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Geo1966

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Posts posted by Geo1966

  1. A bit more done. Maybe it is me, but just about every join on this need’s attention with filler and or sanding. Saying that, it is building up nicely into something which looks very much like a Lightning!

     

    Managed to get the canopy masked up.

     

    LAaqwFK.jpg

     

    And we now have wings!

     

    aTmYo4z.jpg

     

    d4bhuBz.jpg

     

    I think she is just about ready for an undercoat, so hopefully I will get that done at the weekend, fingers crossed.

     

    George

    • Like 6
  2. Just caught up with this Mario.

     

    You have done some great work on this build, I appreciate you have had a couple of set backs, but it would be a real shame to give up on it. It is obvious to me you have the skill to finish this and it will be a very good model when you do.

     

    George

    • Like 3
  3. Getting close to making a start on these two, so here are some sprue shoots.

     

    The Airfix offering:

     

    Bp20gzW.jpg

     

    8wNsmfn.jpg

     

    The canopy parts look a bit misty, so will benefit from a dunk in some Gauzy agent.

     

    2mQEMlq.jpg

     

    And the Arma offering:

     

    mQ1pJ3J.jpg

     

    7rK78xY.jpg

     

    U93Ikq3.jpg

     

    Although both are moulded in grey, fortunately there is a bit of a difference in the shade, so hopefully I won’t get muddled up with the parts.

     

    Not sure which scheme to choose on the Arma kit. Currently thinking i might do both versions with Teeth, tbc.

     

    George

    • Like 6
  4. A long overdue update. I am having work done on my house, so have been unable to get to my spray bay. Things are starting to progress (slowly), so I have managed to make a bit of room and get the airbrush going.

     

    I decided to spray the AK 3rd Gen AMT-12 Dark grey (using AK 3rd Gen thinner) first as I figured it would make the masking process easier for the third coat of camouflage.

     

    Hhg86qd.jpg

     

    sJlmepi.jpg

     

    A couple of days later I got the AMT-4 Green (again AK 3rd Gen) on.

     

    XIfrtMQ.jpg

     

    7G8kvZu.jpg

     

    I forgot to take a photo of the green after application, but you get the idea.

     

    And then the big reveal. Not too bad, a few touch ups required here and there which is normal with my masking. 🙄

     

    tNU0cho.jpg

     

    Once i have done the touch ups i will look at getting some decals on.

     

    George

    • Like 7
  5. Has it really been 3 weeks? To be honest my house is in complete upheaval as I am having building work done and a new kitchen installed at the same time. I am only just able to get to my desk (due to the room being filled with kitchen cabinets) and the spray bay is out of use for at least another couple of weeks. However I have managed to grab an hour here and then so made a bit of progress.

     

    Buttoned up the fuselage.

     

    pHR3Wsv.jpg

     

    A few gaps.

     

    QRuvD8I.jpg     ltKOJOa.jpg

     

    The worse one being the belly area. I am guessing that different marks have a different belly profile hence Airfix supply the parts separately rather than moulded into the main fuselage? I was tempted to put the 2 bits together but, in the end, decided to fill the gap with some Plastic card.

     

    eYh6DxZ.jpg

     

    After a fair bit of sanding, we are getting there. I have also added the airbrakes (still need some filler) and the gun panels at the top front and the blanks at the bottom front.

     

    lbvjUSx.jpg

     

    The wings went together reasonably well with only a couple of minimal gaps.

     

    XUbXkYN.jpg

     

    I had previously sprayed the wheel wells with some AK 3rd gen Aluminium and then given them a wash with some “AK enamel wash for DAK vehicles”.

     

    So next up is attaching the canopy and doing the masking, me thinks.........

     

    George

    • Like 8
  6. Bit of a place holder as I am at the painting stage of a Soviet PE-2 in the WW2 twins GB and am just starting to build an EE Lightning in the Baby Boomers GB.

     

    SX8p42g.jpg

     

    I have never made a Mustang before, but it is probably my favourite WW2 US fighter, although I do have a bit of a thing for the Hellcat.......

     

    Will hopefully make a start on these in the next couple of weeks.

     

    George

    • Like 11
  7. Managed to get the engine intake and exhaust together and made up and painted the cockpit.

     

    IMck0qz.jpg

     

    I’ve used some Tamiya masking tape to make up the harness and I employed a very fine black marker pen to assist with doing the black strips on the ejector seat handles.

     

    Still not advisable to zoom in, but it is 1/72 and looks acceptable, I think.

     

    zBSOeEM.jpg

     

    So, I think I am ready to button up the fuselage next.

     

    George

    • Like 13
  8. So, the “Torbeau” as I have found out they were nicknamed, is up on her feet and finished.

     

    This one sort of sneaked to being finished while I was doing other builds, but I failed to take any photos of my final progress.

     

    Basically, I added some exhaust stains with oil paints, did a bit of paint chipping with a silver water colour pen and gave her a coat of VMS Matt varnish.

     

    gbR00jC.jpg

     

    I added the radio Ariel (first attempt at doing this) with some Ammo rigging. They claim this is easy to use, but I found it a bit tricky as it is basically a very thin rubbery cotton stuff. So, I found it keep curling up and didn’t want to go where I wanted it. Anyway, I got there in the end.

     

    Anyway, here she is:

     

    aqJDF23.jpg

     

    YgLKgoh.jpg

     

    UBjlVH1.jpg

     

    I have found this kit a pleasure to build. The fit has been great and the detail is good (apart from the cockpit). I enjoyed it that much I have the Mk.1 on my Wishlist, so hoping I can find one, as they seem to be in short supply.

     

    A few things I could have done better like adding the wing tip lights before getting to the painting stage. Also the radar canopy is not a great fit, so I should have test fitted at an earlier stage to correct it. Anyway it is only my 10th aircraft build since my return to the hobby after taking a 40 year break, so pretty happy and probably my best build so far.

     

    Will try and get some better photos in the gallery soon.

     

    George

    • Like 11
  9. It seemed to be a bit of a monster masking job on this one which took me a good couple of hours. Sort of therapeutic though with some good music on!

     

    I’ve now sprayed on a coat of AK 3rd Gen AMT-1 Light Brown, so next up will be the Green and then the Dark Grey. Or should that be the other way round………………maybe need to sleep on it as there are only 3 patches of grey?

     

    khhnGlS.jpg

     

    George

    • Like 7
  10. And we're off!

     

    Chucked some lead fishing weights in the nose and gave them a spash of PVA glue. I am in the middle of fitting a new kitchen so no idea where the scales are. Anyway, hopefully there is enough in there.

     

    EHLWMEL.jpg

     

    Also cleaned up and sprayed the insides of the engine pipe things with some Tamiya Aluminium.

     

    CL7GxPY.jpg

     

    A little whinge. There are some horrendous injector release marks on this kit. Much as the new Airfix tooling’s are good and far superior to their predecessors, a lot of the hobby is aimed at kids. My 10 year old self would be gutted when bits don’t fit due to big blobs of plastic being in the way. In those days I just wanted to build the kit in a few hours and slap some paint on. Rant over 🙄

     

    George

    • Like 7
  11. Thanks Gents.

     

    Not massive progress, but progress all the same.

     

    I have never really got on with primers, so instead I use Tamiya XF as an undercoat. I find it adheres well and gives a good base for the following coats of paint. On this one I’ve sprayed a coat of Tamiya XF-66 light grey thinned with Tamiya Lacquer thinner (orange cap), which went on well as usual.

     

    39UfT0l.jpg

     

    ZxHkSiK.jpg

     

    I then gave the underside a coat of AK 3rd Gen AMT-7 light blue, thinned with 3rd Gen thinners.

     

    rjoSLfS.jpg

     

    Next up I need to mask the underside ready for the 3-tone camouflage.

     

    George

    • Like 5
  12. A bit more progress.

     

    This is one of those kits where you need to attach the undercarriage before attaching the nacelles, shame but I can’t see anyway round it. Hopefully I can get them masked up ok and I manage not to break them going forward.

     

    EfHr6Zf.jpg

     

    More filling and sanding on the nacelles/engine cowlings where the fit was awful.

     

    kZeZZKs.jpg

     

    Fortunately, the wings and tailplanes actually fitted pretty well and should be fine with a smear of PPP.

     

    Mff6DaV.jpg

     

    The top of the fuselage split open when I was hold it a bit too tightly during sanding or filling, so I have had to re-glue and tidy that up again.

     

    NQiDmDv.jpg

     

    So, I think I am ready to give Peshka an undercoat.

     

    George

    • Like 7
  13. I generally build WW2 Allied aircraft, but I do have a bit of a thing for early British jets. So, I am going to go with an aircraft that amazed me in late 70’s at Duxford (I think) going pretty much straight up off the end of the runway. My dear old Dad used to drive me to quite a few airshows, so it might have been somewhere else.

     

    f4YJlfV.jpg

     

    On reading up on the EE Lightning I discovered it was nicknamed the “Frightening”. I presumed this was to do with the rate of climb, the ceiling or more likely the speed. Some pilots said it was like being saddled to a skyrocket, but no…….. The Lightning was nicknamed “Frightening” because of its challenging crosswind landing characteristics. I would never have guessed that one!

     

    This is the 2013 tooling from Airfix. All the bits look pretty good. A little bit of flash here and there, but nothing bad. I did notice when I got the plastic out of the box how heavy it seems for 4 smallish sprues.

     

    EDEm7uf.jpg

     

    jMtYcHm.jpg

     

    9gI0Ax6.jpg

     

    I am planning on doing the green/aluminium scheme as I served in the Army in West Germany in the 80’s not long after these beasts!

     

    dZPEFM5.jpg

     

    I've seen that @Enzo the Magnificent has beaten me to it on this one, so will keep a beady eye on his build for some tips 🙂

     

    George

    • Like 12
  14. Time for a well overdue update. Had a bit of stuff going on in life recently so not got around to doing any updates, sorry.

     

    I have been managing a bit of work on this and even taken a couple of photos, so will try and get this up to date now.

     

    I have filled and sanded the underside and the 3rd crew member is in now in situ. I have used the Eduard canopy masks. So glad I had these, must have taken me a good couple of hours to attach them, so doing it “free hand” would have been a big job.

     

    TnWVJqh.jpg

     

    v0GpMvu.jpg

     

    Wings sanded and nacelles put together.

     

    IAawRQ3.jpg

     

    Usually when parts don’t fit, I blame myself as with the fuselage (as in the last update). However, I am actually starting to think the fit of the parts on this one are not great. Just about every joint I have glued has needed attention i.e. filler. Maybe it is me, with my club fingers, but I don’t normally have this problem. I have actually given the sub-assemblies (fuselage, wings, nacelles, engine cowlings) an undercoat of Tamiya XF grey prior to further assembly, just to be on the safe side.

     

    xNW97I8.jpg

     

    I’ve attached the canopy with masking fluid as I still need to put in the machine gun later and the same for the lower dorsal gun.

     

    Not sure what is going on with Imgur, but really struggled to do my images tonight. Hopefully they sort there shi...................  out.

     

    George

    • Like 9
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