jackroadkill

You love it, you big tart!

Crikey, you don’t hang about, do you?! Okay, you’ve got 4,621 builds on the go already but you’re cracking on with them all quite nicely. It makes perfect sense to knock out most of a Vulcan in two sittings, doesn’t it?! Sometimes I think you just do it to show me up! In all seriousness I’ll enjoy seeing what you do with her, because bog standard’s not really your bag, so you must have something up your sleeve….

I was done with subscribing to build threads in this GB because there are so many of them. Oh well, one more can't hurt, surely?! She's looking cracking, sir. I've always loved the Beaufighter, ever since I read a Commando comic called The Black Beaufighters, so it's really nice to see one taking shape. I built a Revell mk X a couple of years back and whilst building it was struck by how bloody huge the engines are in terms of frontal area when compared to the fuselage!

No, nothing conclusive; I asked my better half if she'd found it somewhere and put it there for safekeeping but she couldn't remember having done so. Perhaps I put it there? Either way, I'm glad it turned up!

Ah..... Well, Steve, it's funny you should say that. Last night I might have ordered another Me262 from Creative Models. This time it's an A-1a, so more or less the same other than the engines. It seemed rude to refuse at that price.

True, but they'll be detected when they explode in the would-be shooter's faces.

I've been able to get some bench time in today and have begun to make some progress on the scheme. After a lot of dithering and procrastinating I finally decided to go with the box-art scheme rather than the RLM81/82 alternative. I therefore sprayed the RLM76 on the underside this afternoon and am hoping to make some sort of start on the camo on the uppers tomorrow. The underside looks like this: I think it looks better in reality; the picture is a little blown-out, but you get the idea. I'm pretty pleased with how it went down. The paint is my favoured Colourcoats enamel - I have no affiliation with them but they've always been superb in my eyes, both in terms of paint and helpfulness, so all credit to them. Unusually for me I also remembered to paint the doors and fairings, and while I was at it I remembered to include the wheel centres that I sprayed the other day in the picture as well: I'm pretty pleased with the results so far. I need to sort out the wheel centres by grinding the backs of them down so they fit in the tyres, but before we get too carried away I'll need to get some tyre black on the boots themselves. Again, this can hopefully be addressed tomorrow. either way, things are looking good and I'm happy with my progress so far, especially after a busy and at times unpleasant week. Cheers, JRK PS - Look what finally turned up!:

I've enjoyed my experiences so far with the HB Me262A-1b; there are a few niggles but nothing dramatic, and nothing the jumps out at you after the fact. You can build it up quickly and it looks great. Hopefully I'll actually do some work on mine this weekend...

Calm down, pseudo-Enzo!! Just because you can build at an eye-watering rate it doesn't mean that the rest of us mere mortals can match it! I don't know much about it and haven't been able to find much data, but everything I have found conflicts with everything else, so I'm properly in the dark! As to the boosters, HB give them as being slung under the fuselage but I didn't like the look of them so I left them off, citing the lack of references as a good reason / excuse.

My Revell Beaufighter in 1/48; I built this a couple of years ago and despite fighting me all the way it turned into a decent model, I think: I also built an Airfix 1/72 Beaufort as soon as they were released. This, on the other hand, was a lovely kit in every way: This was a horrid kit (Eduard Bf110E) but despite it's obnoxious personality it looks reasonable: I though I'd built more twins, but apparently this little lot is the sum total! I do, however, have.... some more.... in my stash.

What's this? Surely not two updates with two stages of progress in two days?! Oh hell yes it is! After laying the black part of the black base yesterday, this morning I cracked out my new Mr Hobby Procon Boy (arranged by the one and only @81-er) and got the white on. Despite not having used this airbrush before I found it quite simple and accurate to use. A couple of small splurges aside there were no issues and I'll certainly be using the method again. Not shown are the undercarriage doors, fairings etc, but they have the same sort of effect on them too. I'm conflicted about what to do next; in the previous update I said I was going to do the RLM02 on the interiors of the undercarriage doors, the fairings and the oleo legs, and although that's obviously the sensible option, but I'm having a lot of fun airbrushing.... So, do I get on with choosing and painting the scheme or do I get the spade work done on my least favourite part of any build? Answers on a postcard to Roadkill Acres, W1. Cheers, JRK

Good progress on the model, but better progress on your health, Mark!

Cheers chaps, much appreciated. Shut it!!

Wow, what a beauty! I'm building a 262 at the moment myself and I hope it turns out this well!

No seat has yet appeared but I've done well in other areas. I pulled the nose section apart again and realigned it all, did a bit of filling (using PPP successfully for the first time, which is good as I'm trying to wean myself off AK's water based putty), masked the canopy and sprayed the interior of it, and primed the airframe: If this wasn't a GB I think I'd have sprayed for a bare metal and puttied seams look, but seeing as I'm actually cracking on well I thought I'd keep momentum up and just get on with things. There's always a part of me that wishes this was the final finish, as I think most aircraft look very cool in this semi-matt black; there is an obvious answer here but let's not go there. In fact, let's not even mention the Revell SR-71, okay? Next job is the white part of the black base, followed by getting some RLM02 onto the interior surfaces of the undercarriage fairings. I suppose I ought to think about a final scheme, too. Cheers, JRK PS - In addition to thinking about a scheme, I really must get a seat sorted. EDIT: And, having seen the photo, maybe pay some attention to the seam lines on the nacelles...

I've hunted for it high, low and level and it's not turned up in the boxes of either the MiG-21 or Hawker Fury that I'm building, unfortunately. I'll have another look when I'm at the bench next as I'm determined to find it - this is doing my head in!! Oooh, stop it, you naughty man!!

No, it's not great. I've tidied my workshop looking for it but to no avail. I've been scouring the internet looking for one this morning but unless I want to import one at the cost of two Tamiya 262 kits then it looks like I've drawn a blank. I did think about using the seat from my Tamiya kit as a former to panel-beat a replacement out of thick foil...

I had exactly that issue with the Wespe nose art on Eduard's 1/48 version. Glad to see we both used similar methods for the save.

Hi Craig, somehow I managed to miss this build. I'm very sorry to hear about Mabel - when a good dog dies it's absolutely devastating. She looks like a grand dog and a great friend to have had.

There are, but they all seem to come as part of a whole cockpit set, and seem to cost more than the kit. I might have to get creative...

Oh dear, and it was all going so well.... I've only gone and lost the pilot's seat, haven't I? I've swept the workshop floor and hunted around on the path outside but to no avail. Bugg*r.

____ing harpsichord.

Cheers Craig, that's very kind of you to say. Coming from a modeller of your calibre that means a lot.

Wow, what a result! Superb job there, and an incredible scheme.

This crops up every now and again: "Oh no, people can make their own guns and the world will end!". We've had machine tools for centuries and not many people have ever used them to make illegal firearms, despite that being a far better way of doing it.