rob85

Been away for a bit, glad you didn’t finish before I get back to it! that paint work is looking brilliant, and it looks like another leap forward is on the cards with all the little bits prepped. Rob

Just catching up cookie, it’s gutting when things like that happen! Really sorry you have had such a set back as was coming together so well!! Rob

Absolutely stunning work Cookie, you have raised the bar again with your paint work Rob

You have a real talent for paint, love this aircraft and what your doing here! Rob

Fine work with the masking by the looks of it so far, I’m sure you will nail it! Looking forward to the true metal! Rob

8th airforce heritage gallery group on Facebook. Jim has put a number of pics on there from the visit and models. Hope that helps! Rob

Stunning work! Rob

I can’t judge you on not being finished on time! You have me very worried about the masking tape on my B17 now, and my Beaufort that’s been on for ages! hope you all had a great day, saw some pics of Facebook and the models look amazing. Sorry again all I couldn’t make it… will have to organise my own pilgrimage. Rob

I love a malta spit, and these are fantastic, looking forward to the third one, bucks is a favourite of mine. Rob

That stang is a beaut cookie, and the hurricane is shaping up the same! Great work! and have fun in SA, even if it’s work! Rob

Happy birthday Ced, sounds like you had fun! the engines do look a faff! You appear to have them under control though. Coming along nicely! Rob

Good to hear your mum is on the mend, hope she’s ok! the p51 is looking superb, you are nailing it as ever. good to see you back at it. Rob

Looks very cool, I do love a b25! nice work getting that undercarriage sorted, can’t have been an easy bit of work! Rob

Well this feels better, as you can see you have been missed! welcome back, look forward to seeing any progress you feel like doing. Rob

That’s incredibly kind of you, my scratch building needs some work, but I feel it’s a start and something I can improve on Cheers Ced! Thanks as always G! so final layer down and it was left to cure then given a polish. Below pictures are of one wing polished and the other not to see the difference. and then the whole thing got a good going over. All I need to do now is add the medium green and de-iceing boots and engine cowls and should be good for decals and weathering! B24 is still progressing, these little plastic bits are time consuming! but they are done and painting begins. And the gun mounts were added to the floor. getting there! cheers for the support and kind words all. Rob

I appear to have dropped in right at the end. Sounds like your life with two boys is just as hectic as ever, and now you will have a girl! Lord, number 3, congratulations hopefully. the kit looks fantastic, foolishly I don’t have One as bought one of their hurricanes instead. I need to rectify this error. it looks brilliant, really nice paint work and tone variation! Rob

you take all the time you want Ced! Cheers for the kind words, hope everything is going well your end. And buffed it has been! Cheers G It’s way too green, looks more like a Brit tank! As ever too kind cookie. so this got a rub down with loads of different polishing sticks, and a tip I got off the b25 build of using an old cotton tee. Very helpful who ever said that. so the new green is Hataka early olive green, behaved much better and tried it on a paint mule first, which I should have done before. Here’s the first two layers. and the third, I think it’s looking much better, and will get another polish followed by a 4th layer and another polish. however looking at pictures maybe I didn’t need to worry so much about the quality of the finish. next steps will be transfers and then evidently lots of weathering. the b24 has also moved forward. I’ve started on the other side of the waist gunners area. Trying to make less mess. so far so alright! Hopefully a bit more tomorrow. Rob

Both are great scheme choices and you have brought them to life perfectly, I love a malta spit. Rob

Todays progress… I found it disappointing I started with the Hataka blue olive green, but it was not going down anywhere near as nicely as all the other colours I have used. It had a semi gloss to it and just wasn’t levelling out, making drip marks that had to be removed. So I went with my faith old tamiya paints, and used their olive green… which has come up more like a Luftwaffe green!! It needs to be lighter, so will probably used revell paints as I know how they act and and the green is a better match… but then that will be a million layers of paint and won’t look smooth! So annoyed. I will attempt to remove some layers with polishing sticks (I use the ones for shaping and shining acrylic nails). But I feel a bit defeated by it at the mo, it’s not the quality I was hoping for if I’m honest, and can’t help feeling I should have binned this and gone with the revell kit early doors, certainly would have saved me time and about +£40. Anyway, I shall persevere. the B24 however is coming along nicely. etch for the wheel well this has now been painted and washed but will take a photo when it’s dried. cheers all and sorry for two updates in a row, photos were not loading. Rob

An update before more work on these today. B17. Wings are on and a 1mm wedge has been used to get the dihedral in a better place. This was then trimmed, sanded and filled. Filling was done using white millput, pressing and thinning this down then using a wet finger to sand flat a wipe excess. A messy process but still prefer it to sanding. once this had cured and been cleaned up underside paint was added. engines were dry fitted, resin above the kit offering. Only issue was these were for the revell kit and the little plug was too big for the academy kit. So I cut this section off the back of the kit engines and glued it to the resin engine. Sadly forgot to take a pic of the process! a bit more work today and sorting out of the upper seem still!! B24 i have been working on the waist gunners area and trying to get as much detail as possible. So below is the one side and how it has progressed. and painted, just need to sort the gun mount and guns my second go at scratch building an interior and think it’s improved. I need to focus on getting it neater and not using so much glue. Any tips are very much welcome. Rob

Sorry to resurrect, but found this while looking for inspiration on my current build. Do not know how I missed this, but your work is amazing. Great idea perfectly executed!! Rob

I’ve just got one of these so watching with interest! Nice work so far, and like the options you have, I’m thinking of doing spirit of freeport (think it’s called that). Rob

This is coming along a treat! Forgot I had one of these. This is making me want to start it! Rob

No need to be sorry at all. Yes been pretty good just very busy with work etc, so only been dipping in and out of BM and modelling time is few and far between. I’ve booked some days off next week so hope to get these moved forward! I need to to start getting on with other models, I have been on a spending spree on heavies over the last year, I have 4 lancasters including a grand slam, b24 j and two more D’s and a B-29 just landed…. It’s very big… and 2 Hase b25’s, airfix b 26, wellington, Beauforts, beaufighters in many marks…. Actually probably best I don’t make a list… hope things are good with yourself and the family? Need to hop over to see how those amazing sea vixens are doing! Rob

Cheers Johnny, I had a few more goes and it appears to be fixed now