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HP42

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Everything posted by HP42

  1. I'll do the coffee table bit in about a year's time. I'm off to the US for 12 months in July so I'll do it when I come back. Has anyone seen a suitable 'donor' table that can be converted rather than me having to have toughened glass made to the correct size? On the subject of Connies, I can't find any suitable aftermarket decals for them. I'd like to do TWA but can't find anything. Were the MATS connies ever in 'Super' form or were they all short bodied with round windows? Phil
  2. The scary thing is that I've also got a Shackleton MR3 in the stash! Saw yours on the other page, nice looking model and it's nice to see one that is actually an MR3 and not the AEW with the conversion. I looked at the conversion but by the time you buy that and the decals its best part of a £60 model and it starts getting a tinsy bit silly. Just been working out the sizes for the Connie in 1:72.... need a bigger cabinet. I'm thinking of building a glass topped coffee table that houses them all. Anyone else done the same? Phil
  3. Well at least two people like it, thanks for the kind words . The camera is a bit cruel to it really, like the dust on the front screen, I went back to the model and could barely see it. It looks great in my cabinet anyway and attracts a lot of attention from visitors. I don't think I'll try the foil method on such a big aircraft again, it took forever and I'm in two minds as to the benefits of it over ordinary silver paint or Alclad. I was looking at the very thin foil in Hobbycraft, but at £6 a pack I'm loathed to use it. It's so thin that you have to apply the leaf metal size to the aircraft and not the foil, which makes for a harder job and probably not as good a finish. The air museum diorama is only just taking shape, it's an 'as and when' job really. I've made the walls to it but not managed to apply any finish. I've also made the concrete floor and installed the lighting but that's it so far. My lad spends ages looking at the assembled aircraft and is almost as boring as me when it comes to aircraft recognition and history. Super Constellation next I think, bought it this afternoon after deciding £38 was really too steep for a Nimrod. Phil
  4. Hi all, Here's a B29 in RAF Washington markings -well some of the markings, never did buy the code letters. It was a model I finished about a year ago on my return to the hobby. I thought I'd try the aluminium foil method. I bought leaf metal size from Hobbycraft and it worked a treat, although it's been handled by the kids and some of the nose is peeling off a bit. Trying to burnish the foil around the cowlings was a bit tricky but with a bit of time and a plastic pin from a kerplunk game I managed it pretty well. The worst wrinkle is shown and whilst it shows up in the pics, stand a few feet back and it's pretty well invisible. It's not a brilliant kit being 1960s Airfix with its toy like bomb doors and retractable undercarrriage, but it was a fun exercise and it's spent most of 2007/08 on my lad's ceiling. I've just dusted it off and plonked it in my air museum, hence the 'visitors'. It's not up to the usual standards on here but it kept me amused for a few weeks. Note the still unfinished flying flea nearby for size comparison! I've also included a piccy of an RAF Washington, I htink this was an Elint version, it's such a shame they never kept one for the RAF museum. Cheers, Phil
  5. I airbrushed the brown and then messed up the green with the airbrush. I finished it off with a hairy brush to get the green in places it should have been -must concentrate more! The canopy was masked with Tamiya tape and painted areas removed with a nice new scalpel The graphite powder sounds like a good idea, I assume I just crush up a soft pencil and apply? I'm dropping through Duxford on Friday so I'll see how the real Blenheim is doing. It was in a multitude of bits last time I looked. I'm desperate to see what they're doing with the Shackleton, I was so pleased it was brought in from the weather, it was heart-breaking to watch it deteriorate. Phil
  6. I'm making a corner of 'Airspace' at Duxford. I've not got the space for the whole thing but I think I can do about 1/3rd of it. I've got an Anson on the go along with a Lysander and Swordfish, so no prizes for guessing the section of the hanger I'm building. Concorde is just too big but I might do it one day as a stand alone item copying the one in East Fortune. There's no Blenheim in Airspace but the museum is a living thing so one day there may well be, well that's my excuse..... I'm waiting for my workplace to get its laser cutter, when it arrives it'll make short work of making nice clean steelwork sections for the roof. I do intend to do the toilet doors, guide ropes, display boards, viewing platform etc but sadly the gift shop (where I always spend a fortune buying rubbish) is in the main entrance, so as much as I'd like to do it, it's not on the agenda. The good think about doing a museum diorama is that the aircraft are nice and pristine and you don't need to worry about weathering. Cheers, Phil (PS, when it's completed, you'll all get free passes.)
  7. I lost a fair bit of rivet detail on the top by the join, though I had a go at rescribing a few lines with a craft knife (not that you can see them). The trick with the canopy was to dribble Clearfix into the joins. It makes great filler that settles down without the need for much sanding. Phil
  8. Well I finished it finally..... It's not a brilliantly fitting kit and the transparencies are a nightmare to get right. This was my first time with acrylics, I was using Tamiya. I had to do a bit of blending to make the green up, it's a bit light but looks brighter in the pics than in real life. The brown was sprayed and looked pretty good, the green ended up a mess and was heavily altered with a brush. I've not added any weathering as I tend to do my aircraft in clean/restored condition to keep in with my museum diorama that's slowly appearing in the display cabinet. I didn't add the gun pod in the end as I wanted to keep it as a bomber, it's likely that this aircraft was never a bomber from the outset but what the heck, I like it. It's full of faults but comments welcome, especially how I can tone down the engine cowlings from that stark copper colour. Cheers, Phil
  9. Darn it, it was built as a fighter from the outset then? Oh I think I'll stick the gun pod on afterall, saves a few quid on the decals. I'd rather spend the money on a better kit. I've pretty well solved the poor fitting canopy. The window by the pilot was set quite a way in but I've built it up with Clearfix and it looks much better. I also used it to fill in the miriad of gaps, not a good kit but the Clearfix is well worth the money. Phil
  10. Hi all, Just a quick question. I'm part way through building an Airfix Blenheim. I'd rather do a bomber than a fighter variant. If I use the decals supplied I'll be doing V5735 which was fitted with the ventral gun pack. Would I be correct in thinking that this aircraft had the gun pack fitted later on in its career and originally it would have had either the twin rearwards facing maching guns in the underslung nose turret or nothing at all? Presumably this aircraft was orginally a bomber but was given the ventral pack to turn it into a fighter? I'm slowly putting together a collection of British WW2 bombers and I'd rather have it as it was orginally intended. ....oh and the glass fittment on this model is dreadful, especially in the side windows. Thanks, Phil
  11. This is the fiddly little job I was messing about with over Christmas. I added the stretched sprue rigging this evening. I've still got a bit of touching up to do but she's nearly done. This is the 1:72 scale DH2 kit from Revell. This is a bagged kit I picked up from a Duxford airshow in the summer. I reckon the kit was late 1960s but it was still in good nick. I also bought the current DH2 kit for £2.99 and robbed some of the decals as I chose the one of the schemes ont he current box. The current painting references were better than the 1960s version. This kit makes a very tiny aircraft which is not easy to put together, there's nothing to hold onto. I've put a shot of it next to an unfinished Mig 15 for a scale comparison. It kept me amused over Christmas anyway. Phil
  12. All my questions answered! Many thanks. So if I do eventually do a J version I could stuff the tanks and probe on and pre-empt a 'Falklands Express' aircraft. I'm reading Sharkey Ward's book at the moment after doing Vulcan 607 and 100 Days by Sandy Woodward. I get the impression the Falklands are still hard to get to reach even now and the C-17 doesn't have a good range from what I've read. ...running out of display room as it is, I'll finish the K Herc first ...and I've still got a B-36 sitting in its box. Wifey's going to have a fit soon. Phil
  13. HP42

    DH2

    Thanks for that! I'm most of the way through a model of one of these and thought the picture told a thousand words at the very least. Thankfully I don't need to put the A4 marks on the upper wing -'cos I don't have the decals anyway. Phil
  14. HP42

    DH2

    Hi all, I've got a Revell DH2 on the go, something to do whilst visiting the rellies this weekend. I noticed this piccy of a DH2 on t'interweb and thought it loked pretty good. How accurate is this colour scheme and the aircraft in general? I gather the engine on this replica is a radial rather than a rotary, but that aside is it a good modelling reference? I see it has Magazines for the lewis Guns on both sides of the cockpit (I've found a shot of the starboard side) whereas the Revell kit only suggests the one. Did the real aircraft have 'A 4' on the top of the wing? Any other suggestions? If you click on the pic it takes you to the source and you can view a much better image. It's a really nice pic as it happens, very fine detail. Phil
  15. You're a Herc expert Jen. I gather the J model has such efficient new props that the fuel savings allow it to dispense with the under-wing tanks. If this is the case, why don't they fit the new engines/props to the old models and why dispense with the tanks anyway? These aircraft have refuelling probes so why not just add the tanks and go further -possibly alleviating the need for in-flight refuelling and sending up another aircraft? Surely they must have thought of this and there's a good reason, but what's the thinking? Phil
  16. Just got back from visiting the 'outlaws' and read your post. Do I need new props and engines for the early version? Are the existing Italeri ones acceptable for this vintage of aircraft or are they waaay out? I gather the J model needs your modified set and the difference between the kit and reality is quite striking. Looking at the pictures it's quite clear how new and shiny they were back then. Are any of the original aircraft still with the RAF? They must be pretty ropey by now surely? Phil
  17. Thanks very much guys! That's my next project well and truly sorted. That reference chart looks very useful. It's gone straight into favourites. Cheers, Phil
  18. Hi all, I've got an Italeri kit floating about of the C-130 E/H. Do the RAF version you end up with XV215 which was flown (I assume) with the 'Fat Slags' nose art between 1989 and the first Gulf War. My date assumption is based on the characters appearing in Viz in 1989 and the Hercs being repainted sand colour shortly after arrival in Saudi. I've 'ummed and arred' a bit and decided that I like the early desert camo of 1968 to early 1970s. I reckon I can use most if not all the minor decals from the orginal sheet. I will need to change the roundels if I opt for the early version with the white centres, but I have these! ....anyway, the questions I need answering are: 1) Was XV215 part of the original RAF batch from the late 60s? I assume it was as I've found pics of 216 and 217. 2) Where can I get the white decals for the lettering 'Royal Air Force Support Command' from? Black's no worry, but white is unusual. I also need the large white codes to go on the black wing undersides. 3) Any thoughts as to the Humbrol or Tamiya paint codes for the brown shades? Reference pics: http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=0585621 has the white RAF roundels http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=0585621 this one shows the later roundel type on XV217, but still white lettering. The 'Air Support Command' has been painted out but 'Royal Air Force' still remains in white. Any thoughts as to who could supply these decals? Thanks, Phil
  19. Alternatively they are available....... doh! https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=X05572 Phil
  20. I did notice the new Revell Lanc but I've had this kit for about 6 months anyway. I started it then put it back in the box only to pick it back up again this week. I found the white tack worked very well. I used a new slab of it and cut thin ribbons. The edge was quite sharp compared to trying to squash down a 'snake' of the stuff. It came off with no hassle at all. As regards the paint, so I can use one type (acrylic/enamel) on top of another as long as either has clearly had time to cure? How does rattle-can primer work in the equation? Can anything other than car paint (cellulose?) be placed on top of it? As for Lancasters, I've got another one to do. It's the Airfix type from the VE Day box set. I'm happy to build it as 'Johnny Walker' as this is how I saw the aircraft at Waddington in 1998. I managed to get my Grandfather and myself into the aircraft after talking nicely to the Pilot. My grandfather built fuselage sections during the war and had never been inside a completed aircraft. It made his day and he talked about it until the day he died a few years later. So that scheme is quite special to me for this reason. Having said that, I do like the Phantom of the Ruhr markings. I see Airfix are doing this on the BBMF gift set but I'd rather buy the new Revell and make it up from this kit. Is anyone doing the Phantom decals as a separate sheet? I'm sure Mr Freightdog would do quite well if Revell didn't offer them. Phil
  21. That looks really nice! I didn't even know the Navy used the Chippy. I flew in them many years ago as an air cadet and looking at this model brings back happy memories. I've got one in my stash that I think I'll have a go at after seeing yours. I'll be doing the Air Experience Flight based at RAF Newton, so a tin of red and white is required. Phil
  22. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement! I masked the camo using white tack. I simply used scissors to cut ribbons of the stuff and laid it out where I wanted to mask off. It's a trick I picked up from here I think, and it certainly works. The line between camo and black underside was kept sharp with modelling masking tape. I did the camo first and then added the black underside. I'm impressed with the airbrush. I might switch to using acrylics though as enamels stink the house out and need nasty chemicals during clean-up. Am I right in thinking you can't place enamels and acrylics together? What are the rules with these paints if I'm to avoid a crinkly mess? Phil (still going vertical on the learning curve)
  23. I was told this was the case as well. However, the one in East Fortune is very well presented as a museum piece and I really enjoyed my visit there in the summer, it's a small museum but well worth a trip. Phil
  24. Well I finally finished the old girl. I used Humbrol Matt Cote in the end and it still came out a little too shiny and it darkened the brown in the camo. The decals were a pain to try and flatten even with Decal Fix. There's quite a few faults all over it but it was my first proper go with an airbrush. I messed the lead staining up quite a bit but it doesn't look too bad once I tidied up the overspray (done since the piccy was taken) It's nothing like the quality of some of the stuff I see on this site but I'm happy with it and so is my lad who can look up at as his ceiling and gorp at it next to the Superfortress. Phil
  25. Thanks for the all the assistance guys. I'll try the 80/20% matt/satin mix. I just need to lift the finish slightly, so I'll mix up a batch and test it on some scrap. I assume it will thin for use in the airbrush with a dash of ordinary Humbrol thinners if needs be? It looks pretty runny so I guess I'll try without first. I bought some Johnson's Klear today. I'm told it can be used to drop into instrument panels to give the impression of glass. I wonder if I should make sure all the side windows in the Lanc black and then put a few drops of Klear in each one. Phil
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