Ngantek

Whoops, missed the start. I'm all about this, my grandad was in Hunts most of the war, so it's a real treat to see one done to your standard. Looks like a great start, you've got that confounded wool to come out really well this time on the sea base; and all that jubbliness around the bridge looks really sharp. I never could work out how those twin Oerikons fitted on Hunt wings, so you've very much solved the problem for me! Thanks! The front of the bridge, I've always found hard to pin down. That close in view that you have is one of a series taken by the Manchester I assume during Operation Substance in July '41 (several more can be seen in Man'o'war #4 by Raven and Roberts). She's also in that earlier scheme of what I assume is 507A hull, 507C (?) upperworks and that entirely flat bridge front. I'm not utterly convinced that the raised ridge running vertically down the sides of the bridge face isn't still there in that later photo with the bow chaser. Does anyone know what the purpose of those was in any case? I've never quite worked out when they started being fitted or why they existed. I suspect you're right about that picture from the stern (IWM; it's on wiki as 'Malta 41') actually being post refit in 42-43. Eridge (see below) was still in the 507A/507C at the time of her near- sinking in Aug'42, after 2nd Battle of Sirte where Avon vale was first damaged and headed off to the UK for refit. That HACS tower looks really good. I notice Micromaster are doing this one now (mkV** 285p (5pointed) ?? or something 🤷‍♂️) where they didn't before, but I can only see 600 and 700 scale, not the 350. How did you come by it? If you haven't already, you should check out 'Red Tobruk' by Frank Gregory-Smith, who commanded HMS Eridge. She and Avonvale, along with Farndale and Heythrop formed a group of four from about May '41 and spent a lot of time together in the Med. It's a really good account of the desperate period in the Eastern Med from the second half of 41 to mid 42. Andy

You're doing God's work with this hard-mode conversion. Looks great so far. EDIT: The area under the flaps is just lightly recessed to house the one-part 'loop' over the top I always thought they were slightly recessed, but looking again, the recessed bit increasingly looks to be an illusion created by dirt buildup. I have more pictures harvested off google, but not knowing the source, I probably shouldn't post. There are a good few of XP924 at airshows with everything down, and some in a dirtier state which helps highlight the detail. https://www.facebook.com/aviationmt/photos/a.735829616779034/875862112775783/?paipv=0&eav=AfYHapVGjtJWRBvaybI7QKwjodTnK_IawkjuR9nf9QDwi27Uff7X7c32N2y52wdpJ0Q&_rdr https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1841452826216702&set=a.735829616779034 This one here, though (half way down the page) makes it seem flush. https://vintageaviationecho.com/flying-the-sea-vixen/ Given it looks pretty flush when raised in all the photos, perhaps there's just a small recess? Does the airfix leave a gap here? CH did the same despite having separate flaps, oddly (just as they have a poseable air brake but nothing to fill the hole it reveals) Yeah the shortcomings of the CH one is a shame (not to mention frog and xtrakit). I don't think (😳) of myself as someone who fusses over the little stuff, and the (well Revell actually) buildups looked perfectly sea vixeny to me at first glance; but the more you look at it the worse it is, and the whole nose section just looks too 'not right' sitting there on the shelf now I've built it. Andy

A very nice first build Andy. As you say, a good kit to start on get a feel for ship models. I agree with Jeff, a bit of brass rod and wire or for masts will make a big difference, and a few more experiments with the rigging will certainly bear fruit. The sea base has come out very nicely. One thing you might try is painting before gloss so it's easier to achieve the colour you want, since the tamiya clear colours are quite vivid and saturated so it's easy find yourself chasing all over the colour spectrum when what you're trying to achieve is near the middle. But great stuff, I've enjoyed following the journey a lot. Andy

Beautifully done Rob. So much detail brought out immaculately. Your experiments with a more active base have worked out really well too. No space in the house but solely tempted to get into these Black Cat shenanigans. Andy

IIRC re sling points and catapult spools, two protruding stubs above the wing behind the cowling, and another pair at the aft end of the longeron reinforcements are for lifting and seen here, reinforced by plates. The catapult spools are the similar protruding stubs at the bottom of the rear airframe, to the stern of the roundels on the camo demarcation. They're reinforced with several layers of kite shaped plate. There's another pair under the rear end of the wing attached to fuselage, sticking down. Can't quite remember if and which marks and modifications these existed or were added and or removable. (I suspect from the iib onwards). (Thanks to @Grey Beema

'Feels' a bit off, doesn't it? This would suggest the length is actually right (75ft -> 318mm), but wingspan a little long (129ft ->546mm) though possibly this is due to the clipped nature of the prop. Quick dodgy person-to-length measurements from some film frames gave about 20m length so perhaps it's not too wrong. I suppose given it's such a long slender tail, and the cabin is large enough to hold 4 actors and a film crew (see the video), it's not unreasonable. Still, I think I'll go for the mini one! Little bit of a shame they haven't also tooled the Kynes ornithopter, which I thought was pretty cool as well.

Good news, but that's a big old thing, even folded. 23 metre fuselage really? A sea king is what, 17 or so. Lot to be said for the small one, seeing this!

Oh yes, love this choice. 1946!!? 🤯 A beautiful aircraft, I was considering finemolds' R3C for this, but being the porco rosso version, probably better to save that for a 'cartoon' style build. Good luck! What is the R3 x-2 variant anyway, I can't find anything about it beyond the model? Andy

No need to apologise Rob, I barely post here these days! But thanks, I appreciate the encouragement. It's not worked out quite right, but valuable experience gained. I've stolen a lot of ideas and inspiration from your builds, so thanks for giving us something to aim at (however unrealistically!). Thanks Adrian. The Ion ones are quite nice (if rather pricey), lots of more interesting poses to work with. There's not quite the choice at 700 scale that you get at 350 Thanks that's very kind. Mostly I like the choice at 700, and the small possibility that they will fit into the house! I'm also hoping that the masochism will make the inevitable step up to 350 more enjoyable! Andy

This one is going to age well 🤣

Lovely work Jon. Your models somehow find a way to keep getting better. Love the sharp work on the dazzle, it looks great and somehow turns the ugly old 4 stacker into quite an attractive ship (shots fired!). What's up next? Andy

Sorry Jeff, I've been lurking on this thread for a while, and have really enjoying watching it coming together. Beautiful sharp work throughout. I work at 700, but that photoetch gives me the shivers and much more fiddly for all the detail at this scale. Also glad to see you hold off on the hull dissection; it would be a shame to damage all the fantastic work that has come before, and although it scuppers your glass plan, styrofoam bases are pretty easy and rewarding by comparison I think. Even with the cut going well, perhaps there'd be a fair problem to deal with mating the flat cut hull to the wavy glass in a convincing and easy manner. In many ways, waterline is a bit limiting. Only for stationary subjects in the calmest of seas is the lower hull not revealed in some way, and I always find with such models, one either ends up raising the waves or having to hide voids, which is more forgiving at dinky scales, but I suspect not so easily achieved for larger ones. Anyway, lovely work so far, the detail and weathering is wonderful. Andy

This is turning out very fine indeed Jon. Lots of useful tips that I aim to steal (but will certainly forget in the next 5 minutes). Adding some rigging early and before sticking all the delicate bits outside where it's supposed to go, though... possibly a little too deviant for my tastes, I can't imagine it will catch on. I'm also always amazed how well the carpet monster thrives without an actual carpet. In light of your miraculous discovery, would you mind if I write you a list of missing bits to check for on your floor please? Andy

Yes that elusive rayon! I think I got to about page 17 of amazon results before giving up and assuming it must be a 'murican thang (rather like Paul Budzik's fabled dental resin). Though I must say the one thing I do have a lot of experience with is the expectation that a wonder product will magically transform my awful models into something good despite repeated evidence to the contrary. Andy

Seascape looks fantastic for my money. It's kinda astonishing how many parallels in this build there are with things I've been experimenting with on mine: fender grubbery (entirely stolen from your earlier flowers btw), trying PVA rather than rizlas for canvas dodgers (yours have come out beautifully); and the usual wonderment at how others continually get such amazing results from wool, in contrast to my experiments with the stuff, which come out so many orders of magnitude worse that I sometimes wonder if I have a different understanding of the term 'cotton wool'. I too have had Kostas' Tiger amongst others on constant scroll for inspiration (which tends to serve opposite purpose in all honesty!). Andy

wha, what a treat. Looking great so far, Rob. 350 isn't usually my thing but I've been very tempted by the Black Cat flowers and Butlers. The hull beating-uppery looks very nice, and I'm keen to see what you make of a more active seascape (please hurry up! I'm working on one down due thursday! Need to copy homework) Andy

Thanks all, that's very kind. As I say, not an end result that I'm particularly proud of, but I felt I needed to draw a line under the open build logs! Thanks for your kind words Jeff. We all have those builds whose finished reality doesn't quite live up to what we were hoping for at one point. I think this one had the classic case of rushing the finish because the joy had gone a little bit, so execution rather let down the idea. I've never done a sea base or worked with figures before and thought it would be nice to try and tell a bit more of a story this time. Definitely a lot of positive lessons to come out of it that are hopefully paying dividends on my current build though, so it's little churlish to be too negative about it! I have to say, in the process of this one, I've become rather attached to both ships and their stories, so I would like to have another go some day. Thanks again. Andy

Crikey you get a shift on Roger. I'd be happy with one of those steps. Love the subtle fading. Andy

Lovely work and a great story as well. Is it difficult getting a sub model to sit well and stable in the water? Andy

A very pleasing and immaculate result from what looks like a horror kit. The stagger on the stackingis rather nice makes it look much less like a kit. I really love the presentation. We'll done! Andy

Disgraceful skill getting such detail at this scale. Way sharper than I can achieve at 1/700! I enjoyed the writeup too. A really great model Andy

Lovely work! I really like the 'real but cleanish' finish. It suits the presentation really well. Andy

Shu Should be fine, Mr colour lacquers are bullet proof. Test any new interaction before applying to model though as a general rule. You generally want a gloss finish before panel washes Jetblast is bang on re thinners. Levelling thinner (MLT) is fantastic and good for glosses. The rapid is designed really for metallics, but all work. I'm a big fan of 112 and 113. (100 is and 114 much the same without the UV cut thing)

I really like them. They don't really compare to flyhawk of course (no one does, to be honest), but I think the addition of PE and certain details make them good value, and a tier above pure plastic kits. Of course there's not a huge body of work to compare, really they only have 2 ship kits: the Hunt type IIs are great as being the only game in town, at least readily available and injection moulded. They're quite nice, the PE makes a big difference at this scale, and at £13 or thereabouts compares very favourably with, say, a Trumpy/Tamiya/Aoshima destroyer at £15-20 plus another £10 for a PE set. The weapons and superstructure bulwarks are a tad simple and blocky, but overall they're nice kits. The later-tooled G,H,I,brazilian H family are I think a tad nicer and more sophisticated, with the addition of things like PE bulwarks. I think this family is actually really great. The plastic is sharp, but just a little rough or problematic in places (awkward seams on the bridge assemblies, the occasional annoying sink mark such as on the Hunt bridge front), but still very nice with good detail. The comparison really though is down to what subjects you want to build. Quick shout out to Trumpy in the addition of optional full hulls, which is a nice option and unusual at the scale (I say this as someone who's working on an IBG H class which has needed a wooden forecastle hull). Nice plastic, again the decision is likely to come down more to the subject choice. Nice progress on the Onslow, Andy. The drybrushing has brought everything together nicely. What paint did you use for the rust streaks? It's not a bad idea to use oils if you don't already, allowing you to work them around with a fine brush dipped in thinners. Makes the process very forgiving, and easier to thin the streaks right down and generally blend different oils very gradually; or just as easily wipe the slate clean if it isn't coming out how you want it. At 700, I find the fight is always getting those effects smaller, sharper and finer. Looking forward to seeing what you make of the tribal and hunts. Got a big soft spot for Hunts generally. Andy

Erm.. well my record in GBs trails somewhere behind that of Wile E Coyote's in the field of bird catching, but sure why not. Glancing over at the wall of doom, there are certainly many options... though if I were to take the purist view, fewer 'interesting' ones that I might have expected, which I'll attribute to the smaller number of very successful engines that RR produced. Anyway, I'll come up with something more interesting than a hawker mustquitofire when the time comes no doubt. Andy