Parns

A good deal better than I was managing at that age!

Hello, I'm in the midst of a Mil Mi-17 right now, and was wondering whether anybody had a good way of manipulating plastic rotor blades to give a realistic droop. This is the first whirlybird I've done in over 20 years and the first of this level of complexity, so any advice would be more than welcome.

Very nice - only found out about this kit recently, and hope to build one in place of the old Heller reading, which I made at school. You needn't have worried about the swastikas, though -disposable or semidisposable aircraft were not painted with them, to salve the Nazi ego. That empty rocket battery is irritating - I wonder if anybody has any bright ideas on how to fill it?

Great work! Coincidentally enough, I've just read Rupert Matthew's book on the He113 bamboozle. Looking forward to the MPM kit.

An impressive use of the ancient Airfix kit! Much neater than my build of XD145.

Nice work. I built the Frog/Novo/Pioneer2 kit in '98 and had likewise to build the intake vanes from scratch. Didn't get as nice a finish as you though, by a long shot.

Caution noted, with thanks. One could argue that it has historic importance, being the first straight-through configuration jet fighter, but most of all, a nice build of a subject I didn't know was kitted.

That looks quite serious to me - got one of these (or strictly speaking, two) on the to-do list.

A much better job than the one I did twenty years ago! I would mention that the aft end of the canopy is wrong, the rudder balance is missing, and the spinner is too long. I used cigarette paper for the curtains, with a modicum of success. Other than that I found nothing wrong with it.

The bulk of the radiators and their exposed location halfway out on the wing (piping was highly vulnerable) were the main problem, and B&V discarded them for a chin arrangement, after trying to mount them in the aft fuselage (where the mass flow was insufficient) for the C model, which was that intended for production.

Really can't argue with these.

That's one heck of a better fist of this kit than I made 20 years ago.

Well done! Nicer finish than I got on mine (a 72nd conversion of the B.(I).8 kit), and I suspect that your particoloured bomb doors are more accurate for use with the gunpack than my LAG ones. As has been pointed out already, the missiles are unfortunately wrong, however, as these were never carried by any of the German-based aircraft, only the MESW B.15/16s. The pylons are too far outboard too. It's hard to tell from photographs what the average condition of these aircraft was. Mine probably came out too grubby, though (frist use of Promodeller wash). Keep up the good work, Gavin

Should make clear before I get too much older my very considerable debt to Pin and Kitnut917 for their excellent and comprehensive advice - couldn't have got anywhere near as far as I did without them. Thanks awfully, guys - hope I haven't let you down.

After lagging for a time close on that it took me to build this beast, here is the Airfix 1/72 Concorde. I was foolish enough to attack most of the kits manifold inaccuracies and patient enough to actually finish it. I chose G-BOAF in the scheme I liked the best of the three. She was the machine that made both the return to service proving flights and the last flight by any Concorde, taking her to Filton. She's appeared in a couple of expired GB threads, but I felt, with your indulgence, that she ought to be placed in an active part of the forum. I hope you like her. She was at least well received by the person whom I made a surprise present of her for!

Well, I joined this GB In the full knowledge that there was no way I'd finish by late April 2012. Heck, just reshaping and filling the centrebody took about as long as there was left when I'd joined. Still, anybody determined enough to finish this beast is not going to be bothered by missing the deadline. Anyhow, here it is - the Airfix 1/72 Concorde. I was foolish enough to attack most of the kits manifold inaccuracies and patient enough to actually finish it. I chose G-BOAF in the scheme I liked the best of the three. She was the machine that made both the return to service proving flights and the last flight by any Concorde, taking her to Filton.

I'd been meaning to post this here for some time - before the GB finished, but a variety of system issues and other commitments have held me back for some months. Anyhow, here it is - the Airfix 1/72 Concorde. I was foolish enough to attack most of the kits manifold inaccuracies and patient enough to actually finish it. I chose G-BOAF in the scheme I liked the best of the three. She was the machine that made both the return to service proving flights and the last flight by any Concorde, taking her to Filton.

By the time I was put on to it, the original Klear had been discontinued. I have been using the Multi-Surface Wax on my last couple of builds, but things have not been going smoothly. I've been spraying it on with my Badger 200 and find that it beads quite badly. If I don't wipe these beads off in a hurry, they solidify with noticeable yellowing, and are the very devil to get off, even with quite highly concentrated ammonia solution. I'm using a medium needle - is it that the needle is inadequate? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

By the time I was put on to it, the original Klear had been discontinued. I have been using the Multi-Surface Wax on my last couple of builds, but things have not been going smoothly. I've been spraying it on with my Badger 200 and find that it beads quite badly. If I don't wipe these beads off in a hurry, they solidify with noticeable yellowing, and are the very devil to get off, even with quite highly concentrated ammonia solution. I'm using a medium needle - is it that the needle is inadequate? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I've tried it using a piece of old car sponge taped to an old paintbrush - not disastrous, but still a little sharp-edged. Could be that I put too much on at once, or that the sponge was too stiff.

With such a small production run, it's hardly an incredible coincidence that I am also doing G-BOAF, in her blue tail livery, which struck me as the most interesting. I'm afraid that I've dropped the ball on the nose visor, not shortening it enough (and painting the scratchbuilt interior black instead of ZC yellow), but I was grateful to get the forward fuselage finished without utterly ruining the transparencies. I don't want to make any more errors though - I intend to make a present of it to a former lecturer who worked on the project. Am now dealing with the window resizing issue. Hopefully the second round of filling will hold. After that it's only the centrebody (too fat), the nacelles (cranked inwards) and the wing (droops too far inboard) to fix (I've already moved the gear bay and I'll be rendering the model in cruise, taking advantage of the inclusion of a stand). If there's anything you feel I ought to know as I wade into this, I'd be very grateful.

I'm definitely on the way now, but barring a miracle I will not be done by 22 April. Nor do I expect anybody else doing battle with the Airfix kit and even vaguely attempting to fix all the issues will, either. Already missed the visor problem, but am getting seriously stuck into the windows problem - it has been a very messy weekend.

There is a set of two small and one large (182 images) of various retired Concordes hosted by the Silicon Valley Scale Modellers group, two by Vladimir Yabukov and one by John Heck, which are very useful. Here's the link: http://svsm.org/gallery/concorde_family Just used it to try and get a handle on the window problem.

Nice work! I'm interested in knowing more about Mr. Surfacer - I had much the same problem with the Airfix Canberra and going over the lines with superfine Milliput didn't really work. Where's a good place to get it?

Nice idea, but at the risk of sounding pedantic I should point out that the squadron insignia is that of IX Sqn - a bomber unit. From the Vulcan kit, I'm guessing?