Bell209

Yeah, the engine's a blob - I bought the Metallic Details R-985 for it but it's still going to be a challenge! Still, it was only $20!

Must...not...buy...another...Sabre - but it's really hard not to when you see work like yours!

I've got an NKR Model of this - I'm sure it won't come out anywhere near as nicely as your Red Roo one is!

Nope, they were wobbly for me, too. I just glued them at the required angle on mine.

They're both great builds - your efforts in 1/72 make my 1/48 scale efforts pedestrian!

Found them! Unfortunately, the chapter on the radar is missing from the Maintenance Manual - not sure why. It doesn't appear in the Parts Catalog at all (maybe it was a modification?). As expected, there's nothing on the beaching gear as the manual covers PBY-5A and -6A aircraft, which had retractable gear. Annoying, as I want to model a PBY-5 myself once the correction kit is ready! I've sent you a PM re a couple of pages that may be of use.

They're backward. The instructions must be wrong - no wonder you're frustrated! They slope rearward and should fit better (hopefully) for you that way. Keep up the good work - with over ten years experience working on BK117/EC145 helicopters, I'm enjoying your project so far!

You can theoretically use just one (MicroSet, preferably) but they do have different uses. Set is a base to prep the decal and Sol softens it after application. Let the decal dry a bit after application (I usually wait about ten minutes), then apply Sol. Reapply as required to help remove bubbles. Don't touch it with anything (including more Sol) after applying MicroSol for 24 hours!

A wet weekend in Canberra made for a bit more progress on the Vampire. I had a feeling something wasn't right when I went to fit the booms and found the assembly splayed outward by a significant amount. That'll teach me not to check before gluing the horizontal stabiliser on! Luckily, it came apart without too many issues and I managed to take a significant amount off both ends to square the lot up. It looks slightly misaligned but sitting it on the cutting board with the grid markings shows it's actually square - must be an optical illusion. I think I have the upward deflection angle right - bad luck if it isn't! I also tidied up the rear canopy I damaged last year. Uncle Les kindly made me replacements but I can't for the life of me get them anywhere near close enough to fit - I suspect they were intended for the Hobbycraft kit originally. I can live with this as it is. I'll get the horizontal stab outers on next and then do some filling before moving onto the flaps and speedbrakes.

Very nicely done - the weathering looks spot-on to me!

Thanks, gents. I'm aiming to attach the booms this week - here's where I find they don't align with the re-fettled fuselage sections! Probably should've checked that before gluing the horizontal stabs in...

Wow - I haven't done anything to this for a while! The COVID lockdowns and a double move to Canberra (in the Australian Capital Territory) from Adelaide (South Australia) and the Sunshine Coast (Queensland) meant this project spent most of the last 18 months in storage. Got the gear (and the new heater!) out on the weekend and assembled the tailbooms after inserting some locating pins earlier in the build, both for the boom attachment and the horizontal stabiliser. Fortunately, there's a shedload of weight in the nose and room for more, if needed! 8 I'm reasonably happy with the result but it needed a bit of fettling as I didn't align the holes for the pins properly first time around... I can live with that. Some minor filling and sanding will tidy this lot up. The resin ends have been drilled ready for assembly and will go on shortly. Uncle Les kindly made me a new pair of canopies to replace the rear one I cracked but I just can't get them to fit (I think they're for the Hobbycraft kit). I managed to tidy up the one I have well enough and I'll put up pics once the etch is all on.

Filler is a must (as you're probably discovering). Some people use a mix of CA glue and talcum power but I've never had any success with that. The Tamiya stuff isn't too bad but I tend to use Mr Surfacer 500 for most jobs nowadays. You'll need some thinner for the paints, too. I generally use PVA glue for clear parts as it doesn't fog canopies and can also be built up in layers to act as a filler. Keep at it - you'll be amazed how quickly your skills develop. We've seen some great examples of that of late (@Shelliecool springs to mind).

I agree - that scheme isn't seen often and I'd forgotten the Belgians operated these aircraft. Lovely!

Fast work, Mick! Looks good so far.