TallPaul

Crips, and other contributors, please be assured that post was in no way questioning anyone's right to build anything. This is a public site and my comments were not in any way intended to be personal, I have no need or desire to make them so, I know none of you. I was thinking of the suitability of the build for posting on a public site based on the information in the initial post. I am man enough to accept that my lack of skills as a wordsmith have led to some misunderstanding and apologise for this.

Enjoying your Dido build, look forward to your Norfolk build, in envy of your modelling skills, can't understand your thinking with Glamorgan though. I attended a lecture in 1983 by a member of her crew, he retold the story of the day she was hit. I remember the things he told us to this day, fatalities aside there are still Glamorgan veterans alive today who carry the physical and metal scars of that day, the hangar area being a site of particular suffering and bravery. I for one will not derive any pleasure from seeing it.

Thanks Guys The compressor is an AirMaster with a 24 Litre tank, runs up to 8 Bar. since my original post I have discovered that only one of the two outlets is fed by the reducer, the other is at system pressure. Yet to test with paint but it looks like I can get some control at lower pressures. I suggested 10 psi as all I can find on the Neo diaphragm compressor implies it runs up to 15 PSI, so on a medium setting I guestimate 10 psi, maybe a bit more. If that sounds low then what is an average pressure for airbrushing? Whist I consider myself as a learner still I don't have any complaints with the Neo set up, it shoots Tamiya acrylics, Revell aqua, Humbrol enamel and AK metals just fine. I always use same brand thinners and whilst I have had my share of failures I have never suffered from a lot of the problems often posted on here, paint drying on the brush etc. etc. and have not had the need to resort to screen wash or third party products. I will be writing to Santa for a new AB so want to start with a working set up. Didn't know about MAC valves, sounds like a fine adjustment flow restrictor, will certainly consider it.

Yet another fine model Bob, keep it up you are inspiration for me.

Hi, I have a small Machine Mart oil free compressor with a tank. Works just fine for pumping up the car tyres etc, I also want to use it for airbrushing but can't seem to get low pressure control. When I wind back the pressure regulator to say 10psi I still get what is obviously more than 10 psi out of the airbrush. Can anyone with experience of these little Chinese compressors offer me some advice? Should the regulator on the compressor work at AB type low pressures? Am I expecting to much from the regulator? Do I need a flow restrictor, the regulator is on the machine, supply is stepped down via a filter/moisture separator to a 1/8 bsp hose to the AB? Should I invest in another reducer/regulator if so which one? Thanks in advance. BTW I use a Neo and it works just fire with its little diaphragm compressor.

Dave, British Aircraft Carriers by David Hobbs, Seaforth publishing has a distant photo of the Stbd side, also in the centrefold there are some copies of GA as fitted drawings from September 1958 The book gives references of NMM J8808 and NMMJ8809 Stbd side and flight deck level. They appear to be part of a 12 sheet set 1/8" to the foot. Not sure if the NMM has an online resource or if you can obtain copies. Sorry its not possible to scan the pictures without damaging the book.

A very belated thanks for the info.

Both very nice, well done. What did you use to paint the interior of the closed top model?

I have used them on a few occasions now. I sprayed three aircraft, Airfix kits, two un-primed and one using the black base. You get a very fine finish that is very resistant to finger marks and takes decals very well. I masked two of them with Tamiya tape, which lifted a very small section of the base coated model. I'm putting this own to poor prep on my part. I have used them to spray a motorcycle engine and other components also with great results. The only significant problem I had was on some Tamiya plastic, very smooth to start with, paint went on well but after masking to spray a different colour the Tamiya tape pulled off some of the paint, more like a layer of paint as the bare plastic did not show through. I can't explain this. I use the AK cleaning product, airbrush cleaning is no problem at all. I recommend these paints but consider the following points. Prep is everything, make sure the subject is very clean and free from grease. Ensure the black base coat is thoroughly dry before proceeding. Don't leave masking tape on for any longer than is essential, consider de-tacking the tape a bit, the paint dries quickly. Stir the paint frequently during use. Its solvent based, so mask/vent are required. Never used Alcalad so can't compare. Give them a try.

At these scales you can make the blades as sharp as you like. Plenty of examples on Google Images. Submarine props are designed to keep cavitation to a minimum, they were known as scimitar bladed propellers, combined with careful changes of speed they were the best that could be had until the propulsor or so called pump jet took over.

The assembly graphics are mono copies from colour CAD graphics some of them are not easy to interpret with big blocks of dark colour, not on par with Tamiya of even recent Airfix considering the cost of the kit

Revell Porsche 918 Weissach, lots of engine detail etc. that will all be lost from view when complete. Belkits WRC Polo, nice kit shame about the instructions. You can download a copy from the website and print them A4 which improves them somewhat. Tamiya Yam YZR '09 Fork kits for the above and my Panigale also in the build queue. A few builds on the bench to finish before I can open the plastic bags on these.

Modellers licence is always going to help make for an ascetically pleasing model of what can be a pretty boring subject. We see endless models of boats with all masts raised, in reality for some submarine fits it’s a physical impossibility, you can’t have a rotating radar mast up with its adjacent mast up as well, one will hit the other. Seeing modern submarines posed on a line of flat topped wooden keel blocks, not even remotely close to reality. Unrealistic mooring line depiction, all tight as bow strings. Loud colours around escape hatches and DSRV seats, maybe for trials but on an operational trip, not a chance. Good quality untouched detailed photos of modern submarines are not that common so paying close attention to what is available is important. HMS Vengeance recently left Plymouth and was replaced by HMS Vanguard to start her refit. There are some photos on the Plymouth Evening Herald website (possibly other places as well) if you are interested. Something that only happens every three years or so.

Do you get a blade fold option with this kit?

Correct, don't think there ever were any

You can use the grey square decals from the Airfix ‘T’ Boat for something else! Newly painted UK subs can have quite a glossy finish these days but parts will also be mat, think visible sonar arrays and of course non slip walk ways on the casing will be a different shade. The painting can be quite comlex. Salt coming out of solution especially where the water has higher salinity will make the black look greyer. Red lines and other markings don’t wear well so don’t overdo it unless you after a pristine finish. Don’t overdo rust or the green marine growth ‘tide mark’ they exist but are not a meter high. In reality you can probably do what you want, a photo reference should be fine.

Great model, just a little bit different in the world of boat models, keel 'blocks' spoil it though.

Hi Dave Sorry no pictures, however. The davits look like 'gravity davits'. The arms pointing skyward held the boat via cables at the end. This part slides up and down the part of the davit that is pointing up and inboard toward the funnel, on rollers. As the davit arms move dowm the boat will naturally be positioned over the water, it would then continue on its way to the water on its falls. From memory it was all worked by the winches for the cables holding the boat. Veering the winch initiallly allows the davit arms to move down, once they reach the end of the track in the lower arm the cable then lets the boat down to the water.

On my return to modelling I had a go at a Trumpy 1/350 Tribal, crisp mouldings, builds well, big enough to work for my fat fingers but does not make a huge model. I struggled a bit with my first attempts at PE. Kit boats are not correct and the main deck guardrails are missing so you would need some AM if it was an issue for you. I have a Trumpy T23 in the stash, looks good in the box, also the Trumpy 'Z' destroyers seem to build well looking at RFI's on forums. Consider how much work you want to do to complete a kit, don't get bogged dowm with a project that is to big and does not get finished.

I'll send you a couple of photos when I have a working scanner. My first ship way back in '73 as a baby stoker. Saw a lot of seaside resorts but didn't visit that many. Did Gib, Antigua, Grand Bahama and Florida so can't complain. Stuff that may help, funnel was taller than other ships of class, Green decks, if memory serves there was a garden bench behind the classroom looking astern over the mortar well for a while. Think ships boats were blue over white.

I’ll send you some scans from the 74-76 commission book. From memory, the wells were painted black. Can’t remember if there was anything at the bottom, the actual ‘well’ proper other than the ships structure, where the lift settled in to be flush with the hangar deck. I think one of the lifts only went down as far as the upper hanger (Aft?).The Fwd lift had catapult strops hanging in the spaces between the frames on the sides and a door to the sickbay on the fwd bulkhead, that was 4 deck so could have been between hangar levels.

As a general piece of advice submarine paintwork tends to fade, it has a dull look, grey is not really the best way to describe it. Salt in the sea water will come out of solution especially in warmer water and can settle on a boat, especially in any gaps. Colour will vary above and below waterline, Green marine growth may be visible at the waterline. You may see areas of rust for example at the edges of casing plates or where tiles have gone missing, but long rust streaks generally do not feature. Seabird poo streaks are jsut as likely to be seen, on the rudder for example. Non slip paint on walkways will be a different hue to the rest of the paint. Minor markings do not stand out but draught marks are important and always maintained in a visible state. RAM and camo paint on masts and periscopes are worth considering based on your subject but balance this against scale and viewing distance. Remember submarines put a lot of effort into not being seen. If you intend to display full hull then please avoid posing your model on crude lumps of balsa that seem so prevalent, they spoil so many fantastic boat models. (Sorry no offence intended to anyone but it needs to be said) Modern keel blocks are works of art, they are made of laminated timber with machined, contoured faces to fit the boat hull and sealed in lacquer for durability. Ship lifts use cradles consisting of blocks higher up the hull, not just keel blocks. Hope that helps

Got one on the go at the moment, great surface detail and moulding but some fit issues, maybe due in part to fine tolerances. Suggest you take care with the paint and do a lot of dry fitting before you wave the glue around. Check a good few stages ahead of where you are. Will be following, very interested to see how you do. Hope it goes well.

Another good read is 'Safeguarding the Nation' By John Roberts. The story of the Modern RN. Covers 1957 to 2009. Surprising to see what we got involved in.

That's Very Nice. Just started the Tamiya Lotus 78. Great inspiration. Agree withStarfighter, the black and Lotus has never been bettered.