CedB

A while. I really should empty all the drawers and redid myself what I have. Thanks Tony Thanks Giorgio. Tools help compensate for my lack of skills Thanks Simon.

Nice work Steve - riveting! Arf arf

Lovely internals Stew. Good job matey.

Thanks Roger, very kind. Thanks Adrian. Havoc / Boston… now I want a Boston in MY collection! Thanks Ian. Flippin' 'eck, I bet that was scary! Torque links, got it. Props and wheels ready: I'm trying to wait for the gloss coat for a bit. Patience is not my best virtue as you know. The rest of this post will only amuse fellow 'absent minded old blokes'. Still here? Giorgio suggested I stick the torque links on with UV glue. I have some BlueFixx… somewhere. Here are the refills: Where's the little light? Not in these places: Hmmm. Not here either: …but at least it reminded me what tools I have. Must tidy up. When did I use it last. Search BM. Bought in 2016 and used on many models before I found Canopy Glue. Used on the Rapide in 2017 and the windows popped so I lost confidence in it. Used on the Nimrod in 2019 for landing light gaps. Where did I put it? Look in my Flickr 'purchases' album: Oh, it's in a BOX! I was just looking for the little light. Idiot. Does it still work? Yep. OK, don't lose it again you old…

While waiting for the paint to dry I thought I'd tackle the props: Give us a break guys. Couldn't get a saw in so had to clip them off close to the tree. That took some tidying up. Masking off. Lots of it: That white's too white. And, although I sealed the tape with Klear I obviously hadn't burnished it into the panel lines: And black overspray. In my defence I'd switched to the 0.2mm in my H&S Evolution and it blocked. Unusual with Model air. Probably a dirty brush (now cleaned). The tape also lifted some Neutral Grey (dead one again): The wavy line sort of worked: You'll notice that the dampers are gone. Again. I took them off but the nose wheel one has gone somewhere. More rats. I don't mind the bright white on the fin but I've toned down the stripes with some Model Air 'Aged White': Better. I've also applied the Medium Green bits. Can you see them on the scheme? Me neither, even after I'd sourced a copy on the 'net and printed it on A4. They're on now and touch ups have been down: Drying now before the pre-transfer gloss coat.

Hiding in the long grass! Thanks Ian. I hope the weight description is right that they're non-corrosive but hopefully the latex will keep the air out. Of course you may. 25psi through a 0.4mm in my H&S Ultra. Vallejo Model AIR doesn't need thinning - it's designed to be airbrushed straight from the bottle. I've been using it for some time and, after an email with their MD, I think they've sorted the early colour match problems. Thanks Giorgio. Thanks Tom. Thanks Phil. I did think of that, then I forgot. Rats. Cheers Keith. Of course I have the cutting mat thingy. But I also have a reel of tape. Save the planet! Thanks James.

Thanks Heather, good tip. Thanks Giorgio. I should have taken a photo of the masking but couldn't wait to do this: I think I'll hand paint the small area of green so next job is to de-mask the black stripes and spray those. And the props. Maybe later.

Thanks Alex. I can do uneven! The primer, as usual, showed up some faults that needed filling / shaving / sanding: Then on with the Neutral Grey: Dead, again That's not a horrid seam, it's the bomb bay. Honest. I re-scribed it a bit. Pondering the wavy demarcation line masking I had a happy trip around the ceiling to see where else I'd done this. Hudson. Just the Hudson. What did I do there? Well, that was over-complicated. It did remind me though that I have Tape for Curves and the black Panzer Putty. I will ponder.

You're certainly beating this into submission Heather - what a pain! Looking forward to your detailing.

Thanks Chuck. Don't worry, that's just grey tape covering the white primer. All will be revealed!

Looking good Giorgio. Good luck with the polishing.

Thanks Terry and Giorgio. PC's tape worked well on the wings: But then, looking at the scheme, the guys seemed to have got a bit 'artistic' with the fuselage bands. Width of the window, miss the turret, miss the window etc. As close as I could I replicated the pattern with thin tape: …then filled in the spaces to cover the white: Weird.

Thanks Bill and Jont. White primer on: D-Day stripes eh? Our own @Procopius found some 3M tape the right width so I bought some: Is it right for US aircraft (should be)? Right. Next job mask that and also glue on the sticky out bits before grey primer.

Thanks Giorgio. Unusually I don't have UV resin, unless those UV glue pen things count? Now then, future builders take note of Alex's comment: I wish I'd done this as it would have solved my current masking problems. My defence is that this is my first weighted nose wheel model, apart from the X-1. I'm learning… And I was so worried about the weight and stance. Oh well. It worked: Alex was also worried about the cockpit glazing but mine's fine: After many hours of revisiting the task, masking is now finished: I'll cut away the blue stuff around the turret when it's dry. Honest. Primer next. White for the areas where the D Day stripes will be and the rudder. Grey for the rest. Later. Try to contain your excitement Giorgio!

Thanks Giorgio. Retirement may be a long way away but birthdays and Christmas? Still being wicked Nose tip not too bad a fit: Now sanded and filled in a couple of small places. U/c has been painted: Uh oh, nose wheel brace gone again. Where can it be? Glued on, again: Still worried that the weights will rust (that perdu eh) I filled the nose with latex glue (Copydex): That should fix it. In more than one way! Tail sitter at the mo: I need to fit the nacelles next: The backs needed pegging but during a dry fit of the engines it went so well I grabbed the TET. NOW I know what the dents in the cowlings are for. They go over the wing leading edge: Both on now and everything drying, again:

Nice work Bill. Looks like he's still around? Website says to email him. Let us know how you get on (I have enough for now, he said selfishly).

Thanks Alex, Bill and James. Why wait that long? Nose shimmed with two bits of strip: I'm maybe over-fretting about this but I want to avoid work later on. Lazy, that's me. Wait, what's this? Bound to happen, I thought, but wait: All three still there. That which was lost is now found… So, the weights: Still fits: …so I tacked the tip of the nose with TET Quick to hold the position. Bill was worried that the iron would rust over time so, even though the product details say "Made of high quality iron material, packed in a plastic box. It has the characteristics of anti-rust and durability." I decided to coat them in latex glue: Now I need to fit the nose tip - when it's really dry: Told you I was fretting.

Heck Jont, that’s so fast… Hopefully you can keep it out of the borders 😲

Looks promising?

Thanks Giorgio and Tony. Can I show off? I love these. It's not just the function, it's the form. Especially in the boxes (which save you lots of time trying to find the punch you want). Well made, real quality. Something for the present list maybe? Regards Le Tool Tarte (Just bought the recovery insurance for an upcoming trip to France so I'm dans la mode)

Thanks Warhawk, great tip. Soldering is in my toolbox G. Somewhere at the bottom! I'll have to think about transport. Thanks Alex. Sadly, again, I've done things before reading posts. I must change that! Actuators are, of course, also slightly too short which gives me a chance to use one of my favourite tools: 1mm circles punched and glued: And fitted: The nose gear was also fitted as were the PE bits for the dampers: They give you six of these even though you only need three. I broke one. Another fell off. One left

Thanks Cookie. Everyone needs a lounge. (With)drawing room not so much now we can't withdraw for cigars… Thanks Steve. Thanks Alex, a useful list that I'll work through. I've just glued the leg in one side so I'll just have to be careful. Checks. Leg lengths: Check. Outer frame doesn't fit flush to wing? Small pin so doesn't fit flush. Check. Need to shim the leg bottom, ensuring it's in the right position 'left to right': Glue it! Check that the nacelle still fits: Tight, but OK. Check. Then read Alex's notes. Ho hum, press on! Now I need to do the other side. Grunt.

Thanks hendie and Simon. I had a brain wave (dangerous). The important thing is that the u/c is the same on both sides otherwise it'll look wobbly. Even though the parts are wobbly. An idea occurred while I was lounging in the lounge. The leg support is fixed so that could 'set the levels'. I glued it on: Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face: It doesn't reach the locating slot Rats. Maybe the frames aren't in the (drilled out) holes. Hah. Nevertheless I'll make sure that both sides have the same leg/brace length and we'll see. In other news the wait for the weights is over: You might be able to see that I've written the weight on the box sections. Another plan.

Thanks Keith. It was sort of flying together but only because I'm avoiding the hard bits. Thanks Simon. The next awful bit is below! Thanks Jont. She is quite pretty but also annoying! Thanks CC. Paint soon if I manage to maintain my sanity. Thanks Giorgio. I left the nose to look at the next tricky bit. Once the holes had been drilled out a bit to fit the pegs I pondered how I could assemble this without going insane: Tube glue. obviously, for the wiggle. But then I realised I'd have a problem if the nacelles didn't fit over the frames. Let's check that they fit without it: Ha! The rear bulkhead is stopping the close up. Sand it. Better. Best have a dry fit. Try to balance the frame sides. Drill out the holes a bit. Try to balance the frame sides and fit the main leg. Ha ha huh. Of course everything falls apart but persevere. Wait! I'm assembling the parts on the left: D11 and D12 are slightly different - don't get them mixed up! D15 finally balanced between the frames. D10 inserted - the slots in the wing are on the wrong side! I have the model upside down. I'm using the instructions on the left to assemble the parts on the left. Wrong side? A ha ha ha ha… blubber… Move to this side: Repeat. Huh ha huh huh… nurse! Better take a break and re-visit when I've calmed down.

Looking very good Heather.