Supermarine S6B - Eastern Express 1/72

[Spookytooth]

Just pulling up a chair Ced.

You can never have enough Spitfires and one with floats too.

Will sot out a selection of fromages from the local deli, we can be civilized , well some of the time.

 

Simon.

[giemme]

On 28/8/2017 at 18:07, keefr22 said:

So I'll just sit here quietly for a while to carch my breath !

That makes two of us, then  It ain't easy keeping up with you, Ced, you know??

 

  (:cheese: emoticon wanted)

 

Ciao

[philp]

I wake up and it is already page 2 but happily no building so I am in time for the party.

 

Now off to work.

[bbudde]

Will look at this by chance. Not my all time favourite. Keep calm  to avoid something missing. You could be too fast for anyone else here. Cheers and a good start.

Edited August 31, 2017 by bbudde

[The Spadgent]

Well that's a bird and a half.  Great choice. 

 

Jont.

[Rob G]

Re the colour etc conundrum... Could you not approach the museum and ask them? Various bits may have a clear coat now, but that doesn't mean that they did then - the airframe was built to race, and weight is the enemy of speed. Fear of corrosion wouldn't have been a major factor in their choice of surface finishes, I imagine, given the short life anticipated for the craft.

 

Or I could be full of it. `\_0_/´

[Fritag]

Found it.  Wondered where everyone had gone.........

[CedB]

Thanks Simon and welcome

Thanks Giorgio - I think this one may slow me down, a bit. Lots of pondering to do

Hi Phil - glad you made it along

Thanks Benedikt, calmness it is!

Thanks Johnny and welcome!

6 hours ago, Rob G said:

Re the colour etc conundrum... Could you not approach the museum and ask them? Various bits may have a clear coat now, but that doesn't mean that they did then - the airframe was built to race, and weight is the enemy of speed. Fear of corrosion wouldn't have been a major factor in their choice of surface finishes, I imagine, given the short life anticipated for the craft.

 

Or I could be full of it. `\_0_/´

Thanks Rob. I did ask the volunteer at the museum and he agreed it was NMF. That said this one had been outside for a while so I doubt it's 'original'. Thanks to Bentwater's link to the Prime Portal walkaround we can see this:

 

 

Which I'm almost sure shows some sort of varnish over the 'silver'. 

 

Hi Steve, glad you found us!

 

 

A few things to ponder before starting tomorrow:

- Struts: I think I'm going to try squashing some aluminium tube; easy way to get the right cross section

- Paint finish: whatever's on the real thing, it needs to look OK at this scale. Leaning towards Valljo Silber but will test.

- Do I have a blue that's close? What blue is it anyway?

 

24 hours to decide!

[giemme]

20 minutes ago, CedB said:

- Struts: I think I'm going to try squashing some aluminium tube; easy way to get the right cross section

I agree this would look spot on

 

Ciao

[CedB]

Thanks Giorgio I'm loathe to squash any of my Albion slide fit. I think a trip to the LMS is in order...

 

Paint thinks. Stirring the (very) old grey matter I remember trying to find a silver for 'Jason' and trying what I had in the stash. That'll be why the mule has paint on it then:

 

Untitled by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

 

Pity I didn't label them (doh!). It must be one of these:

 

 

I did find the link though to the relevant post that showed this:

 

XF-15 X-32 71.062 by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

 

and suggestion to use Revell Aqua Silver and Aluminium (Keith) and Vallejo metal colours (Johnny). I also found the post on the Citadel colours suggesting the Runefang steel might be good.

For Jason I ended up sing the Vallejo Air Aluminium but this is doped fabric.

 

 

Maybe? In preparation I've blasted the mule with Stynylrez black:

 

 

 

While that's drying I'll have a quick trip to Frome (Mrs B is out!)

[giemme]

5 minutes ago, CedB said:

I'm loathe to squash any of my Albion slide fit. I think a trip to the LMS is in order...

I use Trumpeter brass pipes for that kind of job - much cheaper!  

 

Ciao

[bentwaters81tfw]

I built the HAWK kit in 1/48. I used Humbrol 11 and 104, with a coat of Klear. I also had some Contrail struts to use. Below is the cockpit, and a float showing the original blue used by Supermarine. It was repainted the dark blue before the race and record attempts.

[PhantomBigStu]

watching along

[corsaircorp]

2 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

I built the HAWK kit in 1/48. I used Humbrol 11 and 104, with a coat of Klear. I also had some Contail struts to use. Below is the cockpit, and a float showing the original blue used by Supermarine. It was repainted the dark blue before the race and record attempts.

Hello Bentwaters,

Do you think that the Hawk and the testors one are from the same moulds ??

I have the Testors one and wondered if she is a real 1/48 or a mere 1/50 ??

Very fine job on yours.

Sincerely.

CC

[bentwaters81tfw]

1 minute ago, corsaircorp said:

Hello Bentwaters,

Do you think that the Hawk and the testors one are from the same moulds ??

I have the Testors one and wondered if she is a real 1/48 or a mere 1/50 ??

Very fine job on yours.

Sincerely.

CC

They are the same kit. Hawk are a true 1/48. I also have a Curtiss R3C-2 which just arrived from USA. Beautiful kit.

[corsaircorp]

2 minutes ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

They are the same kit. Hawk are a true 1/48. I also have a Curtiss R3C-2 which just arrived from USA. Beautiful kit.

And a proof of a great taste in aircrafts, congratulations !

And thank you, I'm in peace with my S6B now !

Sincerely.

CC

[bentwaters81tfw]

1 minute ago, corsaircorp said:

And a proof of a great taste in aircrafts, congratulations !

And thank you, I'm in peace with my S6B now !

Sincerely.

CC

I have a soft spot for the S6B. F/Lt. George Hedley Stainforth flew it in the 1931 race heats and set the Speed Record. He was great uncle to my late partner.

I would love a 1/32 model of it.

[CedB]

Thanks Giorgio - good idea! I have some Trumpeter brass too so I'll use that

Hi Stu and welcome

Thanks Bentwaters I think silver is the way to go (see below) and the darker blue may solve a problem...

Very humbled to have a relative of F/Lt. Stainforth along and S1596 is one of the decal options in this kit. There's a video of the race here which you may have seen before?

Thanks CC - go on, build yours!

 

To add a bit more history I found this on Graces Guide:

For the 1931 competition the British, somewhat controversially, raced with no opposition to win and permanently retain the Schneider Trophy.
The winning Schneider flight was piloted by Flt. Lt. John N. Boothman in aircraft serial number S1595 at a speed of 340.08 mph (547.19 km/h), flying seven perfect laps of the triangular course over the Solent, between the Isle of Wight and the British mainland. On the same day, another S.6B (S1596) flown by Flt Lt George Staniforth set a new Absolute World Speed Record of 379.05 mph and on 29th September this was increased this figure to 407.5 mph (S1595).

 

 

I've flattened some brass tube this morning, only to find that my 'flat nosed pliers' aren't actually flat:

 

Not flat by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

 

which has introduced some nice, ahem, weathering to the tube. Definitely needed a trip to the LMS and bought some paint and flat pliers.

 

Paint tests:

 

71.062, 63, 64 by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

 

Please ignore the blue - oops. I think the middle one, Vallejo Air 71.063 Silber is going to be best.

Blue?

 

71.005, 091, 266 by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

 

I think the first one, 71.005, is going to look best with some satin varnish. The middle one's too dark I think.

[giemme]

Agreed on the color selection, Ced

 

I didn't mention that, but to ovalize/flatten a brass pipe, I use a hammer on a flat steel plate (the one you find on the back of a workbench vise) - oh, and a lot of TLC and patience

 

Ciao

[TheBaron]

What was the lighting like in the museum when you took the reference shots Ced? Daylight? Artificial ? Mixed?

 

I ask because of course materials and pigments of all kinds have their intrinsic qualities altered by the ambient illumination - to get a visual response matching what your camera recorded at the museum (which is not the same as what your eye saw) means your home lighting setup would need to be an approximation of the museum conditions...and will differ again if you place the model in daylight conditions after making it under artificial lighting.

 

The imaging chips in digital cameras have particular spectral biases whilst the manufacturer's built-in processing and compression algorithms also add further potential distortions (in the name of 'vivdness' 'skin tone' etc).

 

I'm waffling and a bit tired on a Friday evening but what I mean is don't beat yourself up too much over not getting the colour exact from photographs alone , as colour photographs themselves are simply  'versions' of the original in the same way that your painted model will be, where the effects of illumination and colour temperature are concerned.

 

Getting perilously close to a 'what is reality' post so best I shut up now...

 

 

 

 

[bentwaters81tfw]

3 hours ago, CedB said:

 

 

To add a bit more history I found this on Graces Guide:

For the 1931 competition the British, somewhat controversially, raced with no opposition to win and permanently retain the Schneider Trophy.
The winning Schneider flight was piloted by Flt. Lt. John N. Boothman in aircraft serial number S1595 at a speed of 340.08 mph (547.19 km/h), flying seven perfect laps of the triangular course over the Solent, between the Isle of Wight and the British mainland. On the same day, another S.6B (S1596) flown by Flt Lt George Staniforth set a new Absolute World Speed Record of 379.05 mph and on 29th September this was increased this figure to 407.5 mph (S1595).

 

 

 

 

The record attempt at 379.05 was on the 13th August 1931 in S1596. George had an accident taxiing and S1596 sank, George being lucky to escape with his life. The aircraft was recovered, but it's fate is unknown. The record run at 407.5 mph was undertaken on September 13 1931, but he had to wait until the 29th for official ratification. His log book carries a note to that effect. There was only 9-10 gallons of fuel left. He made 6 flights over 2 hours 45 minutes.

[John_W]

No Dogs or Land Rovers were injured in the building of this aircraft.

[TonyTiger66]

8 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

I built the HAWK kit in 1/48. I used Humbrol 11 and 104, with a coat of Klear. I also had some Contrail struts to use. Below is the cockpit, and a float showing the original blue used by Supermarine. It was repainted the dark blue before the race and record attempts.

The photograph of the float here is extremely useful.

 

Look right at the top of the front of the float. It's very clear to see where metallic laquer has chipped off, revealing the actual rather more dull natural metal beneath. It's also  exposed on worn areas of the rivets.

 

At this time, laquer mixed with metallic particles was often used on aircraft; apparently it was cheap and effective. Anyone that has had e.g, a Dinky diecast toy car, where the silver painted bumpers became worn or scratched, revealing the dull metal beneath, can see that very effect on the extreme top tip of the front of the float here.

 

The laquer is, I'm fairly sure,  the reason why there's such a lack of tonal variation in panels, rivets and so on. I've faffed around with silver mixed with a touch of light grey for very early Bf 109's, to try to replicate a fairly similar finish in 1/72. It's challenging but fun ! 

 

Good luck  

 

Best regards

TonyT

[keefr22]

14 hours ago, CedB said:

- Struts: I think I'm going to try squashing some aluminium tube;

 

Albion Alloys sister company have a tool for that Ced....!!

 

Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the company at the mo in order to provide a link....

 

Keith

 

Edit: found it;

 

http://modelskills.co.uk/tools/45-the-strutter.html

[perdu]

So!

 

Here you are

 

finished it yet?

 

 

 

 

I don't think the silver is NM, I would agree with Tony T in that the 'silver' is lacquer mixed with silver powder, I produced gazillions of tons of the stuff ready for printing transfers in an earlier, professional life