The EDSG Files # 2: Fairey Barracuda 1/72

[rob85]

Lovely work Tony, it's looking a treat! Such nice little details and lovely reference shots. Can't wait to see that merlin in place! Very exciting!

 

1 hour ago, TonyTiger66 said:

That's a great close up of the cable Tony  , now it completely makes sense, thanks for posting it .

 

Enjoy the old Martini. I'm always amazed at the many ways it can be drunk. I found this quote regarding Hemingway's preferred mix:

 

"Hemingway favored a Martini dubbed the “Montgomery” – 15 parts gin to 1 part vermouth. Apparently 15:1 is said to be the ratio Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery preferred when going into battle."

 

Crikey ! 

Worth a try  ?

 

 

All the best

TonyT

I will have to let my little boy know he has his own drink.... however probably inappropriate to let him try it yet..... maybe once he has primary school out the way?

 

Rob

[TheBaron]

15 hours ago, TonyTiger66 said:

That's a great close up of the cable Tony  , now it completely makes sense, thanks for posting it .

 

Enjoy the old Martini. I'm always amazed at the many ways it can be drunk. I found this quote regarding Hemingway's preferred mix:

 

"Hemingway favored a Martini dubbed the “Montgomery” – 15 parts gin to 1 part vermouth. Apparently 15:1 is said to be the ratio Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery preferred when going into battle."

 

Crikey ! 

Worth a try  ?

This Montgomery character sounds a bit of a wuss if you ask me. I favour a 17:1 ratio at least, with a splash of juice from the olive jar just to light the old blue touchpaper.

 

That cable has exercised a considerable fascination for me out of all proportion to its structural significance. Does any other aircraft posess such a prodigious lanyard stuck on like that?

 

15 hours ago, Beard said:

Regarding martinis, Churchill's recipe: show the vermouth to the gin.

Quite similar  to Noel Coward's 'fill a glass with gin and wave it in the general direction of Italy' recipe. You can't help thinking these guys were purists after a fashion.

14 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

Ditto, we were wondering exactly the same! 

Just to be clear, there will be no dinghy popping out.....

14 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

What a lot of extra parts - I've had kits with fewer pieces than that. Nice cable run too, although I've always wondered what happens if you ditch with the starboard side uppermost...

 

You could always have a bacontini* - it's very good for low carb diets and leaves you a hand spare for painting Maureen!

 

Regards,

Adrian

 

(* it is a Real Thing)

Oh sweet Lord. Bacontini. That reminds me of that advert on TV in an episode of 'The Simpsons': 'Nuts and gum - together at last!'.

 

As to ditching a Barracuda, even the PN's refer to it as an alarming undertaking:

 

[TheBaron]

3 hours ago, rob85 said:

Lovely work Tony, it's looking a treat! Such nice little details and lovely reference shots. Can't wait to see that merlin in place! Very exciting!

Thanks for that Rob. Yes, this is that bittersweet part of the build when you're simultaneously pleased at getting to a conclusion and yet a little sad that it's nearly over.

 

3 hours ago, rob85 said:

I will have to let my little boy know he has his own drink.... however probably inappropriate to let him try it yet..... maybe once he has primary school out the way?

Might make the parent-teacher evening  an interesting event. Yet another moment from 'The Simpsons' springs to mind. At Bart's parent-teacher evening the banner across the front of the school reading 'Let's share the blame!'

[keefr22]

"It should be possible to ditch the Barracuda succesfully, though the landing will probably be unpleasant..."

 

Good grief, what an understatement! I can't think of any possibility where landing unexpectedly in the oggin would not be downright horrifying - unless you were in a Sunderland or one of its ilk....!! 

 

K

[The Spadgent]

45 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

Yes, this is that bittersweet part of the build when you're simultaneously pleased at getting to a conclusion and yet a little sad that it's nearly over.

 

Great work Tony, everything is really coming to a wonderful conclusion. I had exactly the same feelings for the 109. I was eager to finish but really didn't want to all at the same time.  If you start another build now, you won't feel so bad when the Cuda is finished.

 

just sayin'.

 

Johnny boy.

[TheBaron]

21 hours ago, keefr22 said:

"It should be possible to ditch the Barracuda succesfully, though the landing will probably be unpleasant..."

 

Good grief, what an understatement! I can't think of any possibility where landing unexpectedly in the oggin would not be downright horrifying - unless you were in a Sunderland or one of its ilk....!! 

Quite Keith! You can just see the rear dinghy off to starboard in this shot.

^{Source: IWM archive http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205160221}

The IWm have a superb archive stufffed with Barracuda photos - I wish I'd found it at the start of this build. Not only a host of detailed close-ups useful for reference, but many atmospheric mission photos I've not seen reproduced elsewhere. Northern waters:

Here's the first search page if you fancy a leaf through yourselves:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=barracuda&items_per_page=10&f[0]=department%3APhotographs

21 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

I had exactly the same feelings for the 109. I was eager to finish but really didn't want to all at the same time.  If you start another build now, you won't feel so bad when the Cuda is finished.

 

just sayin'.

You have that right my man. Don't worry, I've already got the next one picked out. Not FAA this time, but it does involve a flight over water...

 

Moving on. Really just to make good on my promise of varnish:

The squalor of my studio/painting bench/dumping ground. Despite being February, it's very humid here at the present and I was a little dubious at first that the Klear wasn't drying very well.

I'm pleased to say that it was a false alarm. possibly exacerbated by too little sleep last night and too many buckets of strong tea today.

Two light coats misted on:

...and we're done for the night.

The FAA roundels look pretty pleasing under varnish, which has united the surfaces wonderfully now. On this showing I can't see me going back to decals for those bigger bits any time soon. RAF/FAA fine, but this kind of thing poses a more significant (though not insurmountable) challenge:

Still. Where there's a way. As to painting lettering at 1/72, that requires some thought. Not that this is anywhere near rushing to a sudden conclusion yet. I did a final snag list last night that runs to 21 items, most of which aren't items in the photos above...

 

Happy modelling chums.

Tony

items

[71chally]

Superb work  -again Tony.  Great idea for a spray booth, or if like me you're very sloppy with brushes!

Great photos as well, and loving the ditching instructions, obviously not considered the idea of coming down in the Bristol Channel!

[TheBaron]

42 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Superb work  -again Tony.  Great idea for a spray booth, or if like me you're very sloppy with brushes!

Thanks James. The booth is one of Ikea's specials for a fiver. At some point I've vague ideas about bolting an old oven extractor fan to the rear and a route for the fumes out that doesn't involve knocking a hole in the wall...

42 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Great photos as well, and loving the ditching instructions, obviously not considered the idea of coming down in the Bristol Channel!

I think yon lads in the photo came down on the wavy stuff off Malta IIRC.

[71chally]

A computer fan and a bit of AC/dryer hose is pretty good.

 

I was thinking of the tropical sounding green water versa the brown silty affair!

[TheBaron]

26 minutes ago, 71chally said:

I was thinking of the tropical sounding green water versa the brown silty affair!

 I guess they were trying to make it sound more romantic!

 

Ace tip on the computer fan btw. 

[71chally]

I had a ships cabin AC outlet box, hose for it, a computer fan, and duct tape - I Apollo 13'd it!

[The Spadgent]

Love that middle shot of the Cuda under top coat. All those beautiful parts, so much work has gone into this. I'm so happy it's looking as good as it is. Good luck on the final push amigo.

 

Jont.

[rob85]

That looks like a lot of bits! And you have 21 other jobs on top.... not nearly finished then.

 

i actually find letter codes easier to mask that roundels! Lots of circles and different colours.... letter are just one colour normally and just pick the scheme with the straightest letters  

 

Rob

[AdrianMF]

Looking good! It's like waiting for Christmas. Hope that list isn't getting longer...

 

...and I agree with Rob. I've done squadron codes with a brush and lots of masking tape, but the thought of bright concentric circles interferes with my digestion.

 

Regards,

Adrian

Edited February 20, 2017 by AdrianMF

[Martian]

Nice work Tony. What's the latest on Maureen?

 

Martian

[TheBaron]

14 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Good luck on the final push amigo

Thanks Johnny. I've just been checking the decal sheet earlier and it is riddled with tiny 'no step' markings and the like. I'll post a picture this evening to reveal the full atomic structure of the challenge ahead....

13 hours ago, rob85 said:

That looks like a lot of bits! And you have 21 other jobs on top.... not nearly finished then.

 

i actually find letter codes easier to mask that roundels! Lots of circles and different colours.... letter are just one colour normally and just pick the scheme with the straightest letters  

 

12 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Looking good! It's like waiting for Christmas. Hope that list isn't getting longer...

 

...and I agree with Rob. I've done squadron codes with a brush and lots of masking tape, but the thought of bright concentric circles interferes with my digestion

Rob, Adrian: thanks for your comments lads. I'm bottling out of doing the aircraft/squadron codes in paint this time but will have a go on the next build perhaps. I wonder could they be cut out of masking sheet if a photocopy of the decal sheet was stuck on top of it to act as a cutting guide?

10 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

Nice work Tony. What's the latest on Maureen?

She's sulking in the dispersal hut as we've disagreed over lipstick colour. I favour Flaming Roundel Red but la Dunlop insists it will make her look like

Quote

'A Soho hussy from the Windmill Theatre'.

[perdu]

Tell you what Tony, if she's gone all 'entitlement, better than them'  lately I'm going off her

 

Them there Windmill ladies are the salt of the earth you know

Maybe you should tempt her with the toned down wartime roundel red, might make her pull her horns in maybe

[Martian]

1 hour ago, TheBaron said:

She's sulking in the dispersal hut as we've disagreed over lipstick colour. I favour Flaming Roundel Red but la Dunlop insists it will make her look like A Soho Hussey from the Windmill theatre.

I see! she doesn't want to look like you then? Surely Mrs Baron can suggest something more suitable?

 

Martian

[rob85]

2 hours ago, TheBaron said:

Thanks Johnny. I've just been checking the decal sheet earlier and it is riddled with tiny 'no step' markings and the like. I'll post a picture this evening to reveal the full atomic structure of the challenge ahead....

 

Rob, Adrian: thanks for your comments lads. I'm bottling out of doing the aircraft/squadron codes in paint this time but will have a go on the next build perhaps. I wonder could they be cut out of masking sheet if a photocopy of the decal sheet was stuck on top of it to act as a cutting guide?

She's sulking in the dispersal hut as we've disagreed over lipstick colour. I favour Flaming Roundel Red but la Dunlop insists it will make her look like

 

Yes is the short answer, if you could find a thin enough masking sheet you could print the lettering from a computer and then cut directly onto that? If that makes sense.... the only problem I have encountered with a masking sheet is that if you do the whole set of letter codes at once they can get distorted by the contours of the AC and they can also bleed a lot if not placed correctly. Probably a good idea to use a sheet for no more than to letters if close together or just cut masks for each letter and paint one at a time which should result in a better line up and better quality edge to the masking.... also a coat of something clear helps seal them

 

Rob

[TheBaron]

2 hours ago, perdu said:

Tell you what Tony, if she's gone all 'entitlement, better than them'  lately I'm going off her

 

Them there Windmill ladies are the salt of the earth you know

Maybe you should tempt her with the toned down wartime roundel red, might make her pull her horns in maybe

In fairness Bill I think my suggestion of a see-through Sidcot was what tipped her over the edge....

1 hour ago, Martian Hale said:

Surely Mrs Baron can suggest something more suitable?

She did, but it's anatomically impossible....

13 minutes ago, rob85 said:

Yes is the short answer, if you could find a thin enough masking sheet you could print the lettering from a computer and then cut directly onto that? If that makes sense

It does indeed Rob - my thanks for that. I think it wise if I have a trial run on that at some stage on a paint mule beforetrying it on an actual build. I'm only just recovering my composure from doing those roundels!

 

Was it Adrian earlier who tempted the fates by wishing no more items for the snag list? My dissatisfaction with the SH interpretation only grew when I was studying this lovely shot from the IWM archives last evening:

The boys here are loading up a 1600 pounder - a great shot in itself of the anonymous and ordinary men and women that 'big' history and 'aces and generals' narratives have shamefully ignored until comparatively recently - but take a look under the Barra at those two other girder-like parts positioned to hold the rear of the bomb away from the fuselage. There's also a loop of cable which I'm guessing was the actual bomb-release itself - you can see it dangling down in quite a few shots if you look. None of this corresponds to anything in the kit so I've simply cut away the fin-like moulding SH put underneath there, intending to make something accurate (the front part of the cradle with those clamp-like bits sticking out I did the other day) after decalling:

Top marks to the SH lads though on the badges - they certainly didn't skimp on the level of detailing in this regard: Check out all these little beauties:

Impossible to read those little signs at 1/72 but I suspect they say things 'Point this end towards enemy' and 'Now wash your hands'. I decided to go for the 829 NAS option offered by the kit, flying off of Victorious in the second wave of the Tungsten raid on Tirpitz. (The instruction sheet rather charmingly refers to this as 'the Royal Navy air ride').

Down to work. Just look at all those numbered bits:

Doing the undersides is a lunchtime I shall never get back. There are 36 decals in place in the photo below (18 per wing). Can you see them all?

There now. They can sit and bask in Microsol whilst I stop whimpering...

Tony

[TonyTiger66]

Really coming along now Tony  .

 

The paint finish looks really good. They may have driven you bonkers, but those stencil decals really add a lot to it.

 

Regarding what you were saying about the e.g. US markings, this company's products are good (Maketar). I haven't used the US one, but I've had a dabble with their 'swirl' etc, 'Nose Cone Masking Set' for aircraft spinners, here's one of their 1/72 aircraft pages;

 

http://shop.maketar.com/?product_cat=172-aircraft

 

All the best

TonyT

 

 

[Procopius]

On 2/19/2017 at 9:54 AM, TheBaron said:

Thanks Ced. How I think I look drinking a Martini:

 

I have a similar problem with rye and ginger ale (the preferred drink of Philip Marlowe), where I think I look like this:

 

 

 

But really look like this.

[Procopius]

1 hour ago, TheBaron said:

Impossible to read those little signs at 1/72 but I suspect they say things 'Point this end towards enemy' and 'Now wash your hands'.

 

There was at least one Polish Spitfire with "please wipe boots" on the cockpit door, in a very official-looking Polish language stencil.

[AdrianMF]

I know I look like this:

 

 

Regards,

Adrian

[AdrianMF]

It's always interesting to see how many stencils you can see on the pictures of the real thing. If I can't see 'em, then into the spares box they go...

 

Regards,

Adrian