Retired Bob

Glad to have you back South of the Wall Adam, I have been doing some work on my Vulcan, I tried not to, I wanted to finish some of my other projects before starting this kit but there is such a strong draw to make a Vulcan as I'm sure you know only too well. (I'll start my WIP soon) I have been removing any lumps and bumps that were added after 1963 the date I'm building XL317 from. After removing the SkyBolt blisters I looked at the strengthening plates moulded in that area, I thought that they would have been added after the decision had been made to operate the Vulcan at low level and after the fatigue tests carried out on XM596 in 1964. So if this theory is correct then all anti-flash white Vulcans need these plates removing....discuss!

Blimey Darryl, you'll be doing brain surgery next!

Same here Darryl, just when I thought I had enough paint. As for those small panels that Ray is re-scribing with the handy little template from the p/e sheet. I checked my references and they release the air pressure from the cowling when the guns are being fired. As usual Ray, your 109 is looking very good.

Don't forget that the splitter plates, parts E38 + E39 have to blend into the intakes when the nose section is added (steps 55 +56). My Vulcan will be white so there is not any camouflage pattern to bother with but I'm not sure it can be dealt with any earlier.

After sanding back the fuselage sides, I resprayed the RLM 76 and applied just RLM 75 for the mottle in a broader pattern to better represent how it looks on the photo, then, happy with how it looked I started to apply the decals, after putting on the fuselage crosses and they had dried I realised that they were too large! So I removed them with some tape, unfortunately it took some varnish and paint as well. After repairing the paint and varnish I sourced some correctly sized fuselage crosses from an old (28 years) Aeromaster Bf 109 decal sheet and 3rd time lucky, everything worked. A few more stencils to add then a coat of varnish and the masking can come off the canopy.

I don't think you should put Me 262s on your safe list. Just because Eduard only makes a a 144th scale one, have you not seen all the different ones Hobby Boss make, very tempting to buy them all, ask me how I know?

I never had the chance to fully offer the advice, just had to be quick at catching the sanding block. You would think I had learned to keep mouth shut by now but it would still need to be sorted out at the end of her....attempt! Back to the modelling, I'm glad I wasn't seeing things with your 109, my Eduard F-4 seems a good fit.

Is that an iffy seam on the top of the engine covers? Looks like there is gap there? Have you fitted the hinge insert? I opened my 109F-4 to make a comparison with the Hasegawa 109F-4, a few differences but nothing to get excited about. Well one minute I'm dry fitting parts and before I knew it I had accidentally opened a bottle of extra thin and the wings were glued up, then I did that test of the new Quickboost exhausts and now the fuselage is just about ready to be glued up and attached to the wings. Problem now is SWMBO, not happy with my retired life as a modeller started decorating the dining room and as usual was making a pigs ear out of it, I stepped in to offer some advice and somehow She's watching telly and I'm sanding the door frame??? Not helping 109 production at all!

Thanks again Col for adding me to the list, with 30 to 40 to choose from in the stash finding a kit won't be a problem.

I know that problem, plus my garage was beginning to look like Hannants packing department with all the boxes and bubble wrap, just too much hassle.

Your camouflage is looking really good Craig. The pattern wasn't usually a very hard edge. I've used that method before, applying the whitewash over the paintwork, avoiding the markings and it came out really well, I must do it again, I think I have a few 109Fs knocking around in the stash.

That would have been the next option.

I went and checked both of my kits today, nothing short shot but I noticed that one of the underside vent covers, part F16 was missing from the sprue. Good job each sprue is bagged I thought, I carefully opened the bag and checked the inside, no vent, it must have been knocked off before being bagged. Don't suppose it will be difficult to make one.

I tried selling some of mine back when there were model shows, I thought at £10 that was reasonable seeing what Hasegawa price them at now but not any interest at all. Any kits that I did sell generally went for half of what I had paid for them after some haggling so I gave it up as a lost cause. I wish, makes a 15% discount and extra p/e and decals seem so......dull.

It must come with age, a few years ago it would have gone in the bin, in more parts than were in the box to start with.