Christer A Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 (edited) Oops I did it Again as someone use to sing... I was going to put some decals on my Spitfire XII but I couldn't find the motivation to do so. Neither adding the finishing touches on the Spitfire VIII, or the Brigand. I was missing something. That wonderful smell of Tamiya extra thin Cement. And filler. And sanding. And removing mold seams. I'll confess: Hello, my name is Christer, and I'm a serial kitstarter I've been aching to start a new kit, but have told myself that I'm strong and I can resist the siren song from an unstarted kit. I'm a weak and pitiful creature. Let's give in then, and do it properly with TWO Tomahawks! I got the Academy one as a 40 y.o gift 1,5 years ago, and got the Barracuda decals to replace the awful kit ones (old Academy = very thick stickers) But since I did get that sheet, adding an Airfix to complement it was no hard task. Just to spice it up a little, both kits has also received some etch. Belts for Airfix are ordered, but not yet delivered. The Academy one looks quite bare, but functional. Just as many runners for Airfix, but quite a lot more parts! Some random etch pieces were stuck to the Academy in various places: The landing gear shaft was devoid of any detail, but will benefit greatly from this piece. One thing is quite certain, and that's the cockpit sizes! Acadamy is noticably bigger, see the instrument panel: The radiator flap looked less then stellar too, so Airfix kindly donated the closed ones to Academy Currently prepping lots of internal parts for painting, which hopefully will commence tomorrow! Right. That's two new kits on the bench, and a group build will start in one month. I really need to finish the two spitfires before that... Edited March 6, 2017 by Christer A Spellingcheck! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 Not much to report today, all internal were painted UMP black primer The rest of the (modelmaking) day was spent stripping and cleaning my two airbrushes. It was overdue.... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 This looks a great thread christer! Will be good to see the comparison as well as your cracking work... cant wait to see this unfinished Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 HAHA! Thanks Rob! I'll do my best with the unfinishing then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 The unfinishing continues! But first, a shameless commercial break: Once in a while, the company I work for actually allows its employees to drive around the test track just like regular customers. We poor CAD-designers at the engine department is rarely let outside but this week it happened, and a lovely day it was too! I don't have a truck certificate, but here we're allowed to take the newest, fully kitted trucks around a special test track to experience first hand what we actually design. With our eyes though, this stuff is old, since we're always working on the stuff that's 2-5 years away from serial production. Most fascinating part: Taking a fully loaded, 72 tons, 25,25m long timber truck up a 12% incline, and stopping in the middle. Then STARTING again and just smoothly rev this thing with it's dual clutch gearbox right up to the crest without causing a gearbox meltdown, fatal crash or anything! In fact, it was easier than to walk! The slope on the other side was rather steep to, but with engine brake at maximum power I didn't even touch the normal brakes. Cool. Right, back to the normal agenda then. The Academy cockpit floor looks very un-winglike compared to Airfix, but that's no so surprising. Zoom etch now an then Folding pre painted etch-pieces is not an easy task, especially since the paint has a big tendency to flake off if one look at it funnily. Poor Map case. Since the interior green on the etch is not matching Gunze Interior green in anything but name, It's quite hard to touch up with paint afterwards. I'm hoping that it can't be seen after a few washes and a flat coat. We'll see. Time to hit the bed now I think! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted March 13, 2017 Author Share Posted March 13, 2017 The main wrestle match with cockpit-etch is now over. I think I won, this time... Then I must add this: Eduards new Steel Belts to the right, old un-painted etche to the left. These new belts are A LOT better printed than any other Eduard prepainted metal. Less rasterisation, more added depths since the add illusions of shadows, more flexible and the paint does not flake off as easily. Top stuff! I think my new Tiffy had this Steel-type etch for all prepainted stuff, but I'm not certain Anyway, time to close the fuselage now! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaffajake Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 I must say the newer Eduard steel sets are much easier to use and seem more durable than the brass ones. Nice detailing in the cockpits! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Excellent cockpit work christer, really nice detail and paint finish. hmmm anyone would think you work for Volvo.... any chance you could pop a xc 70 over?? I'll pay the fuel! Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 Thanks there Rob! (and Jaffajake!) Sorry, no XC 70 for you! Volvo split off the cars part of the company to Ford (and Ford sold Volvo Cars to Chinese firm Geely some years back) in 1999 so we're separate companies now, but a fully kitted FH-truck with our top of the line engine and transmission will only set you back around 100000£. You can fit you're whole stash in on of those... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted March 19, 2017 Author Share Posted March 19, 2017 Sorry, no Brigand update today, but quite a big Tomahawk one instead. I hope you all can suppress your disappointment... Time to tackle the Airfix wheel wells Why does all Airfix toolmakers and injection molding subcontractors persist in this nonsense? It's almost a natural law for Airfix kit to include ejector pins in the wheel wells. Grrrr. Some scraping and sanding later and i was left with this And then the big Ooops on part of the toolmaker, the missing trimrudder, which was duly scribed. Then i started to add all the internals... All can be made to fit with enough force and Tamiya Extra thin... Unfortunately I screwed up the underside of the nose: The inlet channel was badly misaligned and I had to pry it open and redo it Not a pretty job, but hopefully some melted plastic goo will sort it out. It seems that Airfix has learned that it's not possible to have protruding rivets all around a fuselage half without fouling up the mold release direction. Previously like on their 1/48 lightning they made the rivethole perpendicular to the tools split with the result that it looks hideous in the fuselage top and bottom, but ok on the sides. Funnely enoug, both Tamiya and Eduard can handle rivets that are perpencidular to the fuselage and not to the tool. I guess they know something that team Airfix doesn't?I For this kit, Airfis resorted to inserts to get around the problem The wingroots were actually a good fit, but some more persuasion was needed for the engine covers. All of a sudden both kits were at the same stage! The academy one got it wings on after that. The fit here is excellent! Not bad for an old (but simple) kit. Airfix on the other hand requires a little bit more persuasion to have smooth joints, so I opened up a new tube of PPP and started filling Until next time! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 That's some fantastic cockpit detail Christer. This is an interesting comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Thanks Cookie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Hello Christer, Nice job on these, reassuring to see that I'm not alone in this kind of modelling madness Nice job on the Volvo too, I just experienced a Peterbilt with such a long nose, manual clutch No longer seat or anything in the cockpit, since it was in Africa, and I just gived the engine is last life. 7th fixing, no more. Moving that chunk of metal on a dirt road was a little bit harder than your Volvo But funny rememberance and I did it. Lots of smoke from the huge exhaust stacks... Keep carry on the tomahawk, cheers from an other serial starter... Sincerely. Corsaircorp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 (edited) On 14/03/2017 at 4:57 AM, Christer A said: Thanks there Rob! (and Jaffajake!) Sorry, no XC 70 for you! Volvo split off the cars part of the company to Ford (and Ford sold Volvo Cars to Chinese firm Geely some years back) in 1999 so we're separate companies now, but a fully kitted FH-truck with our top of the line engine and transmission will only set you back around 100000£. You can fit you're whole stash in on of those... I could, and it's trailer would probably be bigger than my flat... and well below the average house price. Do they do mortgages? great detail as ever and nice to see them buttoned up! Rob Edited March 20, 2017 by rob85 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 Great work on both those kits! I have the Airfix version, and while it does look an excellent kit, I too was a bit annoyed at the wheel well ejector pins! It's a shame because the detail in the wheel wells, I thought, was quite nice which will then be damaged when getting rid of the ejector pins. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 I've got this on the go too, how is your double coming on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted April 4, 2017 Author Share Posted April 4, 2017 Thanks Val & Rob! @Valkyrie I'm right now at the sand-primer-repeat-stage. Pictures to follow later on, since the battery in my camera was dead. Will include a more detailed comparison then! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted April 8, 2017 Author Share Posted April 8, 2017 Ok, so almost a week later and I'm finally satisfied with filling, sanding and priming! On to the pictorial comparisons! From a distance it's not that much of a difference actually. Keep in mind that the Academy is a lot simpler to put together since it's got way fewer parts, and it didn't consume much filler. Airfix on the other hand has a lot of inserts that adds more detail, but in my hands caused more filler-use. Your mileage may vary! Let's compare said details then Airfix (top) includes canvas covered tail wheel well (keeping up the theme with the main wheel wells no less, but Academy is completely bare, with no detailing at all. Speaking of main wheel wells, Airfix is more detailed out of the box, and the keel has a lot of detail. Academy is very simplified, but the etch pieces in the landing gear bay helps a little. Nicking the cooling flaps from Airfix was also a good idea, since the original ones were very vague. Engine covers on top of Airfix is not that many miles better than Academy Also, the filler caps for the fuel is included in Airfix, but missing from Academy. Airfix has full radiator trunking, and nicely detailed too. However, the fit is not excellent, but far from Mach2... Academy has a different layout of the split vanes, and includes just three plinths that's supposed to be radiators...Etch will go in there later on. Rear side of radiator on Academy is completely empty! There is nothing there! Full trunking on Airfix. And finally, a comparison of panel lines Academys felt finer when looking at the bare plastic, but under a coat of primer the difference is minimal. There is off course more details on Airfix, and the fabric covered ailerons looks more convincing. Not, time to make some lunch, and then start to spray the undersides! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted April 9, 2017 Author Share Posted April 9, 2017 (edited) Some paint the, would you like? Let's start with Xtracrylix Azure Blue on the Academy Hawk The blackbasing is just showing through, just as intended. I might hit the fabric covered surfaces with some darker shade, just to get a little more variation in it. Comments on that please? The Airfix Hawk will be in the Curtiss delivery colors so here it's Dupont 71-021 which I interpreted as Gunze H311, which is also known as FS-36622 My camera and photo setup is far from ideal, and the fool using it is no better, so that's why the pictures suck! Lets try the cellphone camera instead, and different lighting: Right! Now it looks a lot more like real life! Anyway, time to add a clear coat because next step will be masking! Edited April 9, 2017 by Christer A 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 Whoa, that's some nice paint work Christer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted April 9, 2017 Author Share Posted April 9, 2017 Thanks Cookie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 9 hours ago, Christer A said: Some paint the, would you like? Let's start with Xtracrylix Azure Blue on the Academy Hawk The blackbasing is just showing through, just as intended. I might hit the fabric covered surfaces with some darker shade, just to get a little more variation in it. Comments on that please? The Airfix Hawk will be in the Curtiss delivery colors so here it's Dupont 71-021 which I interpreted as Gunze H311, which is also known as FS-36622 My camera and photo setup is far from ideal, and the fool using it is no better, so that's why the pictures suck! Lets try the cellphone camera instead, and different lighting: Right! Not it looks a lot more like real life! Anyway, time to add a clear coat because next step will be masking! Careful christer, it's starting to look like you will finish these in good time love your paint work, something very satisfying about the finish you get. Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted April 9, 2017 Author Share Posted April 9, 2017 Thanks Rob! Finish? Well, I do dabble with Aussie Eight #2 at the side... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 Have I missed this?? I am planning an Aussie 8 but in the true scale... Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted April 10, 2017 Author Share Posted April 10, 2017 Well...I haven't added any pictures for it yet so it's no wonder that you haven't seen it. I might rectify that sooner or later. Spits are a little more popular around these parts than Tomahawks it seems.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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