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1/72 Matchbox/ Buccaneer


Pappy

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That is looking fantastic Pappy!!!

I had that problem as well when registering on IPMS SA. I just used my work email address then changed it to my "free" addy when I was accepted.

Edited by Metallicus
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That is looking fantastic Pappy!!!

I had that problem as well when registering on IPMS SA. I just used my work email address then changed it to my "free" addy when I was accepted.

Thanks,

I hear what you are puttin' down but I really can't be arsed applying twice,

cheers,

Pappy

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Hi Pappy,

I have fond memories of building Matchbox kits as a boy and your Bucc is really coming along nicely! It just goes to show you don't have to spend a fortune on aftermarket stuff to improve an old kit. Keep up the great work, I'm really looking forward to seeing this one finished and hopefully your 1/48 build as well!

Sean

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Hi Pappy,

I have fond memories of building Matchbox kits as a boy and your Bucc is really coming along nicely! It just goes to show you don't have to spend a fortune on aftermarket stuff to improve an old kit. Keep up the great work, I'm really looking forward to seeing this one finished and hopefully your 1/48 build as well!

Sean

I agree, and that is part of the motivation behind this build. I have not used any aftermarket, though it would make things easier if you could buy some resin seats/cockpit, and weapons specifically for this kit!

BMer's Andrew and Eng have sent me a canopy and decals, so I now have all the bits to finish the build so no more excuses!

I did not have a canopy to begin with so I was a little anxious to see if the canopy would fit properly and not foul on any of the added detail. The only area I had an issue with was the right side of the pilot's instrument coaming and the extreme front of the same part. I scraped down the inside of the windscreen a little and did the same the the problem areas around the front coaming.

buccupdate8003.jpg

The coaming will need a small touch up but nothing major.

I took the Matchbox canopy supplied by Andrew and sanded off the central canopy arch. Matchbox have incorrectly depicted this feature as a vertical arch whilst the reality is that it slopes rearwards. After sanding off the arch, I had the small task of polishing the canopy back to clarity. I started with 800 grit wet'n'dry and progressively worked up to 2500 grit. At that point I used tooth paste as a polishing compound (the white creamy stuff, not the coloured gel variety) until the canopy looked pretty clear. It also had a fresh minty smell :P

Once I was happy with that, I brushed a little thinned Tamiya clear blue inside The front windscreen to depict the tinted portion of the windscreen. The next step was a buff with a nail buffing stick just before a dip into some Future floor polish.

This was the end result:

buccupdate8005.jpg

buccupdate8006.jpg

I gave the Future 24hrs to dry properly. This is a dry fit of the canopy now. I need to add the ejection seat initiation handles and then the canopy can be added

buccupdate8002.jpg

buccupdate8001.jpg

Edited by Pappy
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Lovely progress, Pappy.

Great work to get the canopy looking so good; neatly complements the rest of your work on the kit actually....

Hope the rest of your build goes well and I'm looking forward to your treatment of the SAAF scheme.

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Lovely progress, Pappy.

Great work to get the canopy looking so good; neatly complements the rest of your work on the kit actually....

Hope the rest of your build goes well and I'm looking forward to your treatment of the SAAF scheme.

Cheers,

Andrew.

Thanks mate, the canopy was exactly what I needed!

Clearly a great improvement!

Boom-tish!

Pappy

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It is just getting better and better.

Cheers Jabba!

I have added the ejection seat firing handles to the top of the seats.

buccupdate9006.jpg

This completes all the details that need to be added to the cockpit and the canopy can now be attached and the cockpit sealed up. I will still need to smooth in the front of the windscreen as well as add the fairing for the windscreen wiper motor.

buccupdate9004.jpg

buccupdate9005.jpg

The lower fuselage also had some additional details added. First up the Doppler antenna was made and added to the rear section.

buccupdate9001.jpg

buccupdate9003.jpg

Further forward, a ram air scoop was made using a missile from the spares box, in this instance a MICA missile was used.

buccupdate9002.jpg

The nose was cut off, drilled and sanded to shape.

Cheers,

Pappy

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Hi Pappy,

Coming along beautifully, I think the cockpit is fantastic!

Cheers

Simon

PS: now listening to the cricket!

Cheers mate

Holy Crap! How did I miss this?! That's fantastic..!

Spence :)

Bucc's flew under the radar :P

Thanks very much Spence!

cheers,

Pappy

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G'day people,

I have spent today masking and painting.

Since I had sanded off the incorrect vertical canopy framing, I had to replace it, so I have used paint to replicate this.

The process has been laborious as I had to mask of the canopy frame proper and spray the interior colour. The next step was to remove the masking from the clear portion of the sliding canopy and lay thin strips of tape to outline the white areas representing the central frame and sealant. Once done and the clear portion was masked up again and the white areas sprayed.

This is the result:

buccupdate10001.jpg

buccupdate10002.jpg

buccupdate10003.jpg

I get to mask the canopy again, and then I can spray the natural metal areas at the intakes and wing/tailplane leading edges.

cheers,

Pappy

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Amazing work Pappy, please also carry on with your 1/48th one as that is also an inspirational build.

Thanks for sharing

All the best

Chris

G'Day Chris,

Thanks mate, I will finish the 1/48 bucc eventually, but i want to concentrate on the little one first.

Brilliant mate, simply brilliant. :speak_cool:

Deacon

Cheers Deacon

Fantastic work but it does look in some photos as though the spine could do with a touch of filler.

G'day Wooksta,

Thanks mate, but I think that you may be looking at the line I scribed in immediately aft of the canopy that represents the groove that the canopy retract mechanism slides along?

If you mean something else that I may have missed then I am keen to fix that oversight up too!

cheers,

Pappy

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Aah! That's what it is. My apologies for any confusion.

Great build.

Thanks Wooksta, you had me scratching the old noggin for a little while before I realised what you were looking at.

Buccupdate10003.jpg

Progress continues,

I have sprayed the main colours, these being the Gunze EDSG over Humbrol acrylic 230, PRU Blue. I am not really impressed with the Humbrol acrylics a I am sorry to say. The Gunze stuff sprays well thinned with Tamiya/Gunze thinners, and even better with GP lacquer thinners. The Humbrol stuff doesn't like GP thinners and turns into a jelly if this is used. I don't like thinning with water so I tried methylated spirits which was okay. The best results were achieved with Tamiya thinners. It sprays okay but I will be stickeing to Gunze paints as my preferred brand.

Buccupdate10001-1.jpg

Buccupdate10002.jpg

Buccupdate10004-1.jpg

Buccupdate10006.jpg

Buccupdate10005-2.jpg

Oops! A small mishap that will need a touch up,

Buccupdate10007-1.jpg

cheers,

Pappy

Edited by Pappy
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G'day people,

I have spent today re-doing the H-2 "Raptor" guided bombs. I was not happy with the initial pair that I cast because the resin that I used was past its useful life, with the result that the two cast examples did not cure properly and an oily liquid was constantly seeping out of them and eating the paint. Take two with fresh resin was much, much more satisfactory and two new examples have been assembled

Buccupdate11003.jpg

I made a small improvement to these by installing clear lenses made from AGM-65 Maverick lenses sanded to shape. They look a lot nicer even if I do say so myself!

Buccupdate11002.jpg

Buccupdate11004.jpg

All the ordnance is now complete and ready to install. I will still need to make the bracing struts for the H-2's, but this will have to wait until after the inboard pylons are installed.

Buccupdate11001.jpg

I have started added the bare metal de-icing areas to the leading edged of the wings. I am masking off the relevant area and just spraying on some silver. Here are the results for the tailplane

Buccupdate11005.jpg

cheers,

Pappy

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