Roden 1/48 Sea Gladiator mojo destroyer.....

[Grey Beema]

The Fairey Fulmar being complete, and having a couple of hours to spend in the cave I had a little delve into my stash.. SH Seafire II? - maybe but I just thought I would have a little look in this box...

It looks nice in the box - I just wonder how that Bristol Mercury would go together... Looks a bit complicated and could be make or break for this aeroplane. I read some of the kit reviews and they warned that a lot of fitting is required to get the engine in the cowling. So I thought I would give it a quick go, dry fitting only (yeah right!), as you do...

And then there was the Instrument Panel. Etch & Vinyls come in the box however I did re-interpret (cock up) the throttle box...

So I suppose I had better keep going on it now, back to my usual glacial pace... And maybe use my camera instead of the phone camera..

Thanks for looking..

Edited August 4, 2018 by Grey Beema
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[bigbadbadge]

Hi

This is a lovely Kit, I built up the Mk 1 version and the engine went together very well and caused no issues. The eduard set really brought the cockpit and exterior to life too. The wing alignment from memory was also trouble free too.

Good luck with your build

All the best
Chris

[TheBaron]

That is a seriously detailed IP, GB. Good to see you up and running again I guess you're just gonna have to build the whole thing now. God luck with this lovely aircraft!

Tony

[Martian]

Nice start!

Martin

[Grey Beema]

SO I took the Gladiator out of the box in August huh?  Well a lot of time has passed which included a loss of mojo then a regaining of mojo..  As I have moved the photos around in Photobucket they are now missing from above post so lets do a recap..

 

Box art

 

Messing with the parts that make up the Pegasus Engine..

 

Making up the Instrument Panel

 

This is a great kit with a lot of etch involved but to be honest it kind of put me off.  So it has sat in the box and I haven't really progressed.  I lost my mojo...  But routing around the stash the other day the Special Hobby 1/48 Seafire MkIIc was calling to me.  I think this has reignited my Mojo, so this is going to be a dual build.  I know that that means twice as much waffle but I'll try and keep it down...

 

So now for an update.  Gladiator first...

 

 

Cockpit complete and installed.  There is still etch to fit for the rear of the cockpit, seatbelts and the frame it the rear of the cockpit.  I had trouble fitting the Instrument Panel.  I had read that the panel was a little to big but it seemed to fit ok.  it was only when i had joined the fuselage halves, and taped it up that I realised the panel had slipped down.  In trying to push it back into position - yep I broke it.  I had to take it apart, fix the panel and refit it.  Its not right but hopefully it doesnt notice that much.  it still needs a little paint but see what you think..

 

 

 

I also mounted the Throttle on tube rather than the etch - I think it looks better..

 

The Seafire is behind and will catch up over time..

 

Left side of fuselage WIP.  Seat and cockip frames WIP.

 

I decided not to use the Etch for the control panel but to paint it freehand.

Compass frame yet to be painted..

 

So I'm a bit more mojo'd - Now to see if I have time next weekend to continue with the dual build...

 

[amblypygid]

Looking good! Is the Roden kit the same that Eduard released earlier this year (with added Eduard goodies)? I'd not realised that the Roden boxing came with PE in the first place.

[Grey Beema]

1 hour ago, amblypygid said:

Looking good! Is the Roden kit the same that Eduard released earlier this year (with added Eduard goodies)? I'd not realised that the Roden boxing came with PE in the first place.

Oh! Well maybe I bought the etch separately and just threw it into the box when it went into the stash...  It's obviously been there a while...

[Christer A]

Gladiator and a Seafire?

Nice mix there...

 

Cockpit on the gladiator looks very nice, and the Seafire on is shaping up well too.

[amblypygid]

50 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

Oh! Well maybe I bought the etch separately and just threw it into the box when it went into the stash...  It's obviously been there a while...

 

Well, wherever it came from, it's looking great in situ! Thanks; looking forward to these builds.

[dogsbody]

Your engine and collector ring look real good. A minor detail: The Gladiator was powered by a Bristol Mercury, not a Pegasus.

 

I await further posts. 

 

 

Chris

[Grey Beema]

6 hours ago, dogsbody said:

Your engine and collector ring look real good. A minor detail: The Gladiator was powered by a Bristol Mercury, not a Pegasus.

 

I await further posts. 

 

 

Chris

Well done Chis - I was wondering who would spot that - 😳

[Grey Beema]

Spent a couple more hours in the cave today.  Progress was very slow and to be honest I think I did more harm than good.  I did get a few things done though.

 

Cockpit rear is now all installed.  I need to fit the rear canopy to make sure it all fits correctly but this is what it looks like so far..

 

 

 

 

 

Even slower (almost glacial pace) on the Seafire.  Tried to do a bit of the plumbing in the cockpit but I think I need to put the Instrument Panel in place to finish it off.  I also strongly suspect that I am going to have fit issues with the seat frame. I should have checked that before mounting the seat...  Anyway, a couple of pictures..

 

Undercarriage control.  The lever was in the wheels up position so I cut it off and made a new one in the correct position for wheels down.

 

Throttle & Radio control side

 

Instrument Panel and Seat (only the lap belts fitted so far..  I need to straighten up those pedals.. The long lever is the radiator control lever..

 

Well that it, not much progress, the exciting bit is the painting, so I might hold off reporting progress until then..

 

Thanks for looking..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2016 by Grey Beema

[AlexN]

Nice . Both of them. Amazing (well, not really) the difference 'twixt airbrushing and hairy-sticking makes (especially with some modern paints and/or paint-lines).

 

Two of my favourite aircraft - in one build!

 

Cheers,

Alex

[Grey Beema]

Ok after a bit of a hiatus (6Months) I'm back on the case now.  Working away on both the Seafire MKII and the Sea Gladiator, getting ready to move them to the paint shop But I'm a bit confused over the Sea Gladiator camouflage so I'm looking for input from the Fleet Air Arm experts out there (this really is a nerdy question)..

 

As you may know the series of aircraft I am doing is around FAA Aces and largely based on the Osprey publication.  The Sea Gladiator I am building is going to be that flown by Commander Charles Keightley-Peach who led a fighter contingent NAS 813(F) on HMS Eagle N5517/6oA.  I have seen a photograph of this aircraft dated July 1940 the picture is from above and appears in two publications, the Osprey book and Stuart Lloyds Fleet Air Arm Camouflage and Markings (Atlantic & Mediterranean Theatres 1937-1941).  The kit also has the markings for this aircraft which is in the S1E scheme with roundel in all six positions.

 

In July 1940 would Sea Gladiator N5517 (which had been in storage in Malta until May/June 1940) have had shadow shaded S1E upper surfaces? 

It is impossible to tell from the photograph, I think it was supposed to be but I do know shadow shading was quietly dropped.  Other Sea Gladiator pictures from around the same period don't seem to have shadow shading but they also have straight demarcation between upper and lower schemes which indicates a repainted aircraft.

 

Would the aircraft have the black port underside (or just main planes)?

The Roden scheme does not show it, neither do any of the illustrations I have seen, but you cannot tell from the photograph.  The Lloyd books states that the aeroplane has roundels in all six positions which would indicate the standard Sky grey finish underside.  Pictures of 813 later in the year indicate that there was a black lower port side IFF but it had no lower roundels...

 

Ideally I would like a dated photograph of N5517/6oA just taking off from HMS Eagle, from below clearly showing every detail of the underside with the serial clearly readable - that's not going to happen but can anybody help?

 

 

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by Grey Beema

[Grey Beema]

Ok some time down in the cave,  started to move these on a bit now...

 

 

 

 

Starting to get my mojo back now...

 

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2017 by Grey Beema

[Martian]

Both coming along nicely and it is good to see your motivation returning. Clearly the plan has worked!

 

Martian

[Grey Beema]

You know that moment when it wasn't going your way but you just kept trying rather than put it away and ignore it, then DISASTER!!!

 

I have managed to break the struts between the main planes....   Bugger!!!  

 

I have glued them and put it all away - need to think about it for a bit...  I am not sure that they will be strong enough and thus might have to remake them completely..  Bugger again...  😡😡😡

 

 

 

 

 

On the up side - I have made progress on the Seafire II. Operation Torch..

 

Thats a lump of Blutack sealing the canopy..

 

 

And re-varnished my Seafire III which has helped the finish.

 

 

 

So whilst I consider what I am going to do with the Sea Gladiator the Seafires will be getting weathered and finished...

 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2017 by Grey Beema

[Grey Beema]

Ok leaving Cmdr Keighly-Peach's Sea Gladiator at the back of the cabinet whilst I decide how I'm going to fix it.  I am moving on to trying to get some of those 75% complete models over the line.

 

I have moved on with the Operation Torch Seafire II.  MB156 I like the mix of FAA markings with US stars...  So its now got a bit of weathering going on.  Still to do, wheels (I really should do the wheels first at it is a job I hate doing, and they can spoil the whole model), Wheel covers, exhaust, aerial mast and most importantly the hook...

 

 

I also had a Wildcat F4F-4 I changed to a Martlet MkII (folding 6 Gun wing & Long Cord cowling).  It only got built and not finished.  I have now painted it to represent Martlet III flown by SLt Cotching during Op.Pedestal.  I had to scrabble around for decals but I don't think it looks to bad.  Again the wheels need finishing, exhaust, aerial, hook, guns and weathering but we are nearly there, hopefully next weekend.

 

 

Another aeroplane getting the finishing treatment, bit of weathering done on the undersides and these wheels need sorting too.  Seafire III 894 NAS HMS Indefatigable April 1945.

 

With a good run next weekend, I will be calling these complete.  I think I will start another Corsair Operation Iceberg this time..

 

The large photos really show every dodgy line up, maybe there is more finishing than I thought..

 

Thanks for looking,,

 

Edited July 9, 2017 by Grey Beema

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

All excellent, but I particularly like that 894 Seafire III - looks like you could just climb in and get airborne!

[amblypygid]

MB156 looks great. I like the FAA/star combo as well.

[Grey Beema]

I think I've perpetuated a mistake on MB156 Ø°6G.

 

The Special Hobby Torch marking instruction show the British roundel on the upper surface of the wings US stars on the fuselage. Looking at various marking sheets they seem to suggest US Stars on the upper wing as well as the fuselage.  I cannot find a photo of MB156 in Torch markings but logically if you are going paint the fuselage star you would also paint the upper wing star.  

 

Does anyone have a photo showing the upper wing?  Or at least and 885 US marked Seafire?

 

One other thing, I think there are aerial wires from the fuselage to tailplane tips (IFF?) but not from mast to rudder tip.  Is this correct?

Edited August 13, 2017 by Grey Beema

[Grey Beema]

I'm going to call MB156 complete.  

 

Vickers Supermarine Seafire MkII MB156/Ø°6G

885 NAS HMS Formidable, Operation Torch Nov-1942

08.11.42 Douglas DB7 Destroyed

SLt JD Buchanan

 

 

 

 

And Whist im there I am also claiming  PR256 finished.

 

Vickers Supermarine Seafire Mk III PR256/S146

894 NAS HMS Indefatigable, Operation Iceberg Apr-1945

01.04.45 2xA6M Destroyed

SLt RH Reynolds

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those that I haven't bored to death yet the Martlet II AM968 806 NAS is nearing completion when I have the time in the next couple of weeks.

 

I am also going to repost a couple of pictures of my Fulmar which were lost to the great Photobox tragedy..

 

Fairey Fulmar MkI N1899/K

806 NAS HMS Illustrious, Mediterranean Nov-40

04.09.40 S91 Destroyed

28.11.40 CR42 Destoyed

10.01.41 S79 Damaged, Ju87 Destroyed, 2xJu87 Damaged

16.01.41 Ju88 Destroyed

05.02.41 Ju88 Destroyed

SLt SG Orr

 

 

 

 

 

This should allow me to get on with the Blackburn Skua II  and another Vought Corsair II..

 

Thanks for stopping by..

 

Edited October 15, 2017 by Grey Beema

[Grey Beema]

So Storm Ophelia allowed me a few moments at the bench.  I am now going to declare my Martlet II Finished..

 

Grumman Martlet MkII AM968/8M

806 NAS HMS Indomitable, Operation Pedestal, Apr-1942

12.08.42 S.79 Destroyed, Re2001 Destroyed

SLt JA Cotching

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Grey Beema]

So today I made a start on a couple of Radial Engine FAA Aircraft.  I was going to cover these in the Radial Engine Group Build but that completes on 3rd December and I have two hopes of completing by then - Robert and None.  So I'll put them up here and see who is interested.  For those of you who are still reading the idea of my collection was inspired by the Osprey book FAA Aces of WWII.  My idea was to build one of each fighter type - well I'm deviating from that but still building under the same theme..

 

So down to the two builds I am starting.  From either end of WWII we have the Special Hobby 1/48 Blackburn Skua II which is going to represent L2925/F, NAS 803 HMS Glorious, Norway Apr-1940.  Lt WP Lucy who was the first RN Ace (involved in the destruction of 5 Enemy Aircraft) of WWII and a 1/48 Tamiya F4U-1D to make Corsair MkII Corsair MKII JT537/P136, 1836 NAS HMS Victorious, Operation Iceberg May-1945 flown by Lt Sheppard RCN.

 

Box shots:-

 

The sprue shots..

 

The Skua

 

Corsair II

 

MCD Conversion set for the Corsair

 

The engine construction on the Skua was started today - quite fiddly but the end result looks OKish - the Corsair - typically Tamiya, all I did was throw it in the air and it all landed in the right place - Oh yes I added the ignition leads.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[amblypygid]

The Tamiya Corsair is a beautifully easy kit to build, in my memory. As you say, just falls together.