Scratchbuilder

Hi all, I know I always say, "no military", but my dear wife has, out of the blue, ordered me an Airfix F1 Lightning kit in 1/48th scale. Now, I am a huge Lightning fan. My first exposure was when my Nan and Granddad moved to Gt. Yarmouth. Regular holidays with them would have me goggle-eyed as they broke the sound barrier crossing the coast from RAF Coltishall. My Dad had to reglaze several windows once and considered it "worth it, though, eh?" He was ex RAF, of course. Years later, I was given a lift in his personal Auster J5 by the 2 IC of Coltishall, who was a member of our flying club. So, my connection with the base is as strong as anywhere else and since my Dad's squadron, No 6, didn't get Lightnings I can only look to Coltishall for a connection. Now, I only like the F1 with the sharp tipped tail and so my question is...can anyone tell me what the early kites looked like and can decal sets be had for whichever Coltishall based squadron wore a nice scheme? It has to be bare metal as I'll be foiling this one. Many thanks, Martin

Rather better quality pics of the Hornet Moth so far. Front cowl side panel and door on the st'b'd side, roof sheet and the sky lights done. U/c legs done in nickel silver and filed to aerofoil section, fin and rudder made. I didn't want to have troubles rolling 10 thou round the front edge of the rudder, so I represented the ribs and tapes with the very finest (5 thou.) microrod I have. Alas I am running out of it and I can't find any more! To "ramp" off the spaces 'twixt ribs a finger full of my lovely Feines Spachtel, of which I stole a tube from Firme Volke in Wolfsburg when I was making show cars for VW, Skoda and SEAT. That was 1997 and I've been using it ever since. Dries so much quicker than one shot cellulose filler. I think it might be epoxy. A finger full of 180 and finish with 800 will get the rudder up to shape. The ally fairing twixt fin and fuselage will be applied in Milliput and then very carefully filed to shape. Oh, forgot to mention the very strange his or hers control column! Cheers, Martin

I'll see you next Monday! Just made contact with John White. Cheers, Martin

Hi, Holdfast. I am also from Wisbech, or very close by, anyway. I didn't know Wisbech had an IPMS group. I was only recently aware of the West Winch group. PM me if you like and we can chat. OK, I'm not an AFV fan, but I was a professional modelmaker, so any help I can offer, please ask. Good work is good work in the end and Fenland is generally a wasteland for enthusiasm. Cheers, Martin

Many thanks for the link, Dave. Some real greats working there. Martin

Here we are with a typically lousy picture of the other side's skin added in 10 thou., the seat, engraved with pleats and the luggage shelf behind it. I believe the fuel tank is under it. The IP is also now in and the prop finished, bar the sanding sealer/varnish. Spinner turned in ally to fit. Ally sheet for door and cowl panel to do next for this side. Cheers, Martin

It's good to know people remember him. And also good to know that there are a few who have a passion for pre-War civil kites. Martin

Nice memories, John. Hornchurch, you say? I had my driving lessons there and attended Hornchurch slot racing club as a teenager. I lived in Romford. I'd love to see some pictures of his work. I put him as one of the greats alongside George Stokes, Geoff Pember, Norman Ough, Jack Nelson, etc. I can recall seeing pictures in mainly Scale Models magazine and thinking how I'd like to do that and how civil aircraft looked so much more varied and attractive than war planes. Nothing has, or will, change that perception. Cheers, Martin

Ah, thankyou gentlemen. I understand his models were mainly to 1/36th scale, although he ended up doing WW1 to 1/28th scale, heaven knows why. Now we need to find pictures of his stuff, to liven up the civil aircraft section. Martin

Ah, I've just found a mention by the late Edgar in this very forum of Tony Woollett (2 ls). But how odd there's nothing to be seen on the 'net. Martin

No, zebra, I'm sure the name was something like I remember, but I find it odd that there's nowt on the 'net about his wonderful models. Martin

I know, old age, lousy memory. Something on the tip of my tongue keeps saying Tony Woolett, but I can't find a damned thing on him. He used to be a regular in Scale Models Magazine. He always exhibited at the M.E.Exhibition and always won awards for his gorgeous 1/36th scale models of civil aircraft. Entirely scratchbuilt, of course, in such a scale. He was something of an inspiration to me. I'd love to find some more references to him and his beautiful models. Can anyone confirm the name? Cheers, Martin

I'm not really that au fait with the forum protocols, so if it should be put in WIP, I leave it to the mods to decide. Maybe a note in classic civil that the thread has moved, so that we don't have too bare a section there? I leave it to the mods. if I may. Just carved the prop from Steamed Pear, now off to make a spinner to complete that end of things. Cheers, Martin

Just took some more pics. Made the nose and put more framing on yesterday, then did the door, side panel and side skin today. The lower undertray, which is present on the Hornet Moth, but not many others was beaten over the pattern seen on the left. The panel fasteners were made in Sellotape aluminum. The window frame was fretted from K&S 16 thou. ally sheet with a piercing saw and cleaned up with Swiss files. The frames are a very distinctive aspect of the Hornet Moth's cabin. IP from 60 thou, drilled for instruments and backed with 20 thou. The skin can be seen with the longerons showing. Cheers, Martin

With other projects on hold while I await stuff, I thought I'd have a crack at my long proposed collection of Moths. Simply because there's a Hornet Moth at a little flying club I go to occasionally, I decided to start with that one. They have G-ADMT there and I've been promised a flight in it next time I go. Now, this is not going to please anyone, but I have decided to make these models to 1/43rd scale. A stupid, not on my steel rule scale that I would not normally touch with a barge pole, but because I have over the years made so many masters of cars in that scale, it seems a bit silly to pass up the chance of using some of them in scenic set-pieces with my aircraft. beyond that it allows me if I'm really pushed, to use any of the modern diecasts in that scale. It's also a bit bigger than 1/48th, for which no decent model cars exist, at least none that I have made. Now, although I got a ransom e-mail from PB recently, I still seem able to post pics from there. I don't understand it all and will keep using them as long as I can get away with it. After that, there won't be any more posts from me as I can't make head nor tail of all the other storers and all that code stuff people talk about. I started by pricking out the side shape of the fuselage through the right sized prints onto 60 thou. styrene This will make the box which DH started with. Then I'll add longerons to support 10 thou. skins that I will draw a ball point pen down from behind to represent the doped fabric being stretched over the longerons. Doors and cowling sides will be in aluminium sheet, some litho, some K&S. I find K&S is wonderfully malleable, so the undertray on the nose will also be beaten from that over a Ureol (Renshape, Chemical wood) pattern, as will little scoops and bumps where needed. More later when I've taken some pics. Cheers, Martin

My Austin-Healey 100/6 didn't have or need a heater. The engine heat scalded you through the "firewall". And the seats couldn't be adjusted. You had to redrill the floor to take a new position. I sold it to a tiny pharmacist who was so small he floated around in his Elan, so I had to drive the Healey to his house as he couldn't reach the peddles! But if you want to talk extras, to this day half the crap on a Beemer is classed as an extra and costs a bloody fortune.

I didn't have any of those problems with mine, but I scrapped it as I was sick of working on the rear brakes when the bleed nipple broke off at the backing plate. Enough I cried! This was the last one I had, so was my swan song with Marinas. I had what was cheap to buy or even given to me and I didn't spare the rod. But I am and have always been a smooth driver, so have NEVER had a diff. "go" on me or a gearbox on any car and I wasn't even aware of the uprights coming adrift problem! I had great service from all three and some fun. Can't ask more than that really. In fact I have only ever had failures from foreign cars (Citroen GS and German built Astra).. Ah, wait, the front nearside wheel fell off an Ambassador once!<G>. None of my 15 various Triumphs have ever let me down. One of my Jags lost it's gearbox oil cooler one day, but that's it. The other Jag would get me to Silverstone and back to Southend as long as I had 3 gallons of oil and 10 cans of water in the boot! Happy days with a £350 XJ6. Martin

Ha! I had 3 Marinas. a 1300 Coupe, an 1800 saloon and a TC. All very useful and fun to drive. The TC would stay with a Mk1 Golf if I was feeling brave and eat MGBs for breakfast (lighter, I think). Had ace gearboxes too. When I scrapped my 1300 the breaker asked if the 'box was good. Perfect, I told him, so he upped his offer by 30 quid and gave me a lift home! Sprite owners liked them as replacements. I paid 100 quid for the 1300, was given the 1.8 and got the TC for 150! They never, ever let me down, but then neither did the Morris Minor van that we had with our Radio&TV business and the Marina is essentially a Morris 1000 underneath. Martin

Yes, I did it for somebody who didn't use it. I have a few sets of the mouldings, but have made another master for a friend who wants to use it for his "Brooklands" range of pre-war slot car kits. All in 32nd scale of course. I made the 19" wheels for him too, but for a scenic set-piece I can turn the rims so the wheels are see-through. I'll take a pic tomorrow and see if PB will allow me to show it. If not, I don't know. Martin

Well, the owner got it this morning and has already got it in a glass case, so I guess he's chuffed with it! Now I can get on making my Prentice and Moth models. Martin

Interesting. Pictures? Well, so far PB seem to have left me alone, so I'll keep using them, but if they ransom demand me, I have no idea what to do. I suppose, if my chum decides to forgo slot cars for model aircraft kits they'll be 1/48th, but if not, they'll be 1/43rd. I do wish Hubert would hurry up producing that Dragon Rapide in 32nd that I mastered for him. I have a gorgeous black Invicta Low Chassis waiting for it. I even developed a range of 19" wire wheels for it ! Martin

If I knew how to do a screen grab I'd show what I get on PB, but it's basically exactly what I've always had. A box on the right when you click on a picture and it gets big. Left click on the box marked "direct"....it used to come up with the word "copied". Doesn't anymore, you simply right click and then click "copy". Back to the forum, click add media and then "paste" and the URL of the pic appears in the box. Click "add to post" or whatever it says and there it is. So what is NOT happening for others that is happening, as ever, for me? Martin

Hi all, I am embarking on my long intended collection of Moths and other English Golden Era kites and was going to do them in 1/48th scale, but having done over a hundred car masters in brass in the scale of 1/43rd, I got to wondering....why shouldn't I use that for the aircraft, then I can use the cars in little set-pieces that will go with the aircraft. I don't exhibit my models. I don't belong to a club. Only my sons would want them when I croak, so what's to stop me? I have a friend who does slot car parts as a second business and he said he would resin cast the parts like noses and wings for me. Now, if he were to decide to make kits to sell, I suppose 1/48th would have to be the default scale. Or would 1/32nd be expected for smallish light aircraft? Let's face it...Tony Woodley worked in 1/36th for his gorgeous scratchbuilts. Cheers, Martin

Just as a test.... Well, isn't this 3rd party whatever? Just uploaded this shot of my MkXIVe nose mods as a test and it does what it's always done, so I'm confused, ladies and gents. Martin

I've never had any problem with Photobucket, beyond the ads and the sometime slowness. I'm wondering if they'll let me use them as I only have a small number of pics and the linking facility is still there. Beyond that, I know nothing and understand even less. Martin