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SimonL

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Everything posted by SimonL

  1. SimonL
    Day 2 of the build. Finished off the interior parts with a wash of raw umber acrylic in floor polish, and some dry brushing with medium grey acrylic on various instrument panels. I painted the seat pads with my own mix of red-brown Tamiya acrylic (don't ask for the recipe, I have no idea!). Some masking tape was used to represent the seat belts. Then it was time to seal up the fuselage. Instead of pins and holes Airfix uses a slot and tab arrangement to align the fuselage halves, they work pretty well. The cockpit then was then slotted into place. Then on with the wings, bottom part of the fuselage, tail parts and nose cap. It all went together very quickly, just a few places that needed a little Mr Surfacer.
  2. SimonL
    Steve, if you are interested I used Italeri acrylics for my Mediterranean Blenheim last year: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234980814-172-airfix-blenheim-mk-1-in-mediterranean-colours/ I think worked out pretty well.
  3. SimonL
    Thanks guys :-) Philip, I have brush painted Tamiya acrylics for 10 years or more now. For me it comes down to ensuring the paint is well thinned and applied in thin coats. I use isopropyl alcohol to thin the paint. I also make sure not to "overbrush" as it were, relying on it to self level. I've recently started using Italeri Acryl acrylic paint as well, which thin with water. They don't come in quite the same range of colours, and are a bit more fragile, but are pretty good as well, I actually intend to use them for the main camoflage for this kit.
  4. SimonL
    Nope, with the quick look I have taken can't find anything in the second half of the book relating to 601 sqn. The only bit I can find to do with spitfires in Italy is the latter part of a chapter to do with Spitfires in Malta.p206 has a variety of images of Spitfire Vs of 255 Squadron being serviced in Lago March 1944, and a Ml IX of 154 Squadron in Corsica, April 1944. p207 has a picture of a MkVIII of 417 Squadron RCAF at Fano, Dec 1944.
  5. SimonL
    Stu, I have a copy of Spitfire, being a combination of Spitfire at War and Spitfire at War 2 - but unfortunately I don't know where Spitfire at War 2 starts in the book so cannot work out which would be p157 - anymore information as to what may be on that page?
  6. SimonL
    Its a long weekend here in Western Australia, so I thought I might have a go at a quick build. I have been itching to do the new Airfix Beaufighter I picked up before Christmas last year. They have been as rare as rocking horse droppings in the local hobby shops, but I managed to pick this one up while visiting Melbourne. I rather fancy the SEAC colours. So to work this Friday evening. The kit is such that you can actually glue quite a few bits together without any painting. In no time at all I had the main cockpit components sorted and the wing constructed. First coat of paint, brush painted Tamiya acrylics, XF71 for the interior, XF69 NATO black for the tyres and props, X1 gloss black for the engines, XF16 flat aluminium for the wheel hubs That's it for this evening!
  7. SimonL
    Very nice, very butch looking!
  8. SimonL
    Thanks Tim - and yes he is as right as rain now. No long lasting effects what so ever!
  9. SimonL
    Cracked on with the main colour scheme, all brush painted Tamiya acrylics. Underside XF16 flat aluminium, topside camouflage XF54 Dark Sea Grey and XF61 Dark Green. Underside looks good Attached the front canopy with a little Tamiya extra thin cement run along the joint lines (very carefully), before masking with Tamiya tape. Topside colours all done, just a few places to touch up.
  10. SimonL
    Thanks Stix, yep all done!
  11. SimonL
    Meant to respond to this Steve, and never did - sorry. They take a bit of practice, but I actually fed them really forgiving. Now, myself I am in awe of the results you experts with the air brush get!
  12. SimonL
    Thanks for the vote of confidence Rob and Michael! Yes, it's a lovely kit - good one to do to get the juices going again. Indeed :-), that's the next one for me to finish. Many thanks Tony, I was just about to dig the colours out for you :-) I looked back at my old posts and found that Edgar and given me several pieces of useful advice - including on some Malta Spitfires I built last year, always a tricky subject!
  13. SimonL
    Here is my entrant for the Spitfire group build in memory of Edgar Brooks, it is also the first kit I have finished in months (been going through a bit of a dry spell). Apologies for the quality of the photos, couldn't take them outside as I normally do as the weather is not cooperating. Completed straight out of the box, SX273 of 714 NAS, St Merryn, England, 1947. Brush painted with Tamiya Acrylics. A very enjoyable build. WIP here. Hopefully a fitting memorial to a very generous and knowledgable man who is very much missed. Any comments welcomed. Cheers, Simon
  14. SimonL
    Seafire F.XVII 714 NAS, Air Warfare School, St Merryn, England 1947 Airfix 1:48, built OOB WIP here Many thanks to Col and Giorgio for hosting this Group Build - so glad I could take part.
  15. SimonL
    Last little bits. Painted exhausts with my own burnt metal mix. Finished getting all the little decals on, which was a bit tedious - particularly the little yellow hash marks around the canopy. Used water colours to bring out the panel lines and mucky her up a bit, but not too much as I guess being post-war the aircraft would have been kept pretty clean. Took of the excess with cotton buds and a tissue. Added a few little breakable bits and the undercarriage, a couple of coats of Humbrol MattCote, took the masks off the canopy and added an aerial from a shoe brush bristle. Just waiting for some sunshine outside so I can take some decent photos for the gallery. Thanks for following my build, I like how its turned out.
  16. SimonL
    Well after a bit of a hiatus got back to this. I had to add a few layers of Mr Surfacer to get rid of a few dimples. Some more handling and then a coat of grey to have a look at how I was going. Answer is, not too bad. Next, the step I had been dreading - rescribing some of the lost panel detail. I used some of my dwindling supply of Dymo tape as a straight edge. I brushed on a coat of Tamiya acrylic sky grey all over to see whether any extra work was need, just a few spots to fix with a a bit of Mr Surfacer and then it is on the main colour scheme.
  17. SimonL
    I once tried a Ventura Seafire XVII, picked up while at a conference in Wellington 10 years or more ago. My limited skills at the time were really not up to the task! I think the partially completed airframe is languishing somewhere at the back of the garage. Look forward to seeing how this turns out.
  18. SimonL
    Gloss coats done - a couple of brushed on coats of floor polish. Decalling underway: Main markings done, went on pretty well. Once dry I carefully brushed over a coat of Tamiya Acrylic thinner, makes them suck down into the detail really well. I will sort out the serials and smaller markings over the week, hopefully will be able to finish it next week. I was getting worried I might not make the deadline!
  19. SimonL
    OK, didn't get as much done this weekend as I hoped - more a case of slow but steady progress. Main airframe all complete and painted - gloss coats next. Also managed to get the undercarriages parts assembled and painted as well.
  20. SimonL
    Many thanks, I usually have trouble with yellow, but my approach seems to have worked this time - a couple of thin under coats of white followed by three thin coats of yellow. Managed not to obscure the detail.
  21. SimonL
    Some progress made. First camouflage colour brushed on, dark slate grey using Tamiya XF-22 RLM Grey. I then pencilled in the pattern for the extra dark sea grey, and then brushed on Tamiya XF-24 Dark Grey. Little bit of Mr Surfacer needed where the windscreen met the fuselage. Wing tips were masked off and painted yellow. And thats where I am at for the time being - hope to get on to glossing and the decals next weekend.
  22. SimonL
    Thanks for the kind words. Been a bit distracted with a friend visiting, managed to do a bit of painting last week but no chance to upload images. I will rectify that at the weekend. And yes Pat, I will be leaving the cockpit canopy open :-)
  23. SimonL
    Thanks all for the support, hope to get back to this very soon.
  24. SimonL
    Made a start. First sanded down the distorted plastic, and then filled the hole with some sprue, offcuts of plastic card and Mr Surfacer. This was left for a few days and then I sanded it down with fairly coarse sanding sticks, followed by finer grades of wet'n'dry Needs another coat of Mr Surface to get rid of a few dimples.
  25. SimonL
    Thanks for the kind comments. Made a start on painting the main airframe today. Started with the underside, using Tamiya XF21 Sky, remembering to paint the wingtips white as an undercoat for the eventual yellow that will be needed there. The first coat revealed a few places that needed attention with Mr Surfacer and some wet'n'dry. I also attached the radiators and other bits before giving a second coat.
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