SimonL

That’s spectacular! Very attractive scheme, and the Merlin’s do give it a very different look.

Thanks for the kind comments!

Ever had one of those kits that end up being just a little disappointing? I picked the old Esci 1:48 scale MB326 going cheap at the swap'n'sell at the local model expo last year. While there I also picked up a set of Hawkeye decals for an all grey 76 Squadron RAAF machine based at Williamtown, NSW late 80's/early 90's. Should have been straight forward - right? Well, it ended up being shelf sitter for the best part of six months. First off, why did they mould it in that hideous, hard to cover, orange plastic? The canopy was all scratched and semi opaque. It may also have been my cack handed abilities, but it didn't fit together very well either. With the finish line in sight, the decals were a bit of a disappointment. It is the first time I have used white decals to go under the main decals - and sadly the roundels were just a bit too big for the wings and too small for the fuselage. I had to use some of the other markings from the Esci sheet - which silvered like crazy and were also very fragile. Finally I made a right mess of getting the undercarriage on. I wasn't going to let it defeat me though - I somehow managed to get to the finish line. I doesn't look two bad on the shelf from a distance, and it really is a very attractive little aircraft. Brush painted with Tamiya acrylics, a little bit of an oil wash and a final coat of semigloss clear from a Tamiya rattle can. Thanks for looking.

Very nice - one day I will get around to the one in my stash....

Thanks for the kind comments. Oh @$):@@-!!! Had a brain fade. Oh well - will fix that up tomorrow. Sigh.

Back to work next week, managed to finish this one before the end of the holidays. Had a few issues with the decals, clearly a bit out of practice. Straight out of the box, main paint scheme a Tamiya rattle can. Thanks for looking.

Just gorgeous

Thanks for the kind comments! I used Tamiya acrylic XF-26 Deep Green with some black added - can't tell you how much. I just added a bit and then looked at what a sample looked like brushed out. My pleasure! And yes, its is Hu 149 they recommend. I actually have the earlier boxing, but the yellow and camouflage markings didn't really do it for me. This boxing though has this one and also a nice silver Royal Navy machine, which I will use on the one in the stash. Cheers.

I was delighted to see that the latest boxing of the Airfix Tiger Moth came with markings for a foliage green RAAF machine, so a good subject for my first biplane attempt. Completed straight out of the box as an aircraft from No. 12 Local Air Supply Unit RAAF, Kiarivu Airfield, Papua New Guinea, August 1945. While digging around I found this link to a photo of the actual aircraft at the Australian War Memorial Website with the following caption: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/096549/ CAPE WOM, WEWAK AREA, NEW GUINEA. 1945-09-14. FOLLOWING HIS FORMAL SURRENDER TO MAJ-GEN H.C.H. ROBERTSON, GOC 6 DIVISION ON 1945-09-13, LT-GEN H. ADACHI, COMMANDER 18 JAPANESE ARMY, WAS REQUIRED TO ATTEND A SERIES OF CONFERENCES WITH AUSTRALIAN STAFF OFFICERS TO DISCUSS ARRANGEMENTS ARISING FROM THE SURRENDER. AFTER THE CONFERENCES LT-GEN ADACHI WAS FLOWN TO KIARIVU, FROM WHENCE HE RETURNED TO HIS OWN HEADQUARTERS. PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS GEN ADACHI SEATED IN FRONT COCKPIT OF RAAF TIGER MOTH OF 12 LOCAL AIR SUPPLY UNIT PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE PILOT (REAR COCKPIT) IS FLYING OFFICER T.L. COLLIER. It went together well, although the paint job is not of great standard as it was brush painted with the last dregs of a mix for foliage green that I mixed up from Tamiya acrylics for a RAAF spitfire last year. I made it a little grubby with an oil wash and finished with a coat of Tamiya Matt Clear from a rattle can. I decided against rigging for this first one - I may invest in some EZ line for the next one I do. Thanks for looking.

Wonderful model - I really like SEAC markings - with a terrific back story.

Thanks for all the kind comments. Thanks - although I think it may just be a trick of the light. Its my regular brown for RAF WW II camouflage - Tamiya XF-52 (Flat Earth).

A sporadically productive year - back to aircraft this year after last year's flirtation with armour and vehicles. I also managed to clear a few long term shelf sitters. Hasegawa 1:48 P-39 Airacobra in RAAF colours Tamiya 1:72 Bell X-1 "Glamorous Glennis" (Build thread here) Airfix 1:72 Hurricane Mk 1 Twin Build My second conversion - Eduard 1:48 Eduard Tempest V to II (Build thread here) Airfix 1:48 Hurricane Mk 1 in RAAF Colours (Build thread here) ICM Spitfire Mk VIII in RAAF colours Airfix 1:72 Tomahawk Mk IIb 1/72 Airfix BAe Hawk T1 BAe Hawk Mk 128 (Italeri 1/72) Airfix 1:72 Shorts Tucano (Build thread here) Pegasus 1/72 Spitfire prototype (Build thread here) Airfix 1:72 Spitfire IIA

Belated seasons greetings to one and all. All enthused after my Spitfire prototype build I started work on a Spitfire IIA and Spitfire 22 - only to leave them part built for the best part of 4 months due to heavy work commitments. With a bit of time on my hands over Christmas I pushed on and finished the IIA. It is put together from the parts left over from the a previous Spitfire Mk 1A build using the decals from Xtradecal sheet X72075 do represent a machine from 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF Northholt June/July 1941. Brush painted with Tamiya acrylics, made a little grubby with oils and then finished with a rattle can of Tamiya Matt Clear. Apologies for the rather wobbly photos from my phone!

Nicely done. Love the large scale battleships game

Great work - that Tempest is striking.