lazyeagle

Yup my house is just off that roundabout.... Brilliant work of art..

My 1/72 Airfix Dambuster. Like the engineering on this kit although I had alot of fit issues- think it was me being fat fingered and not the kit. Annoying that despite the gloss coat some decals did silver....again me rushing this and not the kit. This build for girlfriend who is a massive Lancaster/ WW2 aviation fan.

Oh now this is what a Rhino should look like...truly inspirational.....

I thought I was looking at a scene form the Heathrow's visitor centre....brilliant diorama mate

That is just amazing...if they make Gravity 2- this needs to be captured on film....loud applause from me......

Oh this is great...have one as well so watching this will be good instruction for when I get the courage to tackle the beast...

This sort of skill needs to be applauded..brilliant and watching intently....

Hey Tarkas- sorry but going to be the bringer of bad news- yes the hatches/portals will be glazed - although you'll still be able to see through to the other side. Actually wasn't aware the transparent parts were absent...live and learn. I'm hoping she'll be close to the Wag Evans original launch sequence version.....but there comes a point when you say 'Enough Already!' Thanks HL-10 I'll supply the popcorn...and if this goes all mammary glands up I'll throw in some Ben & Jerry's as consolation.... Thanks mate...Other half questions my sanity as I'm off with the fairies for most of the time... Cheers mate! Hey Paul- was coming up to Smallspace anyway - planning on bringing the TB2 along but don't have a space to put her anywhere - so intention was to fly her a few circuits around the room. Only need to get past that Dalek bouncer at the door. BTW- was at Hendon last week asking about that 0.15mm needle for my Evolution until Chris Trice barged in to buy up half your wares....anyway still after that needle set... Thanks Anthony will do......next up working on refining some of the detailed parts and wondering how to deck out the pod interior as the inner fibreglass walls are very uneven- used flap wheel to grind down as much as I can however the rest will be elbow grease.....then cladding in plasticard, ribbing, interesting detailing using kit parts etc fingers crossed this will work.....more soon and appreciate the comments - also any critiques are welcome as I'm by no means an expert...

Roll on March 2014 when I returned to the hanger to resume the build…the story so far… Idea here is to mould clear plastic to around nose contours to form windows and the twin side portals (used heat gun). Used heated PTFE as a test – now switched to clear plasticard as PTFE will not stick to anything. Will create window shaped masks then eventually spray filler and primer to form the thin look of the frames thus giving that scale realistic effect. Well that’s the plan anyway and I’d love it if it came together. As per photos intakes were so off that I re-did them…. It looks like a mess…and it was/still is, but intakes are easy on the eye, however a bit Technicolor with all the varieties of filler..Joseph would be proud Detailed parts, engines, rear tail stack. The tail box was created using Rexel plastic document intrays with a wood core- then clad in plasticard and finally sanded to shape. Airfix girder bridge (now made by Dapol) features a lot on TB2– like the ‘X’ in the rear engine bulkhead recess. Assorted kit parts from Tamiya tanks grace the recess- artistic licence here. Mastered the hydraulic leg blister in mdf – resin coated still working on it. The small side intakes on the tail are thanks to B&Q cable trunking covered in plasticcard laminations and sanded to shape. Dry fit…could not resist... Looking lonely without TB-1 Filler primered and how she looks today… Now filler, sand, filler and casting the leg blisters in resin and building the legs, interiors, cockpit (not sure)…ad infinitum…bitten too much here....more soon.

Really looking forward to see how this turns out.....very nice

That's a nice Firefly you've conjured up there Plastic Bonsai. I've always been put off by the very toy like dimensions of the imai offerings, but suppose with a bit of effort they can be made to look good. Fingerprints never came back after my stint with the Men in Black. No bank job...just fingers crossed for the Euromillions pot today. The green.......I have mixed a concoction of yellow green and emerald green- bit premature as this could all go Pete Tong......but hoping with the final weathering it'll even out. Thanks for that - I can always get a job fixing dents and smoothing dinged alloy wheels! Thanks - girlfriend got a Airfix Dambuster Lancaster that I managed to cobble together for her- she's a big WW2 aviation fan so off to Duxford next weekend...sigh. More photos on TB2 later, thanks for all the encouraging comments, it does spur you on.

I know of the kit you mean - that's a different one mastered by a guy in the US, this was done by fellow here in the UK. There is a hard to find fibre glass version made by another Brit that is reputedly spot one but could never find a copy. In all honesty given the amount of work this has been I should have attempted a scratchbuild intsead. Still kudos to the fella for producing one. Can't decide between pod 4 or 6....yes hope to have an interior of sorts....but my skills fall short of building Pod vehicles although always liked the Firefly.

Air intakes profiled…but needed a lot of work to get right…....also garden/patio has been cleared now- these images are 2013. Wing/ tailfins all cut from mdf sanded to form aerofoil profiles- wings were a bit too long…well what I thought was too long. Mdf had eventual brush on resin treatment to seal everything – sanded and then re applied resin. Took 4 applications but still required filler treatment to get coveted ultra smooth surfaces. This took longer than expected – 2 weeks….grrrr! More to come...

Thanks all for your kind an encouraging comments. Grateful to girlfriend who stopped me from bouncing it into the local land fill...anyway Here’s how I did the pod- Fibreglass and meshed up Filler…..sand…filler…sand…filler…sand….. It Fits! First primer coat

Remember that Dornier Flying Pencil found languishing in the Channel? Well this was found next to it. Thunderbird 2 studio scale fibreglass halves that I snagged from a friend back in 2004. Just used the fuselage fibre glass carapace halves as a blank canvas. The wings, tailplane, pod, hydraulic stilts, greeblies and all other components all scratched. Pod panels were cut out and reinforced with walls formed from fibre glass and skimmed with filler. Used ¼ inch brass to allow me to raise/lower ‘roof’ to make it flush with the lifting body. I started in Feb 2013, gave up mid-year because of work only to drag myself back into the Danger Zone a few weeks ago. This is an almost impossible model to get right as the fuselage cross section was way, way off– wanted to make it as close to the first ‘launch sequence’ 32 inch version so the shape was modified/filled/ extended/ skimmed/ re-fibreglassed several times that I managed to get a Christmas card from Halfords. Anyway loads of photos will post representative group of images at a time so as not to overwhelm – currently making detailed parts and heat forming the windows etc. Excuse the mess in back garden – clearing up after major house renovations. From this: To This......although she nearly ended up skipped several times..... Re-shaping and sanding and cutting out pod panels…

Devil 505 feet dry...now that's an Intruder!

Beautiful finish, goes to show that Alcad isn't the only option.

Thanks for the kind comments and appreciate the warm welcome.

Hi My first post, but long time lurker. This is my 1/48 F-14 Jolly Rogers Tomcat - CDC Armour/Franklin Mint mold under the 'Mack It' brand name. This was a diecast metal kit I had rattling around the loft before I took it out and painted/made a few mods- adding a little more detail to the cockpit- pull ejection seat handles and a few instrument changes. Arrestor hook fell off.... All humbrol airbrushed, alcad shades, airbrushed weathering, with Flory washes. A heavy paperweight for sure. Have an F-117 in kit form also so will be doing that one soon.

Hi First post, but been model making for awhile... Wanted to ask if anybody knows of the Revell 1/32 F-15D/E Eagle re-release making it to these shores from the US? I like Tigermeet scheme for this Mountain AFB Eagle, seen a few Revell imports like the B-36 and hoping this one will also be available in the UK. Anybody knows or will be stocking this tiger striped jet? Thanks 'Jay..