tonyot

Hiya Steve,.... no worries mate. I built a 100 Gp Fortress from the original release of the kit (the boxing in USAAF markings) and mentioned the Airfix code cock up there,....I did inform them but they said that it was too late to change it in the kit instructions. Here is the WIP in case it helps during your build; And here is the finished model thread;

Yet another beauty there Russ,..... really nice P-40 and I love your jungle backdrop too, Cheers Tony

Sorry to hear this Steve,..... Airfix also did this on their 100 Group B-17G Fortress kit! Check out the correct BU-E and the incorrect B-UE on the other as seen attached,..... I`m sure that I`ve come across a similar code cock upon another RAF aircraft too!; https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/boeing-fortress-mk-iii-1-72.html Cheers Tony

Thanks Dave,..... I`m not holding my breath for another set of decals,.... let alone anything else! Just seems to be a kick in the balls,.... especially as they cost so much and I still had to print off my own instructions too!

Good choice Grahame,..... this is an oldie but goodie (I remember ir being New in Woolies!) and you are doing an excellent job so far, Cheers Tony

Looks great so far Steve,..... that harness looks brilliant! Glad the wing tip worked out mate, Cheers, Tony

This is coming along nicely,.... love the netting and the figure looks excellent, Cheers Tony

Hiya Folks,..... Back to the original model,.... the 1/48th scale Spit,...... I`ve removed the splintered fin stripes and had a go at mixing a blue colour to match, then painted the fin stripes myself (I wasn`t very happy with the colour and since photographing it I`ve repainted them again, having bought a tin of Revell enamel 51 Gloss Ultra Marine Blue,.. and also painted the spinner stripes too). Just look at how the roundel just wants to peel away and how the yellow edges are frayed where they have broken up. DSCF3551 by Tony OToole, on Flickr I`ve also had a go at painting the shark mouth and have applied the remaining decals,.....using copious amounts of Microscale products!!! I had plans to build quite a few of the options on this fantastic looking decal sheet,...... but not anymore! DSCF3555 by Tony OToole, on Flickr DSCF3554 by Tony OToole, on Flickr Hopefully Fantasy Printshop will reply to me soon via e mail, Cheers Tony

Hiya Folks, Well I applied the decals today,..... the Hasegawa decals didn`t seem to match the available photos of the real thing,.....with the codes a touch too big and thick and the fin flashes were too narrow! Then I remembered that the same aircraft was on the Xtradecal Med Fighters sheet so used the codes and serial from that instead,..... they may be a touch too small but look better I think. Here is the model with its new codes and the old Hasegawa ones having been removed and placed on the paper. I also replaced the fin stripes with some from an Aeromaster Tempest sheet; DSCF3553 by Tony OToole, on Flickr DSCF3552 by Tony OToole, on Flickr I`ve gone for the original finish for CV-P,..... with B Type roundels above the wings and the spinner partially painted red. Later it had the leading edges of the wings and tail roughly painted in a black material called `stucco', then the upper wing roundel was altered with a white ring to become a C Type, the spinner was painted all red and finally the `stucco' was removed! This info comes from the fantastic book `Southern Cross Mustangs' by David Muir, southerncrossmustangsbookreviewbg_1 by Tony OToole, on Flickr Here is a review of the book on Hyperscale; http://www.hyperscale.com/2009/reviews/books/southerncrossmustangsbookreviewbg_1.htm Cheers, Tony

Thanks Fella`s,...... well I hoped that the 1/72nd scale sheet might be OK...... but NO!!! I applied the anti glare panel last night; DSCF3548 by Tony OToole, on Flickr Then it was onto the decals today,......despite lots of Liquid Decal Film the edges of the roundels and fin flashes disintegrated when being slid from the paper!; DSCF3556 by Tony OToole, on Flickr DSCF3559 by Tony OToole, on Flickr I did contact Fantasy Printshop and was told that they had some trouble with inks around 12 months ago,..... and to find my order, send it to them and they will provide a refund! Well without knowing the Paypal address and the exact date that I bought them,.... I`ve been struggling to find this,.... I have informed him and said that I`d prefer replacement decal sheets which are OK,...... but I have yet to receive an answer! I`m going to check my spares box to see if I have any suitable roundels,..... but I don`t think I have any! Even so,.... will the codes and serial be OK? How annoying is this? Cheers Tony

Thanks Dave,.... yes I have been thinking along the same lines and have searched V serials and am now looking at similar looking numbers,.... great minds think alike! Thanks for confirming it Chris,...... I`ll be trawling through similar looking serials and trying to find out some serials of Blenheim`s used by the Lorraine Group! Cheers, Tony

Hiya Dave,.... no I might just collapse! The Greek Spit and the decal problems have really knocked the wind from my sails, Cheers Tony

Sorry Dave,.... I`m obviously becoming a bad influence on you and your wallet,...haha!!! Well,.... a bit of a prolonged update here and not really good news either! First of all,..... the little 1/72nd Spitfire has been coming along well and it has received a coat of silver, care of a Tamiya rattle can; DSCF3535 by Tony OToole, on Flickr And here it is with the LM Decals and instructions printed from the internet; DSCF3533 by Tony OToole, on Flickr BUT,..... the decal may look beautiful on the sheet,..... however trying to add them to the 1/48th scale model has been a nightmare,..... With the 1/48th scale model I first of all cut out the sharkmouth and applied it to the nose,.....but the decals would not adhere to the model, nor bend to the contours,.....simply shattering into pieces and the white areas were especially prone to lifting and shattering,.....like an old NOVO kit decal sheet! I applied Micro Set in an attempt to get the decal to settle and it did help after a while,.... but look at the result; DSCF3532 by Tony OToole, on Flickr DSCF3530 by Tony OToole, on Flickr I may be able to go over the result and paint a new sharkmouth! So,..... forewarned,... I painted the sheet using Microscale Liquid Decal Film,.... hoping that it might prevent the decals from breaking up and maybe make them more malleable,.... but no,..... they were just as bad and the fin stripes simply shattered and would not adhere with the white area crumbling away,..... despite having a number of coats of Micro Set applied! The roundels were a little better,... however the yellow rings began to crumble and disintegrate around the edges too! At least the Airfix decals on the wings were excellent as usual!; DSCF3529 by Tony OToole, on Flickr DSCF3528 by Tony OToole, on Flickr DSCF3527 by Tony OToole, on Flickr So,.... I won`t apply any more decals for now! I shall have a go at rectifying the shark mouth with paint,.... see if I can do something with the fin stripes,.....even apply a set of RAF ones and try to match up a blue paint with the roundel to then modify these? Either that,... or remove the decals and choose another subject! To say that I am disappointed by this set is an understatement,..... it was printed for LM by Fantasy Printshop of Cornwall whose products are normally first class,..... and it was not cheap either,...... in fact I paid more than I would usually spend for these sheets,.... the subject matter and what looked to be top quality product convinced me to treat myself,..... but oh dear! These decals are NOT recommended! There is a built up model on line wearing markings which appear to be from this sheet,.... but I`m damned if I know how he did it if he used this sheet! Cheers Tony

Thanks Dave,...... well here is the latest update! I`ve got the kit decals on; DSCF3546 by Tony OToole, on Flickr DSCF3539 by Tony OToole, on Flickr Cheers, Tony

Cheers Trevor,..... yes it is almost drop in,.... and thanks, glad you like it so far! Today I got the decals on,.... using the Plastic Planet Club set, PPD-72006 featuring Allied fighters in the Battle Over Greece; DSCF3541 by Tony OToole, on Flickr Cheers Tony