Ray S

In the unlikely (ahem!) event that a vacform may be built in this group build, will I be allowed to get it cut out and sanded ready for the start date (please, pretty please) Ray

That's a cracker Patrik, very nicely done. Ray

This is my Heller/Humbrol Gloster Javelin T.3 - with added parts from TeeEll, transfers via PrintScale and pitot tube from Master. Top camouflage brush-painted with Humbrol acrylics, silver undersides courtesy of a Tamiya spraycan. The build thread can be found here if you missed it: The aircraft represents the T.3 from 60 Squadron, RAF Tengah, Singapore in 1967, and here she is: This has been a fabulous group build, well done all and thank you to the host and co-host for keeping us in check Ray

I cannot express just how highly I thought of the parts and your excellent service Tony, they helped make this a great experience Thanks Mark, really appreciated Thank you Milan for your very kind comment. The final bits have been done to the T.3 now. @TeeELL had supplied the inner gear door retraction mechanism on his 3-D set. Because they were so fragile, he supplied duplicates 'just in case'. I was able to snip out one of each handed set first go. There were very detailed instructions on how to remove printing supports and frames too, but I went my own way and removed the lot before fitting them to the aircraft - it was suggested to leave two supports and remove once fitted, but I do not trust my shakes so did the removal while I had good access and support for both hands. Anyway, it worked: When I had finished those, I found something else printed on the undercarriage set: It looks suspiciously like throttle control levers - if so, I'll use those on my next Javelin! I don't know why I didn't see them first off. Another upgrade was needed (I think I mentioned it last time), namely a pitot tube as the kit one was incomplete: Master supplied a pair, so I have another spare for future use (ahem!). I had tried to repair the kit one but I had no luck, and when I compare the two types, I am glad I failed. So that is it now, she's all done, so here are one or two photographs, the rest I'll pop into the Gallery shortly. Thanks all for looking, and thanks too for the help and assistance and encouragement through this build, it has been wonderful. You cannot fault Hellers glazing clarity! All the best everyone, Ray

Oh wow Adrian, that's fabulous, especially considering the starting point. Nice one. Ray

Hello all. This T.3 is now just about finished. The rest of the markings have gone on but I did learn a couple of things. First, I am not very good at adding the thin walkway lines in transfer form, they are more like a drunkard's walk instead of straight (I'll try masking them on the Novo one), and secondly the PrintScale under-wing serials did not behave. They started to crinkle up as I was teasing them off the backing paper even before I got them to the edge and they got even worse when I did manage to get them onto the model. Next time for those, I'll cut them into individual numbers or letters and see how they get on then. However, some 43 year old transfers came to the rescue and I used those instead. They were given to me by @theplasticsurgeon a few months ago (thanks Tim!) and were from a Scale Aircraft Modelling magazine. These markings went on superbly and settled well with no silvering. Not bad for their age at all! The rest of the build went very quickly. I got the nose cone, intakes and tailpipes painted, @TeeELL's Undercarriage went in like a dream I just needed a small rod of 0.5mm brass to act as the axle for the front wheel, the semi-drooped flaps fitted as I had hoped (easily) and the horizontal tail surface was finally added. I am now just awaiting some Master Model pitot tubes as the kit one is short shot in the middle of the tube, and I am unable to fix it (having tried three times so far). I also need to attach the retraction gear for the inner doors, they are part of the 3-D print upgrade. This is where she is just now, I am very happy with it and am exceptionally please at the seam lines, despite them still being visible. They are way better than I've managed in the past: When the pitot tube arrives, I'll let you know. Thanks for looking, Ray

Count me in for this one please. I have plenty of Combrig 1/700 ships that would fit in (Good Hope, Monmouth, Derfflinger, Koenig) and then there are the odd one or two (!) aircraft. Great idea Mark, Ray

Hello all. As predicted, there was a bit of sanding and filling in my future, but now that is in the past. I didn't get all the seams eradicated, but the result is better than my previous attempts which in my book is a win. Primer soon went on, and I worked out how to prop the plane up using three halves of cocktail sticks in the undercarriage location holes - who said you cannot teach old dogs new tricks? I then brush-painted Humbrol 164 Dark Sea Grey and 163 Dark green acrylics (from the new dropper bottles) which had been thinned with Winsor and Newton acrylic flow improver. They behaved quite well, except the grey seemed to leave darker areas in a few places which required a re-paint (or two). A couple of coats of Revell Gloss acrylic varnish was brushed over to give a decent surface for the transfers. I had quite a few mental conversations with myself as to which scheme to apply, but ended up with my original, which was a 60Sqn T.3 from RAF Tengah, Singapore. I used the PrintScale markings that I had bought earlier. I had heard conflicting reports about this manufacturer, and they are not cheap so I was a bit concerned. In the end, I need not have worried, except for one thing... ... the markings guide, and reference photographs, show the tail stripes are positioned at the top of the fin flash. That is where I placed the black and silver stripes, but found there was a large gap between the top of the stripes and the horizontal tail surfaces. I think the fin flash is too short, it certainly is shorted than the Heller transfer version. Ah well, next time I'll have to do the dreaded masking and paint job I think. The PrintScale transfers too quite some time to release from the backing paper but once I had worked that out, things went well, and they responded nicely to Micro Set and Sol, and settled over the raised detail well. Then I noticed that I had messed up the camo/silver demarcation line along the nose, having put the line too high. That became noticeable when I put the nose roundel on. I always seem to make at least one boo-boo when I build my models. Anyway, this morning I corrected it (very, very carefully!) It was fun painting around the roundel with a shaky hand, but I am now happier with the result, even if it may now be slightly too low. To take my mind off things I started a Novo Javelin FAW.9R just to remind myself that the Heller kit is actually quite nice. I'll get the remaining markings on over the next couple of days and then get the undercarriage sprayed, painted and fitted. That's it for now, thanks for the views and likes, Ray PS I'm going to keep an eye open for the Airfix amendment of this kit when they reissued it as an FAW.9

I've quite a few for this potential group build, but my favourite for it will be one of five in the box I bought for £15 at my last model club meeting. It is the Contrail Vickers Virginia/Valentina/Victoria set, so they pan out at £3 each which will give me leeway for some replacement transfers. What a fabulous response there's been to this proposal, hope it goes through. Ray

Yes please, I would like to join, plenty of options in the stash Ray

Hello all. The fuselage join went reasonably well, some sanding and filling was required, but I protected the raised details with masking tape, so that helped. I'll find out how well I've done when I get around to the primer stage. In the meantime, it was now that I started to look at the bang seats: These may not be strictly accurate, but they are a lot better than the Heller representations. The firing loops above the seat were extremely fine and I needed to repair three of the four which were damaged when I was attempting to cut off the supports. After a bit of painting and trying to work out how to represent the tangled spider's web of belts, I reached a compromise: They are nowhere near as complex as they should be, but I know my limits! I have separated and cleaned up the undercarriage parts too now, and again the detail is superb. For both the main and forward undercarriage legs I had chosen to use the reinforced options. I needed to drill out the inside of the legs (a hollow tube) to clean up any printing anomalies. TeeEll had suggested in his instructions to use 1.2mm brass rod for the main legs and 1.0mm for the forward leg but I found that the 1.0mm was fine for both. It was slightly hair-raising reaming the legs out as I am always wary of the drill not going in straight but thankfully I did not introduce any 'lightening' holes in any of them. These are the kits parts: and these are Tony's parts: There is a huge difference. There are just one or two areas I need to see to. There are two more parts in the upgrade set but they are very fragile and I don't want to prep them until it is time to fit them - the inner door retraction gear. I had hoped to get a photo from the Javelin at the Jet Age Museum to see how they fitted, but that exhibit does not have those doors in place as engines are displayed there instead. The ejection seats fitted into the cockpit tub quite nicely and the canopy glazing seems to be pretty clear so at least I will be able to see my work when it is all done. I used Glu'N'Glaze for fitting them so there would be less CA fumes to fog the canopy: I have now masked the canopy: I found that the frame lines seemed a little wavy as when I laid down the first thin sections going over the top of the glazing aligning with the frame, it produced a wiggly line instead of a straight one, so there has been a little compromise. The canopy was then attached to the fuselage with G'N'G and was a superb fit. Here is the Flying Flatiron as she is now, but the horizontal tail surfaces are still only dry-fitted: The next few days will probably be a sand, fill, sand, fill enterprise but it should soon be time for primer, I cannot wait (but will have to!) That is it for now, thanks for dropping in and the responses, Ray

@Rob de Bie, thanks for that information, I'll give it a try. If I can remove the film at least I can scan the serial numbers which is my main concern. It's very much appreciated Ray

I suspect that you are right Tim that may be the way to go. It'll be a while before I get to that stage though. Ray

Coming along nicely Mark. I've always been attracted to that design, the French were quite quirky weren't they Ray

Thanks @Dave Swindell, I'll try that Ray