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maltadefender

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Everything posted by maltadefender

  1. maltadefender
    Thanks Wooksta... I gave up in the end. Drop-kicked it into the recycling. It was a good exercise in knocking the cobwebs off and very nice to learn a bit about the history of the aircraft and its crews but Peter's done the same one a million times better now, so no wrench to say goodbye to her and start work on EO234!
  2. maltadefender
    Once that's done I guess it will be time to do the interior. Here's the 1:1 aircraft during stripdown for restoration...
  3. maltadefender
    The first cut is the deepest, according to Cat Stevens. I'm assuming he bought some Paragon parts as well. This is the first time I've ever intentionally made a model to look different to the way it appears in the instructions. Be gentle with me. I did the wings first tonight, as doing the nacelles will be a much more involved job. First I removed the rear part of the nacelles from the top surface of the wings, then sanded down and re-scribed the flaps into single-piece versions. I know you can still see an outline, but there's no indentation left. After spray filling and primer I think I've done enough. Here's the original: My handiwork! And then I removed the strengthener from the starboard fuselage. Before: After: Tomorrow I'll assemble the nacelles, cut the back off and then sand them down and the new, shorter rear 'wedges' to fit as measured on the wing.
  4. maltadefender
    Beautiful job, really nice. Must sort a good P-40 out for the stash!
  5. maltadefender
    Very crisp and pretty.
  6. maltadefender
    Well done, Peter - she's a cracker!
  7. maltadefender
    OK... my matt varnish has failed completely. First the Humbrol rattlecan gave about a half-second squirt before gumming up the nozzle completely. Replaced it with one from a different can with the same result. In desperation went for some brush-on Matt Cote. This has now dried with a gloss finish. Given how well Peter's got his DD712 looking, I'm going to retire gracefully and summon up the courage to start the yellow 'un!
  8. maltadefender
    Really lovely work on the cockpits.
  9. maltadefender
    That's beautiful, Peter. 10/10 stuff - great to see.
  10. maltadefender
    Almost there, just waiting for the first of many coats of softener to try and put a bit of life in the half-inch thick decals before matt coating and sorting the nav lights!. I don't think I'll put this one in the Gallery. After all the initial problems it became a bit of a rescue mission but it was also a good chance to blow the cobwebs away after a long lay-off. The black paint is still streaky but that's OK. It was never flawless on the 1:1 aircraft. I do quite like the exhausts, though, with the red/brown showing through where the paint has 'worn off'. Last night the undercarriage collapsed in on itself repeatedly until there was nothing but a gooey mush where the legs used to be, so the tailwheel was raised and the gear doors closed. No big drama... my 1/72 Mossies were always strung up from the ceiling anyway! The Tamiya for my next build is sure to be more robust and significantly more idiot-proof. For the build of prototype EO234 I've got cockpit masks, which will help - and I shan't be brush-painting the thing black, which will also be a massive plus! I'll put a final completed pic up when this one's done.
  11. maltadefender
    The guy who does Airfix's box art these days has also had a crack at DD712 - available at his Finest Hour Gallery. Admittedly it's depicted on home defence with the AI radar that the kit instructs you to have - it wasn't there - but the wings are about as streaky as mine! Taking comfort where I find it. Update pics follow ASAP. I'm letting the canopy dry.
  12. maltadefender
    Thanks, guys. Paints arrived today, so when I finish the rescue mission on the little Mosquito I'll have a run at this one...
  13. maltadefender
    That's fast work - and some lovely looking resin. Any problems so far?
  14. maltadefender
    Definitely the way forward for me, that. My cutting isn't the greatest as it is! The new nacelles have got the end of the u/c bay moulded in to them, which is helpful.
  15. maltadefender
    Looks like that effort is paying off though, Peter - she'll be smoother than Terry-Thomas at a cocktail party! I had the opposite problem - droopy wings and pert tail - and I think the wings are still a bit off, but only by a fraction. I use Klear to put glasswork in place. A good coat underneath and then a varnish coat on top. Just have scalpel super sharp to remove the masking tape!
  16. maltadefender
    It's a great mug!
  17. maltadefender
    Inspirational stuff. It's a shame that there's so much filling to do inside, but looks like that was the foundation work for something lovely.
  18. maltadefender
    Thanks Col. Certainly the bits are impressive!
  19. maltadefender
    Here's a photo of 41 Squadron in late Spring/early Summer 1943, with Tom Neil on the left: The Spitfire Mk XII was a rare bird - only 100 were built and only 41 Squadron and 91 Squadron were equipped with the type. Early models featured a standard Spitfire VC airframe but subsequent aircraft utilized the Spitfire VIII fuselage which incorporated such refinements as flush rivetting and a retractable tail wheel. All models were fitted with the broad chord rudder of the Spitfire VIII and were modified to take a Griffon III engine with a four-blade Rotol propeller, rotating clockwise - the reverse of the Merlin. The universal wing of the Spitfire V was fitted, with clipped wings improved manoeuvrability. Compared to the Merlin-engined types the bulge over the cannon feed on the mainplane was much smaller, the rudder and trimming tabs were larger, and, of course, the engine cowlings and spinner differed considerably. The XII was originally conceived to defend southern Britain against low-flying Jabo nuisance raiders, being able to use the Griffon's extra grunt to haul in the Fw190s and the clipped wings to outmanoeuvre them. They excelled at this role, but soon the XII was also operating offensively. In June 1943 both 41 Squadron and 91 Squadron moved to Westhampnett, the satellite field of Tangmere which is today better known as Goodwood. They became the Tangmere Spitfire XII Wing, primarily engaged in Ramrods - escorting USAAF Flying Fortresses, Mitchells and Marauders, as well as RAF Typhoons, to attack targets in France such as the marshalling yards at Amiens and St. Omer as well as the airfields at Poix, Abbeville and Tricqueville. The Wing would often sweep ahead of the main bomber formation but was also deployed on target support, withdrawal support or escort cover. The confidence that this powerful and aggressive fighter instilled in its pilots and in the bomber crews it defended is clear to see in combat reports. It is also easy to imagine the crushing blow it struck into Luftwaffe morale. This excerpt from a report by Flight Lt. A. A. Glen from September 1943 is typical of the combats described: My R/T was u/s and I heard no warnings of any E/A about, but when approaching target at about 15,000 ft - I saw about 10 F.W. 190's diving on my port side towards the bombers. I broke left and came in behind them and they pulled steeply to the right. Two of the E/A were lagging slightly and I took a quick squirt at the leader from about 300 yds and 45° deflection using cannon and m/g. I saw a large flash in the cockpit and he flicked over and collided with the E/A following him. I chose to make this aircraft for this particular GB because it represents such a change in the Spitfire lineage. To me, it marks the crossover of the Spitfire from an elegant, romantic defensive weapon to a blunt, aggressive tool for harassing the Reich.
  20. maltadefender
    Kit was delayed by snowfall. Now it's arrived: This will be a straight-from-the-box build. None of your fancy Dan extras here, thank you please. Only two squadrons ever operated the Mk.XII - 41 and 91 - and both are included in the markings provided. I shall be attempting to make a passable job of the 41 Squadron markings, partly because it was commanded by my big hero Tom Neil at the time, and also because I have the very smart half-pint mug featuring the box art with this model. Anyway, as you were... history to follow. And maybe some building.
  21. maltadefender
    At last! Here's the sprue shot with the conversion kit on top. Terrified? You bet! Having managed to almost put a straight-from-the-box build in the bin, I've now got to cut and modify wings and nacelles and then paint it yellow... the 'Scottish Play' of colours. I also forgot about the serial numbers, so have had to order a sheet of 4" - 8" letters. Plenty to get on with in the meantime.
  22. maltadefender
    Peter, hold the front page! Steady the buffs! Land ho! Three slightly scratched but not gouged half-wheels have turned up. No, I haven't been following the wretched hound around the place with a carrier bag and a stick, he'd simply 'buried' them underneath his bed. Another lick of paint on the tyres and they should be as good as new. Meanwhile I've been learning a bit more about 23 Squadron's time in Malta and, guess what, my original build has arrived. Hooray!
  23. maltadefender
    But it was explained to me that these newer shades are the more accurate than AS9-11?
  24. maltadefender
    It's OK - all sorted! I rang Hannants and they explained that the AS30-32 paints are corrected when compared to the 'seriously off' AS9-11 shades. Hope it's of use to someone else too!
  25. maltadefender
    Delighted to have found some rattlecans of Tamiya paint for RAF schemes - the only problem is that there are two different shades of each! Can anyone please enlighten on the difference between Dark Green AS9, Ocean Grey AS10 and Medium Sea Grey AS11 (as specified for 1/48 Mosquito and Spitfire) and Dark Green 2 AS30, Ocean Grey 2 AS31 and Medium Sea Grey 2 AS32 (for the 1/32 Spit). Thanks in advance!
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