Mark Harmsworth

Thank you. The trolley was slightly more work than I'd expected as some of the fine resin pieces were too fragile for my cleaning up methods so I had to figure out some replacements - but definitely worth that effort. thanks again Mark

Thank you. Having got the trolley I thought I'd try to replicate some images I'd seen. This one is post war (late '45 or early '46) of the Norwegian air force. It seems the trolley was still fit for purpose: Makes me feel cold just looking at that. Mark

This is the Heller 1:72 Arado Ar 196A which was first manufactured in 1979 - I had found an original boxing at a model show a few years ago. I'd expected the kit to be rather basic, as compared to current kits, so I'd searched for some extras. Fortunately it had been re-boxed by Revell so I was able to get: - a photo-etch set from Eduard (very comprehensive and including a complete new cabin and really nice detail to add to the floats) - a replacement cowling from Quickboost (a single piece avoiding the difficult seam in the kit parts) - new exhausts from Quickboost (the kit does not provide exhausts) - a replacement gun for the navigator from Eduard (fantastic detail but ever so teeny) - decals from Kora for two schemes aboard the Tirpitz (I'd expected the kit decals to be almost unusable, because of their age, but in fact they were missing) During the build I also bought a 'transport trolley' from Kora. I thought a floatplane on a trolley would look rather different - although buying it did change my weathering approach. I had originally thought of a heavily weathered plane as aboard Tirpitz but settled on an 'as new' approach showing the floatplane as if it had just rolled out and was ready for its' pre-delivery test flight. I did a WIP thread which is here: The proportion of p.e. to plastic was a new one for me and a challenge at times but I'm happy with the end result and if anyone has this kit I would definitely recommend the Eduard set. Here's the photos. all the best Mark The Eduard replacement cabin: The transport trolley - a little resin kit from Kora: Thanks for looking Mark

Thank you. Yes, so did I - although I'm pretty sure I didn't use the correct 'maritime' greens !! all the best Mark

Thank you. Working on it. all the best Mark

Thank you. I think there may well be another - although possibly not quite the next one. One thing that attracted me to the Arado was that it is a monoplane. Biplanes still make me nervous even after all these years (an unfortunate incident with the rigging on a Tiger Moth didn't help). thanks again Mark

Thank you. My wife tells me that I type rather like I talk - I'm not sure that's intended as a compliment. Mark

Well. I might get shouted at for this but, my approach would be: - dip the canopy parts in klear (or varnish of your choice) - wait - join the parts with a couple of drops of ca glue (the varnish should prevent any fogging from the ca fumes) - wait - use pva to fill the remainder of the join - wait - paint good luck Mark

Here we are then. The final post. I've enjoyed this build - the amount of photo-etch compared to plastic made it quite different to my usual work. So here's the final photos. I attached the p.e. rudders to the floats. These are really nice and I'd deliberately left them until near the end as I was sure I'd knock at least one off if done earlier. Then paint the rudders and attach the floats to the plane - or maybe that's the other way round. A few small things for underneath the wings. Beside the float struts are two teeny p.e. clamps (probably not the right term) for the bombs and a pitot tube and mass balances from the kit. The lovely, but ever so small, gun for the navigator - from Eduard. I took this photo not really expecting to be able to assemble those little things. But I surprised myself: Still not quite sure how I managed to get that gun sight to stay there - but I think it looks great. And there it was - with everything attached: Another view: All that p.e. for the interior shows up really well through the canopy. I finished the trolley: I had to replace the triangular tow bar (left of picture) as the resin one snapped and the railings over the main wheels are also a replacement for the resin parts. Lastly, everything together: And one more: And that's it. Done. Except of course I need to take some decent photos for a RFI post - that'll occupy me for a while. Thanks for looking. all the best Mark

Back to the trolley. There are four wheels: two either side rather like an aircraft's main wheels and then two small ones, front and rear, which look as if they are intended for balance. These are they. I drilled some holes and used small lengths of wire as locating pins. While I was at it I also put one in the centre of that beam, Then painted and attached to the trolley. And I couldn't resist a sort of test fit with the floats. The floats now just need the rudders to be attached. Eduard has some rather nice replacement rudders in that set I've been using. This shows one with the kit part as a comparison. I've been holding off attaching them to the floats before as I was sure I would knock them off. This is the final stretch in the build and, as usual, most of the bits are all rather small. Rather dramatically, I managed to lose the small rails for the trolley - which go just above the main wheels. I managed to lob a bottle of varnish at them and they decided to vacate the bench in a rather dramatic fashion. I was shaking the bottle which slipped out of my hand and crashed into the small plastic container which had the remaining resin parts for the trolley. Small resin bits then shot across the bench never to be seen again. Sharp intake of breath, elevated blood pressure, exhale slowly. Thankfully everything else in the build was well protected under the large plastic cake lid I use. I did a rather half-hearted rummage in my various spares boxes and, to my complete surprise, found these: A quite similar shape and size. I think these are from a B-24's undercarriage. If I remove the scary ghost doll from the middle they should be good to go. The last job on the trolley will be to replace the resin tow bar which had snapped when I started to clean it up: Again, probably wouldn't have been used anyway and I'll have to give that some thought. Back to the plane. The engine was attached and looked ok. The kit didn't provide exhausts so I had got some from Quickboost and painted them ready to be attached. That's four layers of paint on those little bits. Primer, metallic, red-brown and lastly matt varnish (yes, the one I threw across the desk). This shows them, and the cowling (also Quickboost), attached. The remaining jobs are attaching the floats (with their rudders), various little p.e. bits underneath and then the navigator's gun, aerial and wire. Plus, no doubt, a few other thingies I've currently forgotten. Nearly there. Mark

That's what I'm thinking too. Xtracrylix is fairly robust but I do like the comfort of that extra layer of varnish. Mark

Time for an update. There has been much masking, painting, waiting for paint to dry and then the masking comes off. After all that I have this: My masking seems to have done the job although there's a couple of areas on the p.e. attached to the floats where the paint has lifted with the tape. And just to confirm - the copydex came off the float struts with the paint staying where it was supposed to. Some touching up followed by a brushed coat of Klear and I was ready for decals. I know that there are differing thoughts on the use of a gloss varnish before decaling but that has worked for me - so I tend to stick with it. Decaling underway. The decals are from Kora and are wonderfully thin. They adhered perfectly. I had a slight problem with a couple of the letters which folded in on itself. Easily sorted by dropping them into the little bowl of water I was using where they straightened out again. Here we are with the decaling done: An oddity (for me) was the swastika being on the moveable part of the vertical tail. Kora's instructions showed that and it was confirmed in reference photos I checked. The float noses were painted red so I constructed something out of masking tape, scrap paper and copydex to hold it all together: Red noses: I'm assuming they were painted red so that anyone in the way would notice the floats flying at them just below the plane. Maybe there had been some incidents. Time to look at the resin beaching trolley. This shows all the parts removed from the casting blocks and cleaned up - at least as much as I could manage. My failures were the tow bar - at the top of the image - which broke apart and the curved rails at either side which don't look that great close up. Thankfully I have a few semi-decent photos in my AR 196 reference which gives a reasonable idea what all the bits might be for. Next I assembled some of it ready for primer. Primer applied and starting the painting of the wooden bits - although I'm having to assume which parts might not be wood. Next will be some oils for depth and staining on that wood. Lastly I started to remove my masking from the cockpit transparencies. This is the point when I usually feel a mixture of hope and worry. I have to remind myself that these transparencies are over forty years old. Having said that, the fit is good and the masking seems to have mostly worked. So far. back soon Mark

Not sure of your budget but if you are looking for an instrument panel for your Spitfire then I definitely recommend Airscale. I have their instrument decals, bezels and other p.e. details in 1:48 and they are just lovely. His 1:24 instrument panels look wonderful. Here: https://airscale.co.uk/index.php# He also builds fabulous 1:18 scale scale models - I look at his builds and am both astounded and super depressed at the same time. Here's his P-40 build https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235103756-118-curtiss-p40c/

Welcome! I like your profile image - our day is always started with a pot of Yorkshire. That's a good start on your stash - I hope we'll see those builds. I'm sure you'll enjoy it here. all the best Mark

Welcome! I had similar thoughts when I returned to the hobby. So generally I now build single engined planes in 1:48 and use 1:72 scale for anything larger. I would love to build everything in 1:48 but I have a need to see my completed builds and I just don't have the space for 1:48 scale Lancasters, B-17s etc in the cabinet. And, whilst on this topic, I should be honest and own up to a few 1:32 kits in the stash - all for very good reasons of course. Anyway, good luck with your builds and this is a great place to ask any questions you may have. all the best Mark

Review here:

I use imgur. The option you need is 'Direct Link' - this is the second option in the list. Click on this two or three times - I am not sure why that is necessary but it does work. Then 'paste' here. There is more info in this thread: Good luck - and welcome! Mark This is a screenshot which may explain better:

Thanks. I built the Airfix kit a long long time ago (memories!) which prompted me to get this one at a model fair (in the 21st Century). That Airfix kit dates from the mid 1960s. Mark

Yes to all of those and I find it very easy to apply - with a cocktail stick / toothpick. A lesson I've learned is to not mess with it once it starts to dry / cure as it then comes off in one long rubbery piece. Interesting. I use xtracrylics and have never experienced copydex removing a paint layer. Maybe ModelAir is more delicate.

After the primer it was time to apply some real paint. First RLM 65 Hellblau from xtracrylix: With masking underway. My plan for the floats was to use my favourite liquid mask - Copydex - on the struts as they seem to be blue with the exception of the forward-most strut. This was the point I found out that my pot had dried up - it seems I hadn't tightened the lid after my previous use. Lesson learned. Probably. New pot arrived and masking completed. Then I realise that I don't have the 'maritime' greens for the top surfaces amongst my selection of RLM paints. To be honest I didn't know that the maritime greens were different. Anyway, another wait for a delivery. Then some green applied to the top surfaces. This is RLM 73 which seems lighter to me than RLM 72. I'm now thinking I have that the wrong way round. Hmmm. When I bought the pots of RLM 72 and RLM 73 I just had to get this: Not a great picture of the transport carriage - also called a beaching trolley I think. From Kora - who also make the decals. Here's a pile of resin: And a one page instruction sheet. Some of the parts are joined directly to the casting blocks, with no space to use a razor saw, and others have a fair bit of flash to remove. Whilst waiting for paint to dry I started: Some parts were straightforward to clean up, but: Looks like I'm going to spend more time on that little trolley than I had hoped. Never mind - we like a challenge. Onwards Mark

Well, for a start, I see enough of my family not to want to build models of them.

Interesting thread. For me the interest in WW2 came from two inter-twinned sources: family and 'recent' history. My dad was at school during the Battle of Britain and, with his dad, from a distance watched the Luftwaffe attack on RAF Tangmere in 1940. A few years later he joined the RAF and as a nineteen year old in 1945 was an air gunner in Coastal Command. One of my uncles was in the Eighth Army in North Africa. A neighbour was a Lancaster pilot. And so on. So as a child in the late 50s and early 60s WW2 was still very 'current' with my parents generation, and sometimes their parents, directly involved. My interests these days have evolved from simply a production line of Airfix kits (often bought for me as birthday or Christmas presents or with the cash given to me as a present) to now wanting to understand more about the people involved. My builds often have a story attached - and it is that human story that keeps me interested. all the best Mark

Can't really help with this except to say I get a scary Microsoft warning about not linking to this site. Interesting looking nose art though. Mark

Definitely bare metal. A key point is whether you are planning to paint with an airbrush or with a brush? Either way, a critical point is to get the plastic as smooth and shiny as possible as bare (or natural) metal finishes are extremely unforgiving and will show every blemish on the plastic. Lots of work sanding and polishing is well worth it. There's plenty of advice here in the Paint section: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/16-paint/ I can offer some advice if you are using an airbrush. Good luck Mark PS One suggestion if I may - why not start your bare metal journey with something slightly smaller? A P-47 or a P-51 maybe? A B-17 is a lot of plastic to handle.

Good pictures of the real car - when are you going to post your model? Just kidding - that is simply wonderful modelling. Congratulations. Mark