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AndrewCJ50

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  1. AndrewCJ50
    Thanks Guys Mick, good luck with the 1942 version. Her AA suite was upgraded - slightly! Andrew
  2. AndrewCJ50
    Superb job, I have to complete mine in 1/700 somehow or other. I particularly congratulate you on the aircraft especially the drift markings on the tails! A small touch you might like to note that towards the top of the pagoda tower a couple of the platforms have canvas curtains (pale colour) at the front, rather than being metal grey. They seem to be very keen on their hull plating for this one Andrew
  3. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Friends The 11,000 t HMS Hermes has the distinction of being the first purpose-built aircraft carrier in the world. She was laid down in 1918 but had a protracted development that did not see her commissioned until 1924 (The Admiralty wanted to learn from trials with Argus and Eagle). One of the concepts of the time was to operate float planes which were to be recovered by more or less motoring into the hanger from the stern! Another throw back from an earlier era was her spotting top to control her 5.5” guns in ship to ship battles. Nevertheless, with the island to the right and her flared and enclosed bow she looks remarkably modern. A drawback of the small carrier was a relatively small aircraft fuel storage and struggling to accommodate larger modern aircraft. Nevertheless, in August 1939 she took onboard 814 NAS and her Swordfish and this is how I imagine that her Swordfish might have looked before camouflage took over in the FAA. Admittedly the ship might have been in home fleet grey by then too, but most of her previous career had been spent in light grey scheme of the Far East. Her main wartime claim to fame was ironically in an attack by her Swordfish on the Vichy French Battleship Richelieu in July 1940. Sadly, Hermes was annihilated by practically the entire Japanese dive bomber fleet that had attacked Pearl Harbour when she was spotted fleeing modern day Sri Lanka on 9th April 1942 by a Japanese carrier task force. This is the excellent 1/700 Flyhawk kit boxed as for 1937 which includes the Swordfish. Apart from using brass rod for her masts and yards, together with Eduard 1/700 RN and carrier crew members it is practically out of the box. Rather than decals I used masking for the deck markings. I used Mig’s oil brusher paint to weather her deck from aircraft landings. I hope you can see, if you look carefully, A Swordfish with folded wings on the stern hanger deck waiting to go up to the flight deck? I hope you can spot some seamen populating the 'goofers gallery' Andrew
  4. AndrewCJ50
    Thanks Guys Glad you like the scene. The beauty with a harbour is you can pop your ship back in the yard at the end of your work in the evening and it looks cool! Range of products for the harbour, but I think the nicest stuff came from Alliance Modelworks Will post more photos of Hermes with her Swordfish hopefully this weekend. Trying to save my pennies for the Flyhawk Illustrious! Andrew
  5. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Colleagues Before I finish the Flyhawk Hermes (1937) by placing her on her own base, I decided to put her 'in harbour' to do a few photographs. I have assembled odds and ends for the harbour over several years to make an interesting backdrop. I think many of you will agree that Flyhawk make the nicest 1/700 ships if you want a pleasant build with sharp details. What is admirable is Hermes was the first ship in the world designed as an aircraft carrier from the keel up. You can't help thinking that the designers got the overall design right and the lines look in many ways remarkably modern. Hope you like it? Andrew
  6. AndrewCJ50
    Thanks Mike That is a relief, where else would I get Five Star 1/700 ship's bells? Regards Andrew
  7. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Ship modelling experts I used to get all my Asian (Chinese) 1/700 ship kits and accessories from HobbyEasy. But now they seem to have gone! Luckymodel is an option but they don't carry much stock. Does anyone have any suggestions on a Chinese web retailer with a decent 1/700 stock? Thanks Andrew
  8. AndrewCJ50
    Thank you for your appreciation Guys You may not have noticed it but there is a 1 mm twist in my chassis. I could probably bully this into submission by gluing the doors closed and the roof down, but I can't bear to button it up, and you won't tell will you? George, charming as the latest Miniart GAZ werkstat vehicle is, it would have to wait in the que behind 4 other GAZ variants I have mysteriously acquired! Regards Andrew
  9. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Colleagues Just finished the dual axle GAZ bus outfitted as a command vehicle. You have to be very vigilant as you build as any inattention and it'll bite you! I used a jig in the end, I wished I'd used it earlier to true everything. The wheels, apart from the spares, are Panzer Art resin. Still, the details are so petite it is hard not to like. So the crew try to get it going And get fed up So some locals come to help But the staff keep working Hope you like it Andrew
  10. AndrewCJ50
    Rob, how do you like the connection of the front wheel assembly to the front axle? No strength is there? Andrew
  11. AndrewCJ50
    Thanks for your kind comments Guys We agree with three cheers for Miniart on this one. They are currently testing my patience with a GAZ AAA bus. Who in their right mind could have thought that their front wheel hub to axle attachment point would work being so negligable (ie there isn't one!)? The figures in the diorama are largely Miniart with some dragon and resin. The cats are pewter! Andrew
  12. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Colleagues Here is the Miniart T-60 Factory 264 kit. To my mind it is their most successful interior kit to date. It has the right balance of part number and fit to make it a really enjoyable build. Factory 264 was based in Stalingrad so production came to an abrupt end in September 1942. This factory pioneered the use of steel wheels due to the rubber shortage. Yes, the machinery and tracks lasted much less but then they did not expect a tank to last more than a day or so of combat at the front. Very different outlook to German manufacturers. For weathering I relied largely on the MIG oil brushers Hope you like it? Andrew
  13. AndrewCJ50
    Hello Rob W I confess to having a GAZ problem, I have at least 5 in the stash/being made! But this version had me puzzled. Do you think that was a one off lash up by the Russians at Leningrad using captured German Nebelwerfer rockets and crates? I have looked but failed to find pictures of the real thing. Do you have any ideas? Regards Andrew
  14. AndrewCJ50
    Thank you for your kind words Guys I don't want to give my workshop team a day off as they have to complete the tracks on my T-60 before the clock strikes midnight! Happy New Year to everyone Andrew
  15. AndrewCJ50
    I was so pleased to have this set. Previously welders were very difficult to find (resin Royal Models). However, from what I can tell both figures are given cutting torches. I think the period welder had a torch and stick (2 hands needed). So for my welder I converted him to having a MIG welding set, using a Bronco British no 18 radio set as the welding unit (which feeds welding wire to the torch). Am waiting for a professional to tell me I'm wrong!
  16. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Colleagues Enclosed is my last model of 2020. A year when society actually encouraged us to stay indoors and get down to serious modelling, not that we needed much persuading. In truth the BA-10 was more of an armoured lorry than fully functioning armoured car. A modest 50 HP was powering two rear axles only. On the plus side this was probably the most powerfully armed armoured car of the period and ran on solid tyres. The few that survived Operation Barbarossa probably had their small moment of glory in the November winter counter offensive in front of Moscow. The HobbyBoss kit has a nice quality of plastic and sensible parts breakdown. However, the headlights fall off as soon as you sneeze shortly followed by the front bumper (brass)! The fit of the lower sloped armour plates and front mud guards are somewhat vague. The only aftermarket used were the resin wheels from PanzerArt (designed for the Miniart Gaz) Here you can see my team working on the chassis and engine Where the heck are we? The rear view rather reminds me of the daleks! Hope you like? Looking forward to more freedom in 2021 Andrew
  17. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Colleagues Enclosed is my last model of 2020. A year when society actually encouraged us to stay indoors and get down to serious modelling, not that we needed much persuading. In truth the BA-10 was more of an armoured lorry than fully functioning armoured car. A modest 50 HP was powering two rear axles only. On the plus side this was probably the most powerfully armed armoured car of the period and ran on solid tyres. The few that survived Operation Barbarossa probably had their small moment of glory in the November winter counter offensive in front of Moscow. The HobbyBoss kit has a nice quality of plastic and sensible parts breakdown. However, the headlights fall off as soon as you sneeze shortly followed by the front bumper (brass)! The fit of the lower sloped armour plates and front mud guards are somewhat vague. The only aftermarket used were the resin wheels from PanzerArt (designed for the Miniart Gaz) Here you can see my team working on the chassis and engine Where the heck are we? The rear view rather reminds me of the daleks! Hope you like? Looking forward to more freedom in 2021 Andrew
  18. AndrewCJ50
    With Miniart some of the instructions and placement can be vague. Dry fit over and over again is the best advice and also I think that Miniart assume you will figure it out for yourself! Just don't see this is as a weekend job Regards Andrew
  19. AndrewCJ50
    Thanks Guys, The Miniart kit is a long slog to put all together but it is rewarding in that the detail has not been compromised. Regards Andrew
  20. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Colleagues After much fiddling and fettling I have finished the Miniart 1/35 Panzer IIID, yes the one with the funny suspension system. The Germans trialled a number of different suspension systems for their Panzer III, this had paired wheels on bogies with leaf springs and dampers. I think only 15-30 B to D types were built before settling on torsion bars in the E. Nevertheless although a trials vehicles they were pitched into the invasion of Poland. The figures are from Miniart too. Hope you like it? As many of you know, Miniart does not consider structural strength in their assemblies and tolerances here can be as little as 0.2 mm. But to their credit things do in deed fit! Andrew
  21. AndrewCJ50
    Glad you all appreciate the scenery! I like to think it makes you believe in the vehicle as a character in the drama of history.
  22. AndrewCJ50
    Thanks Guys I guess the key ingredient here is rain. I have been around tanks too on filthy wet days and the everything gets everywhere. I suppose you need parts of tanks which rarely get touched and has suitable nodes for the streaks to build and start from? Like the rear quarter of the Sherman above?
  23. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Colleagues For several years it has become the norm for armour modellers to finish their projects with a greater or lessor degrees of rain streaks of dust and dirt. But how realistic is this look for a vehicle in action? I can find this rain dirt streaks starting to form on my car but only after it has been sitting idle for a few weeks (thank you corona virus). The slightest touch will disturb/destroy them. I know that if I view an outdoor exhibit at an AFV in a museum (don't touch) the rain mark/streaks are very eye catching. Have we got carried away thanks to viewing outdoor museum exhibits? I'm not saying these rain streaks would not be present on vehicles in action, but I don't think they would be very eye catching. The crew would be constantly clambering over the vehicle and the multiple challenges from wind, rain, dust and mud would surely destroy most of these filigree rain streaks? What do you think? Andrew
  24. AndrewCJ50
    Yes, the figures are Miniart The main thing I recall with the build is patience. Don't recall any fit issues, less fiddly than Miniart. Bless them for length and link tracks. Regards Andrew
  25. AndrewCJ50
    Dear Colleagues The Universal Carrier was a truly British vehicle. No other nation in WWII had anything quite like it. Capable of bringing up ammunition under fire, evacuating the wounded and leading assaults, it was the maid of all work for a Commonwealth Infantry Battalion. Riich make a lovely example although don't expect to complete it in a weekend! Having read the book 'Lion Rampant' about life in the 6th KOSB I had to choose this one from the Riich decal sheet. Yetholm is of course on the Scottish borders. Hope you like it? Andrew
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