a caracature of the boat to me, but it is (relatively) cheap. Of course I'd love a 1/6th scale GT one...

Off to build 4 chimneys for the Olympic, more later

Dave

[Jonathan Mock]

Its the song that inspired Bill Smith to go looking for Bluebird in the first place, and in the process Gina Campbell became good friends with singer Steve Hogarth (who wrote the lyrics) and asked him to sing at DMCs funeral.

I have dream... of day day there being a mainstream 1/24 plastic kit of K7, with CG artwork of her roaring towards you across Conniston, almost ready to jump out of the box, and complete with two figures - one of DMC seated, all goggled up with Mr Whoppit in the cockpit, the other of him standing gloves in hand by her stern.

We can all dream can't we?

[Madmonk]

Dave, I have some photos of the kit and the finished model so I will find them out and post them. I intend building the 1/12 as a static kit, infact I dug it out of the stash, it is a nice kit but needs a lot of work to build it!

Jonathan, the dream sounds good, with a complete engine would be nice.

Warren

[Dave Swindell]

I have dream... of day day there being a mainstream 1/24 plastic kit of K7, with CG artwork of her roaring towards you across Conniston, almost ready to jump out of the box, and complete with two figures - one of DMC seated, all goggled up with Mr Whoppit in the cockpit, the other of him standing gloves in hand by her stern.

We can all dream can't we?

Airfix new tool for 2016, Bill's tin boat has been for a spin and the release date is timed so we can all take our built models to the 50th anniversary do. There's also a figure of Leo....

Dave, I have some photos of the kit and the finished model so I will find them out and post them. I intend building the 1/12 as a static kit, infact I dug it out of the stash, it is a nice kit but needs a lot of work to build it!

Jonathan, the dream sounds good, with a complete engine would be nice.

Warren

I'd love to see photo's of both kits if you don't mind, please Warren

Dave.

[Derbyeomanry]

Ive got the vacform of K7 I must get finished. Campbell was a great hero of mine - I remember the crash well. Just finished the latest book on the final run - gives probable causes for the crash - not just rough water.
I bought a paint chip from the crashed boat from the Bluebird project some years back as a fund raiser - bit of a morbid souvenir I suppose

[Madmonk]

Dave,

Will post some this evening assuming I can get near the PC for the kids!

[Derbyeomanry]

Heres the vacform I started years ago together with my little bit of K7 which was at the botton of Coniston 47yrs go.

[Madmonk]

Dave,

Pictures as requested, sorry for the quantity!

Touchwood 1/43rd kit



kit parts, as you probably know it is a multi-version kit, I opted for 1967.


Excellent kit, wish there was a 1/43rd Orphius kit out there.

Now for its big brother!

Big kits come in big boxes.


The parts are a mixture of glass fibre, resin, plastic sheet and metal




30cm ruler is for size comparison, finished model is about 700mm long.

close up of sponson rivet detail, on 1/43rd kit rivets are decals but work well



Now its out of the cupboard it seems a shame to put it back, particularly with the Big Scale GB on the go, got a couple of others to finish then may be.

[Dave Swindell]

@Derbyyeomanry - if that's the speedline kit it doesn't look too bad from that angle - definately the best I've seen of this kit.

Pictures as requested, sorry for the quantity!

The more the merrier. They both look like quality models

Now for its big brother!
Big kits come in big boxes.

With big prices to match!!!
But I guess for what you're getting they're quite good value

Now its out of the cupboard it seems a shame to put it back, particularly with the Big Scale GB on the go, got a couple of others to finish then may be.

Yes, come on. get building, mine's out on a cleared workbench now!

Thsnks for posting the pics guys

Cheers, Dave

[Madmonk]

Dave,

The 1/43rd kit is very nice, well worth the £65 price tag.

The big one is now in my modelling room so once the mustang and the Martian tripod are out of the way it will probably make it onto the bench, think the bench is big enough!

In fact as the photos are now on photo bucket I may as well start the tread.

Cheers,

Warren

[Madmonk]

Dave,

Been doing a bit of research on the blue colour of K7 and came across a post on the Bluebird Project website from Mike Bull.

Now, Bluebird was painted several times during her long career, and these shades of blue varied wildly- from a fairly light cornflower blue to a very deep, almost greenish(!) tinged blue right at the end. Then of course, the repaired air intakes were a different shade again. So with her recovered exterior such a mess of paint layers, what blue do you trust? Well that was easy- her Gnat tail fin was only painted once, so that was her definitive 1966/1967 colour. Bill had this colour analysed years ago, and it turns out that the boat's final paint layer was quite simply chosen from the standard RAL paint chart. The magic number? 5009, 'Azure Blue'.

So if you are doing the '66/67 boat RAL5009 is the colour you need. I will probably get some Zero colour matched paints from Hiro Boy as they can mix RAL colours.

Cheers,

Warren

Edit: Double post!

Edited by Madmonk, 10 January 2012 - 08:49 AM.

[Dave Swindell]

Dave,
Been doing a bit of research on the blue colour of K7 and came across a post on the Bluebird Project website from Mike Bull.
So if you are doing the '66/67 boat RAL5009 is the colour you need. I will probably get some Zero colour matched paints from Hiro Boy as they can mix RAL colours.
Cheers,
Warren

Warren,
I've been following that as well, and the Speed Record Group, I'd spotted the RAL tie -up. As the model is on the bench and hopefully under way again later today now I've completed my Olympic for the Titanic Group build, I've dug out my RAL colour chips and the tin of Halfords Ford Fjord Blue which has always previously been recommended as the best match for the 66/67 boat - guess what? its virtually identical! Maybe just a fraction lighter, but that's just what I need for scale effect. My plan is to use grey primer for the model, but mask a panel over the intakes and spray black before painting the blue. Hopefully this will give a subtle variation in colour, the panel is noticable in some photo's taken on the 4th but not in others, depending on the angle.

Dave

[merlin3945]

I bought a paint chip from the crashed boat from the Bluebird project some years back as a fund raiser - bit of a morbid souvenir I suppose

Not when you consider I have a whole heap of crashed aircraft parts in a bag in the cupboard most of which killed their pilot.

Not as morbid as it may seem I can assure you.

Very rewarding in so many ways.

Brilliant thread and model makes me want to go and buy one too.

I might just do that too with my first pay check as I just got offered a job today and I start on Monday 16/1/12

Always loved Bluebird but not as much as I do now having visited Coniston and been on the water there in SY Gondola.

Also saw the tail fin in the museum in Coniston too.

And who can forget the classic song from Marillion.

Have fun with the build guys.