Fritag

If you're passing - at Scottow alongside (ex) RAF Coltishall there is a small Commonwealth War Graves cemetery, which is a little gem. Scottow Commonwealth War Graves Also the resting place of a few of my Jag contemporaries; crashes not being quite such a rare event in those days.

Apropos not a lot. My parents dragged took us to a prison holiday camp near Lowestoft several years running for our summer hols when I was very small in the 70's. I've not been back . Not even when I was based only 30 miles away at Coltishall. Is it on your itinerary then Ced?

As you should. Personally, I can't be doing with these slow modellers............

I'm with you 100% on that Bill. And if the darned strakes had any attachment stubs in the right place - I'd have bloomin' well used em. There aren't any fold/society fees to be paid? or any strange initiation rights? or owt ? Right? Painful isn't it.........Sorry Neil.......But I'm expecting the pace to pick up - I'm only a several years away from retiring I'm holding on for a decent kit I dunno why so many people seemed to find this funny So. Seeing as there was a little time last night when I wasn't too distracted.....I nervously cut a slot in the lovely neat wing.....(I measured it at least 4 times first) Into which an Airwaves wing fence (thankfully) fitted....... I thought the fuselage strakes would probably (inevitably) get knocked during handling if I stuck them on at this point; so they've joined the numerous sub-assemblies in hiding storage to be fitted just before painting. See. At some point all of these sub assemblies will get fitted and progress will accelerate to a breathtaking speed (or at least to a rate of progress closer to the Britmodeller average........)

Ah. Good thought. Now that's why your the one-and-only- truly-original, Bill. They're not glued in yet so no harm done one way or t'other. I think the fuselage is too deep at that point for them to interfere......but just to be on the safe side I'll trim em so they don't protrude more'n a tad through the fuselage...... Nope. Don't know that Ced. Will not see or listen to such comment. Fingers in ears, eyes closed, "La La La La......". Especially when I gets a tip like that, wot is going to be squirrelled away for future use.

I feel your pain hendie. We'll not as intensely as you; obviously. And come to think of it I'm pleased it's your pain and not my pain. But I can at least do empathy for it........ All (inappropriate - sorry ) flippancy aside; the build is just awesome - and as Bill says: And I've no doubt that you'll come out of the fight as MacDuff rather than MacBeth (but without the gruesome Macduff backstory obvs...)

There. That's me up to date with boatery (I 'spect that's the wrong term - and possibly a capital offence too.....) Massively impressed Crisp. Also, grateful to Alan for getting you to translate one post at least. Generally I read this thread in split-screen with google ready for translation duties on the other

Got nothin' to say about the rotor head. It's beyond the capability of my vocabulary to do it justice..... So it now seems almost damning-with-faint-praise to say that the detail brass work on the tail is exemplary. Super neat drill-work.

Ah! So it's not white all the way through? I always wondered what was underneath........

Despite my better judgement I just have to agree with that Awesome complicated rotor head gubbins Bill (apologies to @Ex-FAAWAFU and @hendie and all them others as knows the technical termery - but I find my brain simply isn't big enough to store all the funny names of helicopter bits and bobs.....) And always a pleasure to watch the master plunger at work..... Miniature thing of beauty Bill.

I'm a bit behind so catching up But I couldn't let that scribing go without adding my appreciation Bill. That's mighty neat work; and if you do think any are over-done (picky- picky; but that's Navy Bird levels of perfection ) some thin Mr Surfacer should work a treat (speaking as a more ham-fisted scriber as has needed that fix several times......)

I'm with him over there. I don't think I'd realised how small she was in 1/72 until I looked the piccie of you holding her Tony. Makes it all the more mightily impressive

Super sophisticated paint and finishing techniques Johnny

Wot he said. Perfectly neither over-nor-under done.....(hmm; may I present mangled English for an Italian to decipher )

Ok. So. Telford time is approaching and - in an effort to qualify as a 'current' rather than 'ex' or 'previous' modeller in the event that anyone as knows me spots me loitering in the International Centre's shadows -I eked out some modelling time. After much (much!) prevarication I thought I'd give this soldering business a try. The solder-meisters out there (e.g. hendie, Tony, Crisp et al.) seem to swear by it....... The need arose from the ventral strakes either side of the airbrake. In real life these are simple flat plates, and are probably best represented by brass sheet. I have some nice ones (I think from an old Eduard etched fret). But.......how are you supposed to stick them to the fuselage? There aren't any mounting stubs or anything...... (all of the etched ventral strakes I've seen have this problem). So I thought I'd practise this soldery business by adding some mounting rods...... Started by cutting some grooves in the bottom of the strakes: In which to mount some brass rod. I think it's 0.3mm diameter. And so to the soldering effort. One of the solder-meisters - I think it was Tony - said that you didn't have to worry about being too neat, as excess solder was easy to remove....... I sort of took that advice to heart I discovered that soldering needs 3 hands and that I probably need some better equipment than the old soldering iron my dad bequeathed me 30 odd years ago. But hey. They did in fact scrub up quite well: Next step was to drill some mounting holes in the fuselages: And test fit: Hawk No.1 - showing the strake being slotted into position. Hawk No. 2. Strakes more or less in place. Quite pleased. The strakes should sit at an angle of 30 degrees from the vertical - so a bit of careful measurement with a template and a bit of careful bending - and then gluing. I have to say that soldering the brass rod to the strake seems to have given it a strong attachment; and hopefully the rod will provide a reasonable solid mount to the fuselage. I will persist with this soldering business - I can really see the benefits now. But I think it'll take a but more practice before it becomes enjoyable........