DaveyGair

Right! Got to get on with this, and thanks for the info @theplasticsurgeon. I've started looking at the bits and pieces, cleaning stuff up and cementing the cockpit bulkhead and floor in place. Research shows that early RAF ones had a single seat and controls so will do that for this model, but I'm not going to add anything else in there! I've gone for cementing the forward glazed sections to each corresponding half separately and have masked off the inside of the front side windows ready for airbrushing. There is a slight step at the joins but doesn't look too bad when being offered up against each other but you never know until the first coat of primer goes on if the join is a good one! More soon. Davey.

Thanks. Hopefully will get going soon on this. I had a quick look at the turret transparency and sure enough it's not accurate, just a conical lump so there'll be some filing and polishing done to get the slight 'off-set' angle to it on the gun mount side. Does anyone know for sure this didn't have the 'bulges' on the cockpit canopy? Or maybe just on the port side? The photo of the actual aircraft doesn't show them. Davey.

Interesting kit, never knew Fly did this one. I made the old KP one decades ago. If I get the Ventura done I may break out one of the Il-2's I have, probably the Tamiya one for a stress free build! Good job so far. Davey.

Had a bit of a Hiatus from aircraft modelling for a while, just lost the old 'mojo' plus I did a fair bit of War-game stuff. Trying to get back it with hopefully a simple, OOB build with this Minicraft Ventura, not using the kit decals but ones from a 'DK' set I picked up from somewhere. I've never used this manufacturer's decals before so we'll see how it goes. I've no idea if this kit is accurate or not but I've seen a few Ventura's done on here and they look Ok. The only addition will be seat belts from Tamiya Tape. Opening pictures showing the parts still bagged and decals which look like for another machine from 21 Sqn. More soon. Davey.

Will look on with interest as I have this kit in this boxing. Davey.

The thing is though, the He-177 was 4 engines in reality, separate cranks on a common gearbox, unlike the Avro Manchester which was a common crankshaft. Is this viable @vppelt68? Davey.

Was just about to ask to add my name with this same kit! I also have Me 110's, 210, 410, 262's, Ju-88's, various Dorniers, so plenty of choice. Count me in. Davey.

Thank you both for looking in. Hi Patrice, that link is very good with excellent photos and good information. I don't think I will be adding any more detail as the kit details are good enough for me! Davey.

Hi Greg, thanks for your kind comments. The Black is the undercoat I used in the previous photos, I just vary the finish by different depths of Matt Varnish coats and dry-brushing a Light Grey colour in different, well used areas and behind the engines. I also used a MiG Ammo 'Dust colour in the panel lines, being careful to remove excess on the surfaces as it dries quickly! Hope this helps, it's absolutely not very scientific! Davey.

Will we ever see Sea Hurricane Mk.Ib and Mk.II variants? I hope so. Davey.

A bit of a late start with my first build in this GB, I just finished a Beaufighter on Sunday for the 'Bristol Company' GB and lately have been painting Wargame figures so have neglected the plastic flying stuff! I got this online for a good price for the Soviet Aircraft markings and was going to sell the the other kit on but I thought I would do this French Airforce one for this GB. It is actually a kit moulded by AMG, the parts look well detailed and there is some flash but nothing that can't be 'wiped' quickly with a blade. There are different intakes included in the kit but no instructions showing which intake is for which version but it's easy to see from the drawings and the internet what type (short or long) is used for the C version or the E. There is a photo-etch fret (most of which I won't use!) and a canopy mask set so quite complete. I made a small start but already there is a bit a conudrum. They start you off by removing and putting a bend on the two etch rudder pedals and then instruct you to stick them directly to the back of the plastic instrument panel. But the next picture clearly shows hangers for the rudder pedals, there's even indents for the parts on the plastic instrument panel but looking at the sprues there doesn't seem to be anything like them on there. Anyone built the AMG kit or the reboxed Dora ones and found this part(s)? No photos as I left it there to investigate further. More soon. Davey.

It is a lovely kit to build and I used the AML parts to improve it, I have another to do plus a B.Mk.III in the future. Great stuff, I like the Hurricane as well. Davey.

Shame this hasn't made it to the Gallery, A lot more work than I would ever attempt on a model! I'm sure I've seen build threads transfered to other sections on the site, give @Enzo Matrix a message to find out? Davey.

Here we are all finished, well, I'm calling her done! Nearly ended up in the bin as the 'Gair Fumbling Curse' struck and after crashing to the floor the port wing detached along with a few bits and pieces 🥵, but I took a deep breath and carried on. I just glued the wing back on but haven't made any attempt to fill the join, I touched in the paint. I got the aerials (a little on the thick side) from one of the MPM/Hasegawa boxings I have, which incidentally have all the parts to do from a Mk.1 to Mk.21. I decided not to risk any further fumbling and didn't do the swept-back aerials that protrude on the upper and lower starboard wing! I did a little weathering, not OTT but I know the paint wore very quickly on these. The lighting was poor today so I fixed it on the computer which is why the colours of the markings may seem a bit bright! Thanks for the comments and interest in this, see you in another GB maybe? Got to get on with my 'High Wing' and French Fancy' entries 🙄. Davey.

406 Sqn. Beaufighter Mk.II, 1941/42. Airfix kit, Alleycat Late Mk.II conversion, HighPlanes Decals. Vallejo ModelAir paint throughout, 'Klear' Gloss and Vallejo Matt coats to finish.

She does looks good in Black doesn't she, Ooh Matron! Hopefully be ready ready tomorrow with all her bits on. Davey.

Great job. I'm hoping mine will join yours in the gallery tomorrow! Davey.

Just thought I'd reply to this as I've just discovered a photo on the interweb, it's on the 'ww2aircraft.net' website which I can't copy a link to. Is this the one in the book? It definately shows unshrouded exhausts. Davey.

Bit more done since Monday. Got the paint on and have started bringing all the parts together. Cleaned up the prop hubs and individual blades, gear doors and exhausts, ready for paint. The Mk.1 conversion kit has the early type one-sided spoked wheel hubs which all the photo's of Mk.II's I've seen are fitted with. The Airfix main gear are a direct fit into the wheel wells with a little thinning around the legs to go into the square location holes (the wings seem to be a copy of the kit parts with modified nascelles). I Glossed parts of the Airframe to take the decals, of which I have made a start. The High-Planes decals have a 'spotty' appearance on the Varnish layer which I'm hoping will disappear under Gloss and Matt coats. I've done my usual cock-up of removing the canopy masks before applying the final Matt coat! Good job there's not many of them here! More soon. Davey.

Superb work, from construction, detailing and finishing this is a masterclass! Mine would have just ended up being a neatly made and painted but very recognisable FROG kit! Davey

Cheers Adrian. I nearly used a pair from one of the two CMR(Hasegawa) boxings I have but will need those for the two I have planned to build, so went for the surgery on the Airfix parts. Here's where we are so far. The airframe's together, just a bit of filler here and there before attaching the clear parts, masking and a coat of Black primer. More soon. Davey.

Great work so far, the fit of these isn't too bad, it's just the preparation that goes into it that hurts a bit! Getting on with my slightly easier to manage conversion now, hopefully we'll both end up in the gallery! Davey.

Been a while since doing any airplane modelling, spent the last month going down another 'Rabbit hole' (as my wife puts it!) and getting into the 'Bolt Action' miniatures game, having always been interested in Wargaming since the 70's. I've painted 105 individual figures (as well as assembling the multi-part plastic ones), plus vehicles and heavy weapons. Anyway, realised this GB is nearly finished and I want to get this Beaufighter finished. So far I've assembled the fuselage after painting the interior and adding belts. The wings were cleaned up, there is a ridge along the trailing edge that needs to be dealt with, maybe it's to ensure the edge is thin enough although it's not THAT fine. You will notice the spars need trimming down before fitting, the indents in the resin wings are there but not deep enough. The wings aren't a bad fit to the fuselage, the upper join line is good, the lower not quite as good but a bit of filler will sort that out. They were joined with Rapid-Epoxy, being fairly hefty. I haven't ended up using the resin tail-plane, I was disappointed with the thickness, which varies from one side to the other and I tried to thin it down but it would take forever and lost all the panel lines. I decided to use the kit parts suitably 'modified' into straight tail-planes. The angled edges for the rudder have yet to be adjusted. More soon. Davey.

Superb job Heather, I don't think I added the elevator/rudder gubbins on mine, well done on that score! Davey.

Yeah, I'd be up for it, still have a Revell kit to build. Davey.