Antb

Do we get a cuddly @Lawzer along with an adoption certificate through the post? If so I'm in for a fiver....

Hi all, 8 days without an update, bet you've all been going crazy awaiting the next instalment. 🤣 Then again, maybe not. So, what's been happening since the last update. Well, quite a bit family and work wise and some modelling. I've managed to get a few hours in here and there and work is being done. I don't really feel like I'm making much progress though to be honest. My last post was this "I was always of the easy build mentality but I am really enjoying this one. Didn't think I would but I am". Famous last words. Man this build is frustrating. At at the risk of rambling on again, let me share some actual progress. I was was going to tackle the seat belts but to be quite honest I haven't been able to get in the mood to Give them a bash so I haven't. I've concentrated on the the wings and getting them ready for fitting to the fuselage. Think I've bitten off more than I can chew but I'll let you guys be the judge as to whether I have, or not. I started with the cannons. These poorly moulded, bent, no way of attaching to the inner wing. See the hole under the cannon? No fitment for that whatsoever. The front of the cannon didn't even fit into the O ring and to top if off, the wing wouldn't fit together top and bottom parts with the cannon in situ. I soon made the decision not to add the cannons. I decided I would model the cannon bays open however this plan wouldn't bear fruit. Before I came to the latter conclusion I removed the fitment for the cannon. The machine guns are nicely moulded and they did have the fitment point, but only one in the middle. These would be fitted to be modelled as being in position so got glued in. However, these would be removed later in the build for Reasons to become clear. @BIG X shared photos of his 1/24 1a the other day specifically the moulding of the gun ports. This one had the same issue which is yet to be tackled. In amongst the carnage of the guns this happened The centre got painted so did the radio? Box which would sit behind the pilots seat. You can see in this photo the machine guns glued in place. Thoughts turned to the wheel wells. The is absolutely bob all detail from the kit in this area and you can see right through the wing through the wells. It's poor. Got my plastic strip out, cut It down and moulded it to fit into the wheel wells to block the view through but also to make the wells look like proper spitfire wells. i glued a bit clamped it and then finished the rest off once it had dried to make sure it stayed put. Heres both of the wells halfway through whilst waiting for this to dry, I got some plastic strip cut it down and glued it in place in the well bay roof. Once everything was properly dry the excess plastic was trimmed, sanded and a small amount of filler used to hide some gaps where the clamping hadn't been able to reach due to the shape of the wells. I was left with this. is it 100% accurate. No. Is it neat and tidy and the best work ever? Nope. Is it better than what was there before? I think so. Not too bad to say I've never done anything like this before. And so it was on to the gun ports. I really wanted to have these empty and to line the cuttings with plasticard to make them like proper gun bays but hit a problem I hadn't considered. The strengtheners for the droopy wings need to run right through the gun bays to allow the proper strength. So it was out with the already attached machine guns and on with the gun bay covers. What at an absolute pain in the backside these are. Urgh they are horrid. At the moment because of them I'm losing patience with the build. I've had an hour tonight and got fed up. I just can't get motivated to carry on with issue after issue. I know now I will at some point but progress feels slow and it's one step forward and two back. For the record here's where I'm u to as of tonight and where she will sit until I can find the go to carry on. The gun bay covers are either too short or too long. If too long you can trim some off where it seems to be catching and it makes no difference. They don't sit flat, they Protrude. Some sink in needing a bit of plasticard to in fill. It's just bloomin ridiculous. I think it's going to be a case of it will do just so I can move on with the build. In in other news and on a lighter note, nipped to the LMS with SWMBO and my little boy for the strengthener for the wings. My some ended up with 3 zvezda disney planes snap together kits but I got this as a belated Father's Day gift fell in love with the one they have in Cosford and wanted one ever since. It was there on the shelf calling my name. I know I could have got it cheaper online but I'd rather support my local shop. Only one problem. I don't have an airbrush for the mottling. Guess I'm going to have to be good and get my chores done without being asked to make sure I qualify for one. 😂😂 anyway chaps, thanks for sticking with me if you've read this far. As as always I appreciate any comments or feedback you guys want to chuck my way. Take care all 🐜

You're not kidding. It is awful. But it's a challenge and we all love a challenge. Atleast that's what I keep telling myself 🤣

Is this piece the only one in the entire kit that goes together well with no flash or filler needed? Cor blimey. Was up your way yesterday working Steve and the smoke was something else. Felt like night time in the middle of the afternoon. Hope things get better for you soon mate it's not pleasant but those fighting the fires are doing a great job from what I've seen and heard. More seriously though hope you aren't one of the ones being evacuated as a precaution.

Thanks steve. Hope the dinner with the boss went well.

Phew. It's strange though. Although mines a V I guess that's why. Anyway I won't take over any further. I'm ready for a great build.

@BIG X at risk of taking over your thread in its entirety and posting progress of my own build on here (terribly sorry old (but not old chap) here's the same shots from my kit that you've posted above. Very interesting. No sink mark here here or here but we have them on the 1a prop. Luckily I get another prop for the V no idea what any of this means just hope my kit isn't a later moulding. That wouldn't be good.

@BIG X took me a while to work it out in my boxing but then I turned it over.. . Ha ha. It's a mess isn't it. The cockpit rim on mine needing a good 3mm trimming off all round. Terrible really. But it's a laugh innit.

That's a rough old kit steve. I'd be gutted if I'd opened the box to find that.

Thanks mate. Your mosquito build is great. Looking forward to the 109 too 😁 Cheers Steve. I was always of the easy build mentality but I am really enjoying this one. Didn't think I would but I am. It gives a sense of achievement.

Even so, the progress you make is incredible. And it's all really good work too. Im in awe. 😁 But it it's really really good mate, can't wait to see what comes next.

Be great to see what you come up with mate your work so far is brilliant. And quick too!

Good job predictive text didn't change THE before commandos to you...that could have been embarrassing 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Man, this is looking the business. A nice poppy wreath in front front of the war memorial would be the icing on the cake. No pressure..... 😜

Hi all, progress SS has been slow this week due to my little boys birthday, a work night out and family stuff but have made a little progress I thought I'd share with you all. So, in my last update I was wondering what to do about the engine and getting it to fit was proving tricky. Following last weekends visit to Cosford I had an idea and this happened. The horrible thick framing got chopped off. i installed the engine mounts on either side and everything unsurprisingly fit so much better. The instructions on s have you installing the cradle to the engine mount but if you do this it doesn't reach the engine mount on the other side but what it does do is pull the engine mount inwards and it just doesn't fit properly. So I left it out. the fuselage at this point was just taped together but that was about to change.... it was time to glue the beast together. Tape and pegs were generously used as the fit was, well, tricky. This was left for 24 hours to make sure everything was set. There were some areas where the glue hadn't quite taken but not many and so extra glue was used and reclamped. There are hardly any locating lugs for the fuselage to go together and the moulding on both halves didn't quite match up so there were a few steps evident. All in not too bad really given the age of the kit. This is is what we had once all glue had set. and just look at the fit of the tail. Im not too concerned about this area under the engine, I'm fitting the filter so this will be hidden. If I wasn't I'd be panicking somewhat. engine mount supports got painted and a practice fit of the engine. Looks alright as you can see I applied some tape along the seam lines and added some filler, when this had dried sanded with a few sanding sticks and painted with some red to see what work was needed. Didn't turn out too bad. the above taken after a little more filler was applied. Ive also started adding some detailing to the engine mounts. My photos from Cosford of the spitfire there showed some wiring running the engine mounts so I thought I'd add a bit. Heres the initial stages. Putting this off but I really need to get the belts done and the seat in before I attach the wings. Never done fabric belts before so a little scared 🤣 Heres the seat and a picture of the belts, just because..... and that's where I'm at as of tonight. Steady progress. Is it perfect. Nope. Is it ok. I guess so. Happy modelling chaps 🐜

Just starting to find out myself mate 😁

I'm on it. Wont get much, if anything done over the next 3 or 4 days so it's going to have to wait until nearer the end of the week. I seem to have a busy social life all of a sudden.

Thanks @BIG X @GREG DESTEC @Corsairfoxfouruncle I think the best way forward is to cut the frame off as is. Fit the engine and glue in place but then cut the frame using thin strips of plastic card. Should work. Hopefully.

Looks great Steve. Again the speed with which you work and the quality you get is astounding. The fete sounds good. Put me down for running the coconut shy....

So, I've realised that what I've said might not make any sense so here's what I mean in picture format. This is the MK1 spit that was at Cosford today and the engine covers were off! Hussar!!! The actual framing on a proper spit spit is really thin and nothing like that on the kit. So I'm planning on removing the whole frame, adding the engine on the engine mounts. I will add the cowling cover at the top to give it some extra strength and may even replace the framing once the engine is in. Would this work? Heres the pictures, do they make sense?

Ambitious indeed which for me is very unusual. 🤣. I've had a further thought and it goes a little like this. The engine fits fine if the framing isn't present as it's this that doesn't allow the engine to sit right. So, if I can remove the framing and just drop the engine in then all should be OK and I don't lose any detail. Also, this will allow me to keep the propeller and spinner on the aircraft. If if this is a really bad idea please let me know! In in other news, Cosford was great. Have never been before and it's was quite decent. Too many jets and not enough props though ha ha. Spent most of the day in the war in the air section amongst the first and Second World War aircraft. Ive taken some photos, will post them up if anyone's interested? Great, thank you for the kind words.

@BIG X great isn't it. There's a trimmed down version in the spitfire Haynes manual. Not as good and hides loads of what's going on. My my brain is now working overtime as to how to progress the build. Again borrowed from the internet but with a little work quite achieveable. It's whether I could make it look decent or not given the little bit of detail I'd add. It wouldn't be 100% accurate but good enough. Ish. This is is a xvi but gives an idea decisions decisions.

Oh man, that's devastating.

Yes! That looks great mate. Just how drab was the call if you were only doing some scribing but ended up building all that ??? 🤣

I've been thinking this but not sure how i would be able to make it work as wouldn't be able to attach the propeller or the spinner. Thought about something along these lines. But not quite the full diorama. Image shown for information only from http://spitfiresite.com/