Zephyr91

Fading away?............Not a chance! Airfix 1:72 Mk I 3 sqn RAF Summer 1939 This is my second and final contribution to the GB. Although I started this one first it finished second due to some self-inflicted mayhem along the way. Thread here if interested. Thanks again for a great GB, and thanks for looking Rob

I now have one in my posession, but it will have to be next year before I start it! Looks good in the box though...... cheers Rob

I'm only just catching up with this build. What a privilege to have spent the past hour or so seeing the super skills and modelling on display, and also the warm feeling generated by the cameraderie within this wip. I'll keep watching if I may. I was also reminded that I had the honour of meeting a few of the guys in the pictures at Telford last year. I hope to try and catch up again this year if anyone is around. cheers Rob

I think I'm going to call this finished. I've been fiddling around for the past week and have come to the conclusion that I'm going to spoil what I have rather than enhance it. So here it is I'll get some better pics for the gallery when the weather improves; too windy and wet just now 🌧️ In the meantime here are some to be going on with After some traumas I'm reasonably pleased with this. It's not exhibition standard but I've learnt a bit about paint finishes that are not "factory finish". I was pleased with the lowering of the canopy and windscreen height and the use of some very fine elastic for the aerial wire (AK Hyper thin). Thanks again to @Wings unlevel and @stevehnz for instigating this GB and for all the others that have commented, encouraged and liked my efforts or just silently viewed. Many thanks stay well Rob PS : I'm now free to concentrate upon prep for Telford where I'll be with the BoB sig 85th Anniversary display (all 60ft of it!!). I think we have something like 15 or 16 models at 1/24th scale including the scratch-built Defiant that has appeared previously but is superb and worth another look. Clearly also, there will be lots of Hurricanes in all scales. Somewhere at the back will by my other effort in this GB ( link here) and a couple of others I built previously. If you are attending, pop along and say hello - I'm the tall gormless one with a beard and not much hair

Just catching up on this fascinating project. Love it. I will come and have a look. I'm at Telford too but on the Battle of Britain sig and IPMS Lancs stands (mostly the former). Wips are occasionally shown at IPMS Lancs meetings as well as completed models. Depends on the modeller - some are shy about it. But it gets people talking and something useful usually emerges - even if it's just encouragemenet for flagging mojo! see you at Telford hopefully Rob

.....and in the vein of helpfulness, I had problems with the rear bulkhead "shoulders" and the IP. Whilst the etch version is brilliant to look at, I found it a tad wide. The top edge won't be visible when assembled so can take some fettling, but reaming out the locating recess on both sides also helped. But I'm sure you don't need this Charlie, and your result will be much neater than mine! cheers Rob

Consecutively on the same evening!! My daughter joined us after the performance (she's in the orchestra and staying near Wexford for a month) but left the pub to get to her accomodation before we went to ours. We zig-zagged our way home just after midnight! Very enjoyable break. We attended a Dress Rehearsal (much cheaper but just as good as the real thing - I couldn't tell as there were no stoppages). Brought tears to my eyes - but that was only because I was trying to envisage emulating some of the notes achieved by the lead adult male soprano!! Rob

So, Guiness duly imbibed and Opera seen and back to the bench! I think most of it is together now. Matt applied after a little weathering and almost there ..... Certainly achieved a patchwork of paint - whether it quite hits the mark I'm not sure but I've enjoyed trying There are still a few tiny bits to touch up, and I've managed to apply a couple of scratches that I didn't mean to so they need fixing. The prop is placed only for the photos and needs glue, and I think the last bits will be the pitot under the port wing and the aerial post. The 2-bladed prop seems quite big but that's probably 'cos I'm not used to seeing one like that. Thanks for looking. Rob

Thanks Dave for the comment about recovery. Much appreciated. Regarding the decal manufacturer, I wouldn't want to dis a small producer on the basis of a sample of one. I wouldn't want to discourage such niche suppliers of subjects by unjustified negative reviews. However, I'll try and email them and see whether they know if it's an endemic problem because I might just have been unlucky with my set (this hasn't happened much with me before so I'm sort of thinking it's not my technique - but I can't be definite of course).. That'll be after I get back from Ireland, so please don't hold your breath - I would hate to have to give evidence at the subsequent inquest! cheers Rob

Thought I'd better do an update before heading off to Ireland for a week. Fact is, I need a Guiness after the decal traumas I've been suffering!! Whilst my choice of paint scheme was my fault, I hoped the decals would be ok. Well, not quite. Talk about delicate ..... ....every single one has gone into at least 3 pieces despite my most delicate handling. I was so frustrated by this one that I took a photo. The only exceptions were the serial numbers which didn't break but folded back on themselves to provide a different challenge 😱 Using deep reserves of patience, a lot of Anglo-Saxon, and much deep breathing, I finally got them (mostly) together. The same side after applying advanced jigsaw skills .... I've decided that I have got them as close positionally as I can, but accepting that they might be a mil or so out here and there!! I might be able ot hide some of the chips and cracks with some delicate weathering, but for now I'll let them set before a protective coat of gloss which will harden whilst I'm away. Thanks for looking cheers Rob

That looks a challenge Peter. I'll enjoy watching this if I can. Do Special Hobby do this NF.30 version now? good luck Rob

Cockpit looks very good. Rob

I seem to have done a lot but not actually progressed! 🙄 I think I re-masked and painted the fuselage 3 times since the last photos and realised I was messing up the paint in different ways each time!! Partly because I've found with these MRP lacquers that I can't do touch-ups with a thin brush or cocktail stick without it seeming to melt the same paint already applied by airbrush! So I've decided to stop, go with what I've got and varnish ready for decals,...... I was beginning to think all the effort was only marginally worth it, but the coat of varnish seems to have enhanced the differences between the more and less faded areas - but I still seem to have a dark edge between some of the earth and green which (seeing it in the photo) I can't leave Here's the underside for a bit of variation. It's a bit stark but will be toned down when I apply a bit of weathering. I made use of the u/c up pieces from an Airfix Hurricane (suitably filed to fit) temporarily pva'd in place to mask the bay along with a few small pieces of tape to help. That's worked before. I was going to say "decals next", but having seen the port wing in the harsh flash of a photo I think I have to keep on Thanks for looking Rob

This is advancing nicely. Loving the history/research bits and how you are going about it. Belated welcome to Archie. My daughters seem disinclined to have kids - probably just as well. I'd spoil 'em and be a very bad influence language-wise cheers Rob

That's really helpful of you, thanks. I can see the first image without problems, but not the second. This is giving me the same message as Imgur - "Content not viewable in your region". Is the second still on Imgur? On the first one, the black looks great. cheers Rob