CliffB

Hi Dennis Thanks for some great ideas. I agree that the starting point will be drilling some holes and I like the idea of then using some spare wheels as the basic structure (I hadn't thought of that). As it happens, I do have both Starfighter and F-80 wheels in my spares box. I'll take a look. As usual with my builds, I'll be after a result that looks OK to the casual observer, rather than being 100% accurate (which is probably just as well in this case!). Cheers Cliff

Thanks Dave (and typo now corrected).

On 11th October 1956, Vickers Valiant WZ366 of 49 Squadron, became the first RAF aircraft to drop an operational British atomic bomb. The test drop of a down-rated Blue Danube weapon was made at Maralinga, South Australia. I'll be commemorating this event by building a 1/96 scale FROG Valiant as WZ366 (without bomb though, I'm afraid). My particular example is a damaged 'pre-loved' version that I bought via eBay with several parts missing. I was originally planning to build it in the FROG GB, but unfortunately life got in the way. Cheers Cliff

A very nice choice. The only problem is that I was planning to do a Twin Pin for my year of 1956 - the year it entered RAF service! I'll have to think again Cheers Cliff

Time for me to make a start and it looks like I'm in for a treat! Mis-moulded parts... Loads of rivets... Decal placement markings and, best of all, no sign of any superchargers... It's the only 1/100 scale P-38 in town though, so I can't really complain

Thanks John. In my case, the passing years have robbed me of my patience, so I now enjoy the 'quick fix' of a simple OOB 1/100 build. Respect though to those of you who still relish more complex projects Thanks exdraken. IMHO you can't go wrong with Alclad! Cheers Cliff

There's a lot of work going on here John and it should be stunning when it's done Cliff

Taiwanese (Republic of China), F-86F Sabre 1/100 Tamiya kit built OOB and finished with Alclad laquers. The build thread is here. Cheers Cliff

Thanks exdraken - if only I'd added some detail to the cockpit! Anyway, I'm calling this one done now. I was worried about how the decals would perform (60s Tamiya decals are not the best), but they turned out to be not too bad. A couple of larger pieces split as the baking paper curled during wetting, but the pieces could be reconstructed on the model OK. Peter Thanks to all of you who having supported this build and to Peter for hosting. Cheers fellas! Cliff

I'm on the home stretch now - the major painting is complete

Another gem Steve! It looks very sharp in those colours

A good day on the Sealand today. All the kit parts have now been assembled, although there are a few additional lumps and bumps that I still want to add. Filling all the recessed decal placement markers was a chore, but gives quite an impressive effect! Cheers Cliff

Yes please Rob - probably a Blenheim. Cliff

Yes, I'd join in please Peter.

At last, I'm finally making a start with this GB . My very late start means that I'm unlikely to complete my four planned builds and so I'm having to prioritise which one to start with. I've chosen the Sealand, mainly because it's going to be part of the IPMS Serbia display at this year's ScaleModelWorld (which celebrates last year's centenary of Yugoslav naval aviation), and so simply must be finished! To help me, a friend has lent me this 1/72 Lift Here! Sealand kit as something to refer to for markings etc. My first job has been to sort out the interior, which the previous owner had painted an orange-red colour before cementing the two fuselage halves together. The red looked odd to my eyes, particularly in the cockpit, so I have tried to sort it out a bit. A tentative attempt to prise apart the two fuselage halves failed, so I decided to leave well alone. Instead, I've tried to disguise/repaint the interior as best I can through the cockpit window (luckily, this piece of glazing has not been fitted yet) . The first issue was that there was see-through from the cockpit into the cabin. This allowed the red in the cabin to be seen and also increased illumination in that area. It's not too clear in the photo, but hopefully you can see what I mean (as an aside, the photo also shows the gaps that exist around the individual cabin windows, which I'll need to fill with thinned PVA). To stop the see-through, I made this bulkhead from 10 thou card. And here it is in-situ. When the glue has firmly set, I'll cut off the tabs. I've painted the cockpit interior grey, in line with the painting instructions in the Lift Here! kit. Cheers Cliff