Tweener

If you can excuse the rushed photo from just before I traveled back to Uni yesterday, a key development has taken place! Naturally, I won't be able to finish the paint for about another 10 days. Once I do, some of the cockpit will need to be re-painted, the nose bay will need to be made, etc. So much for quick and easy. More soonish, Tweener

It's a shame yes - though if I can find where I placed the prop and canopy, I'll soon be able to post a captured BF-109G with the red surrounds. Seeing an OD/NG 109 with those will never sit quite right!

This has come out very well Tom, I especially like the red-surround roundels. I may have to source some of those for when I get around to finishing my Academy D Model. Speaking of that Academy kit, I was pawing through it again yesterday. I'm choosing not to imagine the scale of the Hobby Boss.

In a way I do over-schedule but I'm also 'lucky' to only have 4 day weeks at Uni - my current one doesn't have Friday classes. That'll change next year and with any luck I'll have a schedule with more than one class each day too. As for keeping track of builds, I like to take notes about how I plan to approach them; it keeps me on track but some kits have definitely thrown me for a loop anyways, such as the TP-40N I work on occasionally. In the last few days I've made good progress on a few builds: I've repaired the dH,60, finished painting the body of the Hurricane IIC and started it's decals, and I've done most of the decals for the Italian Mustang as well. All the decal work will be finished in a few minutes before I return for my last 2 weeks at Uni. As of now, they look like this: While paints dried and decals set, I finished building the ancient Airfix Whirlwind as well. I have a very special scheme picked out for this one, but I don't have most of the paints for it yet. This is almost certainly the least detailed kit I've built and mine was missing the cockpit piece on arrival. A spare P-40 floor and seat replaced it and a control stick from an Anson was added as well. It'll use it to experiment in weathering given I've never bothered with much and the fact that it was about $5. I only need to decide now if I want to replace the exhausts and wheels. More updates on these in about 10-15 days. My Uni, ever professional, keeps changing the dates of finals. Best, Tweener

I'll be headed home once again this weekend and so I've taken down a list of builds to focus on while there - Matchbox Gnat (Landing gear bay corrections and paint) Heller Hurricane IIC (Finishing prop, decals) Amodel Genet Moth (Finish filling / sanding nose) Airfix Spitfire (Landing gear and prop repairs) FROG DH.60 (Landing gear and prop repairs) Notice that my family managed to knock two kits off the shelf whilst I've been away... I'll likely grab the old AMT Lysander I've got on top of the stash as the next build, as the Airfix Hampden I'd prefer to start is going to take far too much work than I can reasonably accomplish at Uni. Speaking of Uni, I've just been accepted into a far better school, as well as a dedicated research program within it. This summer may be the last time I can manage much modeling for some time! More Friday - Tweener

Is it just me or are there 3 colors on the upper wing? And does this photo show the LE/LG lower wing?

I've made some more progress on this one, but then it was set aside at the start of the Uni year. I only just rediscovered it while reorganizing during my last visit home, but it's nearly at the top of my to-finish pile. I'll post an update when I'm home again in just over a week. Best, Tweener

While trying to figure out the way forward on the Roc and still being away from the builds I need to finish, I decided it couldn't hurt to start 1 or 2 more builds. I've chosen the Amodel Genet Moth after seeing @Patriks build from a few years back. Having previously worked a little on the dH,60C floatplane, I figured it'd be a bit of a nightmare to get on, but clearly my skills have advanced at least somewhat in the year since I started that one. The included engine was rather soft on detail and misaligned, and so I grabbed an old Aeroclub Genet to use instead. For a moment I even figured this would help prevent a tail sitter, but then this is a Moth... This one ended up going together quickly so I didn't get any interior pics. The only change I made to what is included was to raise the floorboard 1-2mms so that a prospective pilot could actually see where they mean to fly. The next steps will be to correct the size of the gaps on the engine fairing, attach the tailskid, and clean up some of the seams on the rear fuselage. After that I'll need to decide on a scheme. For now, it looks like this - Thanks all, Tweener

I'd meant to start painting the red over this last weekend, but attaching the gear bay covers revealed some gaps that both couldn't be ignored and which 3 rounds of super glue and sanding still haven't quite fixed. I'll be home again in 2 weeks to sort the last bits out and start that, but for now it looks like this - To be fair to Matchbox, this is the only part of the build that's given any issues. More soon, Tweener

This is precisely what happened to me as well 😅

Ive collected a few of these over time, probably about 40 by now. I'll have to find them when I'm home next and start posting them

Looking things over again, I'm inclined to agree. That said, I'm a little confused now, as I clearly recall once reading something that had described the turret as being similar to the ones seen under some late mark Blenheims, and I want to know who thought up such a thing! Thanks for the help all, and especially for the photo of the modified top turret - that'll go to to the top of the list when I build my Hampden, assuming I don't try to convert it to the first prototype.

This profile may better show what I'm referring to: As you said, the original gunners position has been made smaller, but another gun has been installed in that place, as seen in the photo. I've only found this single actual photo of it - the mod came to my attention by way of a Bilek decal sheet for Hampdens and Battles that I picked up last summer. Now I just need to get the Battle, but I'm holding out for Airfix to release a new one... Maybe 2028?

While preparing references for a Hampden build I plan to do this summer, I've come across a few profiles that have shown a turret being added just underneath the ventral gunners seat. I've only found one photo that (barely) shows this fitting, a Soviet aircraft: The turret can be seen just to the right of the crewman's face. Were these common at all? Were they only a Soviet mod? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Tweener

Just 3? I remember those days...

Gents, I've fallen even further off the wagon, but thankfully, there's no bad news... Thanks to the genius of Raoul Hafner and his Rotachute, I've landed safely, and you can too! (Safety trials pending.) Whilst stalled on the Roc because I realized the wheel bays weren't interior green and because the engine was mis-molded, I ended up putting together most of the Fly Rotachute MK.III. I'd actually forgotten I had this until I found it in my suitcase earlier... I'd previously sprayed the interior and joined the halves (if they can be called that) and today the rest was done. The rod for the wheels snapped twice and the landing skid 3 times - though at least the skid wasn't metal. I'll spray the whole thing tan this weekend and then paint up the details after. Thanks all, Tweener

I've decided to go with aluminum based on a few photo's and because it's easier than white, particularly if the red gives any overspray. Painting commences once I'm back from Uni this weekend.

I may have a go at the interior this weekend but as it stands I don't have space to display it even if I do manage to get it done. I'm also not sure if I need to make any changes to it yet and the decals don't look useable, so I'll have to find a different scheme or buy one of the Master-X Resin conversions for a later Luftwaffe transport

I've been considering a VC-10 tanker for some time now, but seeing this build I feel a bit put off by the thought of it. Are Roden panel lines always so inconsistent? I understand they're a company known for a bit of inconsistency and overcomplicated assemblies, but I'd have thought such a thing would be ironed out after a few years of operations. Perhaps we all take Eduard and Co for granted...

A great result! The F-13 is very much a classic type in my eyes, it deserves more recognition than it gets. I have to ask, did you use the decals for the stripes or did you end up painting them instead? I've got the G.24 Floatplane calling me from the other room now... I'd best go give it another look over before deciding it's beyond my ability again 🤣

Can't say I've ever been tempted to build a Harrier before, but this may just change my mind! Great result on this one, especially given where it started.

Buckers are fine looking little aircraft and you've done a fantastic job capturing their dainty nature - I oughta go pick up a few more of the Heller kit - South Africa used a few so I could justify the purchase that way!

I love this dark blue scheme - I've got the Heller Mistral all built up but wasn't sure how I'd paint it. Seeing this has convinced me to go for the blue

The 1/72 kit shares the step on the underside of the nose, among *many* other fit issues.

The Intrepid Demon is tail marking AG 3566 with the Red - Yellow - Blue - Orange - Green - Black stripe on the end of the rudder, similar to the other option on the decal sheet you're using. At one point it's markings were more generic, but I can't say how long ago that was.