Farmer matt
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Posts posted by Farmer matt
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Hello to you all.
Thought this might be amusing, its a kind of 1930s steam-punk zorb ball.
dyna1 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
dyna2 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Capable of 30mph in the hands of Hyacinth Bucket apparently.
Matt.
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Hello to you all,
Many years ago when I was very young, the elderly widow who then lived next door gifted me her husband's cigarette cards , collected in period at the expense of his lungs. Turned up in a rummage so I thought you guys might be interested.
cards1 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
cards2 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
cards3 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
cards4 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Sadly not the full set, but probably unique now in having passed through so few hands.
Regards,
Matt
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cedectop by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
As you can see, the upper wing is now decalled, just the two halves and straight on with no cutting except a bit off the clear at the join. As you can see I left the fuselage for now as I am still pondering the leading edges, and want somewhere I can touch if I do them.
Part of me says she is quite colourful enough and leave well alone. The problem with painting the edges, aside from any match issues, is that once started thats it, irreversible process, so if it looks terrible its game over.
The other option is that there are spare side decals so they could be cut. That solves the colour match, but the pieces will still either have to conform to the edge or be done as two surfaces and still need painting. Not to mention that it would be an interminable faff.
So, as a distraction, I decided to try and aggregate some of the masters. It is really frustrating that there seems to be some of everything and all of nothing. So for example, with apologies to @texantomcat this is the Chilton.
Edit : photos now in resources thread
The problem with the low parts count is that if one piece is missing, thats half the aeroplane.
This, however, is the DH 71 Tiger Moth monoplane, which is 'only' missing its undercarriage and interior. The latter and lack of canopy not much of an issue though as very little would be visible. To me this is reminiscent of one of Dads old homebuilt control line racers.
I had hoped that the upper fuselage of the Mew Gull would be there as then I could have risked surgery on the casting with a safety net, but alas just the wings and a couple of smaller parts.
Any opinions on the leading edges welcome!
Matt
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Hi Greggles,
I had never really thought to take the masters anywhere, you may be right as they are something most people never get to see. When you live amongst things all the time you tend to take them for granted a bit, and I was really pleased that people enjoyed seeing them on here.
If I can cobble together enough parts, an all brass build might be a nice idea. Trouble with doing polished castings is they lose the shine quickly, even if you lacquer them they dull down. I did toy with that at the start of the CE, this far in to decalling I'm thinking it might have been a better plan!
Regards,
Matt.
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More plumage for the Christen Eagle today. I also had a go at touching up some of the decals I applied yesterday and discovered that my nice new purple is nothing like the correct colour. That might help put paid to a future choice, to try and paint the leading edges or leave as white.
Anyway she is looking much more colourful now, only the fuselage and the top surface of the upper wing to go.
cedec2 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
cedecus by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Hopefully the rest will go on tomorrow,
Matt.
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If only I had scanned the canopy too! Still no sign so looks like the carpet monster wins this time.
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IMG_7367 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
So now the Eagle can gain her feathers. This, and below the tailplane, is how far I have got so far. I started here because it will get touched least, but probably required more handling of other areas just to get done. That was the theory anyway.
Given they are about 35 years old the decals are quite willing to come off the backing with just warm water, and seem able to withstand a fair bit of handling and snipping. Nothing has disintegrated yet.
Unfortunately the decals are slightly undersize, on the real thing the graphics wrap around the leading edges, although it would probably be a nightmare acheiving that with transfers.
The feathers are printed as one decal per surface, which would be great if there were no bracing wires or struts or control housings in the way. So they need to be cut around such obstacles and a deal of touching up is going to be inevitable. Lets hope suitable shades can be found.
I also fear that any alignment between surfaces is going to be more hope and coincidence than anything else.
Matt
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Thanks Malc,
I might have to try and get a Pawnee or something to go with her now.
Matt.
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Thankyou very much to you all for your kind comments and 'likes'. I am glad you like her.
Regards,
Matt
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Hello to you all,
The ASK 13 two-seat glider was first flown in 1966, and around 700 were built, many of which are still flying today.
This kit was one of the final releases in a small range of white metal aircraft produced by Lawrence Designs and Models (LDM) in the 1970s/80s.
askbox by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
OOB except for some 0.5mm plastic rod in the cockpit and masking tape canopy frame. Decals from spare. Paint is Halfords Ford Sunburst Red over yellow primer, from a rattle can.
askrfi1 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
askrfi2 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
askrfi3 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
askrfi4 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
askrfi5 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Some build notes and further information about LDM can be found in my WIP thread, which also embraces a Christen Eagle and Mew Gull from the same company.
Thankyou for looking, and a huge thanks to all those who have encouraged, supported and contributed to the WIP so far. One down, two to go.
Matt.
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I think this is a bit of a save for the ASK.
A couple of tiny masking tape hinges, a bit more framing and a stay bar, and we have an open canopy so no unsightly gaps to worry about. The bodged interior is a bit too visible now though, as is Johnny's Herman Munster impression so that may need some attention!
askopen by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
ask13grass by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
ask13grass2 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
ask13grass3 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
ask13grass4 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
The grass is from the hardware store and should be on the patio, so its a bit long here but ok for what it is.
Thanks for looking,
Matt
EDIT I was pleased enough with this that I took some more pics and she is now up in RFI. Still might do the wings white at some point though. One down, two to go!
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The ASK is now at a point where although not fit for RFI, she is ready for a quick look from a safe distance, preferably without your glasses on!
ask03 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
ask01 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
ask02 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
ask04 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Canopy is not attached, as you will recall I miscut it but it will probably stand being posed open on the ground if I add a couple more bits to the frame. Unfortunately although the basic build ran smoothly, this has been something of a snafu magnet since, and all silly things.
Still no joy finding the CE 's canopy either but aside from that she seems to be ready for decals now, which should be fun.
Matt
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PERCIVAL MEW GULL 1:48 LDM white metal kit
This kit represents the most famous of the five original Mew Gulls, G-AEXF, which survives to this day and is now accompanied by a splendid 'new build' replica.
Unlike the CE and ASK, this kit offers a minefield of options for so few parts. So, to start we have Johnny (or should that be Alex? ) pilot, or not. Then we have two front cowls, and two styles of undercarriage spats to choose from. Also there are two canopies which I forgot to photograph, but haven't lost (yet).
mewopt by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Option A is as originally built and now restored.
Option B is as modified to win the 1938 Kings Cup air race.
There is also an option C, using the short cowl from A and the short spats from B. This depicts the machine as flown to Cape Town in 1939.
As you may be able to discern from the next two pics, options B and C require some major surgery to the fuselage. Also the spinner needs reshaping for A and C.
In addition, it is helpfully noted that to show the aircraft on the ground, the u/c fairings should be reduced in depth to represent the compressed oleos.
PHEW!
mewinst by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
mewinst2 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
The next shot shows the parts that may need altering, and you can also see the over zealous cleaning up of the previous owner, which will need attending to before anything else.
EDIT Having sorted this, apart from two particuarly deep scratches on the fuselage, it may be worth mentioning that, whilst the castings do need a good scrub, white metal is soft and whatever the last guy used was way too coarse (steel brush?). 1200 grit or 800 at the very most is more appropiate at this stage in proceedings.
mewg by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
So, a big decision to be made and stuck to. 'A' is the easiest and most recognisable, and probably the sensible option.
EDIT a quick image search seems to muddy the waters somewhat further as to the airframes current appearance. Hmmm.
To be continued...
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That is really lovely, and brought back memories of the example hanging in the Lucerne museum, just about the only thing I do remember from a school trip decades ago.
Matt.
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Not much progress on the ASK or CE, but look what I've just bought today at the Gatwick Air Enthusiasts fair.
mewbox by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
An early boxing, its marked as sample so probably originally went to a mag for review. Someone seems to have tried cleaning up the main castings a bit enthusiastically, but its all there after over 40 years.
Decals for G-AEXF only, but parts for two incarnations of that airframe. And our old Worcester Park address on the instructions.
mewparts by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
I certainly never thought I would start buying these kits back in, but it was very reasonably priced, and this has been fun so far, so why not?
Matt
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I had the devils own job getting pics up until I cracked it thanks to help received on here, so in the spirit of passing on the good deed.
Open your flickr account in a new tab. Select your photo. Press the curved arrow at bottom right. Select BBCode, and a size (eg Medium 640x427). Some code appears in the bar, tap that twice to bring up the text selection bar. Press Select All, then Copy.
Then come back to your post, and where you want the picture press Ctrl and V. Code will appear in the text box. When you submit, it becomes a photo.
Hope this helps, it drove me mad for days.
Matt.
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jodelbase by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Hi Zac,
It is likely the Jodel could be done in resin, but would probably need to have solid windows. Not to say you couldnt open them up on an individual model, but if you can see the two spars in this pic, they would need removing which would make the fuselage prone to distortion.
I did paint one up many moons ago and it looked ok with the windows just painted, no longer have it unfortunately.
I will make some further enquiries on this at it seems the world is not exactly awash with options Jodel-wise.
Matt.
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asktail by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Whilst the CE was getting another coat of paint and looks way better IRL but no different on camera, I thought the ASK could do with livening up a bit. Its not a sunburst, granted, but it breaks up the reddy redness.
@k5054nz you might like this
jodel1 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
jodel2 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
jodel3 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
The uc is a bit skewy as its just balanced there, just four pieces, fuselage, baseplate, and each uc leg. Lovely looking model and it cast nicely too, the shame of it is its to 1:70th which is no good to anyone. I have never been sure what the point of the '125' desktop range was (constant 125mm wingspan across the board) ,but it seems a lost opportunity for the sake of a few mm, 1:72 would have been 121mm. Some of the others in the range I do remember were also near misses.
I think a fair few of the Jodels made it into the wild, mainly as desktops but some in primer at least so they might turn up on the auction sites. Most things seem too eventually!
Matt.
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With regard to the lack of 'alternative' viewpoints, for whatever reason lost in the mists of time, it has been deemed that the 'correct' way to photograph a bus is a front quarter view. Certainly this has also been perpetuated and reinforced by publishers selecting such views. Submitting 'imaginative' views would normally guarantee rejection, and as for the back? Also be wary that if there were for example 12 boggo standard examples of something, and one different, thats the one photographed and published.
Sure that kind of thing happens elsewhere, but buses seem bad for it. Good luck in your quest.
Matt.
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Although the impetus for these builds came from this forum, I did not think I would be doing my own WIP for them, and did not take early photos, so much of the above notes have been a bit reliant on your imagination.
I don't know why I did not think to do so before, but you may notice I have now added a couple of photos to the build notes using the original masters to illustrate the parts breakdown a bit better. I hope they are of interest.
Meanwhile, the Christen Eagle is now white (or green as we learnt earlier!). Probably needs another coat, but this is how she looks.
cewhite by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
cesky by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Just for fun, whilst I was rummaging in the masters, I thought we could compare the CE with another well known sporting biplane. At this point I will mention that both sides have very tetchy lawyers.
compare by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
So far, so actually less similar than first glance might imply.
Now lets look at the upper wings
wingcomp by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
And then overlay them
wingover by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
At which point my lawyers advise that there is obviously no similarity between the two. None. Honestly guv'nor.
This next photo is for Greggles.
caudron by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Enjoy the weekend sunshine,
Matt.
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Hi Mike,
Don' t know if this helps but it shows the back, something most anoraks steadfastly refuse to photograph. Photo of a photo from Capital Transport book not sure how it will present here but lets see,
bct by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Also notice the difference in the front bulkhead and nearside cab windows between your photo and richellis. The latter was a one man operated conversion.
Not that up on BCT stuff but hope this is of use.
Matt.
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Welcome aboard Zac and Ianwau,
Unfortunately you are just in time for the awkward snafu stages, but we are still airborne!
Home vac forming seems like it could be a thing, and at least you get a second chance by just making another. On the subject of which, the CEs canopy seems to have done a disappearing act so I might have to start learning fast. It was there, a bit yellowed unlike the ASK one, and wrapped in the same tissue, but now...?
Matt
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Having just 'liked' your above post, I am not entirely sure that is appropiate if it is making you depressed. 'Like' that you are giving it a go. Really terrible expression, this is what social media etc. have given us. Illiteracy. Hope the dog enjoyed her
extra walks!
Matt
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ceprimer by Matt Farmer, on Flickr
Ok, so I'm calling this ready for paint now. I'm not over happy with the centre strut but it will have to do, better than it was anyway. You will see that I have cut the prop blades, I am pleased with how that looks, and Johnny is having a quick test flight.
Shaking of white rattle can commences..
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LDM 1:48 Mew Gull, Christen Eagle, ASK13 (white metal)
in Work in Progress - Aircraft
Posted
Wise counsel prevailed, and now the Christen Eagle is resplendent in her full plumage.
Johnny has taken her up for a final spin before she is grounded for a lacquer coat and an enforced tech stop - ie me learning new skills to make a canopy.
And so, after a few deviations and snafus along the way, we have eventually reached our initial destination, and have two complete (ish) models.
I would like to thank you all once again for your support, and hope you will stay on board for the next leg featuring the Mew Gull. And who knows what else might turn up along the way.
Because this thread has all the LDM and white metal references, I am going to keep it running rather than start afresh. I hope that is ok with you guys. However, a title change may be forthcoming.
Matt.
Ps. Malc, if she is near the top of the stash, please could you fish out your 1:32 Mew Gull and put up a couple of sprue shots to compare the parts breakdown for interest. Thanks.