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TonyOD

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Posts posted by TonyOD

  1. Morning all.

     

    For reasons that don't need to be aired here, I've decided to leave the Britmodeller forum, and I regret that as consequence I will no longer be involved in the Salty Sea Dog Group Build.

     

    It's been a hoot, both on the Bunfight campaign trail and, latterly, during the GB itself. What a wonderful array of builds we have seen, and continue to see. Thank you, everyone who had shown even the slightest interest, and especially to Messrs. @Enzo the Magnificent, @Col. and @Bertie McBoatface for their support.

     

    I will no longer be updating the Behemothic Build List, but it's likely that the HMS Salty Sea Dog will be able to chug along to its conclusion at the end of April under its own steam. 

     

    Again, thank you, and happy modelling.

     

     

    Best wishes,

     

    Tony

    • Thanks 2
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  2. 6 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

    It's one thing to have visible lines around moving controls or removable panels, but those representing structurally-fixed parts wouldn't be visible in this scale.  Ah well, that's what Mr Dissolved Putty is for.

     

    Probably 99 out of 100 modellers would be happy to live with it, for the sake of something to make the look the model look more interesting? I'm not sure I'd have much joy getting some wash to stick in accurately rendered panel lines at 1/144 scale 😁 Or maybe there's a middle ground to be found.

    • Like 2
  3. 3 hours ago, wmcgill said:

    The shapes of the RX5/3 spinner and Jablo propeller blades are different from the RX5/1's spinner and magnesium propeller blades.

     

    There are two different shapes of Rotol in the Eduard kit, @Troy Smith has already alluded to a difference that I really can't see, maybe I need to look a bit more closely!

     

    2 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

    Yes, and you are likely overthinking the weathering,

     

    I overthink everything - it's in my nature! 😁 Thanks for the further info, thorough as ever.

     

    2 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

    Source?  

     

    Read it on a thread elsewhere in BM I think. I was on a different computer so don't have it to hand in the memory.

     

    1 hour ago, Julien said:

    Is there a reason you have started a new thread for this when there is already an "All the Spitfire questions thread?

     

    As I said I specialise in Spitfires, I just fancied a thread where I'd have all my queries in one place at the end of one browser shortcut. I'm aware of the "all the Spitfire questions" thread, I've asked questions there in the past, but also plenty outside the thread, as have many others. Not sure I see any harm.

    • Like 1
  4. Thanks, @Kari Lumppio, @Work In Progress, @spitfire It makes perfect sense that a wooden propeller blade would have a metal sheath to the leading edge. I did some further digging and the metal used for a Rotol blade of that period was most likely brass, I guess at least in part for its malleability in shaping round the edge.

     

    However as regards my particular airframes:

     

    Rotol* props on Mk IIa Spitfires were initially magnesium alloy-bladed, but apparently they were changed to wooden blades at some point during the production of the marque. IIa’s were built at the Castle Bromwich factory between June 1940 and April 1941. My IIa, P7308, was delivered to 24 Maintenance Unit at the end of July 1940, which makes it a pretty early example. I’m therefore going to go with MA and wear accordingly.

     

    I think my Seafire IIc, on the other hand, had a wooden propeller. I seem to remember reading somewhere that trials were carried out with wooden and metal propellers, and given the Seafire’s propensity for nosing forward and “pecking” the carrier deck, wood was considered safer for deck crew from the point of view of blades or fragment of blades flying around the deck. I’m thinking brass for the leading edge sheath. In the one good photo of the prop that I have from the front the blade leading edges, or at least the one nearest the camera, look very worn indeed.

     

    2 hours ago, ilj said:

    I tried to simulate this with a few swipes of a gold metallic Prismacolour pencil along the leading edges of the prop blades

     

    I like that effect a lot. Maybe a few more pennies finding their way into the Bezos bank account from my direction.

     

    * I just learned that Rotol was founded as a joint venture between engine manufacturers Rolls Royce and Bristol. Every day's a school day!

     

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    • Like 2
  5. So I’ve just embarked on a long-term project to build a hangarload of Spitfires and Seafires in 1/48. Inevitably questions will arise that referring to my small reference library (Price, Morgan & Shacklady etc.) and Googling on the interweb won’t be able to answer. I’m aware of the “all the Spitfire questions” thread but so I have everything in one place I’m going to indulge myself with a thread for my occasional questions. 


    First up: two of my current builds had (I believe) wooden propeller blades: a Seafire IIc with a four-blade prop and a Spitfire IIa with a three-blade Rotol. Both airframes were in fairly intensive combat situations so a bit of weathering will be appropriate, but obviously prop leading-edge chipping with a metallic paint won’t. Anyone got any suggestions as to what a battle-hardened wooden prop would have looked like? I have pics of both airframes, the Seafire’s prop appears to have a fair amount of wear on the leading edges of the prop blades, but I don’t suppose it can be metallic; the pic of the Spit IIa shows the prop side-on so it’s less clear, but (possibility of a prop change apart) the aircraft was 16 months old at the time I’m depicting it so some wear and tear was likely. Would there have been visible primer? Bare wood? Any thoughts?
     

    Thanks

    Tony

    • Like 1
  6. On 2/13/2023 at 5:48 AM, Christer A said:

    It's probably not related at all to the Valom Bristol Firebrand that I'm wrestling with over at the Salty Sea dogs GB :)

     

    Oh, it definitely is! 😉

     

    I hope this turns out to be just what the doctor ordered. I too have been having a bit of a reassessment of my modelling commitments, and am scaling things back a bit if not in terms of planned builds, how many I do at a time and against what deadlines. Modelling is supposed to be fun

     

    Oustanding job on the cockpit btw. Will follow this with interest.

    • Like 1
  7. Spent a bit of time messing about with chalks to finish off the weathering on the Zumbach Vb. For a first attempt at meaningful weathering, I think I've got it about right and I'm fairly pleased with it. I've topped it off with a matt finish and removed the canopy masks. I have to work out how to stick the legs back on now.

     

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    • Like 11
  8. 47 minutes ago, Roland Pulfrew said:

    Just the 50??

     

    Well, it's a nice round number alright 😁

     

    19 minutes ago, Zephyr91 said:

    This sounds a very sensible appraisal.  Quite often we are our own worst enemies by over-committing and putting undue pressure on ourselves.  Well done for recognising it! 

     

    Modelling isn't supposed to be stressful in any way, right? I mean, apart from encounters with the carpet monster...

     

    17 minutes ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

    I have a (less ambitious) Spitfire project of my own that I have yet to introduce, so I'll be watching yours with particular interest as I have no doubt I'll learn a lot!

     

    Sounds interesting! I'm learning as I go with the Spitfires. I've already built up a small reference library, and there are some knowledgeable folks hereabouts who are happy to share their expertise.

    • Like 2
  9. 11 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

    sounds like a great project and I like it's ambition!

     

    Well, I think it's likely to keep me busy for a few years with my current rate of completion! I will do some different stuff along the way, I have an appointment with a Lanc at some point, and want to have a crack at a couple of 1/35 desert dioramas.

    • Like 1
  10. 35 minutes ago, PinkThorn242 said:

    OK, so I may have fallen down a rabbit hole trying to figure out the detail differences between the various blocks of F-14 production. Especially since from the looks of things the example I was looking to model (BuNO 161428, as shown on Milspec sheet 72-011) is a post-engine swap Block 120 but the kit I have depicts BuNO 160655, from Block 100.

     

    So not sure how much conversion work would be needed or if I just need to drop a set of GE engines in.

     

    Again, got to be honest, I have no idea what any of this means. 😁

  11. As nowadays I pretty much only build the Supermarine Spitfire and its variants in 1/48 scale, to make life a little easier for myself I've decided to throw everything I have on the go into one Spitfire superthread that should see me through to the eventual end of what in my head I call The Project. This will entail building some 50 different Spitfires in 1/48 scale. It won’t be an exhaustive trawl through every marque and operator, just ones that take my fancy.

     

    I've realised today that I'm causing myself unnecessary stress by overcommitting to group builds (I'm sure I'm not alone in this); not just that, but I'm forcing myself to do subjects just to fit a theme of a given group build (with Spits there's a lot of flexibility in this regard), when often I'd just like to give myself the freedom of the stash. So, inspired in part by @ModelingEdmontonian's Hawker Hurricanes Around The World project, going forward I'm going to try to have all my Spitfires under one roof, as it were, and dip in and out of GBs as and when I feel like it.

     

    The Supermarine Spitfire was my first love when I started modelling, first time round, back around 2009. For a while I built nothing but Spits in 1/72 scale. Then I got into some other stuff, took a decade off, came back to it during the lockdown (like you do), did some other stuff and recently came back to Reg Mitchell's finest, albeit in failing-eyesight-friendly 1/48 scale. I've also been enjoying learning more about the rich history of this most iconic of aircraft. 

     

    I already have an Eduard Mk Ia in the bag, and at the moment I have the following three builds on the go:

     

    Spitfire Mk Vb EN951/RF-D, flown by Squadron Leader Jan Zumbach of 303 (Kościuszko) Squadron during 1941

     

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    A very well-known Polish Spit, actually the third Vb flown by Zumbach bearing a variation of his personal “Donald Duck” artwork.

     

    This is the new-tool Airfix kit, which is very decent apart from a very poor gluing join for the wheel oleos. I had glued them on and masked them prior to painting only for them to snap off again. I’ll find a way. This build is OOB apart from the decals which are by Techmod. The only change to the plastic has been the deletion of the wing strengthening strakes. I’m nearly there with this one, it’s my first attempt at some meaningful weathering, so far some wing root wear using drybrushed acrylic paint, an enamel wash and a light oil wash. I’m going to have a go at some chalk weathering next before finishing it off. The WIP to date is here.

     

    Spitfire Mk IIa P7308/XR-D, flown by American pilot P/O William “Poppy” Dunn of 71 (Eagle) Squadron, summer 1941

     

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    At a less advanced stage I have this IIa as flown by American pilot P/O William “Poppy” Dunn of 71 (Eagle) Squadron during the summer of 1941. The kit is Eduard’s Ia Overtrees set with a motorised undercarriage unit swiped from a Tamiya Mk I kit and  a Coffman start bulge from an Eduard Mk V kit. I’m using decals from 3D-Kits’ “Rotol Spitfires” sheet; it gives the option of either pre-August 1941 Temperate Land Scheme or post-August 1941 Day Fighter Scheme, proposing that the airframe flew with 71 wearing both colour schemes. For reasons I explored in the WIP I feel this is unlikely, and I’ve decided to go with DFS. It’s a box of bits and pieces at the moment.

     

    Seafire Mk IIc MB218/S-A, 809 Naval Air Squadron FAA, HMS Stalker, Operation Avalanche, September 1943

     

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    Finally, this is the Seafire Mk IIc that I’m doing for the Salty Sea Dog GB that I’m hosting (I’m going to continue the GB WIP, of course). This is the Special Hobby kit, which I’ve been finding a bit of a bruiser compared to Airfix and Eduard. I’m building it as a striking shark-mouthed, clipped-wing Seafire that flew from HMS Stalker during the allied landings near the Italian port of Salerno in September 1943. Having lost one of the resin cannon from the kit I’m waiting for some brass replacements to arrive from the big H, then I’ll be able to press on. For the same GB I’ve also planned a Seafire Mk 46 and a Spitfire Mk Vc Trop as flown to Malta off USS Wasp via HMS Eagle, which in my heart of hearts I know I’m unlikely to be able to finish by the end of April, so they may well find their way here.

     

    So, there we have it. I'm also going to be a little more disciplined by having one build on the go at any time, rather than serial starting and spinning proverbial plates, so my aim is to firstly drag the Zumbach Vb over the line. We'll see how it goes!

     

     

    Thanks for looking in.

     

    Tony

    • Like 12
  12. 5 hours ago, Marklo said:

    I tend to work my way through the GBs based on completion date. I’ve now finished my Ju88 and armoured car build. As I’m host for the FW190 build that gets priority, but my four SSD builds are now more or less at the top of the list, and indeed the Sablatnig and the Hovercraft are both back on the bench.

     

    I'm getting a wee bit stressed about the load I'm putting on myself with the usual unrealistic forecasts of what I'll be able to build within GB timeframe constraints. I always do this. Apart from two standalone WIPs, I have one in the works for the SSD (and two more planned!), and I told myself I'd do two for the Recce GB, which is almost upon us. All this on top of hosting this GB (which I am enjoying immensely) and the demands of a busy lifestyle with other interests. As I only build Spitfires, with the exception of the Seafire I have on the go for the SSD I'm thinking of amalgamating everything else in one Spitfire factory megathread on the main WIP section, hence allowing myself to the freedom to build what I want when I want, and take part in/cheerlead for the occasional GB if and when I feel like it.

    • Like 4
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