heloman1

Looking good, I never got to work on the Sea Vixen, so had to admire them from a distance. You are doing some serious conversion work her! I'm just putting the finishing touches to a very old FROG kit over on the FROG Squad II GB Colin

Thanks for the images of the vac-form moulds, is there a need to vac the flat panels? I take it you have already 3D printed the vac-form machine!! Ha! Colin

Good to see you back on this build.

Well done for kicking the job in the arm. If you can look after your mother and enjoy your hobby at the same time, then great. Good luck to you mate. Cared for my late wife through two bouts of cancer and now with my new lady, the last year also. It's not been easy but I have good friends. True friends are hard to find and keep, so if you have some treasure them! Colin

Being ex Royal Navy, a good bottle of Pusser's Rum, Gunpowder Blend. Alternatively a good bottle o Riojas, failing that a good South African Pinotage. However, food wise, black pudding, I'm from the north of England, so no apologies. Pork pies , Lancashire Hot Pot. Tripe as my grandmother used to prepare it and rice pudding. Ten, in the Navy we had Babies heads. Suet pastry mounded in a small tin, filled with delicious steak and kidney, then steamed in a boiler. The meat, pink inside and hence the name, babied heads. If you ae from the north west, then Hollands made them. I'm a foody, so good food is always good. Colin

Hi Coli. Definitely back bacon with a little fat just for flavour. Toasted bread to your choice, I prefer Ciabatta, no butter but lashing so HP sauce. Second to that is black pudding sandwich or an egg banjo. Far East style egg roll, flat roll with a fried egg, salt and pepper and a runny yolk. Colin

Being ex Navy, I have to say Pusser's Rum. Last year, I was fortunate to score a bottle of Gunpowder Blend I can't get it here at the bottom of the dark continent. Well that is until Amazon finish building their new warehouse facility in Cape Town. Otherwise it's craft beer and we have just had anew micro-brewery open around the corner, almost within staggering distance! Five beers and a porter. Heaven on earth! Colin the piddle cat....

What fantastic box art he produced. seducing us into buying Airfix's latest creations. Happy birthday Sir!

I too used to use car autobody filler but sadly, down here at the bottom of Africa we can't get the quality of product you guys enjoy. Colin

I don't think Tamiya aren't into jumping at anything! There rate of production of F1 and GP bike kits has been at snails pace. So I can't see that happening! Please Mr Tamiya prove me wrong! Colin

Don't have an image of the box art but two Airfix Fairey Gannets but I'm sure, many of you will have seen it? The new 1/48th scale release. What a kit it is, great surface detail and quality of moulding only seen first in Airfix's Sea King release. Three options on the decal sheet. Early marques are given but scope for a Mk4 and 5, the type I worked on as a sproggy NAM at RNAS Culdrose back in 1964! I have been building kits since the late 1950's, mostly Airifx and Frog in those days. These days, I have migrated to 1/48th scale, mainly due to diminished eyesight. Colin, south of the equator.

There I was yesterday morning, coffee in hand and minding my own business about to set too and finish my Sea Vixen for the FROG Squad II GB! Then, knock, knock, the thatchers at the door. No big deal I thought, ha! Well, we are having the east facing roof replaced. Never having seen the process, how difficult can it be? Not difficult at all but bloody messy. Tare off the old thatch and replace with new! Then the dirt started to fall, ok, the guys have covered the furniture and floor with humongous sheets of polythene but still the dirt is all pervading! Then this morning I came to a grinding halt, they invaded my Man Cave! Pack everything away, cover it all in polythene and vacate. So, here I am sat in my partners office tinkling the keyboard! So the Vixen now resides in a box as does the Honda NSR 500 (another stalled build) I was also building... Over on Onetwentyfour a local FB page, we had a theme build The '80's. I was building Freddy Spenser's Honda NSR 500, a Tamiya kit. I may have even started a build thread! Time to twiddle thumbs as, I can't even get into the TV room! I do however have rum, with which to toast St George on this fine day and wine should I (will) need. Happy modelling to one and all Colin

Great progress, looking all the part a Sea Venom... Colin

Neat work on the 'nose surgery' Adrian, starting to look like n aeroplane... Colin

Almost on the home stretch. She's up on her legs but, I'm afraid she is a tail sitter and this despite adding nose weights! Ah well, a clear strut will bring her back level. I still need to add the u/c doors and find another drop tank. The thatchers arrived yesterday, so the house is in turmoil and I have had to pack my Man Cave. I'm probably going to have to suspend production for the week! Until the next time, as always thanks for looking in. Colin

Exquisite cast parts, the torpedo looks like a piece of jewellery! Looking at the render with the glazing added, will you be able to print that or will it be vacu-formed? I'm thinking roof and bulged rear doors. Colin

Hi. The decals went in the post yesterday. I sent them registered, which might slow/speed up delivery. I'm thinking, all being well at this end, they should be with you next week. Colin

Almost forgot, look at hose polished ports... Colin

I'm late but hey not too late! If Alan's having an ale, then I m in with a tot (large) of Pusser's rum and a black pudding sandwich! Some sweet looking resin parts there Bill, this is going to be interesting. I had a bottle of wine last night but I think my keyboard got home very late, it don't want to smell! Colin

Excellent work on the cockpit and crew. Pity, I couldn't open the images in your first post! Colin

A sleep looking flying boat and an interesting subject and an interesting time in aviation history. I'm liking the way you have tackled some of the shortcomings of the kit. Colin

Martin, after seeing your build, I thought I might like ne but in Glass Sea Blue. Then I looked at all the work you had done and thought, maybe not. Then, I couldn't find it listed on the Big H site, so breathed a sigh of relief. I can now go back to my long stalled Merlin HM2. Colin

Looking good. I think, it was looking a little 'flat' until you applied the weathering/panel wash accentuation. Now it's looking used. Colin

Looking great. Is it time to crack out the spray gun? Colin

Westland Wyvern. A re-scribe and decal change, with Model Art sheet. Mounted n the cover of The Aeroplane magazine of the day.