Derek D.

Time has been at a premium but. Nose copper coat, glossed , decaled, glossed. Want to finish before I leave next week for a couple of months, though I may start another while away. Decision on how much weathering to apply after current gloss drys.

Built the Novo last year, it's an easy fun build, lacking in detail obviously, but I'm off the view that if a kit resembles the subject, I'm happy. I'm more concerned with the finish and markings than with the build and kit accuracy. Derek

All sausaged up for an extra DSG camo layer. I want some light weathering on the Grey layer so I apply a thin dark sea grey layer, then a thinned extra DSG through an AK Interactive Mottle mask from a height, then I lighten up the DSG with some white and more thinner and apply through the mask, finally doing a thin spray of the brightened DSG from a height. This is also AK Interactive 3rd Gen. Air series. Leave it for a half hour and unmask carefully. The mottle effect will blend in more overnight. I will lightly rub with a 1500 sanding sponge to knock the edge off. A couple of touch ups required after removing all the masking but overall happy that most of the lines held. BTW the canopy is only temporarily fixed to protect cockpit. I'll clean the lines and leaks next, before applying a gloss coat. derek

Was an option for me in this GB, opted for the Skua due to time limitations. Looking forward to seeing this, particularly the undercarriage structure. Built the Frog rebox last year..loved it.

Finally got the engine to sit in the cowling. Not without bending the etch triangle. Also had to do some surgery to get the characteristic Skua intakes into place. Further surgery needed to get the cowling aligned correctly on the fuselage. Then it was time for some paint. Wheel wells masked with white tack., I went with Vallejo grey primer for most of the kit, applying Vallejo black and white primer. respectively to the lower wings. Vallejo Sky grey was then applied to the fuselage sides and tail. Hard to tell the difference. Grey was topped up next day and then masked for application of underwing and top base coat. The instructions call out a black and white underside for a Scharnhorst attach aircraft. From what I've read it is likely that the Sky Blue instruction had already been undertaken and many of the Ark Royal aircraft were painted Sky Blue under surfaces. The blue was a home mix of blue and white so not likely very consistent. I have used Vallejo deep sky blue with white at around 50/50. Underside masked and Dark Slate Grey applied as the base. AK 3rd Gen Acryllic used here. These spray so well when used with the AK 3rd Gen thinner. While I wont chuck out every Vallejo Model Air, All new acquisitions will be the AK. Will leave overnight before applying the EDSG camo. Thanks for looking Derek

got some bench time yesterday and got the wing things on. Separate wheel wells went in OK. Attachment of lower wing to fuselage required a little scraping and sanding and I still got a snug fit. The seams between the upper wings and the lower wings required both clamping and filling of the leading edges. Also made multiple attempts to attach the resin engine into the cowling, correctly aligned..... unlike all those YouTube experts, who drop superglue with total control from a cocktail stick to achieve perfect instant adhesion...., I spend my time ensuring my fingers don't stick to the part or to each other or to the cocktail stick, with copious amounts of acetone on standby to prevent a visit to A&E. Decided to leave it for another day as my frustration built to just under throw it against a wall status! Looking forward to getting some paint on this. Will likely prime the underneath with both black and white primer per the original under colours and apply the sky blue over this to get an over paint effect. Derek An inspection this morning shows more filing is needed

A lot of mixed media on this kit, not a huge fan of etch and small resin at this scale. Unlike an eduard kit, the etch and resin are the only options. Give me a moulded console and my gel pens over a tiny etch and film combo any day. Ate a lot of time on a low part count kit, not least because of the vague instructions. The great thing about Special Hobby is the subject matter they offer and their most recent kits are really excellent. They deo however, constantly repackage older kits with some new parts and decal options, many of which have a short run feel and are a different challenge, one I'm up for because of the subjects. However unlike Airfix who now identify vintage kits form new toolings, SH package all kits the same and charge the same premium as the newer kits. Scalemates is again your friend when buying SH. Cockpit is assembled onto one side first, with some vague anchoring points. Was concerned it wouldn't fit when buttoned up after some recent issues with the Special Hobbies Boomerang and their Vindicator last year. Nice detailed cockpits that won't fit the space between the fuselage halves and resulted in being butchered to fit. A little problem with the forward bulkhead, which I repaired. Couldn't leave it for the night without buttoning it up....no join points molded into the fuselage which is normal for SH kits of this vintage, seems to be OK.

Sprayed.... Turned in to a whole big thing.... used Tamiya XF for the stripes.... Glossed with Vallejo, decaled, used humbrol decalsoft and turned the lot into a sticky gooey mess!!! spent a lot of time sanding and repairing, hence the fuselage stripes ended up a bit rough looking. Theres a picture in the inspiration gallery. DD

Love the seahawk and built this kit in Suez colours when I came back to the hobby in 2020. Its a lovely kit, dont forget the nose weight! Great job on the cockpit . DD

I believe this is another re-box of the Vista Fulmar, as is the Revell and the Airfix which I built earlier this year. I have an original Vista in the stash but unfortunately the clear part canopy is missing. The kit is what it is but goes together quite well. I should have spent more time and effort making bottom section of the clear part look like part of the side panels and not the canopy. Looking good . DD

A triple Ark Models Novo/Frog completion from last year, built on a Spanish Apartment Balcony. Barracuda, Firefly and Skua. 1/72. Airfix/Vista 1/72 Fulmar, completed on the same balcony but looking a little rougher.... 1/72 Hasegawa Martlet, 2022 completion also Hobbyboss 1/72 Seahawk, one of my first builds after nearly 30 years in 2020

When this topic was offered prior to the Bunfight I excited as I have a number of 1/72 options in the stash. Unfortunately the dates turned out to be the worst option for me. I've family home from Aus, including my 8 month old grandson, for the month for my wife's 60th, heading off to Spain and then a cruise for most of September so to complete something and do it justice will be difficult. I really want to support the GB so I could go with a relatively low part count option. I wanted to build a few initially, Special Hobby Barracuda, MPM Albacore, SH Skua, possibly Airfix Buccaneer!. I've chosen to give the Skua a go and take it from there .... Its a 2009 tooling from Special Hobby. It comes on 3 sprues and a clear sprue. Also included is a resin engine and some PE for the cockpit. Markings options are for two Scharnhorst attack machines. Ill chose which to go with later, thought the only difference is the seriel number. The instructions came with 2 x page 5/6, no page 2/3 but Scalemates is my friend as this is the entire interior assembly. Get started as soon as I can Derek

I don't think anyone could envisage what a huge task moderating this GB would become. Well done 👏 Derek

PK.37 Sea Harrier FRS.1

cracked on with getting this finished, gloss coat, decals, light weathering, wheels, improvised front landing bay doors....none with kit, wing stabilisers very short... was going to remedy but this is a low detail kit so not relly worth it, Then accidently got superglue on canopy while working on another project.... Here it is FWIW

Some more assembly and a couple of coats of paint. Usual problems with trying to get an even coat of white and the Mr Hobby Extra DSG just looks too dark. Still seamlines showing so some filler needed. After 24 hours another coat of white and some white added to the EDSG. The white looks very white!!

No carpet expected Pat. With so many builds happening you guys are really stretched. Derek

I just opened a topic for the PK-37 Sea Harrier. I'm currently building it for a Falklands 40th GB on the IPMS Ireland forum and will simulcast here. Derek

Its a pretty straight forward kit of few parts. As normal per early Matchbox, there's no trace of a cockpit. The canopy is fairly thick so Ill fancy up the seat a bit, apart from that its onward as Matchbox intended. parts together and a quick basecoat as I was spraying another kit and had some left over in the colour cup.

Having already completed 4 builds for this GB I'm throwing this one in as I am also doing it for a Falklands 40th GB on the IPMS Ireland Forum. It will be a a quick straight forward out of the box build.

as a person who only builds winged things I think this is an incredible looking build and an amazing finish.... Looks better than any diecast, superbly done Derek

There's something about the razorback P47 that makes it a really attractive kit... Fantastic build and finish.... I'm inspired to seek out the Tamiya kit which i think is the only 1/72 razorback currently available, build it again. Derek

PK-46 BAe Hawk 200 A very straight forward not very exiting kit. Quick build to help contribute towards completeness of the range.

again, not the weekend build I expected. A strange subject for Matchbox, especially in hindsight when you look at the lack of commercial success of the real thing. It is a boring subject and the kit itself isn't much more exiting. Would never have built it outside the GB and don't even know why I bought it, probably a cheap pick up in the late 80s. I would love to know who printed the Decals for Matchbox, out of 5 kits built for this GB, 3 behaved very well, 1 was OK and 1 failed. This despite being stored in my attic for at least 25 years, more likely closer to 30. Finished with a Satin Coat after Decals set. Due to self imposed time pressure (travelling to other side of the world tomorrow, supervised antigen test permitting) I omitted the drop tanks. Undignified pose!!!

I have the Dauphin and Lynx unmade, a nearly finished BK-117 on the shelf of doom and a Wessex, 3/4 finished in its box 30 years with a bad enamel job, missing one rotor blade but probably recoverable. I just need to re-mortgage to buy the Chinook to complete the 1/72 set 😏😜 derek