dnl42

FWIW, on my smaller models, like a 1/72 HUNLEY or 1/35 YMS, I've done the same as @LotusArenco. Problem is that the model is sometimes at an inconvenient attitude. A couple of times, I put the base in a Panavise to enable better positions, but, that only works for those smaller model. I bought the foam cradle during this build because it will work larger models.

Woohoo!! What he said!!!

Google found this https://www.hamiltoncollection.com/products/908312001_172-scale-wwii-douglas-c-47-skytrain-diecast.html I have no other info... Edit. Hm, wrong door, wrong air filter, other missing/incorrect detail, ...

FWIW, I've had good luck using Mr Color as bases for Alclad.

I don't recall adding any weight to the Kinetic 1/48 F-16D that I built. Edit: Confirmed, no weight added. That F-16 only has 5-10g load on the nose gear. My Academy 1/48 MiG-21MF, on the other hand, has 25g on the nose gear! Since I also added weight--it rattles with at least one loose lead buckshot--I'm thinking I added too much. Other kits needing nose weight: Bronco 1/48 RQ-1B, Skunkworks 1/48 RQ-4B, Hawk 1/48 R3C-2, Academy 1/144 C-54, Amodel 1/144 CL-415, Revell 1/144 E-2C, Amodel 1/144 HU-16, Minicraft/Welsh Models 1/144 C-47C Floatplane As rule, I've learned to always dry-fit major parts together and determine if nose weight is actually needed. Those painter's pyramids mentioned above work well for 1/48 kits, but I use wooden sandwich picks or toothpicks for 1/144 models.

No, the nose wheel does not take most of the weight. It's the main gear that does. If you add enough weight to make the nose wheel just touch down, it has very little load. So little, that you might get the model to sit on the tail just by pushing it down, thus moving the center of gravity back ever so little. Here's Freedom Models' 1/48 X-47B. Total weight 170g Weight on main gear, 155g Weight on nose gear, 15g And, to prove that arithmetic works, 170 = 155 + 15.

I got this foam cradle from Micro Mark here in the states. I really like it!

A dear Australian friend pointed out this short film, "SPITFIRE 944", on youtube. It's a film about some 16mm "home" movies including the USAAF 14th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron along with an interview of a pilot, Lt. Col. John Blythe, flying a Spitfire XI.

Hm, you might try Mr Color clear (C46). I paint in Mr Color or Alclad and apply decals directly atop those paints without any issues, that is, without the use of a clear coat. Given this, Mr Color clear should do quite well. As a lacquer, it dries quite quickly. This includes liberal use of both Set and Sol directly atop Alclad, as in this sorry example of an old Monogram decal that never did settle down.

Nice work on this! I was scanning my cache of LCM pictures, and I happened upon one that includes a shot of your vessel that I found at Getty Images. It has a good view of the gravity roller davits. HTH -- dnl

The water barrel is done. Here's the prototype from an LCVP training film on youtube. I made up the barrel from 1/4, 3/16, and 1/8 Evergreen tubing and 1/16 Evergreen rod. The bands are 5 mil Al cut into 0.03 wide strips. The handle is .018 wire with Albion tubing. The legs are 1/32 Evergreen strip. The 1/4 and 3/16 tubing was cut to length and then chucked on my Dremel tool using a suitably tight machine screw. The Dremel was run at the slowest speed to prevent the plastic from melting so that I could shape the barrel using 0, 2, 4, and 6 cut equaling files. The max diameter is 1/4 while the ends are just over 3/16. Once shaped and smoothed, I cut the 1/8 tubing and 1/16 rod a wee bit shorter than the body, formed a rod, and then glued it in to form the barrel ends. The leg tops were shaped with a crossing file. I painted the barrel with Mr Color C45, Sail Color, formed the bands around the barrel, added the legs, and finally attached the handles

If you're going to file or sand CA (superglue), you need to do it as soon as it's hard. For the Medium CA that I use to fill gaps, that means I'm filing about 30m after application--no more than a couple of hours. If you wait too long, like overnight, it will turn into a rock that cannot be worked. BTW, to fill a gap, I just make a puddle of medium CA on some scrap foil or paper, then apply it to the gap with a small "stick", like a plastic toothpick or perhaps some scrap sharpened sprue. The goal is to get it to settle into gap, just proud of the surface. Don't build up too much, as that may cause a surface cure with the inside uncured. Then file it once it has cured. You didn't say what you're going to build, but clear-drying white glue makes an excellent adhesive for any clear plastic, such as canopies or lenses. It can be thinned with water to apply it if you like. You can use a cotton bud dipped in water to clean up any excess. Don't forget the cosmetics aisle for abrasive sticks and buffing sticks. You can usually find a 6 to a dozen abrasive sticks in a package. Oh, and the caps from bottled water or soda make good "paint pots" when you're using a brush. Put some paint in the upturned cap, add a little thinner, and you're ready to go...

Nice work on this!

That's outstanding work!

Thanks John! As you note, more conflict. I do see in the 1st image above that the grey ring is indeed a darker grey than the boat. That's consistent with the tonal difference between my boat and its life ring. I did some greyscale conversions of color photos, and I observed that orange maps to a lighter color than shown in the photo. While I know that panchromatic film and greyscale mappings aren't identical, they should be somewhat consistent. This again leads me to grey. Having written that, another photo I just found on my disk suggests orange, as shown in this crop. Last night, I was leaning towards orange. I mixed up a suitable orange and shot it. Looking at it this morning, it looks out of place.