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Hi All, I was looking at the recent Airfix Lightning kit and wondered how easy it would be to convert it to a F3 and found it was very easy indeed. The smaller belly tank was donated from an old redundant model and it was very easy to put it on the Airfix fuselage with a little bit of fettling. Some filler was required at the back end but nothing serious. The wing leading edges also require the kink to be straightened out very easy!I really wanted to give my AK Extreme Metal paints a good workout to see how robust they were to handling and masking and also how gloss varnish would affect the finish. Well I have to say they excelled all my expectations as I went out of my way with rough handling and mask removal none of which fazed them. I had applied an Alclad Gloss Black Base coat which was left for 24 hours and then masking the areas that were going to have a chrome finish before applying the various metal shades. Once all the shades had been applied I then gave the model a complete coat of Vallejo Metal Varnish and left for another 24 hours. I have used a mix of Airfix and Sword decals to finish it off and am very pleased with the end result and now plan to do a lot more natural metal finishes !

Gidday All, I've commenced my next model ship, the Australian Daring class destroyer HMAS Vampire II, sometimes known as 'the Bat'. The Darings were the largest and last of the all gun destroyers of the RN. They were almost considered de-facto light cruisers but were ultimately classified as destroyers. They were powerful ships armed with six 4.5-inch guns, six 40mm Bofor guns, ten 21-inch torpedo tubes and a triple A/S mortar. Australia commenced building four of these ships, all named after ships of the "Scrap-Iron Flotilla" but the last (HMAS Waterhen) was cancelled and was scrapped on the slipway. Of the three remaining ships HMAS Vampire was the last to be completed, commissioning on 23rd June 1959 and also the longest serving, decommissioning on 13th August 1986. The RAN ships differed slightly from their RN counterparts in that they only shipped five torpedo tubes, having more accommodation instead. She is now a museum ship moored in Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia. The kit depicts the class as built. As I said the Australian ships differed from their British counterparts a bit so I'll have to modify her some, particularly as I plan to model her after her mid-life refit. The kit is included with the HMS Tiger kit, with Tiger dominating the box art. So I'll just show the kit parts in the opening photo: This build is being done as a GB on the ATF (Airfix Tribute Forum) which started yesterday. I've done a very modest amount of construction as I've had a busy weekend. I've glued the two hull halves together and started reshaping the bow, which is incorrect as molded. To change the shape of the cutwater (extreme forward edge of the bow) I've inserted a thin 0.25mm piece of styrene, fashioned to the correct shape, between the two hull halves at the bow. When the bow alteration is done I'll post a photo showing the correct bow shape and the erroneous shape of the kit. I've also plugged the hole under the counter (stern) for the rudder post and I've started gluing strengthening pieces of styrene inside the hull, across the join. The kit comes with a single rudder but the ship had two. The RN Darings had a row of scuttles (portholes) under the quarterdeck and two rows of them under the foc'sle deck, and these are molded into the plastic. The Australian ships however had only a few, just under the foc'sle deck abreast the superstructure so most of those molded into the plastic have to be sanded and filled. You can see that I've started that, plus added the first bit of filler to the bow. I've also made replacement screws which are currently being painted. As you can see in the top photo the screws aren't bad by Airfix standards but the screw blades are the wrong shape as far as I can determine, and you only get screws of one configuration (left-turning in this case) as usual, not both. That's it for now. Stay safe, and regards to all, Jeff.

Recently completed as part of the Big and British Group Build, I present to you my Nimrod AEW3. It depicts the first development batch airframe, XV286, in the nicer white and grey scheme before Hemp took over the Nimrod fleet. I used the Cammett AEW conversion with the Airfix kit, plus AlleyCat windscreen and Model Alliance decals. The project was relatively straight forward, the main problem being the size (and weight) of the beast. The build thread is here: Posed next to the Comet prototype (adapted from the Welsh Models kit) to compare and contrast! Thanks for looking! Mike

Gidday All, here is my model of the RN flotilla leader HMS Hardy. This ship was the leader of the 'H' class of destroyers and as such was a little larger than the rest of the class. She also had an enlarged bridge, more accommodation and an extra 4.7-inch gun. HMS Hardy was the flagship of Capt(D) Warburton-Lee and won undying fame and destruction, and her captain a posthumous VC, in the First Battle of Narvik on 10th April 1940. It's a rather simple model and to make it I modified an Airfix HMS Hotspur kit. I lengthened the hull and weather decks, extended the foc'sle deck aft a little, modified the fwd superstructure and bridge, replaced the midships and aft deck houses with scratchbuilt deck houses, relocated the quad machine guns and boats, replaced the masts with scratchbuilt masts including the lookout's crow's nest on the foremast, and replaced the DC gear, searchlight and anchor capstans with scratchbuilt stuff. I also sourced a fifth 4.7-inch gun and Carley floats plus added scratchbuilt R/U lockers. For those that are interested, below is the build log in the 2021 KUTA GB. Here she is, HMS Hardy in 1940. For those that wish to compare this ship to others in the class, below is a photo of the four versions of the Airfix HMS Hotspur kit that I've done. From top to bottom:- HMS Igraine, my third build, a whiff and my first attempt to make HMS Hardy. As you can see, I got it wrong so I cut my losses and whiffed it. HMS Hotspur, my second build and depicts the ship as modified for convoy escort work. Hardy's fifth gun came from this build. HMS Greyhound (to free up the name 'Hotspur'), my first build of the kit and done OOB. And the lowest model is this one, a little longer than the others as you can see. Thank you for your interest. Stay safe and regards to all, Jeff.

Designed as a supersonic Hunter follow-on fighter with a more highly swept wing and an afterburning Avon engine, the P1083 was never flown. It was cancelled due to defence cuts following the end of the Korean war and because the English Electric P1 (Lightning) showed much promise. Basically it's the Airfix Hunter F6 fuselage with the Project-X vacform wings and tail fairing. Finished with home made decals. With the P1067 Hunter prototype to show the different wing sweep. Thanks for looking. Steve

A nice easy conversion from the old Airfix Hunter F6, I had to remove the wing dog-tooth, fair over where the gun pack goes and add a braking parachute fairing to the base of the fin. The rear of the canopy is a bit shorter than normal. Finished off with home made decals. Thanks for looking. Steve

Gidday All, I've finally finished my model of epic proportions (all 160mm of it), HMS Montgomery, a convoy escort destroyer as she appeared in 1943. The ship was formerly USS Wickes, and transferred to the RN early in WW2. HMS Montgomery received two refits to convert her for convoy escort work, and the model depicts her after the second conversion. The model is a conversion of an Airfix "HMS Campbeltown" kit in 1/600 scale. The list of modifications, starting from the bows (the front, or "sharp end") I removed some lockers from the deck in front of the bridge and added another, added a scratched hedgehog anti-submarine launcher there, altered the bridge, replaced the bridge range-finder with a type 271 radar lantern (the one that looks like a lighthouse), lowered the height of funnels 2,3 &4, extended the midships deckhouse forward to enclose no.2 funnel, replaced the two 4-inch guns there with two scratched 20mm Oerlikons and two .50cal machine guns, rearranged the boats, added two raised gun tubs for two more scratched 20mm Oerlikons, added some Carley floats, removed the kit TT (torpedo tubes) and mounted a scratched triple TT on the centreline aft of the engine room skylights, omitted the mainmast, replaced the 4-inch gun on the aft deckhouse with a scratched 3-inch gun and shelter, omitted the AA gun on the quarterdeck, added four scratched DC (depth charge) throwers around the aft deckhouse each with two reloads, redid the rails protecting the screws and replaced the stern DC rails with larger scratched rails. I also replaced the foremast with a scratch-built mast. Here she is, HMS Montgomery, 1943 As usual, close-up photos show my rough workmanship. Thank you all for your interest, comments and support during the build. Regards to all, Jeff.

Gidday All, here's my latest completion, a battleship built for the 2019 Airfix 'What If' Group Build on the ATF (Airfix Tribute Forum). This is an Airfix "HMS Iron Duke" kit in 1/600 scale and depicts what a sister-ship HMS Benbow might have looked like if retained instead of scrapped and refitted as a convoy escort to ward off raiders. The ship lost one of it's twin 13.5-inch turrets and all of the 6-inch casemate guns. It was ultimately armed with eight 13.5-inch guns in four twin turrets, twelve 4-inch AA guns in six twin mountings, sixteen 2lb pompoms in two octuple mountings and sixteen .5cal Vickers machine-guns in four quad mounts. Although somewhat obsolete and outgunned by more modern battleships she could still pack a punch. Her secondary and AA outfits were also somewhat sparse, but her area of operations was to be mid Atlantic, where destroyer and aircraft attacks were unlikely. Here is HMS Benbow as she might have appeared in 1940. I scratch-built the main mast assembly and fore top mast, and like the way they turned out. Also the twin 4-inch guns. They were from an Airfix 'HMS Ajax' kit but considerably altered. The removable main turrets turned out to be very convenient and I think I'll do this in the future, if possible. Although I tried to 'flesh-out' the superstructure I think it still looks very WW1-ish, particularly with the very prominent protrusion of the bridge/compass platform. I omitted the 6-inch casemate guns, extended the foc'sle deck aft, and added a deckhouse in lieu of 'Q' turret. I replaced all the boats with those from WW2 vintage kits, replaced the searchlight platform on the rear funnel with a scratch built one, replaced the range-finder mounted on top of the armoured conning tower and added a HACS (High Angle Control Station) above the spotting top. The octuple pompom mountings came from a 'Belfast' kit and the quad machine-guns came from 'Ajax' and 'Hotspur' kits. I would have liked to have added more detail, such as door hatches, lockers, hawser reels etc but time was a bit limited. Still, I'm happy with how the model turned out and enjoyed doing it. I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to me she looks a purposeful and balanced vessel. Regards to all, Jeff.

Gidday All, this is a model I did last December, finishing very early in January this year. It is a ficticious vessel, a whiffed model converted from an Airfix 'HMS Manxman' kit in 1/600 scale. These ships were very fast mine-layers that doubled up as blockade runners to Malta and Tobruk. This ship was bombed by Stuka dive bombers and suffered heavy damage to the forward boiler room. She survived and was converted to a convoy AA escort vessel with considerably increased AA capability. She also acted as a rescue ship for the crews of sunken ships, hence her generous supply of rafts, either requisitioned from the dockyard or pilfered by some of the more piratical members of the crew. I did quite a lot of alterations to the model. I added another twin 4-inch mounting and HA (high angle) director plus replaced the original director above the bridge, scratch built radar for the directors, enhanced the bridge and masts, removed number one funnel and replaced number two, scratch built twin Bofor 40mm and single Oerlikon 20mm guns and their gun-pits, depth-charge racks and other assorted changes and additions. Ladies and Gentlemen, HMS Antiope, 1943 As a whiff I was able to let my imagination run a bit, but I think she is still reasonably authentic. Plus I enjoyed building her. Regards, Jeff.

Gidday All, here is a model I finished about twelve months ago. HMS Welshman was of the Abdiel class, a fast mine layer, a sister ship to HMS Manxman. Besides her intended roll she was used as a blockade runner during the siege of Malta in 1942. Her first run was in May of that year, and neither the Admiralty or Churchill thought she would make it. She was disguised as a Vichy French destroyer, extra light AA guns added, jammed chock full with supplies and extra ammunition and let loose. Her speed prevented some of the enemy's attempts at interception, and speed, skillful ship handling and AA fire power saved her when they did. She completed three round trips to Malta in three months, and about six or seven in total. She was finally sunk off Tobruk by a U-boat in early 1943. The model is part of an Airfix 'Manxman/Suffolk' kit 04214 in 1/600 scale. I did a lot of modifications to the kit to depict the ship as she was on her arrival at Malta on 10th May 1942. Firstly here is a model of HMS Manxman, to show what I started with. This model is almost OOB, other than to replace the prop shafts and 4-inch guns with rod, the quad .50s from another kit and the quad 2lb pompom with a scratchbuilt mounting. I also added breechblocks to the 4-inch guns. The kit guns were horrible. And here is HMS Welshman, as disguised as a Vichy French destroyer. To create the raised focsle effect (she was flush-decked) the crew attached painted canvas to the forward guardrails and painted the hull darker where appropriate. The funnels were painted to suggest raked funnels and the funnel caps were altered - no.1 funnel cap was deliberately shorter for some reason, plus extra stays added to the masts. I did the same alterations to the model's weapons as I did for Manxman except I scratchbuilt the quad .50s instead, plus five 20mm Oerlikons were added for extra AA firepower. These I scratchbuilt also. Other mods were moving the no.2 funnel slightly further forward, added the Carley floats and their stowage skids, replaced the HA director and added type 285 radar (scratchbuilt) to it, the bridge layout and windscreen and altered the breakwater around 'A' mounting. My camera is not kind to me when I take close-ups. It shows my rough workmanship. Airfix has omitted the mine discharging doors at the stern of this kit, but I believe they were hidden as part of the disguise, so no problem there. A false bow was also fitted, but discarded at sea when it disrupted the streaming of their own paravanes. All these modifications I got from photos and the account of an RN Officer of the crew at the time. As I understand it, HMS Welshman was the first ship to get through the blockade of Malta, and I did the model almost as a tribute to the crews of these vessels. No doubt I've made some errors but I've tried to be as accurate as I could. That's probably enough from me. Regards to all, Jeff.

Gidday All, this my first model posted onto Britmodeler. I couldn't get the system to work but my son sorted it out for me. I'm a technological dinosaur. This is a model of the British cruiser HMS Penelope of the Arethusa class. These were small cruisers armed with six 6-inch guns, eight 4-inch AA guns and a variety of smaller weapons, plus two triple torpedo tubes. Penelope spent some of the early part of WWII in Norwegian waters, and later in the Mediterranean with a sister-ship HMS Aurora as part of force K preying on Rommel's supply convoys from Italy. In the later half of 1943 she supported the Anzio landings. On 18th February 1944 off Naples HMS Penelope was torpedoed and sunk by U-410. She was doing 26 knots when hit, and went down quickly with about two thirds of her crew. The model is in the scale of 1/600, as are nearly all of my model ships. It is a modified Airfix kit of HMS Ajax, and depicts the ship as she appeared just before being sunk, although no doubt there are some inaccuracies. I shortened the hull, deepened the main turrets, modified the decks and superstructures, scratch built the masts some structures and light guns and used a lot of parts from a Belfast kit, namely 6-inch guns (last two were stretched sprue), 4-inch guns and shields, funnels, AA directors and radar, 4-inch gun deck, rafts and paravanes. This model was done before I'd heard of modelers forums such as Britmodeler or Evergreen styrene strips sheets and rods etc. The masts and 20mm Oerlikons are made of stretched sprue and the armour belt is photocopy paper. As you can see this model is very crude compared to some of the exquisite works of art I see here on Britmodeler. To date PE and rigging is beyond me, my modeling skills are very average. But I am happy with what I do. I try to improve with each model but without going out of my depth. Airfix model ships are sometimes a bit inaccurate, and they certainly lack detail compared to some other brands of models but they suit my level of skill (or lack of it) and also my budget. I find that 1/600 is a comfortable scale to work on - not too small and neither too large, which would I think require more skill to get the best from them, plus more space required to display them. Enough of me rattling on. Here she is, for better or worse - HMS Penelope 1944. Regards to all, Jeff.