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AdrianMF

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Posts posted by AdrianMF

    F339 - Martin Baltimore - transparencies

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    I decided to try to convert the supplied "sort of" Boulton-Paul turret into a Martin 250CE by sanding it rounder, removing the frames and reducing the height.:

    IMG-8172.jpg
     

    I managed to round it off and polish it back to shiny, but I've simply created a slightly more intrusive distorting glass effect than there was before. 

    My hitherto-clear nose cone has gone a bit unclear inside too and isn't responding well to cleaning or Future.

     

    Not sure what to do, except sleep on it and decide tomorrow morning.

    • Like 5

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    After a bit of a frustrating day with the Baltimore I needed some therapy time with the Tempest. 
     

    Saw off the radiator, first diagonally from under the wing root to just below the spinner backplate to remove the bulk, then square off the hole to remove the parts of the cowling that swell outwards to meet it:

    IMG-8173.jpg
     

    The conversion article suggests stacking thick plastic card into the gap and carving it away, but I thought it might be neater and easier to re-use some of the offcuts:

    IMG-8174.jpg
     

    I'm happy with that! I will need to put a bit of filler on it, and also some behind just in case I sand through.

     

    Quitting while ahead for this evening. Wing radiators and smaller fin tomorrow, and I will need to find a helmetless figure to represent the Hawker test pilot. With a pilot in there won't be much need for cockpit detail!

    • Like 13

    What's your latest purchase?

    in Chat

    Posted

    10 hours ago, PattheCat said:

    advice aplenty

    You will have to use that funny paint with the red top for more than just putting two or three dots in the cockpit and a dot on the port wingtip!

     

    Weird, eh?

    Adrian :)

     

    • Haha 1

    F294 Fairey Firefly

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    19 hours ago, rafalbert said:

    motivation

    You're so close to a nice blast of TSS, surely that will help your mojo! Would posing the canopy open help with getting it all to fit or does that just introduce more cutting and grief?

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    • Like 1

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    I retrieve my Airfix boxing of the PM Sea Fury from box "C" in the garage (thank goodness for spreadsheets!) and dry fitted some parts:

    IMG-8170.jpg
     

    It looks the part and matches the profile very well. I like the restrained panel lining, although I will sand back some of the more textured areas, and I will consign the crude undercarriage, stores and cowling/propeller to the spares bin. I have to construct a new cowling, propeller and radiators, and adjust the fin and rudder shape. 
     

    I have just bought another PM kit and will make the Griffon engine version too, which will be a lot easier if Peter can find the engine he has so generously offered to me.
     

    Now I'm going to forget about the Fury until the "Project Cancelled GB" starting in June, and concentrate on my more immediate builds!

     

    (edit) I had a look at the Shackleton cowlings/radiators, and they are a completely different design to the Lincoln. The Lincoln cowlings look to be a much better match, despite being for Merlin not Griffon engines.

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    • Like 12

    All killer, no filler…

    in Chat

    Posted

    There are a lot of smashing albums on this thread! I'll be visiting (or re-visiting) quite a few, I think.
     

    Although I wouldn't have said EDM/pop was necessarily my thing, Robyn, Body Talk and Honey are all pretty solid albums.

     

    And Art Pop certainly isn't my thing but Caroline Polachek's Desire is my album of the year.

     

    Other albums that refuse to get out of my regular playlist:

    Blood on the Tracks

    Hunky Dory

    The Black Parade

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    • Like 2

    What's your latest purchase?

    in Chat

    Posted

    On 16/04/2024 at 22:19, LorenSharp said:

    Lucked out and found an AMK

    What is it with those initials? I've just bought a kit from AMI, and there's Arsenal Model Group (AMG) just around the corner. Jeez, other letters are available... :)

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    • Haha 6

    What's your latest purchase?

    in Chat

    Posted

    I'm posting here rather more often than I should...

    IMG-8168.jpg
    I have a Frog Squad II GB project to build a Tempest Mk I and it needs a yellow "(P)" so I went to big H and got some at a nice price, free postage.

     

    But it was below the minimum order threshold. I mean, what's a boy to do?

     

    So I've added to my Italian fighter collection, this kit having a spare cowling and additional decal options to beef up my old Airfix G50 with its weedy cowling and 1960s decals.

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    • Like 7

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    So here are my key references for shape:

    IMG-8167.jpg

     

    The IWM profile photo (top left) seems to be the best representation and shows up quite large inaccuracies in all the drawn profiles. The next photo down is a pretty good match too, but the silver and trim photo is not sufficiently side on to help me in my simplistic analysis. But I now have my definitive profile to guide me through that conversion.

     

    ....after the Baltimore...

     

    ...and the Tempest 1...

     

    ...and my stalled Arado 234 in Twins...

     

    ...and two Mileses in Golden Age...
     

    ...and a Blitzbuild coming up too!

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    • Like 9
    • Haha 3

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    4 hours ago, PeterB said:

    PM kit

    I've got a PM Sea Fury in the stash and one, possibly two, FROG ones. I have seen claims that the PM wings are short in chord and that the FROG fuselage is too fat, so I will have to dig them out tomorrow.

     

    Regards, 

    Adrian

    • Like 2

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, heloman1 said:

    it looks like an very interesting project

    A bit too interesting! It seems to have scope crept into a "let's model the prototype Fury(/ies)" project too and I've just spent an ungodly amount of workday scaling and printing out plans and photos of LA610 off the web for a comparison session...

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    • Like 2
    • Haha 2

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    16 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

    I belive the PM is OK, but crude.

    I've got one on the way as a basis for conversion for LA610 but that won't be in this GB. I expect to change the nose (possibly using Matchbox or KP sabre parts) and mess with the wing radiators. Thanks for the mine(s) of information and the links to the other threads Troy.

     

    I must now resist the temptation to buy a Shackleton to get one Griffon cowling to do the earlier version...

     

     

    14 hours ago, Galligraphics said:

    I made one in my teens

    "Here's one I made earlier" in the best Blue Peter tradition! Super looking model Nigel.

     

    12 hours ago, dogsbody said:

    kicking around the stash

    I have never seen a Ventura kit but I was aware that they have a reputation for being a bit - er - "short run". I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with converting the FROG fuselage with card now!

     

    Must. Finish.. Baltimore... First.... 😬

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

     

    • Like 6

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Troy Smith said:

    Yes, but the Fury fuselage was entirely new as well.

    Ah, good job I have a PM and a FROG Sea Fury in the stash too :). I will have to dig them up and compare to plans.

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

    These are Fury's not Tempest's.

    Thanks Troy. Does that mean the whole shorter wingspan with no centre section? I will have to re-read my "British Secret Projects" and "Interceptor" more closely!

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted


    Thanks gents. Looking forward to this!

     

    7 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

    you could build this one instead....

    I have been eyeing up the prospects of building a range of Tempests; LA610, in its Sabre-engined configuration, is the most beautiful and also the fastest Hawker propeller fighter to fly; LA610, in its Griffon guise, just to show what an ugly duckling looks like; the MkII with the Centaurus; and the P1030/1027(?) with the Eagle engine.

     

    Strangely, I'm not that keen on the look of the Mk V or VI, but I'll have to build one as it was the RAF's last piston fighter.

     

    I have the FROG/Novo, Matchbox, KP, Academy and new Airfix kits in the stash so I have the raw materials!

     

    7 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

    great conversion

    It looks like a very straightforward job, hoping those aren't "famous last words" :)
     

    3 hours ago, stevehnz said:

    HM599 probably had the larger tail planes

    Thanks (and to @Troy Smith and @PeterB) for the insight into the tailplanes. I tried to do some measuring off photos but got nowhere fast. I will use the kit ones. FROG got the tail joint panel line about 5mm too far forward too, just to make life a bit more interesting.

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    • Like 5

    F189 The Chinless Wonder

    in FROG Squad II GB

    Posted

    The Tornado started life with a radiator in the Hurricane position and moving it to the chin reduced the drag. I guess it's partly about reducing the maximum cross section - maybe even drifting into area rule/transonic/wave drag and shockwave issues. German annular radiators on V12-engined Fw190s and the like were essentially the same design choice.

     

    I wonder (as a complete layman) whether it would have helped to discharge the radiator cooling air over the upper wing? If there was an increase in speed due to the Meredith effect that could have increased lift (faster air over the top surface) or helped with Buccaneer-like boundary layer/blown flaps effects. Maybe making the exit adjustable would have ruined the upper surface aerodynamics.

     

    Regards,

    Adrian

    • Like 4
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