Paul Wilsford

If I amy offer some help, I completed mine last month and I was at a loss as to how I would mottle mine. I wanted to replicate the 219 thats in the Smithsonian but I had some issues with my ab. I bought a Iwata to replace it and now I have the ability to shoot fine mottles. Thin the paint well and shoot it at a lower pressure, not so low as to have the paint clog the tip but enough to prevent it from spattering. I just shot different shapes and different sizes. I am no expert but it did come out well.

Now that I have the Mossie gone it has given me ample time to continue with one of my favorite birds. This is the start of the Trumpeter 1/32 F8F Bearcat. I have been partial to these planes since I watched them from the Dallas/Ft Worth naval Reserve station as a youngster. Of course the engine isnt anywhere complete but I have a couple of more kits with this same engine kit in it so I can use it as trial and error.

I enjoyed it all the same. I know there were issues, usually are, but the CAF squadron the I donated it to really liked it of which I am happy I could oblige. Now on to a F8F and then JETS.....

I had a model show at a fly in today but the worst part there were only three planes there. At least your token P-51 and a Yak 52.

I know that this isn't totally a correct bug but it looks like a Mossie. The kit decals were trash and the ones I made barley fit the bill so it is piece meal at best. Well if you judge by today's standards this one is a dog but 40 years ago it was a jewel. For a wonderful cause.

May I play? I have an old monogram 48 FB something or another but I think Ill go the Tamiya kit. I do love a Mossie. I also hope that there will be a Beau build some time soon, you can't have enough of those two. Cheers Paul

This sounds very interesting but I dont know if I'll be alive by then, after all, according to the Myan calender, we are supposed to be going through a polar shift and all of us will be flung off into space. Ill check back in if by chance that doesnt happen. Cheers Paul

yesterday wasn't such a good day modeing wise. I had all kinds of paint and compressor issues. masking issues and globby spurts of paint, must be the thinner and paint being a bit old, like me. I couldnt get the color of the brown just right so I went with the dep sea gray, I hope that the shades are at least very close. I get to the repairs later and thanks for looking in Cheers Paul

Well gentlemen, I finally got the old girl up on her pins. Not much else to report sad to say but in about a week I should have all the rough edges smoothed out and well on her way to completion. She wont be a proper Mossie however, she will be nothing to be ashamed of. For those who have noe seen one in 32 well I put an old Academy Spit in 48 next to her for reference. Thanks for looking in. Cheers Paul

I finally got an air compressor,C&H 1 gal noisy as hell pancake compressor. Anything in a pinch I think. Anyway, I sprayed some deep green on the Mossie just to see how much deper I need to get. Come to find out that it is almost the same shade as Vallejo Gunship Green. Well I an sure trying to get the dark earth and dark green uppers that I like and would like some opinion on this shade. Cheers Paul

The close up shots of the front section shows those sills rather plainly. you sir, are an artist.

Tom, I am curious as to how the transparencies will be done. Are they installed from the inside or do you waive a wand or something like that? I am really interested in this build. Lets see... B-36? Brabazon maybe? I dont guess I am ready for such a large undertaking.

So, in other words, you should be done by weeks end?

I would but the bottle is more than a compressor that I am getting....Free.... Not to meaning to be a horses bottom. I would love to start a rig like that.Cheers Paul

These large vac kit builds have me wanting to research more. Where could I find such kits here in the States? They are all very interesting and the work to assemble them is facinating. Cheers Paul

I had planned to be done with the 'skeeter by now but I had an awfull week with compressors. My cheap one bit the dust and my Paasche had an dead short and fried one of the windings so I'll get something going by the weeks end. Cheers Paul

I have been busy for the last few days and not much was done to the skeeter. Today was the start of my most favorite least favorite thing to do...FSR Cheers Paul

Andy, what Tom hasnt told you is I put a bug in his ear about a B-36 in 32. I am sorry about that...well not really. I think you may find the engines that you are looking for from Vector. Just a thought. Cheers Paul

17 years in the USN and I became aquainted with some putty we called monkey gunk or monkey s***. Any way we had some really powerfull solvents from tricloroethylene to MEK, PD-680 and the like. We even used mogas and deisel but this stuff stood the test of time. so we just used a scraper and rags and if you got it in your clothes, throw them away. My dad used gasoline to get the cosmoline out of his rifles when he was in the Marines. I have seen gasoline used on may things. I have not, however, used it to clean any equipment in the time I served.

I finally got delivery of the PV-1 from that Mystery Deal from Squadron. I am pretty pumped about this kit and I thin Revell did a fine job on this kit as compared to some of their older re-releases. I do think that they could have done just as well with a smaller box though ad the bagged sprues used almost 1/4 of the space in the box. Looking them over I noticed the details were clean and crisp. No flash,duh, and plenty of parts to keep some one busy for a while. Engine detail looks good for an oob build. It has a crew door that would make scratch building interesting. Real nice details here. Button tuck interior. Nobody does this any more. The IP and Throttle quadrant are nice but lacking detail. As always there is a decal that replicates the instruments. I think the Eduard color etch is going to be a nice touch here. Now on to one of the biggest issues about this kit, the props. I can see even with my untrained eye that there i9s a big difference in this prop. I have read the props on the actual plane were used on the B-24. Well I didnt go buy that resin prop set so I did the next best thing. I found four B-24 props from an old kit that crashed si I think Ill just have to employ these and see how that looks. If I get any flak Ill just ignore it like I do my wife. The instructions come as a booklet and have versions for two USN and one Canadian aircraft. I hope that this helped and I can hardly wait to tackle this one. Its quite interesting.

The only one thats Revell is the UH-1, the P-40 is Hobby Craft/Trumpeter, the F-100 is Trumpy and the others are Hasegawa or Tamiya, Thanks for looking.

I must really thank you for all the compliments. I am honored and most pleased that you would consider my builds that good. Like so many modeling artists I guess I am most difficult with my work when it comes to my eye an d judging my own work. Cheers Paul

Here are a couple of my builds to get things started

So when are you starting a 1/32 B-36?

I am really very impressed Nick. I don't often see such craftsmanship. AS far as the Casa goes I noticed the props and spinner look very different, like they belong on a Mozzie. That example is quit nice and looks air worthy. Thanks for the pics.