bobsyouruncle

That's a super looking Tornado you've built there. I really like the extra work you've done with converting the cockpit to the trainer version. This is something I wanted to try with mine, to represent ZA412, the 617 Sqn special tail. You've shown that it can be done, so I've got no excuses now. I picked up the Aires cockpit set and figured I could use some of the kit parts from the front of the Revell kit in the rear? How big a task did you find that? Great piece of work anyway. Cheers Bob.

Hi Nils, thanks for the generous comments. I usually start with a general idea of what sort of picture concept I'd like it to be (background, lighting, angle, etc) and sketch this out. I do use plastic models as a great aid to see how the light falls on the airframe at certain angles and times of day, but will be double checking the model compared to period photos, if used in a pose, for accuracy and shape issues and will make amendments as necessary. For just one small example, doing this I noticed that the Airfix 24th scale Typhoon had a different number of fasteners on the top cowling to the real thing and that the small outlet pipes (there are two on the starboard side, unlike the port), are in a different location in reality to that on the model and that they're in a more forward position on the real thing. I've done some bizarre looking experiments in the past, in my dining room and in the garden, crawling around using models and trying to replicate a light situation for a specific time, place and orientation, with steps, sticks, maps and cardboard buildings, etc., (all good fun though). Cheers Bob.

I always end up being diverted into spending more time painting pictures than building my models so still have too much of a stash pile to be contemplating buying anything else. Despite that, although I'm now getting the impression this new kit is not anything to do with it, the 32nd scale Phantom FGR2 would be too much to resist ...and awesome. I'm sure I'd be the same with some of its cold war stablemates, especially a 32nd Lightning F6.

Thanks very much for all the kind comments. Troy, I'd have to confess that I've probably asked more questions of Chris about Typhoons than anyone ever should really, especially over recent years, mainly regarding the Airfix 24th scale model build, but also regarding the probable tanks set up here and other small details and I'm forever grateful for and value his expert opinion and advice. Gorby, it was my job for a few years up to 2006, but since then I paint as a hobby, with the day/night job being on Ambulances (getting too old for that now, I reckon, as I'm thinking about tonights shift).

Peter, what a delight it always is to see another update on your amazing model. I love the latest shots of her looking complete now. She's absolutely beautiful and totally awe inspiring from a modelling point of view. I do hope that you put her on display sometime where I get the chance to see her. Just beautiful.

Hi Gents, hope you're all doing ok so far in this very strange year? I did this one in back in February, March and April when the lockdown was full on in bits of spare time in between shifts to donate to the Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group to help raise some funds and get Hawker Typhoon 1B RB396 fully restored back to flying condition (see website or details of this). www.hawkertyphoon.com I was thinking about what she would have been doing 75 years earlier, whilst painting this one, so was referring to the Squadron diaries quite a lot. Back then, 174 Squadron were doing quite a lot of longer range 'Armed Recce' missions into Germany, from their base at Volkel. For these, they were normally fitted with a pair of 44 gallon long range fuel tanks and the rocket load was reduced to a pair beneath each wing, attached to the later lightweight aluminium rocket rails. I thought that it might be interesting to show this slightly different look to how the Typhoon's normally shown (with the full complement of 8 rockets), to represent this part of the aircrafts history. The Squadron diaries often describe them as 'looking for gaps in the cloud layer' over the target area, before jettisoning tanks and going into the attack and this is the situation I was attempting to show here. Frank Johnson flew several times as the rear in a section and would have had a lot of empty sky behind him. This one is 36 by 24 inches, oils on stretched canvas. First shot is a snapshot of the whole painting and the second is a Black and White closer crop. Cheers Bob.

Get well soon Baris, all the best.

I really like the idea of a nice crisp new 32nd Tornado and I'm sure that it'll make up into a fine model and I'm holding off on building my Revell kit as I'm wondering whether to save the 617 Special tail markings for this new one. Always a dodgy thing to comment based solely on the Cads and some sprue shots and the 'proof will be in the pudding' when it's finally out and someone's built one, but I guess the sprue shots are here to intrigue and promote discussion? I was trying to figure out how those flaps and slats are going to assemble? I'm wondering if the bottom slatted parts might attach onto the flip side of the larger, tapered parts above them? I guess we'll see. Having announced it specifically as a 'GR4', it'd be really nice if they could do the RAF version parts right, otherwise they might've been better off calling it an 'IDS' (with GR4 options)? I'm suspecting that if you're a stickler for accuracy, that some panel re-scribing might be needed if you want a 100% GR4 (just looking, for example, at the large oval shaped UHF panel on the spine - which Revell also did - but which I've not seen on a GR4, although they are on the IDS version), whereas I also suspect it might build into a 100% IDS from the off? Again, we'll have to wait and see. If it's as good as I hope it will be, then I'll be very happy to buy one and thumbs up to Italeri for doing it.

Hi Adam, I had a similar problem last year, wondering how I was going to display my Airfix 24th scale Typhoon when completed. I decided to 'kit bash' the Ikea Pax wardrobe. Sorry Adam that it's not got glass on three sides but it is big and deep and you can get the lighting for it (and my Mrs thought it fitted in enough to be able to go in the dining room, so that was a big plus for me). What we've got here is an Ikea Pax wardrobe, 2.02m tall, by 1m width, by 58 cm deep. The interior dimensions are 96.5cm width by 58cm depth for each shelf. I fitted 3 x Sindvik 60 x 64cm doors on the left and an Oxberg door 192cm by 40cm on the right. The glass shelves are part of the wardrobe system, as are the LED lighting strips. I need to finish more models to fill the shelves (the unfinished Typhoon is in there as it's somewhere dust free to keep it whilst I can't work on it) and obviously you could fit more shelves in, if you didn't put part of a Tornado in there. For interest only, other items in there so far are:- Top:- R. side forward gun bay door from Tornado GR4 ZA412 (Dambusters special tail) Part completed Airfix Typhoon 24th scale (handy for showing model scale with wardrobe) Bottom: Harrier T4 PCP unit from XZ145, Tornado F3 ZE790 Ram air valve, Lightning Eng bay 2 fastener, Altimeter Tornado F3 ZE164, Mark 3C lying Helmet plus Oxygen mask. Cheers Bob.

Some interesting loads being slung under these RAF Phantoms (for this film anyway). I love this sort of TV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dy31I_saWM Cheers Bob.

I picked this large (for me) canvas up a couple of years ago (it's 1.5m by 1m) as I thought it might look good on the dining room wall? We were supposed to be on holiday in Austria and Germany this last week, so instead I found a bit of spare time at home, which has been handy. Having finally got around to painting the hall, stairs and landing, I also found some hobby time to start blocking in some colours on this one. I'm not really used to this size of canvas and it won't fit on my table top easel, so I'm having to paint it whilst it's hanging on the wall (with the aid of steps to reach the upper parts). It doesn't look that big at all here in the photo, but the Phantom itself is over a metre long and I'll need some more tubes of oil paint for this one. Just started filling in some blocks of colours to get a feel of where we're going or now and will build up all the details later. Cheers Bob.

Another one where I've nearly missed seeing the second image, Nils. Great job again. The first one's got a brighter feel with the Blue in it and I like the sub, but I think the second one just edges it for me, as it's still got a really nice bright hazy feel to it and the explosions look very effective. The Sunderland looks great as well and I love the water staining on the side of the fuselage.

Very nice. I like your composition and you've got some nice work going on with the reflections of light on the aircraft surfaces. Gives it a very nice three dimensional feel.

Great to see you've got the pencils out and doing some drawing again. I'm not sure about the idea of being up at 1 in the morning (I prefer sleep except when being forced to stay up on a nightshift myself), but nice job on your Vulcans.

Just seen your update to this one Nils. That's a great improvement in that second piece, to my eyes. I like the way the guy on the edge of the formation is 'adjusting' a little, giving a chance to get that highlight reflecting off the wing and a nice suggestion of movement.