n.vodden

The tailplanes and main wing section were assembled next, but unfortunately I forgot to take any pictures during this stage They were mated to the body and required a lot of whittling down of flash to get it to fit, and even then there were some pretty alarming gaps! here she is sat with the wings held in place by tape to make sure they set true In this next shot, you can see the worst gap of all, where the base of the wing root/trailing edge area mates with the fueselage. Once this was all securely set, i applied plenty of filler to the areas that needed work. The gun ports have been fitted as well, and the whole thing was sanded down to get some nice smooth curves and its come together nicely. It has now been primed with Humbrol rattle can grey primer and is drying in the kitchen. The filled areas look lovely and you cant see the joins at all, even that horrid one underneath is passable now! I'm not in work this Friday so I intend to lay down the light green colour for the underside while I have time, and while I wait for the snow to clear to get to the hobby shop i'll get cracking on the undercarriage. Incidentally the Hurricanes underside colour is listed as 'beige green' and I always thought they were painted a light blue underneath. When i bought the Tamiya acrylic in the right shade, and it was labelled 'SKY' i thought to myself.... On what planet?! I cant decide wether or not to pre-shade this model. I had my first experience of preshading with the A6 i've got being weathered at the moment, and it went really well Its subtle but enough to have a brilliant effect. Would it look out of place on this model, or is it worth the effort? Any suggestions or example pics would be very welcome if anybody has them. Thanks in advance V

Hi all. Last night was a complete bust - took 4 and a half hours to get home in the bad weather and driving ( normally a 30 minute journey! ) and the car was abandoned a mile from home... so very little was done last night. But as fate would have it, we've had a clean foot of snow overnight so I can't get to work! All public transport is off too, so its a day stuck inside, with models waiting to be worked on... oh what a shame :shithappens: I've fitted the gunsight and mounted the instrument panel in the fueselage, and test fitted everything together and its taking shape. Some shots showing how much you can see of the interior The fit of the fueselage halves is perfect to be fair, and i doubt any filler will be needed just a quck sanding of the joins. These have since been glued and taped up, and its setting on the table now. I've painted the inside of the wheel wells alluminium but it will need a second coat. Once that is done it can be joined to the wing base and the wings assembled. I've still got the control column to sort out, thats on the cards for later this afternoon when the little one has his nap. Im hoping to get the wings and tailplanes attached today, and move onto any filling and sanding so i can prime it ready for the main colours to go down. I haven't got the right shades of dark earth and dark green, and the nearest shop that stocks them is 15 miles away through heavy snow so theres no rush Plenty to be getting on with for now. V

Todays trip into the local model shop ( Antics ) was a little dissapointing as they dont run the humbrol range of enamels - my own personal weapon of choice - anymore, and they have been replaced with Tamiyas range of enamels and acrylics. Of the 5 colours i needed to pick up, only 2 equivalents were stocked in acrylics. Luckily one of them was Cockpit Green so at least i've been able to work that tonight. Soon as I got in from work i sprayed the assembled cockpit and interior with the green, and once dry applied a bit of Promodeller wash to the detail. The detail in the kit is sparse, so i've not taken it too seriously and my detailing leaves a lot to be desired anyway A little shading and picking out of minor details is all im going with on this one, as its mostly hidden anyway. The pilot has also had a closer matching shade of blue applied so he doesnt look like a power ranger anymore Heres how it stands at present. Since taking that photo its had a coat of Games Workshop rattle can varnish to seal it in and it looks a lot smoother and even. I cleaned up the instrument panel to go in there, and the detail on it is terrible, so i opted for the decal instrument panel. Ahhh i love airfix decals... out of register, so thick you can pick them up with your fingers and move them about, and about a full mm too big in each direction Had to trim it down loads, and use copious amounts of microset/sol to get it to sit right but its on there now and doesnt look so bad. Next on the agenda is the control column..... Apparently there is a stick hidden in amongst that plastic somewhere, but I cant see it. This pic also shows how the exhausts are going to be fun when its thier turn on the block. the openings are round and filled, should be an interesting one to sort out! Thats as far as we've gotten for tonight. Tomorrow should see the panel fitted, and the fueselage halves mated together. i have test fitted them and there will be some problems to sort. The raised ( ewwww ) panel lines on either side of the engine cowling are about 1.5mm out from each other, and the moulding around the cockpit fairing is atrocious. both sides are completely different from each other so a lot of sanding/filling will be needed there to be passable. Theres a reason this kit is only a tenner But hey, I appreciate a challenge and i'm a glutton for punishment! More to come Cheers! V *edit* oh yes , and the spinner+prop has been assembled/painted as well *edit*

the blue is a little too bright, but the flash has accentuated it a lot. It could do with another coat really so i'm going to mix a little black in to tone it down on the next coat.

Hi everybody! I picked up the Airfix 1/48 Hurricane in Hobbycraft for a tenner when I was last down there, and have just started the build tonight. Already mentioned the kits little niggles ( mainly closed canopy, and a hell of a lot of moulding flash ) but other than that it doesnt seem too bad. I asked for any advice on aftermarket parts, and had some great responses which i really liked the look of, particularly the fabric covered wings conversion kit. My A6 Intruder is coming to an end ( finally got the stores on it, varnished, decalled and sealed - now in weathering/panel staining ) and I have been absolutely itching to start this one after watching the Battle Of Britain the other day so I started it earlier today. As money is tight until payday - bloody xmas - I'm going OOB on this, and i'm going to pick up another one at the end of the month along with the conversion kit and pre-war decals.... and the Fokker DR1 for the WW1 GB, man this is addictive isnt it So, firstly the compulsory box shot... So far, I have just assembled the cockpit seat area, and assembled/painted the pilot as i have decided to include a dude - something I pretty much never do. Not too happy with how he looks compared to my citadel minatures, but he will do Need to get the right shade for the cockpit interior, so will be popping into the local model shop on my lunch break tomorrow and spraying it in the evening. I'll keep you posted, thanks for looking! V

Picked up some Klear last week as it happens. May take it with me when we go to visit next and give it a try. Absolutely amazed at how good the stuff is! It sprays brilliantly, used it to prep my A6 Intruder im working on for decals and its excellent stuff! and the canopy after dipping looks incredible, does wonders for the clarity and makes it look like glass instead of plastic! Who wouldv'e thought it though, from floor polish!

That is absolutely fantastic! Excellent idea, and superbly done!

another vote for Halfords primer Funnily enough just picked up one of the huge 500ml cans for £6.99 on the way home tonight. usually use Humbrol ratttle can grey primer, but for the Red Arrow i've just finished I wanted a white coat down, so picked up a Halfords can. Its good stuff, but the only criticism is it comes out very fast so in my experience ( only 2 models with it ) you need to lay it down in thin coats from a good distance. If you apply it too closely or too heavily, it pools up and runs very easily. Almost ruined the Hawk because of that! noticed just in the nick, but did have a lovely thick run down the side of the exhaust I had to sand back

ooh now i do like the idea of a fabric covered early model. I was reading the thread where they were being converted using putty to shape the wings to have the ribs and troughs ( very impressive work! ) but that £13 kit is fantastic and has everything needed! I think i'll go down that route. Thanks for the help and pointers everyone! I really appreciate it

I havent got any more Only rememebered to take that pic hastily before we headed down there. I'll take my camera with me and get some more shots next time we swing by

That looks fantastic mate! I almost always leave the pilot out, but based on that maybe i'll leave him in there for this one as it will fill the gap and catch the eye.

Hi everybody! When shopping at the local Hobbycraft, i did the inevitable wander away from the wife in the knitting/crochet area and gravitated upstairs to where the model kits are and treated myself to the Airfix 1/48 Hurricane Mk1 kit. Only a £10 and thought it would look good alongside the Messerschmitt in the cabinet. At first glance it looks a nice and simple kit with not too many fiddly components. There is a HELL of a lot of flash and excess but nothing that a knife and sanding wont sort. So on to the question - are there any resin or PE kits to improve the cockpit and seat for this kit? the cockpit it a little spartan and could do with sprucing up. Also the canopy is moulded closed. Can you buy open canopies for kits? or will i have to very carefully razor saw it open? Thanks in advance! V

Hi everybody! As previously mentioned, I started building a Red Arrows Hawk for my Father In Law, who was an engineer with the RA circus for many years and I JUST got it finished in time for christmas Here she is! Finding a suitable plinth in the last week running up to christmas was an absolute nightmare! so we have the manager of Document Services in Admiral to thank! She came to the rescue and kindly donated an old award from a few years ago that was gathering dust as it had a spelling mistake on it! The model was undercoated white, and all of the white work was masked out prior to laying down the red spray, as i wasnt too confident in my decalling ability with such large and tricky shapes and i think it came out quite well. In hindsight there were a few glaring mistakes - first and foremost... i put the wrong bloody model on the base! I understand now they use T1.A's The blue tail flash is also smaller than it should be, and the last coat of varnish fogged up the bloody canopy! literally the day before I was to present it!!! All that work on the tub, wasted! No time to sort, but he was still extremely pleased and it went down a treat!! We had a great day at the local pub sat by the fire discussing the Red Arrows and his RAF experience over a few pints, while both our wives sat rolling thier eyes as usual whenever we go down there! But aside from the errors, I was pleased overall how well the kit came out. I intend to pick another up for myself and mount it in a similar way, and i will DEFINITELY be buying the resin intakes! only criticism of the kit, they are a pig! Hope you like V.

I've just finished a Red Arrows Hawk as well, with the markings all painted instead of decals and i used Citadel acrylic for the blue. a 50/50 mix of Enchanted Blue and Regal Blue came a very close match and good enough to do. Have pretty much every shade of blue they do handy from painting my Lizardmen BloodBowl team back in the day

Think i'll join in with this one for my first entry into a GB And I have the perfect candidate for this topic... Manfred von Richthofen's Fokker DR.1 triplane!

thanks for all the responses! definitely interested Adrian, you have pm! And thanks for the advice about aftermarket parts, going to be looking into those! Aye i'll probably do a buildalong as it comes together. Im undecided now, if i get the neomega tub kit i think i'll do it stood on the tarmac flaps down canopy open to show it off... decisions decisions

Good evening all! My mother-in-law's husband is a retired career RAF officer and spent the latter part of his career doing restoration work on some absolute classics. Some of the things he has worked on include the restoration of Vulcan XH558 ( his baby as he calls it! ) , senior engineer on the restoration of the memorial flight Lancaster that involved the full takedown and replacement of the main spar ( which he has a section of on a plaque presented to him signed by the work crew! ) and has been all over the world with the Royal flight. Much to the annoyance of my mother-in-law and my wife every time we visit we end up in long conversations on the subject with them rolling thier eyes at us! For the last 15 years of his career though he was involved with the Red Arrows and has many signed photos and documents of himself with the crew and pilots from when he hung up the towel and retired into a teaching role before finishing up. One thing i noted is that among the models he has, he doesn't have a single Red Arrows Hawk at the moment so I am going to build him one on a plaque in takeoff just leaving the ground pose for his birthday this year! The resources and photos he has are outstanding so i wont have any shortage of information about it! So on to my question, can anybody tell me which company makes the best 1/48 scale Hawk ( if it comes with Red Arrows regalia then even better! ) and where i can get it from? Also where i could obtain 1/48 Red Arrow decals from? I'd also like to try an aftermarket cockpit kit, especially the seat to make it nice and detailed, whats the best out there? Thanks in adance for your help! Neil

Hi Sean, its in the Pontypridd indoor market. Very limited supply mind, but they have the humbrol acrylic range and a few assorted kits, nothing special its a toy stall really. normally get my stuff from Antics in Cardiff city centre, or Hendons Models in Llanishen

Hi everybody Had the afternoon off work today so stopped off at the local hobbycraft for some materials and picked up a Revell Lightning while i was there, and i wish i hadn't bothered! Parts need a lot of cleanup, that silver/metallic plastic, poor panel lines ( raised too! ) shes gonna be a fair bit of work! So dissapointed i took wander into the local village and into the market as theres a hobby stall in there that sells the odd kit and supplies. I grabbed an Academy 1/72 Fi156 Storch from there. Absolutely love the Storch and nearly plumbed the £35 for the special edition Tamiya last week so i thought i'd give this little one a go. What can i say, im impressed! the clear pieces are nice and thin and well moulded, it has engraved panel lines and every part is well finished. She looks like quite a nice little kit to have a play with, cant wait to get started on it! Has anybody built this one? Mrs will kill me, now have a JU87 and a BF109 in progress and another 109, Lightning, Tornado and a Storch lined up. This is addictive isnt it

lol, they have that pic of the rubber suit up on the wall in work captioned 'This is why you NEVER fart in a wetsuit'

You're right there is a bit of overspray, got past my masking but it isnt too noticeable so im happy to leave it as is for now. having learned my lesson i'll be laying down the white early on and masking it up to spray the other colours in future

Good evening everybody! Quick update, i tried to do some panel lines with a Citadel Paints wash i had and it didnt really work, so i stripped this off and bought some washes from Promodeller. I tried them out on a scrap spitfire and on the underside of the wings to test it and was extremely impressed with how it looked! So tonight i have done the panel lines and some basic staining to the model. Here is how its looking so far I'm going to give it a coat of varnish tomorrow to seal the wash in and then do the weathering from the engine exhausts and gunports etc before finishing it with a final coat and adding the antenna wire. Over the moon with how this is looking

I envy all of you, actually having space to work in! All my bits and bobs are in VeryUsefulBoxCompany clip boxes in the cupboard, and i commandeer the dining table to work. Spraying is done out the garden. I'd kill for a proper work area! And the SPR is one ugly piece of kit AK47 all the way ( metal body, guarder wood kit, full Systema internals and a GP30 moscart launcher yummy! ) Where do you play Mike? been a while since i got out there, but i was staff at Dragon Valley for 5 years ( handle is Nightwish )

Good evening all! I've assembled and primed the cockpit of my 1/32 JU87 and when looking around for images of the cockpit interior and weathering marks, came across this finished example of a model one. http://hsfeatures.com/features04/images/ju87d332Canopy.jpg http://hsfeatures.com/features04/images/ju87d332Cockpit.jpg can anybody tell me how is that effect done, with the dust and dirt build up on the floor of the interior and along the walkways at the wing root? It looks fantastic and i would like to try and replicate it on this one. Thanks in advance! V

Howso? i did thin it with humbrol enamel thinners in the end and it looked perfect, and i've laid down 2 coats this way and the finish is fantastic