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Spad

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Posts posted by Spad

  1. Thanks for the kind comments Ryedale Wolf!

    I did get logo and dial decals but the looked pretty grim - I will put them on as it does look kind of naked without at least the tank badges.

    The wheel/tyre is airbrushed Alclad Chrome and the tyres are brush painted white and a home-brew tyre black - no masking.

     

    How are you getting on with sticking it together? Mine is in a weird plastic - felt kind of soapy and took ages for the cement to melt it and get a good bond. Especially the fork to lower yoke joint - took several re-applications of various liquid poly before it took!

     

    ATB
    Rick

  2. On 1/30/2023 at 6:36 PM, Spad said:

    You betcha James (81-er!) This one is being finished in time for the Sculthorpe show on the 5th!

    Well, I managed it - here it is at Sculthorpe last Sunday.......sorry about the picture quality, not my shot

    52679476129_9165947cda.jpgScreenshot 2023-02-05 Sculthorpe Heritage Centre by Rick Smith, on Flickr

     

    Here's a slightly better shot with my phone - proper pixwill be in RFI later

    52679512049_dbc3c7b1a5_c.jpgFinished article by Rick Smith, on Flickr

     

    Spad  signing off

    Over and out

    Rick

    • Like 5
    • Thanks 1
  3. On 1/28/2023 at 10:50 AM, Mick Drover said:

    I have heard of the hair dryer method of attacking stubborn decals but hadn't crossed my mind for these ones. I think my concern would be softening the kit plastic or underlying paint. Have you had any success using that method?

    I have. I learned it from a car modeller mate of mine. Examples are this Hasegawa Toyota Corolla WRC car - the only paint is the white and the decals were like cardboard - literally! Even the green around the rear bumper was decal!

    Also this WestPac 737 with Colorado Springs sponsorship - the markings all over the rear fuselage and fin are all decals which were stiff and felt thick but ended up giving in and conforming to the surface detail beautifully

    I also had great success with the legendary dayglo decals in the Airfix Jet Provost - if you look close you can see it went down into the panel lines and even around the tip tank filler caps

    51930702226_1aa8a82b06_c.jpgIMG_7604 by Rick Smith, on Flickr

    51930702116_857df20e2c_c.jpgIMG_7605 by Rick Smith, on Flickr

    Give it a go - just keep it on a low heat and watch the decal - as soon as it shows a change (maybe wrinkling etc) take the heat away and add decal sols

    ATB - and sincere apologies for the thread hi-jack.
    Rick

     

    • Like 1
  4. Well,  I am going to have to admit defeat on this one as well. The issues I mention in the T.7 build took most of my attention over the last couple of weeks. This one also got stalled by me being stupidly flumoxxed by the seemingly endless range of camo schemes worn by the Meteor F.8 - no 2 seemed the same! I managed to get the fin masked and a coat of Dark Sea Grey Xtracolor onto it.T The question of camo pattern then ran straight into my OCD which effectively stopped me progressing while I chased around in circles trying to decide! Being unable to locate any period pics of the genuine aircraft I eventually (late!) decided to replicate the scheme on the preserved example at City of Norwich Museum reasoning that the museum must have had some references on which to base their spray job. I am not sure but it looks as if that aircraft may have had a respray! I think I'm seeing 2 camo patterns on it in different pics....

    Oh well, I have now settled on the kit camo scheme as at least that is consistent across the 3-views.

    I did manage to get the gunsight/windscreen sorted out and fitted plus masking onto the canopy - you ca see most of this in this pic.

    52657221481_efe87692c9_c.jpgIMG_0238 by Rick Smith, on Flickr

     

    You can see I also got some HSS on the underwing tanks and elevators; the latter will be installed slightly drooped as they seem to appear in that state in most pics.

    Sad to report that's as far as I got with this one - bit of an over-reach on my part doing 2. Note to self, be realistic and be on time for the start!

    As with the T.7, I will still continue to post progress either here (if it stays open to do so) or in a WIP thread.

     

    So until next time, it's been fun, has driven a form of discipline in my building and has been good to see other's builds and to learn much about the Meatbox

    Thanks to the hosts!

    Bye for now

    ATB
    Rick

     

     

    • Like 4
    • Thanks 1
  5.  

    On 1/27/2023 at 4:16 PM, gingerbob said:

    Ah well, the oncoming train at the end of the tunnel is about to make contact, so I'll take a moment...

     

    All the very best Bob for you and your wife (and horse). Like Bill (Navy Bird) I have also been through chemo (for lymphoma) and, it's no fun at all, I feel for her. But if the prognosis is good then it suddenly becomes a whole load more bearable and worth it in the end!

    See you on the next  build!

    ATB
    Rick

    • Like 1
  6. Despite all of the messing about with the TT stripes, I did manage to get the windscreen sorted by using the kit part. I added a piece of .010x .030 Evergreen strip to replicate the DV quarterlight in the left side panel after first dipping the part in Klear to try to protect it from glue fogging. Partially successful - we'll see when the masking comes off.

    I also managed to get some coats of Xtracolor High Speed Silver onto the topside but this, dear friends, is where I ran out of time for this GB. I came to this GB a bit late, hot off the back of a couple of car builds that I finished in about 5 weeks total, in time for for the SIG display at SMW so thinking this might be a new "me". I have to admit to biting off a bit too much with this and an F.8 - the (not so?) latent OCD got the better of me in the end! 😄

    Anyway, this is where I got to by the deadline:

    52657502600_f0fa123b4d_c.jpgIMG_0225 by Rick Smith, on Flickr

     

    I will continue to show progress as long as this thread is allowed to be added to and the finished article will eventually appear in the RFI section.

    Until then, I would like to thank DENNIS, JOCKNEY, & Marklo for hosting this GB - much fun, many things learned about Meteors and some really excellent builds on here - well done all!

     

    Until next time (when I might be a little less ambitious!)

    Thanks for watching

    ATB
    Rick

    • Like 6
  7. So near and yet so far.

    Sadly, I am not going to be able to make the deadline peeps.....🤨

    A combination of life pressures (boo!) and painting issues have conspired against me.

    It started when I noticed an error in the paint pan on the Xtradecal sheet which positions the foremost black stripe too far forward. It would have you place the stripe so it bisects the nose gear bay - in itself not a huge issue but the trouble is that would mean black sections on the rear nose gear doors which, in reality, doesn't happen according to any pics that I can find of Leuchars T,7s. Call me pedantic but the stripe had to move rearwards. I then noticed that it was narrower than the others by about 3mm (1/8") so I masked yet again and widened the band. While at it, I added the yellow box under the wings for the serials and a box for the roundels which I noticed while studying pics for the stripes. Most of this is visible in this Air Britain pic of a very dilapidated WA725.

    https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1738035

    And this is the result of all of this masking and re-masking shenanigans! Compare with the pic a couple of posts above - I'm sure you will see the difference..

    52656569262_bbab038d65_c.jpgIMG_0233 by Rick Smith, on Flickr

    What a complete fustercluck!

    Oh well, onwards and upwards.

    • Like 2
    • Sad 1
  8. On 1/11/2023 at 12:22 AM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

    Maybe use both yellows. The darker as a base coat the lighter shade as a top coat. Should give it a nice used effect that will blend both colors. 

    Well, I'm still plugging away with this one. I took Corsair's suggestion and added a thin coat of Xtracolour Golden Yellow over the original coat of Trainer Yellow.

    After a couple of frantic hours masking I got some Nato Black stripes on and here is the result. I sprayed the Golden yellow with the ventral tank in place - you can see here the difference in the colour shade quite starkly demonstrated with the tank removed.

    52642021062_6614c486b6_c.jpgIMG_0223 by Rick Smith, on Flickr

     

    Quite happy with the colour itself (thx Corsairfoxfouruncle) so next painting step is to mask off and get the HSS topsides on. Before that I need to get the windscreen on - I like to paint the fixed portions attached to the model as they are, after all is said and done, a part of the aircraft structure.

    I also need to mask off a bit of the black area to re-apply a section of yellow to create an oblong to go around the underwing serials - silly me for got to do this earlier - just shows, rushing doesn't really pay off!

     

    Hopefully more to show tomorrow. Night all!

    ATB
    Rick

    • Like 5
  9. On 1/10/2023 at 7:50 AM, 81-er said:

    It's coming together well, Rick :)

    Thanks James!

    Since that last pic I have come along in leaps and bounds (well, by my standards anyway!)

    As you can see, I have the deep breather intakes on and because they are so much bigger and details can be seen inside, there is an engine in the nacelle. I had to get it painted and fitted at this stage as I wanted the cover on the starboard side. Port side and the port gun cover will be off so the engine this side can be left a little longer. 

    I also took the tip/suggestion from Retired Bob and used the spare starboard tailplane from the T.7 build to avoid the much discussed short-shot trailing edge on the port side. To do this the square panel was filled and 4 small access panels scribed to replicate the original topsides.

    Started to get some yellow onto the fin but I think it needs a further coat yet.

    I have also removed the little fairing under the rear fuselage (no TT capability on the CO's aircraft!) and filled and rescribed the odd depression under the cockpit section. Needn't have worried too much as most of it is covered by the ventral tank - oh well!

     

    52619980763_166820569e_c.jpgIMG_0205 by Rick Smith, on Flickr

     

    That's largely it for the moment - more paint next! Maybe I'm going to make it!?!

     

    ATB
    Rick

    • Like 5
  10. Well, that was a busy night - got loads done! Yeah right!

    This is what the last 10 days have yielded by way of progress.

    Both ends of the fuselage resin parts added. A fair amount of sanding, filling with superglue and talc, more sanding and some rescribing. Makes it sound really bad, right? Not at all tbh - it's a great conversion set, fits well and panel lines match to the donor kit. Not a 'shake n bake' by any means but where's the fun in that eh!?

    Added the narrow intakes as befits the T.7 and went with the larger tab ailerons. Following comments I read elsewhere in this GB, I filled the panel lines on the intakes as they do seem to be pretty smooth on the real thing. As it is a TT configured aircraft I left the little fairing in place under the rear fuselage. This seems to be a housing for an electrical connector, associated in some way with the TT function.

    Got some colour on as well - my old faithful tin of Precision Fluoro Orange came to the fore as ever. I love this stuff and have a number of tins, all dating from the mid 80s

    52618986142_004cedd5a2.jpgIMG_0208 by Rick Smith, on Flickr

     

    Masking orange and adding yellow is next I think - just as long as I can find peace with the shade of yellow to use!

     

    Night all!

    Rick

     

    • Like 5
  11. 22 hours ago, aerotechi said:

    From the RAF pub on markings and schemes (1971) AP-119A-0601-1A it states for target golden yellow BS381C/627. Ive attached the page.

    TT scheme

     

    T7 Scheme

    F8 Scheme

     

    Thanks for that Aerotechi. That looks like a scheme as used on Canberras (100sqn and Llanbedr for example) so maybe too recent?

    16 hours ago, Don149 said:

    The two T7s in 612 Squadron used for TT in the mid 50s didn`t have any stripes , just overall silver .

    But the ones I`ve seen on Beaufighters and Mosquito`s I`m pretty sure were trainer yellow .

    But if that appears to be too dark to you , remember it would soon fade in service use .

                                                                                                                                                        Don .

    Thanks Don - that seems pretty unequivocal to me and good point about the fading in service

     

    Much to muse on!

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