Grant

Hi Adam, Lucky you! I am very jealous. Yes I do still have the molds, somewhere, I might even have a spare set of tips lying around. PM me contact details.

Glad you like it folks. Orion - Ha! Nice thought, but it is best to be 3ft away from my models to appreciate them! Jean - Definitely the Revell kit. The WIP thread is here cheers Grant

Glad you like it. Khee-kha do some really different kits and conversions. Check them out HERE. cheers Grant

Apologies for not keeping this up to date. I just didn’t seem to get around to it somehow. The Tour de France and Olympics did get in the way quite a bit. So, a quick catch up… I did master and cast some new wingtips. The nose went on fine. Some filler required, but that was down to my cutting, not the replacement nose! Then I needed a beach. Ready mix plaster, some sand and some flocked grass and then I was ready for the clear resin. The decals from Artic Decals worked fine. I thought the big one down the sides might fight back but no, it just settled down nicely. So, it got there in the end! Apologies for the loooong delay in updating, and thanks for reminding me. More photos here. Cheers Grant

Having been recently reminded that I hadn't posted up the finished article, I thought I had better get around to it! For SMW 2016 the SPLASH SIG had the theme of “Turbo Splash” and so it was time to bite the bullet and convert the Hobby Craft Otter to a Turbo Otter with the Khee-Kha conversion set. The bullet that needs biting is, extending the floats 4.6mm, drooping the wing leading edge and remodelling the wingtips – all not included in the conversion! The resin bits were a good fit, the decals by Artic Decals were no trouble at all and apart from dropping it, after painting, and splitting a seam and knocking a tailplane off, it all went quite smoothly really. And then for fun, some backdrops… Any and all comments welcome Cheers Grant

Thanks guys. Sadly it looks like I did not keep up with the WIP, or post an RFI. I will check when I get home this weekend, as I did finish it and take loads of photos. cheers Grant

I picked it up at Telford a couple of years ago. There was a table full of them tucked into the corner of Hall 3 - snapped one up. I think I did see some last year, so you might get lucky this year. Yes, that is the link where I originally spotted it. Good luck! cheers Grant

Hi Paul, Yes, I have just spotted your build - very nice too. This is not quite a full Vazar build - the windows on this RUST aircraft are un-modified - lucky me!! I have just re-checkd the original wing tip photo and that is definitely the underside - but the tip is not stuck in yet anyway. I'll wait 'till I have a pair I am happy with, then will try and make some resin copies - probably. I think mine is going to end up on a snowy beach. cheers Grant

Hi Paul, Just caught up with this! Great work so far, and love the dio. I have just started a similar conversion, and now have a good benchmark to aim for!! cheers Grant

For SMW 2016 the SPLASH SIG has the theme of “Turbo Splash” and I thought now is the time to bite the bullet and convert the Hobby Craft Otter to a Turbo Otter with the Khee-Kha conversion set. The bullet that needs biting is, extending the floats 4.6mm, drooping wing leading edge and remodelling the wingtips – all not included in the conversion! First off – here is what you start with. The floats where straight forward enough. Then after a bit of thought, and probably a bit over-sized, the wing leading edge. A strip of 2mm rod stuck to the lower leading edge and some thin(ish) plasticard to fair it in. The first wingtip was built up frame plasticard frames and green putty. The second I am using layers of plasticard, as the green putty maybe fragile – particularly the trailing edge. Maybe I should cast them in resin when done…. And with the nose cut off to accept the new resin piece, the first week of modelling was effectively chopping it to pieces!! Cheers Grant

Congratutlations on your Birthday and the model! Nice to see one completed, and a good job on the blade fold. cheers Grant

Very tidy conversion. What if indeed...

That is such a good model. And using the box bits on the display base - inspired.

Awesome BMF. Love it!

Love the SiFi stuff. The Spit taking off looks really good.

One terrific model, and a cracking photo too.

Great finish on all of them. Gotta love those Spits.

Nice work, and what a range of model shops!!

A creditable (for me) 8 finished models this year. Only 3 were mine though, as I spent the first half of the year building kits for the Westland 100 years exhibit. No.1 CMR 1/72 Welkin Mk1 From the stash of a long time Westland employee and Archivist, this was made to go into the display of aircraft types produced by Westland over the last 100 years. No.2 Refurb of a 1/72 scratchbuilt Westland N.1B serial N17 Sometime ago a very accomplished scratch builder made models of pretty much every fixed wing type Westland has produced. Over the years the paint has suffered on some of them and here are the before and after shots of the first refurb task I have. No.3 1/6 E2046 “Touch of Ice” Fantasy Figure Figures – a bit of a departure for me – but an interesting exercise nonetheless, and one to which I shall return. This figure is from a Luis Royo art work and produced by E2046.com. No.4 1/72 Algerian SL300 Mk130 Another model for the Westland 100 years display. This is the HobbyBoss Mk88 with Scaleworx T800 conversion set and home made decals. The conversion went very smoothly and the finished article certainly looks the part. No.5 Refurb of a 1/72 scratchbuilt Westland Wagtail Another model of an early Westland type that had seen better days. No.6 Refurb of a 1/72 scratchbuilt Westland Weasel My final contribution to the 100 years display. No.7 1/72 Heller Canadair CL215 in Thai Navy markings from SIAM Decals Only the second model for me this year. No.8 1/72 Revell Gannet ASW1 This one was ‘aquired’ from a fellow modeller, complete with the Alley Cat folded wing set. And with some ‘pirate’ decals it is just right for the NSM Telford display. Definitely a few things learnt this year, and some fun had in the process Happy New Year all cheers Grant

Nice collection Tony. The Javelin sticks out as 'not of this year's era'! Sorry to hear about you trouble with the neighbours - some people just don't deserve to be alive. Hope you and your wife make a full recovery and don't have anymore trouble with the locals. cheers Grant

A productive year. Nice to see the old stuff getting built - and looking good when done! cheers Grant

Hi Dean, And a Merry Christmas to you too! See you in the New Year. cheers Grant

I didn't look into that Martin. But as the thing weighs so much I wouldn't be happy about mucking about with the u/c, unless it was to replace it entirely with brass bits!

If you figure out how to stop them cracking - let me know! Thanks for the kind comments peeps.

I was thinking how, with the winds folded, the model just doesn't look finished! Still, it doesn't take up much room!