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Supermarine's best? [Now with added Seafire 47... & Seafang!]


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3 hours ago, giemme said:

Fascinating stuff, Crisp :clap: Lovely details on that engine :worthy:

My next build is involving an Aires cockpit; should I start worrying? :frantic:

 

BTW, did you post an RFI for the mk46?

 

Ciao

Aires stuff is beautifully done, but it is notorious for needing a lot of work to get it to fit - especially thinning down the original kit parts. But in my experience it’s definitely worth it; you certainly shouldn’t worry.

 

No RFI yet - waiting to get my proper camera back in commission to take some decent pictures of it.  The aircraft is currently carefully stowed inside a rigid box, sourrounded with bubble wrap.

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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A nekkid Griffon engine? That's some tasty engine porn right there!

You're having a bad influence, and I can almost not resist the temptation to run off with a Seafire XV and start to fondle the parts...

 

I like all the plumming you did, it looks great!

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Thanks, everyone; we're still a good way from a second Seafire... but making progress with its Griffon at least.

 

I have been adding the upper ignition wires - since the eventual model will have the cowling panel removed, this part of the engine will be very visible, so I think it's worth the effort.  I don't have many great references; an excellent picture of the top of a Firefly Griffon (in the SAM Modellers' Data File Cut Down book on the Firefly) is the closest I come, but I have been able to make some plausible inferences from other models.  If anyone has any pictures of a real Griffon 87 or 88, then I'd love to see them!

 

The Aires engine set has really thin resin parts to represent the conduits through which the ignition wires feed.  They lasted about 30 seconds before I snapped them, so they were replaced with Albion Alloys tube - but at least the Aires parts gave me a decent pattern for the hockey-stick shape.   In the photo below these are the two silver-coloured lines that run along the inside top of the cylinder heads.

 

What I have been doing today is adding the ignition wires that feed from these two conduits and down onto the plugs.  Each wire is a (roughly - judged by eye!) 0.5mm section of 0.2mm i.d. nickel-silver tube, into which I then feed a length of 0.2mm Plus Model lead wire - a tiny touch of thin CA onto it glues it securely.  Then repeat the dose; place the connector onto the appropriate part of the conduit, touch once more with thin CA and your Mother's Brother is called Robert.

37714757795_157977b9ee_c.jpg

 

As you can probably imagine, this is taxing on the eyes and requires extremely steady hands, so you can't keep it up for ever... I am stopping now (and moving back to the Walrus).  The port ignition harness is now complete (on the right as we look - this is looking from the airscrew end of the engine), and the other side has the single wire at each end... i.e. four more to add on the left as we look.

 

More soon

 

Crisp

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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On 17/10/2017 at 4:04 PM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Georgio - I often do paint markings (indeed I painted the underwing serials on this very model, and the yellow 104 side numbers will be masked shortly), but I am trying to keep this build as simple as possible in order to get it done in a suitably quick and mojo-restoring way (hence no mega-detailing, closed cockpit, only after market being straight swaps like Master turned brass cannon).  These are pretty decent - better than I thought they might be, actually originally I wasn't going to use a decal for the CH Culham mark on the tail, but it has worked well.

Crisp, an excellent build. I am in the process of making a DH Hornet and need to find a source of supply for the lettering/number masks, FAA size for underwing and fuselage (36" height) in 1/48th Scale 36" height. I have not found/secured the right size of decal from Hannants as their XtraDecal set is OOP and thought masks would be the right way to go. Help and suggestions much appreciated

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@Navy Elephant - the masks I used for my Sea King side numbers etc were made by Maketar [http://shop.maketar.com/], and I heartily recommend them.  I’ve also heard good things about Miracle masks [http://www.freewebs.com/miraclemasks/], though I have no personal experience of them.  

 

The masks I used for the Seafire 46 were a Montex set designed specifically for this kit, which doesn’t help with your Hornet.

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Crisp, many thanks for the clarification. I had heard of Miracle and as there is a 'production' lead time/custom price for what ever you want I was also looking for a ready to go solution. 

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The Walrus has a coat of varnish drying (important, but not photogenic), so a little work on the instrument panel of the Seafire.  It comes as a resin back, which I have sprayed gloss black, and onto which I am placing Airscale instruments (the Aires set goes for an acetate film, but the Airscale ones are a little bit sharper) - then 2 layers of PE to give some depth.

37858714025_a765eb364c_c.jpg

 

As of this evening, just a couple more to do on the left hand side.  Having a separate PE part makes it a lot easier to paint instrument surrounds, which will be the next job.  [I have acquired a set of FR47 Pilot's Notes, so am trying to get this as close as possible]

24895027248_561bbb86c1_c.jpg

 

More soon

 

Crisp 

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That instrument lanel and your Griffon are looking lovely. You're gonna have a beautiful pair of late model Seafires at the end of this. Makes me start looking longingly at my 1/72 scale Airfix 22, as I still need a 46 myself...

 

Justin

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Outstanding, simply outstanding. :worthy: The detail in the resin parts is very crisp (hey ... wait a minute ... :hmmm::D ok, ok :coat: ) and you did an excellent job in picking it out via your superb painting :clap:

 

Ciao

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