Heather Kay

Thanks Ian! I do generally enjoy bashing kits into submission, though sometimes I like to just throw some glue and paint in the box, give it a shake and go. I was reviewing the thread earlier, and noted a comment about using the Revell tail parts as well. That prompted me to dig the box out to retrieve them. There’s one or two things that make it likely that I’ll use them. First, the elevator operating linkage doodahs are in the correct location, where the Airfix ones are for the earlier (obviously) E/F model and closer to the fuselage. Second, the starboard fin has the correct 3.5 degree offset, where I’m not sure the Airfix one does. A little adjustment to the slot for the empennage in the fuselage, and we should be good to go.

I think I’ll get that set. Thanks for spotting it. I don’t think the kit will get built for a fair while, mainly because I don’t have anywhere to display the finished model at the moment! Settling decals over the corrugations is a bit of a worry, I have to admit.

The general rule is PE folds with the half-etch line inside, unless the destructions say otherwise. I've built so many metal kits that the "fold inside" is just automatic with me - and it caught me out a while back when the instructions said to fold with the half-etch outside. Typical of just one solitary kit maker to be contrary.

Thank you to everyone that answered my query. I spent a happy day at SMW last month, failing to find a single Heller boxing of the Ju52. Loads of old Airfix and Revell ones, a few Italeri ones, but nothing from Heller. I came home and searched online, again without success, even though the kit is listed on Heller's own web site. In the end, searching the Hannants site, I found this... I now have it in the stash, and the reasons are it’s actually Heller plastic and it has one of my favourite markings and camo sets for my 1940 period. Happy bunny.

Not much progress to report, although you’ll all be pleased to hear the lurgy is abating nicely. Before I start hacking things about on the fuselage, I though it would be nice to pay tribute to the mould maker. At a time when a lot of kits had very little inside the cockpit save a simple seat for the pilot, Airfix made a pretty good stab at adding some sidewall detail. The instrument panel is also pretty detailed, too. Somehow, I need to carefully assemble this lot and get it in the fuselage. Wish me luck!

It’s only a seasonal cold. I’m basically alright, but Best Beloved always plays up to it. Call it "man-flu". I’ve always preferred the Dornier, I think partly because it wasn’t kitted as much as the Ju88 and He111 when I was younger. I realise the Monogram and Frog kits had been made in the 1960s, but they were exotic beasts when I was growing up. The Airfix kit of the Do17E does seem out of place for 1971, but well done them for doing it! Guilty as charged. Depending on how well the FrankenDornier ends up, I might try to acquire a better "proper" kit in time.

Painting is still some way off, so I shall leave further discussion on that for now. I shall be digging around for information, in case something turns up beyond my current resources. I will say I will mostly be cobbling together markings, so one profile I have that has some lovely badges adorning various parts of the cowlings and nose may not get a showing! The lurgy has struck HK Towers, although I am not completely under its thrall quite yet. The good news as far as the car is concerned is it now has some new "all-weather" tyres on the front, and the alignment has been sorted out. Apparently, the odd wear on the offside tyre had been caused by that wheel being several degrees off where it ought to be. Oh, and the ABS is still functioning, as I discovered after braking a bit sharpish on some wet leaves. Just that pesky brake sensor to fix, then. Onwards! With fairly satisfactory progress on the nacelle front - or rear, at least - I spent an hour or two pondering the fuselage. With the Extra Tech PE detail pack, it might be some while before the cockpit is detailed up, but that shouldn’t stop me working out other changes. The bomb bay doors on the Airfix moulding seemed wrong. Measured from the drawing, I marked out new lines to be scribed. The old lines will need to be filled. I haven’t found any images online that show any details of the camera bay installed on the 17P. I plan, therefore, to open the camera windows, and glaze them. I think I’ll just blank the windows with black material. Just a final note on the nacelles. It seems, on the Revell moulding, the nacelle sides are angled where the real thing was square to the wing surface. The angle leads to the nacelles being a bit wider in places than ideal, meaning the tapering rear end is fatter than it should be. Short of rebuilding the nacelles completely, I shall live with the error.

I haven’t quite decided, although references show pretty standard splinter camo of RLM 70 and 71 on top, RLM 65 underneath. There’s one drawing I have that shows the 65 brought up the sides and mottled, which might be interesting to do.

Ha! Don’t worry, you're not alone! I would’ve got a proper kit, but this old Airfix one arrived in my stash, and I had a spare Revell kit. I’m always up for a bit of kitbashing.

A quick go round with the files and sanding sticks before I begin the day proper. I am tempted to say that’s good enough. There are compromises to be made. I am pretty certain the Revell nacelles are a good bit dumpier than I would like. Things really should start to narrow towards the rear of the gear well. This extra width leads to the knife-edge rear end in my effort being too fat to begin with, where it should taper to the sharp trailing edge more. I don’t think there’s a lot I can do with that, so I shall leave it to fester for a while on the bench to see if a solution arrives. If nothing better turns up, this is what I’ll run with. It does more or less capture the effect I was after. It’s going to be a funny week ahead. A trip to a show is planned, followed by a short stay with my parents down near the south coast. I have a visit to my osteopath this afternoon, and new tyres books for fitting to the car tomorrow morning. I hope to get some day job stuff done as well. That’s if Mrs Mojo decides to let me. We will see.

That is … pretty impressive. I’ve had some experience of the final output of various 3D print technologies, and I have to say the finish you got there, Tony, is up there. Five years ago it would have been out of the reach of mere mortals like us. I know I could use this technology for all kinds of things. Sadly, my braincell almost totally rejects learning new software these days, so it’s the creation of the initial CAD that will prevent me wanting to invest. I shall continue to rely on others who are happy to take commissions and my money.

That's me. Fingers tapping, watching the clock. I must get on with other jobs. It’ll all set in good time.

It’s an odd admission to say that I’ve been making models for most of my life, but I’ve only recently got to grips with Milliput. I rather like my instant fix, in both senses of the word, rather than having to wait for something to harden. I suppose that’s one reason why I enjoy soldering metal kits together. It’s a fast method of construction, rather than waiting for even those quick two-part epoxy adhesives to go off. As ever, I overestimated the amount of Milliput required, but rather that than find there’s not enough! I haven’t got another job for the wastage, so it can go rock hard in its own good time. I did attempt to sculpt the nacelles as I worked them, hoping to get close to the final shape without needing to resort to files and sanding sticks. Time will tell. Probably tomorrow at this rate! With the nacelles beginning to look about right at last, I shall begin to consider cockpit details and modifications required for the camera bay.

There’s one here if you need it, of course. If you do want it, it’s free to a good home, and I’m happy to mail it out to you.

It would have been boxed by Airfix as OO/HO, but I am pretty sure it is 1/76th scale (4mm to 1ft) for OO gauge track (16.5mm gauge, or HO in other countries).