Search the Community

So, I am in danger of repeating myself.....well I say that! I have repeated my self three times in the BofB GB, but here I go again. Airfix kit, which is a little cracker, but completely limited by only coming as a rag wing It's this version Untitled by robert mulvey, on Flickr However I will not be doing it OOB, and this is the repeating bit, I will be adding a set of rescribed older airfix hurricane wings! And the subject is one I have always wanted to do! Untitled by robert mulvey, on Flickr I love aircraft from malta and have always wanted to model this hurricane due to its link to Adrian Warburton, Google him! It's worth it! And what wakes this AC even better.... its blue! Work will start end of next week.... Rob

I finally finished my Spitfire Vb yesterday, having struggled to find a decent matt varnish. I thoroughly enjoyed this kit, except for the landing gear.

Hi All, I started my Spit Vb a couple of weeks ago. It's proving to be as pleasant as other new tools in the Airfix Arsenal (well, apart from the landing gear) and I thought I ought to share my progress so far... Masked and Primed I painted the underside in a mix of Hu 90, and 34, to tone down the green tint of their sky Painted topside in Tamiya Flat Earth I tried my luck with free hand camo on the HU 27, a bit poor but I tidied it up with blu tac, and more flat earth And this is the result after tidying her up Sitting on her wheels (after a little swearing and superglue) A shot of her undercarriage And last update from yesterday, the landing gear still hadn't settled, so I used a little more glue and then had her resting on two nail files acting as support struts. That worked like a charm

Hi all, So this is my second RFI but my first WIP. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234979665-148-spitfire-vbmalta/ It's not my normal scale and my first try ant any sort of detail like this and scratch building (very tiny bit in the cockpit but it counts). The kit is the old tool airfix vb.... not the best kit in the world but it came out OK, I definitely learnt a lot (like buy the new tool one). So the aircraft! Spit vb from malta flown by this chap Squadron leader johnny lynch, an American pilot who joined the Eagle squadrons then transfered to malta, after that he went on to fly in the USAAF. He was also given the accolade of malta's 1000th kill after a offensive patrol over sicily. Few pictures of the ac: More information on the chap can be found here http://acesofww2.com/USA/aces/lynch/ So few bit with the ac, the letter codes are to far forward and the 'maltas 1000th' is way over sized, but I hand paint that and need a smaller paint brush! Letter codes were done using tape and I am happy with how they turned out apart from size and placement, ok for a first go. All painted with hairy stick and tamiya paints..... so I suppose it's on to the pictures. .... So there she is... its blue.... I know there is lots of talk over colours of malta planes but this is also a strong possibility. Weathering is a mix of enamels and pastals. I wanted it to look very well used as this reflects what the island went through, and is in line with the blow pictures. All comments welcome! Can I just say a last few points, big thanks to all who looked in on the wip it really helped! A massive thank you to Tony O'toole who gave me a lot of pointers and who's fantastic builds have inspired this. Also I would like to dedicate this to malta and all that served on her and lived there during the war as with out them and their struggle the Med may have been a very different place! Rob

Hello! I have redone this post as i am having a tech nightmare! So the aim is to build the old tooling airfix spitfire VB which is actually from the 2010 vc boxing . The easy option may have been to build a vc with the newer parts as they are more detailed..... but i'm not..... I really love squadron leader johnny lynch's AC from his time on malta. http://agapemodels.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/lynch-spitfire.jpg 1/48 is not my thing I am a 1/72 kinda chap, but this is for my kids ceiling (their request!) Which is about 11 ft high and I want them to see it. It needs to be blue as that's what they and the wife want.... I did offer a big lancaster but after it was described as a "big black angel of death" ( there must be nose art for that??) I thought I won't push it. Having looked at the kit and considered my experience I feel out of my comfort zone..... but what the hey let's give it a go. I am in no way a good modeller so please lower your expectations as this will be more for support than showing anyone How it's done! So here's where I am at. Wings assembled http://rs76.pbsrc.com/albums/j34/robertmulvey1985/Mobile%20Uploads/20150405_075551_zpsyjnrnlca.jpg~320x480?t=1428177410 http://rs76.pbsrc.com/albums/j34/robertmulvey1985/Mobile%20Uploads/20150405_075604_zpseshforo3.jpg~320x480?t=1428177362 I have chopped off the wing tips of the vb and added the clipped wing inserts, these are not made for this version and need more attention to get them right.... fill sand fill sand and hope I don't have to put detail back in! Internals have been given a lock of paint and need detailing and weathering http://rs76.pbsrc.com/albums/j34/robertmulvey1985/Mobile%20Uploads/20150405_075509_zpssaxebr6t.jpg~320x480?t=1428175749 So just a basic start more to come! And hopefully I will fine a way of embedding the pics as it's really not working out for me! Cheers Rob

My daughter bought me the new tool 1:48 Spitfire Vb at Christmas time and last year I picked up cheap at a swap and sell the Malta Defender's boxing of the Special Hobby Spitfire Vc. I thought it would be instructive to build both of them "side by side". The Special Hobby kit was a bit trickier than the Airfix kit (no surprise really), although the Airfix kit did have its moments (the landing gear legs were particularly troublesome). I also did not make use of all of the photo etch in the Special Hobby kit - not being a great fan of it. Rather than use CA glue I used Humbrol Clearfix, which worked pretty well. I also tried a few extra bits of weathering that I haven'r tried before, some exhaust staining using dry brushed acrylics (may be a little overdone on the Vb?), cordite stains using some pencil graphite and some minor paint chipping using some flat aluminium acrylic. Both were completed as Malta Spitfires, although I know that colour schemes for these are a bit of a can of worms. First, the Airfix Vb finished as the aircraft flown by PO "Buck" McNair DFC RCAF with 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron RAF, Ta'Qali, Malta, March 1942. Brush painted Tamiya Acrylics, using XF53 Neutral Grey for the locally mixed grey colour. I almost regretted that because the paint was quite old and went on a bit "claggy" even when thinned. Decals were fine but needed some help to sink down into the detail using some brushed on Tamiya Acrylic thinner. Made grubby with some watercolours and finished with a couple of coats of brushed on Italeri Acrylic Flat Clear. Second one is the Special Hobby Vc finished as the aircraft of Sgt Claude Weaver of 185 Squadron RAF, who was shot down on September 9th 1942. There is a well known image of this aircraft crashed on a beach. I chose to go with Extra Dark Sea Grey over Azure, which from reading around on the forums is not completely unreasonable. I used Italeri Acryl Azure Blue for the undersides, the first time I have used this brand of paint on a larger canvas, and I am very happy with the results. It went on beautifully in thin coats using water to thin it without obscuring the fine engraved detail. While fragile it also touches up really well. Decals were a bit fragile, and I had some trouble getting them to settle over the lumpy detail on the underside. Had to resort to a coat or two of the Tamiya Acrylic thinner. Again some water colour to make it a bit grubby and highlight the detail, and Italeri Acryl Flat Clear to finish. And finally both of them together. Thanks for looking.

Hi, I made this model many years ago - there was no other Beaufort in 1/72 than Frog/Novo. The kit has lot of flaws. I was comparing shapes with plans (thanks KRK4m for supporting me here with good literature and help in research in Cracow's Museum of Aviation). Many details were reshaped - I remember first of all: enlarged cowlings, other engines, propellers, enlarged horizontal tails, new main canopy, changes in turret, new (scratch) undercarridge and larger tyres and many other small improvments... Markings are presenting machine L9965/T of 217 Squadron RAF during its serving in Malta, Luqa airfield I think, in summer 1942, when she was painting in dark and light Meditteranean Blue camo - as some experts belive (agin thank KRK4m for suggesting me this paiting scheme). I have to add - I am still like it, after 20 years from making. I hope you find it interesting as well Comments and criticism welcome Regards Jerzy-Wojtek

Hi all, I normally do 1/72 builds but I would like to do a spitfire for my kids ceiling. They both love spitfire's it's their (and my) favorite AC. My daughter also really likes the little but poor malta spit I did and my wife does not want a "big black angel of death" (I think she may be referring to my lancaster) up there (so no phantom of the rhur). Anyway, I would like to do a malta AC as they all approve of the spit and the scheme. I was hoping to do a mk5 b/c but bit lost on the best kit as I have never built in this scale so don't want to end up getting something I can't tame. I have some ideas on the scheme as I am, as I know a lot of you all are, a massive fan of the malta and north Africa campaigns and all the amazingly brave chaps that won it. However please feel free to recommend any that you are fond of.... I know the whole malta spit is a bit of a cliché but I just find them captivating and if it means I get a plane up on the ceiling instead of hidden on my shelf then all the better Cheers as ever Rob

Ladies and Gents, Once again, Welcome to my second entry! The Armed Forces of Malta Air Wing (try saying that quickly when your drunk!) is quite possibly the the smallest Air Wings to be entered into this Group Build. I visited Malta in September last year as a sort of Birthday present to myself and I was not disappointed! I have never been to such a beautiful and friendly country in my short life, the people had me in awe! There hospitality was exceptional and coincidentally (seriously it was pure coincidence) they were also hosting the International Maltese Air Show the weekend that I was there. I was exceptionally lucky that the couple I was staying with one was a member of the AFM and when he learned of my occupation managed to get me into the Air show for free (not that I would have minded paying €12 for an airshow - its positively a steal!) I wandered the air show and found that the Air Wing had a few familiar aircraft, some which would be difficult to model in the future, so when I seen the country appear on the list I rushed off to my facebook to flip through all my pictures of the airshow and yes I had seen correct. The Air Wing only has a dozen or so aircraft some of which are shared with the Italian armed forces which would be cheating in this GB, however one of the aircraft they do have that isnt grey is the Scottish Aviation Bulldog. This build is my thanks to the people of Malta for your hospitality, form a Scottish visitor a Scottish aircraft. Ive obviously ordered the old Airfix Bulldog, I am looking at ordering a suitable base and possibly some small chocks to recreate this image. I anyone can give me any advice on how to make this little dio better please post below! Decals will need to be custom made so this might be started while I wait for my Canadian decals to arrive we shall see! Thanks again! Jim

My latest model, the well-known Tamiya kit, with lots of mistakes, I had to change lots of things to make it correct, hope you like it! http://www.modellingnews.gr/el/%CE%BC%CE%BF%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BA%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%AD%CF%82/bristol-beaufighter-mkic-tamiya-148 Bristol Beaufighter Mk.Ic, Tamiya 1/48

Hi all! Time for my next WIP thread. This project was born out of the fact that I find biplanes stressful. Indeed, Ms. Vulcanicity teases that she can tell when I'm building a biplane because the noise levels in our flat go up considerably! Because of this, biplanes build up in my stash. I currently have a Bristol F2B, RAF SE5A, Stranraer, Siskin, Gladiator, Swordfish, Demon and Tiger Moth sitting there waiting to be built... I have therefore decided on a bold course of action which will help clear the backlog: building two at once! However, fear not for the state of Ms. Vulcanicity's hearing! The theory is that by synchronising all the stressful stages like assembly of the upper wing and rigging, the stress caused will be more than building just one or the other, but not as much as the total of building both separately... The synchrony is further helped by the fact that I'm planning to build these two in a similar scheme. I like the OOB scheme for the Swordfish, so it's going to be a Taranto machine. I have also always wanted to give into that ultimate wartime RAF cliché, the Malta Gladiator. So the Glad is getting the "Faith" treatment as N5520 (I just couldn't do N5519/R - it's just so clichéd!). Anyway, here goes! These are such nice kits that relatively few scratchbuilt additions should be necessary, which will be pleasant after my Lightning build The 'fish is much more of a complex interior, so I'm kicking off with it in order to get a bit of a headstart. The pit builds up into some nice sub assemblies before priming. One of the first things I noticed about the 'fish is that the pilot's seat is tiny. Even a relatively lissom 1:72nd pilot couldn't squeeze his posterior into it. Just the effort of trying to do so has probably given the poor chap a complex. Here's the Gladiator seat for comparison. Helpfully, I've got a resin Gladiator seat in the stash courtesy of a Pavla set I bought for the Heller kit (for some reason I scratchbuilt my own seat for that build!). So I've decided to swap the Gladiator kit seat for the Swordfish one. The shape may not be spot on, but at least the aircraft's theoretical pilot can come off his diet of lettuce and cholesterol-reducing yoghurt drinks. That's about as far as I've got! Hope you enjoy following the build

Hello, this is my first model presented here - Beaufighter built from 1:48 Tamiya kit with some addons (Eduard PE in cocpit, Quickboost exhausts) and modifications (e.g. vertical stabilizers). My aim was to reproduce heavily worn machine from 272 RAF Sqn. seen on this well known picture: Hope you enjoy!

Here she is, finished over two months, which puts me on target to complete 6 models this year.... There are some things I'm not happy with, but rather than correct them I am going to make sure I overcome them in the next build, whatever that might be........

My Vintage Malta- collection is crying for a reason to build a Frog Do-17Z. As far as I know the Germans didn´t use them anymore as bombers in the Mediterranean. But, I wonder if anyone can point we towards information of one used as weather reconnaissance or liaison aircraft by Luftwaffe units in Sicily, and by which unit? One aircraft is enough! Regards, V-P Finland

Having tried to do some research on this particular aircraft seemed to throw up more questions than answers to the point that I'm not sure if the codes T9068 are correct and weather it actually served in Malta ! Doing a seach on the aircraft throws up pictures of an aircraft with 'V' codes, but it isn't this one as it has the horizontal stabilisers, shorter carb intakes and cut down bubble observer canopy. If anyone can shed any light on what aircraft this actually is, that would be great. The decals are OOB. This is a beautiful kit, however does allow some additional detail to be added with ease. I've enhanced the cockpit and observer/gunner area using plastic rod and sheet and used the Falcon canopy set as the kit parts are quite thick. The inside of the canopy hatch were built up with plastic then elastic thread added to create the sun shade runners. The sun shade was made from pewter foil crinkled and painted matt white then tacked to the elastic. I wanted to capture the look of a sun bleached aircraft so the panels were post shaded with lighter tones of extracrylic mid stone and dark earth followed by a wash and dry pastel brushing add the dirt. I appreciate this isn't everyones cup of tea, but I like em dirty ! The build thread is HERE, although I didn't take many pictures unfortunately. Hope you like it... Thanks for looking, Neil