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DonH

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Everything posted by DonH

  1. Hmm, you make a good point. I hadn't really considered the need to keep the fuselage in shape, but that sounds very logical.
  2. Looking great Anthony! May I suggest a subtle touch of yellow chromate type colour on the cockpit sills? I recall seeing some photos where the paint and rubbed through to the primer. Maybe not suitable for late mod Phantoms, I don't know.
  3. A little more progress on the might Lightning. I will probably say this many times, but this is a brilliant kit. The fit is really good and the rendition of the details are excellent. First up, some primer on the bang seat. I am quite pleased with it. Looks at least as good as resin IMHO. And now with the start of painting. Lots more to do... The eagle-eyed amongst you may have spotted that the bang seat handles have disappeared. I have a cunning plan. May I introduce you to Kumihimo - an ancient form of Japanese weaving. Wha? you may grunt. Well, take a look at this... This is an eight strand spiral weave which looks much better in the flesh when not magnified so much. The point is, unlike simply twisting thread together, this is woven and so does not unravel in strange and unusual ways. When you loop this round it looks quite good as bang seat handles and that is what I am going to try on this build. To be honest, it's a touch big for 1/48 scale but would be perfect at 1/32. You can stretch the braid to make it thinner and that brings it closer to scale. Anyhoo, it's good enough for this kit assembler and I will give it a try. In other news, I bought the ResKit engine nozzles. They are incredible. The quality of the 3D printing is amazing and the box was shipped from Kyiv, which felt strange but I am glad I could support them in some way. However, I am useless with resin and other aftermarket parts and I have decided to used the kit parts with one important difference. Here are the kit exhaust tubes... The rings at the top are the cut down kit exhaust nozzles that I have installed to maintain alignment with the end cap. I am going to use these for the nozzles... The reskit versions. I sacrificed a few of the PE petals to the carpet monster but he/she/it has seen fit to bless me and return them. These nozzles are way better than the kit version and they are a push fit into the outer pipes which enables me to adjust them to the right position. IMHO the kit nozzles sit a tadge far back compared to reality. Here they are in situ... A splash of paint and they will look great. It's a tight push fit, so they are not going anywhere. This part then fits perfectly onto the tubes and I have perfect alignment. SImples. One question - I don't see the point of the big bulkhead at the end of the exhaust pipes. I am thinking of cutting it off and leaving the fans in place at the of the pipes. That way, I believe I can slide the whole assembly into place later. Has anyone tried this? Any reason why it wouldn't work?
  4. Are you listening kit makers? Take this model as the definitive reference and get it done!
  5. A large number of domed rivets suggests an early Spitfire to me. Just saying...
  6. Thanks tweeky, that has answered a question I had about what colour to paint them. I think I need to buy some smaller brushes and some bigger glasses.
  7. I have made a start on the drop dead gorgeous Airfix kit of the EE Lightning F.1. This is going to be a 74 Sqn bird based on how they looked at or near delivery, so no black fin. I will make a small concession to period accuracy in that the wheels will not have the teardrop holes, they will be round as supplied in the kit. This could change if I find some AM versions, but I have drawn a blank so far. This build will use some Eduard PE where suitable, CMK nosecone and gear bay (gulp)and some minor scratching. Talking of which, I started with the bang seat: Everything yellow is a Tamiya tape/foil sandwich. This works great for straps because you can bend them into position and they will hold. There is a bit of Eduard etch here and there, but not much. I have lost the pull handle at the front of the seat. Pinged off into another dimension. I won't replace it as I can't see it once the seat is in the coal pit. I also added some details using 0.2mm lead wire. Not very visible, but I know they are there. I have a cunning plan for the pull handles, but I'm not going to tell you what it is yet in case I fail miserably. Plan B is the Eduard PE, Plan C is just use the kit part. I've started looking at the engines and I bought the ResKit replacements. Not using them. They are lovely, but more hassle than I am prepared to put in. The kit engines will have to do. The CMK nose cone assembly is giving me nightmares. I have cut plastic and am trying to ensure a good fit with the resin. Wish me luck! More to come, but this is not going to be fast.
  8. That looks beautiful, Anthony. I'm enjoying every minute of this build.
  9. I’m sure it will go together like a dream. Those RAM panels still look a bit pronounced to my eyes.
  10. And what a great series of pictures. Having found some Lightnings in there from 1962 with the 8 hole wheels, I will settle for that. THANK YOU
  11. I have just started an Airfix 1/48 Lightning F1 and will build the 74 squadron version but without the black spine and tail. This leads me to the wheel hubs. Early Lightnings had 16 teardrop shaped holes in the main wheel hubs, compared to the later hubs which had 8 round holes. Due to the era when 74 squadron had Lightnings without black tails, I fear I need the early type wheel hubs. Does anyone know when the hubs changed? I may just live with the wheel hubs being wrong, it is hardly a major issue. I don't want to pose it in flight, although that is an option...
  12. I write this with a tear of nostalgia in my eye, but I have bought my last Airfix kit. I don't find their kits good enough anymore and there are plenty of better options out there these days. Ironically, I have just started a 1/48 Airfix Lightning and it is superb (one more in the stash) but that will be the last. It really saddens me because I grew up making Airfix kits and I hope they thrive and prosper and tempt me back with better stuff. I didn't have to write and share this, I think it is the feeling that I am betraying them that drives me to confess and getting it out there feels strangely cathartic.
  13. Thanks! Yep, that's the sheet I used. This Hunter should have been "B" not "R" but a decal mishap forced a change. I used the serials from the kit because they are pre-cut to fit the u/c doors. Also, the code on the tail should be yellow. For Exercise Vigilant, they masked the existing code and sprayed the tail white, leaving a block of camo. I didn't do that. Accuracy? Pffft, who needs that? I will use the remainder of the 74 Squadron sheet for the rest of this build series. I have two lightnings and several Spitfires in the queue. Also an F-4J(UK) in WIP.
  14. Yes, my original plan was to paint the gun ports but then saw this photo and thought "nah, enough is enough" https://www.reddit.com/r/NoSillySuffix/comments/4kymvj/history_senior_aircraftwoman_una_taylor_a/
  15. My next Hunter build (to be started at an unspecified time) will be the 1/32 Revell kit in RSAF markings. I have the decals but I don't know of any sources in 1/48. At least we have a great reference at the RSAF museum!
  16. Thank you! I deliberately picked the yellow versions of the stencils because I think it looks nice against the green/grey background. It is surprising how they blend in even with such contrasting colours. Airfix did a good job on that, I think. Please don't think I am diligent. There are plenty of stencils that I left off, I'm just not mentioning it to anyone...
  17. Nice kit, glad it's done. 74 (Tiger) Squadron during Exercise Vigilant, May 1959. Any inaccuracies are all my doing.
  18. I have been slowly getting on with this build while forgetting to take photos. Here is the latest. Technically, it is still WIP because I still have to paint the gun ports (although I am now thinking that is not necessary). The serials and codes are fictional for a 74 sqn Hunter. This was forced on me by a decal mishap, but it really doesn't bother me. The white wing tips and tail are representative of a 74 sqn bird taking part in Exercise Vigilant in May 1957. Probably should have been and F.4 not a F.6, but I am past caring.
  19. I am doing a 74 squadron aircraft with white tail and wingtips. Taken from an Xtradecal sheet. The markings won’t be totally accurate but I don’t care.
  20. Nothing to read here, move on, sorry for the inconvenience.
  21. Oh this reminds me of an old joke - "I love cats, but I couldn't eat a whole one". Nice modelling Martian, sir, looking forward to the next instalment.
  22. Looking good, if a little lopsided Is it just me, but when I look at the TSR2, I see hints of Tornado and Jaguar hidden in there.
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