abat Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 There's been several excellent Firefly builds on the forum over the past few years and I thought it high time that I dusted off my special hobby kit and gave it a go myself. I'll be using all the information gleaned from the previous builds, in particular that of Navy Bird who was brave enough to build two Special Hobby kits of these wonderful aircraft as once. Australian Fairey Firefly stickers are pretty hard to come but I did manage to secure what appears to be a more recent printing from Red Roo depicting VX388/207Q (AS5) from HMAS Vengeance and VX385/205K (Mk5) from HMAS Sydney in 1953 latter Korean War schemes. I'm very tempted by VX388 which just happens to now reside at the Camden Museum of Aviation and was the subject of Navy Bird's target tug version. Here she is in Stewart Wilson's excellent Sea Fury, Firefly and Sea Venom book. I also have a hankering to represent a Mk.4 from HMAS Sydney during the late 1940's with a Dark Slate Grey/EDSG/Sky scheme. I have the following airframe in mind which is here being flown by one of my late father's friends, and still with Royal Navy codes. I'd need to cobble together some stickers of course which may be the hardest part of that scheme but I'd also be unsure about cockpit colours, whether it was all black as in the latter marks, or had one or more cockpits in interior green. Still some time to decide. Progress to date has involved separating the resin cockpit components from the pour blocks wearing the requisite gloves, mask and eye protection, and tidying up the fuselage halves. A coat of primer can't be too far away. As this is my first resin cockpit, I might also ask what glue do people prefer with resin - superglue (cringe) or epoxy (messy)? 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 29, 2017 Author Share Posted August 29, 2017 Got a light primer coat on the cockpits, although now I've tidied them up a bit I'll add a second coat. I tried dry-fitting these and it looks like there's a fair bit of fiddly stuff coming up. My aim is to fully paint the cockpits un-assembled before sticking them together. Hope to get some NATO black on there later today. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 A sleek Firefly in Aussie markings? That's a good sign. Will follow closely since I'm interested in the kit as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Hello Abat, Dutch Firefly on the box. Nice color scheme, shark mouth, but you choose to do the RAAN version.OK. I will follow you on this one. I use superglue for my resin modelling. But very sparsely. (Windows open, small drop out of the tube and working with a tooth pick. If possible clamp it.) Regards, Orion / The Netherlands. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Love RAN Fireflies, either scheme is a winner for me! Excited to follow this build! I'm with Orion for resin bits: supermarket superglue, small amounts of. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Nice subject, I'll grab a seat at the back! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 31, 2017 Author Share Posted August 31, 2017 14 hours ago, Christer A said: A sleek Firefly in Aussie markings? That's a good sign. Will follow closely since I'm interested in the kit as well. Welcome aboard Christer. I've never built a Special hobby mixed media kit so a few first impressions: the panel lines are very finely engraved which is nice, but I may sharpen up a couple around service panels so they take a wash easier; there's no locating pins so I might be adding a few plastic "guides" to help me along; the resin is very finely modelled but is quite a chore to seperate from the pour blocks and might prove a challenge to put together. Nothing that I can't stumble through I think. 13 hours ago, Orion said: Hello Abat, Dutch Firefly on the box. Nice color scheme, shark mouth, but you choose to do the RAAN version.OK. I will follow you on this one. I use superglue for my resin modelling. But very sparsely. (Windows open, small drop out of the tube and working with a tooth pick. If possible clamp it.) Regards, Orion / The Netherlands. Ahh, I can see you're biased. I like Australian versions as that's my home country. Martian has an excellent Dutch double going at present! Thanks for the superglue tips. 8 hours ago, k5054nz said: Love RAN Fireflies, either scheme is a winner for me! Excited to follow this build! I'm with Orion for resin bits: supermarket superglue, small amounts of. Thanks. I have a Mk 1 boxing with the chin radiator and I'm sorely tempted to do a parallel build of an RN version in Slate grey/EDSG/sky to satisfy that colour urge and then do this one as 207/Q in EDSG/sky. 5 hours ago, limeypilot said: Nice subject, I'll grab a seat at the back! Ian There's certainly a seat at the back in the firefly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Gotta love a Firefly! Since the back seat is taken, I'll just perch on the tail. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 You're not getting away with me outside looking in I'm in too This IS my year of Navyation, Firefly has to be in by proxy 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 31, 2017 Author Share Posted August 31, 2017 1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said: Gotta love a Firefly! Since the back seat is taken, I'll just perch on the tail. That'll be interesting. 17 minutes ago, perdu said: You're not getting away with me outside looking in I'm in too This IS my year of Navyation, Firefly has to be in by proxy 😀 Navyation, now there's a good idea. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 gotta love a Firefly build, even more interesting to see how the Special Hobby kit builds up. You have another 'goofer' up on deck! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJP Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Special Hobby Firefly. EDSG/SKY. RAN markings - ingredients of a good model - you will have to do a RAN Sea Fury to go with it though - does anyone know when the Airfix Sea Fury is due to be released? CJP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 31, 2017 Author Share Posted August 31, 2017 12 minutes ago, CJP said: Special Hobby Firefly. EDSG/SKY. RAN markings - ingredients of a good model - you will have to do a RAN Sea Fury to go with it though - does anyone know when the Airfix Sea Fury is due to be released? CJP Airfix Sea Fury! I'd like to see that! 32 minutes ago, 71chally said: gotta love a Firefly build, even more interesting to see how the Special Hobby kit builds up. You have another 'goofer' up on deck! Sounds good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJP Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Interestingly Wolfpack Design have had had a Firefly wing fold in their resin accessories for a looong time so not sure if they will ever eventuate - W48021 Fairey Firefly Mk.I Folded Wing set (for Special Hobby 1/48) TBA WW48022 Fairey Firefly Mk.4/5 Folded Wing set (for Special Hobby 1/48) TBA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 1 hour ago, CJP said: Special Hobby Firefly. EDSG/SKY. RAN markings - ingredients of a good model - you will have to do a RAN Sea Fury to go with it though - does anyone know when the Airfix Sea Fury is due to be released? CJP You can pre-order it now - and the Airfix site reckons "expected October 2017". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJP Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Thanks Ex-FAAWAFU I have just had a look at the pictures on their site and that's not too long to wait - not sure but is the spinner a bit fat otherwise looks great? - sorry abat getting off track CJP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 31, 2017 Author Share Posted August 31, 2017 1 hour ago, CJP said: Thanks Ex-FAAWAFU I have just had a look at the pictures on their site and that's not too long to wait - not sure but is the spinner a bit fat otherwise looks great? - sorry abat getting off track CJP Not at all. Sea Fury and Firefly go hand in hand and I can see from your avatar that there's a little bit of bias there. Regards the spinner, looking at photos they were quite big and from memory the Trumpeter ones in 1/72 are supposed to be a bit underweight. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5054nz Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 16 hours ago, abat said: I have a Mk 1 boxing with the chin radiator and I'm sorely tempted to do a parallel build of an RN version in Slate grey/EDSG/sky to satisfy that colour urge and then do this one as 207/Q in EDSG/sky. I'd be happy to see that! Good plan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 Well, here's some black (or not so black). I started by spraying a coat of NATO black and then filling in some of the crevices with a brush. From some reference photos I've seen, the cockpit sides appear to go a dusty, lighter greyish black, whilst the instrument and control panels retain a truer blacker sheen. So I masked some of the side panels and the main IP and dusted a coat of NATO black lightened with a couple of drops of white. You can just make out the darker panels in the photo below. Next I'll put on a gloss coat so I can run some Tamiya panel line accent into the crevices, dry brush some lighter grey / metal on the raised bits and edges and then pick out the buttons and controls in some colour. The seats need to be a reddy/brown leather-like colour. More tomorrow. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAVY870 Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 On 8/31/2017 at 4:12 PM, Ex-FAAWAFU said: Gotta love a Firefly! Since the back seat is taken, I'll just perch on the tail. Great! S'pose I'll have to load the starter cartridges and stand beside it waving my arms about. That'll teach me to be ground crew 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 21 hours ago, k5054nz said: I'd be happy to see that! Good plan. I'll see how I go. I like the idea - but don't want to over-promise. 12 hours ago, NAVY870 said: Great! S'pose I'll have to load the starter cartridges and stand beside it waving my arms about. That'll teach me to be ground crew You are most welcome in any capacity Steve, especially as you have the real VX388 to hang around with. Few questions if I may: do you know anything about VX388 when operating as 207/Q off Vengeance? Special Hobby has two arrangements of boxes on the rear deck of the observers cockpit (above) Does either look OK for 1953 or thereabouts? And I presume I need to fashion a new gunsight. The one in the kit doesn't look right. Cheers, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Nice idea with different shades of black. I'll steal that for my next black office build... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTiger66 Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 I'm very fond of Fairey aircraft. Also, I'm down under and have two SH Firefly models in the stash, so this is very interesting. All seats and the tail are taken; I'll just grab onto the arrestor hook ! Best regards TonyT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 5 hours ago, Christer A said: Nice idea with different shades of black. I'll steal that for my next black office build... Thanks Christer, hopefully I can make it work. Cockpits in this scale are a funny thing. Not much gets seen for all the work we put in. But then there's a lot of enjoyment from the work we put into it which is what counts for me. 4 hours ago, TonyTiger66 said: I'm very fond of Fairey aircraft. Also, I'm down under and have two SH Firefly models in the stash, so this is very interesting. All seats and the tail are taken; I'll just grab onto the arrestor hook ! Best regards TonyT You're most welcome, being a fellow firefly enthusiast and compatriot. You know deep down that you want to drop everything your doing right now and start building both of them ... drop everything and start building ... start building ... drop everything ... start ... building ... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 There is something about the Firefly, it's like a flying Bentley or something. I really like the unique Australian trainer variant of the Mk.4/5, I've often wondered if it is possible to mix the kit you have with Special Hobbys' T.1 kit to make it, though the windscreens would have to be scratch built. Anyhow, that interior is coming on very nicely! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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