Icarus

So, I finally finished the last of the decals. This is now gloss varnished, ready for some weathering... Thanks for looking, Icarus

Thank you @nickhenfrey. Using the advice previously given, I managed to add the nacelles later on, after main painting. Similarly, the main undercarriage legs are not even glued in - they are held fast by the nacelles. Unfortunately, the inevitable happened in a build that required a tailwheel to be added early...I will drill out the cores, then reinforce them with thick wire and add the tailwheel at the end of the build! Finally, I started on the decals last night. Spent most of the evening doing just the port upper wing, so this won't be rapid... Thanks for looking, Icarus

This is a couple of builds back in my production line, but hopefully I should get time to contribute this kit, originally from 1987 I think, to this GB? Looking forward to this classic! Icarus

Ready for decaling Aiming to get the main decals on tonight, then have a think about how many stencils would have been on this aircraft. Thanks for looking, Icarus

As expected, this was not finished in time. This is where I am now. Clearly the canopy isn't fully attached ( I eventually need to add the guns!), and I need to add the undercarriage before finally permanently attaching the engines, but hopefully the main colour modulation achieved with the help of the black basing can now be seen thanks to the camera flash. I will keep on working on this and complete it later this week, before turning my attention to the Classic Airframes 1/48 SM.79 in the the Salty Sea Dog GB. Thanks for looking, Icarus.

So, this clearly won't be finished in time, but this is where I am up to this morning. The photos are taken in shade, so the colour modulation from the black basing is a bit hidden. I also need to do some weathering on that rather stark yellow! Mid-masking: This morning: Thanks for looking, Icarus.

Evening all. I am trying (or rather, failing) to complete my entry into the Ju 88 GB in time, but what the heck - might as well try with another GB as well. As you can see, whilst black basing the Ju 88 last night, I used the opportunity to add some "rubber black" base to the cockpit, engine and wheel resin of this kit, but otherwise it is unstarted.. Looking forward to eventually painting that camouflage! Thanks for looking, Icarus

Evening all. Life has rather got in the way of model building this week, but this is where I am up to now - "greenhouse" masked, and model black based (well, Tamiya "Black Rubber" based via an old spray can I found in the shed). The yellow nacelles are under that masking. I have also sprayed the rudder yellow. We will see where I get to by the end of the weekend. Thanks for looking - hoping to get a couple of layers of thinned RLM 65 on later this evening. Icarus

Thank you for extending this by a week. I will do my best to get this as complete as possible. If we had finished at the original time, this would have been as far as I would have gotten... For ease of masking, I was thinking of painting the main aircraft with the engine nacelles clipped in, but not with the undercarriage. However, noting the advice from @Walter above, I think this is likely to lead to some serious issues later. I will likely complete the undercarriage leg/nacelle assembly before painting, and accept this will mean I have to do some very awkward masking. Thanks for looking, and the advice @Walter. Icarus

Yes please from me! Icarus

Model: 1/48 Gloster Meteor F.1, Prototype No.1 Kit: Tamiya #61051 Modifications: None - built OOB. Homemade canopy masks. Paints: Tamiya acrylics throughout, over modulated black basing Weathering: Tamiya panel liner, pastels and oils Build thread is here: Thank you for looking, and see you at the Ju 88 GB! Icarus

So, I have largely finished the cockpit components now, and took these photos whilst doing a quick test fit. All OOB, apart from some unpainted generic PE WW2 German seatbelts (which I painted!) Given work pressure at the moment, I seriously doubt I will get this completed by the Group Build deadline, but I will enjoy getting this done eventually. Well done ICM. Thanks for looking, Icarus

OK - all done now. A few temporary photos for now - I will upload some better quality ones to the Gallery later. As you can see, the engine covers are not permanently attached, so they can be removed to reveal the engine detail underneath. Thank you for you advice, and now off to work on my Ju 88 in that GB. Time is short.. Icarus

In the final straight now. Just need to add the aerials, lights and then final overall satin varnish, before that (fateful) final removal of the canopy masking.... Hopefully done by the weekend - barring any intervening work stuff. Thanks for looking, Icarus.

Thank you Walter - noted!

Right - my Meteor prototype in that group build is nearing completion, so I have had a chance to make a start on this. Magnificent detail and fit seems to be exquisite on test fitting - this looks like it is going to be a fun build. if I get enough time.... BTW I did spray some of the internal components with an initial coat of Tamiya Aluminium (decanted from the can into my airbrush), so if I feel that way inclined I can add some weathering later on by abrasion of the RLM 66 coat with a stiff brush. Thanks for looking, Icarus

I completely forgot to take in-progress photos of the cockpit, but suffice to say ~I have only used the kit components, so not super detailed. Anyway, this is the pic post installation of the engines (in daylight conditions) And later this evening, with the engine covers placed on, and initial decals added. No need for the paint masks! Stencils next! Thanks for looking, Icarus

Morning all. Exterior paint on, and good old Johnson's Klear Gloss varnish added. I will probably now complete the cockpit and engines and add them, before starting decalling. I actually do have have vinyl masks that would allow me to paint on the markings, so if the oldish decals don't look great I may try this (for the first time). We'll see. Thanks for looking, Icarus

This kit also includes a map of the camouflage pattern. I have never tried this before, but I have made several 1:1 copies on my printer and am using cut outs of this slightly elevated with blu-tack dots to mask the upper surfaces. Hopefully this will preserve some of the underlying tonal variation from the pre-shade... And the result after spraying on several thinned layers of Xtralix RAF Dark Earth... We'll see what it looks like after the next colour - RAF Dark Green. but for now I'm calling this a partial success. The masking seems to have worked well, with nice feathered edges, but perhaps not as modulated as I would have hoped with the underlying pre-shading. Of course, this may become a bit more obvious when the varnish is eventually on. Thanks for looking, Icarus

The excellent engineering in this kit means the main paint scheme can be worked on without having to add the cockpit and engines. I like to black base my kits before starting painting, but I reckon this wouldn't make sense on a prototype, as there should be relatively little fading of the paintwork. I have primed the underside with Tamiya white primer (ready for the yellow), then added some old school pre-shading... This is the lower surface after several layers of much thinned yellow... I will have another look in daylight tomorrow, to check whether this modulation needs a bit more muting. Thanks for looking, and a Happy New Year! Icarus

Good evening everyone. A bleated Merry Christmas! Finally had a couple of days off over the festive break (my medical on-call rota has not been kind this year) so managed to make a start on this. It is a lovely kit, but even so I am doing my best to make sure there are no gaps on this build... Thanks for looking, Icarus

Clearly this could have gone in the concurrent Prototypes and Special Schemes GB, but it feels at home here. An oldie but hopefully goodie - I'm sure I built a 1/48 Tamiya F.3 once back in the day. From what I remember, the F.3 was a really nice build, so hoping for the same here. I don't think I will have the transparent engine covers, but rather just have the kit ones as removable items. Of course, if I do this, I could just have the clear versions instead - also removable. Let's see how the mood takes me down the line. Thanks for looking, Icarus

Good evening, everyone. I would like to contribute another 1/48 ICM origin Ju 88A-4, this time in the Sicily colours (with the multiple ship kill marks on the fin).. Looking forward to this - I have a couple of variants of this kit in the stash, in my little contribution to supporting Ukraine in this difficult time. I also have purchased several other ICM/Modelsvit kits this year, for a similar reason. Icarus

Thank you, Sam. such is the way with modern jets - safety first (somewhat ironic on a killing machine perhaps?) Putting them on all the weapons also took more than a day. Great kit - well done Academy. Icarus

So...very, very late, here we go with the final photos! Thanks for looking, Icarus