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Found 11 results

  1. Gidday All, I finished my model of HMS Minotaur on Thursday night. However I'll only post one photo here as I think dual threads are frowned upon. I've done a post in the What-if section as the story I've written for the model is a companion piece to that done by Alan P and hence I thought they should be in the same place. The majority of the photos show the ship in 1982 when she carried Exocets but the story also says that these were replaced by Harpoons so I'll show a photo of that here. The platform carrying the Harpoons just forward of the bridge structure simply lifts off and another carrying Exocets can fit in it's place. The directors mounted on the forward superstructure are, from front to rear, the Seawolf director, the DCT for surface targets and then the HA director for aerial targets, both for the forward pair of 6-inch turrets. This arrangement is duplicated aft. The model uses an elongated Airfix Suffolk hull (I used two) and as much of the two Airfix Tiger kits as I could use. Parts of other Airfix ship kits are used also, plus some scratch building. More photos can be found in: The build log in the works in progress section: Thank you for your interest. Regards, Jeff.
  2. Gidday All, I've decided to commence another ship build. Although I have HMS Glamorgan on the go here for the Falklands Anniversary GB this model is for a GB on the ATF. Their GBs usually run for two months and as it's already started I can't wait any longer. As the title suggests, this class of ship, known as the Minotaur class had it's design started in 1947 I think but all ships of the class were cancelled before construction began. They would have been large light cruisers armed with ten automatic 6-inch DP guns in five twin turrets, disposed three forward and two aft, IJN Mogami style. In addition sixteen automatic 3-inch guns would be shipped in eight twin turrets, all on the beam. A heavy torpedo armament of sixteen tubes was to be carried in four quad mountings. AFAIK no smaller weapons, depth charges or aircraft were to be carried. A requirement of the design was improved crew habitability. The previous Colony and Dido classes were cramped and overcrowded. To achieve this, and to carry the weight of the heavy armament a large ship was required. She had a stated length of 645 feet PP, which would have resulted in a length oa of about 660-670 feet I think. The beam was 68 feet. To build the model I'll be using a stretched Airfix HMS Suffolk hull, plus the guns and much of the superstructure from two Tiger kits I have. This won't give me enough guns so I plan on building the ship as she might have appeared after a midlife refit, with some of the guns replaced with missiles. The ship will probably look like a larger version of HMS Tiger hence the box art is appropriate I think. The parts above include the hull, deck and midships shelterdeck of HMS Suffolk and the superstructure and guns (both sets) of HMS Tiger. The instructions are somewhat superfluous I think. This'll do for now. I've started lengthening the hull, and will make another post when it's done. So stay safe, and regards to all, Jeff.
  3. Life’s left me a bit short on modelling time of late, but things are calming down so I might have a chance of some bench time again. While I probably should continue with the choppers, aircraft are my main interest and this one’s been nagging away as something I want to start on. This hasn’t been helped by reading through @shortCummins and @Pete in Lincs kitbashing threads (though I do swear that the concept & kit purchase predates that). So what am I actually building then? I’ve had this kit in the stash for around a decade. Admittedly most of that time I wasn’t modelling, but coming back to the hobby this sent me on a hunt for possible colour schemes that didn’t require mottling as I don’t currently possess an airbrush and don’t fancy trying it without one. Having failed to find any, I decided to go down the whiff route and make something up, and if I’m going there, I might as well go all out. Not only is this going to be a non-military scheme, but I’m going to put it on floats as well. The backstory I’ve concocted is that at the end of the war a young American pilot managed to get his hands on a reasonably complete Fw190D-9 and “arranged” for it to make its way back home. Our intrepid pilot subsequently made his fortune in the booming economy of the early 50’s and with it had the funds to make his prize airworthy again. Living around the great lakes, he decided to fit it with floats and subsequently used it to explore the Canadian wilderness during vacations. Eventually he felt he was too old to fly and passed the plane down to his son, who had the plane restored and repainted in a livery similar to the Reno Warbirds. He decided the plane needed a name commemorating it’s interesting past, christening it “Dora die Erkunderin” (or Dora the Explorer in German). And yes, the entire backstory was conjured up so that I could make an awful dad-joke with the name of the model. As for the plastic, the main kit is (I think) the 2009 boxing of the 1976 tooling, which would explain the large amounts of flash in places. I picked up a PM Spitfire floatplane to provide the floats, with the side thought that as it’s a simple kit I might be able to convince one of the offspring to have a go at it once I’ve taken the bits I want: I’ve also picked up some etch and a resin cockpit as the Airfix kit is devoid of any real details. Neither are intended for this kit, but I’m hopeful I can make it work: At some point in the past I’ve taken some of the parts off the trees on the Fw, and assembled the prop: (Ominous drums & bass) Flash! Aa-aahhh! I think it’s safe to say I’ll be spending some time on the clean up. I’ll replace the pitot with brass tube: The PM kit has some flash issues as well, to the extent that the port tailplane slot is almost completely filled in. Luckily, I don’t need the fuselage for this build. If I can’t get the kids interested, it’ll probably become a paint mule. The floats are ok, I’ll have to do some work on the shaping of the tops of the struts to get them conforming to the underside of the Fw wings: Looks wise, I found one other D on floats, which was very nicely done https://modelingmadness.com/review/axis/luft/scze190w.htm I also found a couple of A variants on floats (including one nicely done on a 3 float Rufe-type setup), but this one captures the essence of where I’d like to be shape wise. I’m still mulling over the final paint job as well, though the main colour will be Ford Deep Impact Blue, by virtue of the fact that I’ve got a big aerosol of it to do one of the choppers and there’s more than enough to do this as well.
  4. 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.
  5. Gidday All, here is a model of Alistair MacLean's HMS Ulysses, the cruiser that was the subject of his book of the same name. This book was written in 1955 and first read by me in 1970 I think. The ship was a fictitious vessel, the fore-runner of and very similar to the Bellona (Black Prince) class of light cruisers. The ship was armed with eight 5.25-inch dual purpose guns, twelve 2lb pompoms in three quad mounts and eighteen 20mm Oerlikon AA guns, plus depth charges and six 21-inch torpedo tubes. The model is in the scale of 1/600, as are most of my model ships. It uses an Airfix Ajax hull shell along with the shafts screws and rudder, main gun turrets and HACS (high angle control station) came from a KGV kit, main DCT (director control tower) torpedo-tubes rafts search-lights anchors boats and davits came from a Belfast kit and I scratch-built just about everything else, including all decks superstructures funnels masts depth-charges and light AA guns. The funnels have grills on top but they're not very noticeable in these photos. Here is a photo of the bridge structure. I built the wind deflectors around the fore-bridge and added the windscreens. On the port side of the fore-bridge is Admiral Tyndall's raised arm chair. It's a bit rough so I didn't zoom in any closer. The captain's shelter is inside the round base of the DCT, with the door on the stbd side I think, as shown here. The rectangular structure just forward of the DCT contains the ASDIC cabinet on the stbd side here, and on the port side it contains the chart house. Doors are on either side. Directly below the fore-bridge is a twin pedestal 20mm Oerlikon mounting. It features in the story. The black dot on the front of the gun position is the navigation light, obviously not used when 'darken ship' conditions apply. Below and aft of that gun position is a twin powered 20mm Oerlikon mounting, and forward of the bridge structure is one of the quadruple 2lb pompom mountings. It is a bit blurred because the camera was focused on the bridge structure. There is more detailed discussion and photos in my WIP thread regarding the choice of guns and fittings on the model. As you can see, my scratch-built parts are nowhere near the quality of PE parts but I prefer to make my own if I can. Thank you for your interest. Regards to all, Jeff.
  6. 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.
  7. Yes Minister. The one about the Red Arrows I came across this lost script for the BBC TV series… Scene: The Ministry, late one evening in 2018… Dramatis Personae (especially for those outside the UK and any who don’t recall the TV programme): Minister – the Secretary of State for the Department of Administrative Affairs Sir Humphrey – The minister’s chief civil servant, determined that the status quo should be preserved come what may Bernard – Sir Humphrey’s junior and right-hand-man; Sir Humphrey thinks he’s far too earnest and enthusiastic for a civil servant MINISTER: “Right you two; the PM’s just given me an awful earwigging about those ghastly, noisy show-offs, er, I mean the Red Arrows. What’s happening about replacing their planes?” SIR HUMPHREY: “Well the Hawks are way out of budget, too old, too costly to run. All the alternatives are turbo-props.” MINISTER: “The RAF couldn’t bear the thought of not being in jets, and we can’t condone using foreign aircraft or the press will kill us” SIR HUMPHREY: Hmmm MINISTER:Hmmm BERNARD: “What about those planes from Burma? SIR HUMPHREY: Bernard, how many times, its Myanmar!! BERNARD: Sorry sir, I mean those Spitfires we recovered from there? Hundreds of Thousands of people turn out to see the Red Arrows and Hundreds of Thousands more turn out to see the Battle of Britain Flight? Why not Red Arrow Spitfires? SIR HUMPHREY: Bernard, I’ve told you before, the BBMF includes Hurricanes, a Lancaster, a Dakota and 2 Chipmunks as well. BERNARD: Yes but the public thinks they’re all Spitfires…why not give them what they want? MINISTER: But aren’t Spitfires expensive and ancient? BERNARD: Well you can buy a freshly restored one for a couple of million, a whole squadron would be less than one new jet. MINISTER: But its still old? BERNARD: Nah, the only old bit is the dataplate on the firewall, everything else is replaced! Supposedly they fly better than wartime ones too, as they don’t need the armour, guns or ammunition if they’re for flying displays, so they’re much lighter. It means they last longer and are less strained too. MINISTER: This is looking better and better. SIR HUMPHREY: They don’t have ejection seats to maintain and the CAA won’t throw a wobbly about fast jet aerobatics. MINISTER: But we still need some dataplates then? What about these Spitfires from Bur…I mean Myanmar? I thought that farmer only found some aluminium alloy stains where they’d corroded away? SIR HUMPHREY: Of course he did Minister, we don’t want any old aero-enthusiasts getting hold of several squadrons of brand-new combat aircraft, do we? MINISTER: So there were some? BERNARD: Of course minister. We knew they were there all along, but once he started making a fuss we had to get them out pronto and do some covering up. SIR HUMPHREY: BERNARD!!! MINISTER: Do I want to know about this? SIR HUMPHREY: Probably not, Minister. Don’t worry, nothings been written down officially. We came to an arrangement with the Generals there so that the boys from Hereford sorted out some trouble-makers and they let us bring back the Spitfires. They’ve been sitting in containers at Marchwood for the last four years. MINISTER: But aren’t they er…how would you say…knackered after being buried for 70 years? BERNARD: Oh no minister they were carefully preserved before burial as a “strategic reserve” in case we needed them again out there at the time. All the rubber and Perspex is a bit perished and needs replacing, but nothing like a full restoration is needed. We’ve had one tried out to be sure, the US Government were very obliging about the use of Area 51. I think they hope they can find some caches of Mustangs and Corsairs down in South America for the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels. MINISTER: Thunderbirds? Blue Angels?…I think I need a drink. SIR HUMPHREY: Yes, apparently the Americans have the same concerns replacing the display planes for the USAF and USN. The USAF can’t use F-22s or F-35s because they’re so stealthy no one can see them and their Admirals just like ships so don’t care about the aircraft for their display team. BERNARD: There are a few issues though, these are Mark Fourteens with low backs and Griffon engines, so they don’t look or sound exactly like a Battle of Britain Spitfire. But they do have more power and better visibility for aerobatic formations. MINISTER: Will the public think they’re Spitfires? BERNARD: Yes MINISTER: Well, no need to let them think any differently then. SIR HUMPHREY: When they’re not displaying we can hire them out for movies, washable paint would work as they never film in the rain. BERNARD: And we can combine the Red Arrows and BBMF so that’s one whole unit off the books! MINISTER: Brilliant; Sir Humphrey, get it organised… SIR HUMPHREY: Yes, Minister. Thus were the dice cast. The BBMF was abolished and the Red Arrows got their new aircraft. Rolls Royce restarted the Griffon production line and Ford’s redundant Transit factory at Eastleigh returned to building Spitfires as every other NATO air force needed to replace their display team aircraft with Spitfires too or be seen as war-mongering madmen; and Shepheard Neame beer was sold in every pub in the land. Everybody in the country rejoiced, even the fast-jet jockeys of the Red Arrows, who it turned out, had really only ever wanted to be Spitfire pilots anyway! As for the model – take one Frog Mark Fourteen, add the low back canopy and conversion part from the Matchbox kit, paint it pillar box red and add the decals from a Revell Hawk. And a smoke canister from an Eduard drop tank. Bish, Bosh, Bash – the new Red Arrows for the 2019 Display season. "Ladies and Gentlemen", look to your left and you will see the country's favourite pilots in the country's favourite aircraft running in to commence their display..." (with sincere apologies to the RAFAT, BBMF, the BBC, Johnathan Lynn and Anthony Jay; Frog and Matchbox kit collectors, rivet-counters and anyone else offended by this article). Cheers Will
  8. Hello all! Right, to business, I'm here with a rather "classic" whiff: a second generation BAC TSR.2 GR.8. I will be using a 1:72 Airfix BAC-TSR.2, some plasticard/white styrene and bits and bobs from other kits. Until another kit crucial to the build arrives I won't be starting it, with slow progress until I get the what if III group build done and dusted. So here is the back story, feel free to skip it! Enjoy! The story... As many know the TSR was cancelled in 1965, with great effect to the British industry. Luckily, in 1966 a group of devout engineers and skilled workers in accordance with BAC voluntarily restarted the project. They toiled for many hours on top of their payed work. By 1967 these engineers had managed to eliminate about 90% of the shortcomings of the original, bringing the combat radius to 960 nautical miles, SNECMA Gironde turbofans producing 176 Kn of thrust economically and safely (no LP shaft problems), a brand new cockpit layout, larger windows for the crew, revised HUD, upgraded landing gear, mach 1.12 at 400 ft and mach 2.6 at 46000 ft. Many more classified modifications were included and rather suprisingly the new jet was 40% cheaper than than the original price estimate. The RAF payed little attention to this until the RAE flew a prototype, they were rather surprised, almost everything had been fixed or improved apart from the HUD ( it flickered at more than 3g). They filed a report and sent it to the air-staff, who, quite frankly couldn't believe their eyes. They ordered a fly-off in between an F-111 prototype and a BAC-TSR.2 prototype. They would take-off at Coningsby (sorry if it's wrong I don't know the exact spelling) with a full weapons load (6 iron bombs and 2 shrike missiles), would then fly low-level to Djibouti and hit 2 mobile radar installations and a command and control bunker before landing at the French base. No more than 2 in flight refuellings were allowed. The aircraft with the fastest time and battle performance would be accepted into RAF service. The TSR won by a blistering 43 minutes and hit all targets apart from one where a shrike lost radar lock. It was accepted into RAF service and flew until November 1968 in A&AEE colours before being handed over to 40 squadron in February 1969. A drawback did show up just months after being accepted in front line service. A 132 nautical mile deficit was highlighted during training while carrying 4 iron bombs on each wing using specially designed duel hardpoints. The solution was a 'big belly' fuel tank (see Melchie's TSR2 build) . Here is a brief history of different versions of the TSR2 used by the RAF: GR.1A (1969-1972): The original version, these were all upgraded to GR.1B standard by 1972. Never flew in combat. GR.1B (1972-1981): An upgraded version to counter a 132 nautical mile deficit under a "standardised weapon load", which came in the form of a belly tank. Affectionately called by crew as the 'Big belly'. This was used until a newer version with improved streamlining and no belly tank (GR.3) entered widespread service beginning in 1979. Never flew in combat. GR.3A/LR (1981-2002): The most common version used and exported by the RAF until fully replaced by GR.4's in 2002. The only version to have served in the Falklands war. This created a sub-variant of the GR.3: the LR (long range) which consisted of a fixed in flight refuelling probe, more economical engines ( at the price of reduced power) and extra bomb bay fuel tanks (weapons were carried externally). It served valiantly alongside the GR.4's in the first Gulf war and Kosovo in a limited PR role. Still in service with South Africa and Egypt. GR.4A: (1991-2016): Largely recognised as the most successful and prolific version of this iconic aircraft. A new nose was what set it apart (see http://www.britmodel...ion-telic-2003/). These were upgraded GR.3A variants with a brand new avionics system, new engines and a new radar set. And is responsible for blowing up Saddam Hussein in his Tikrit palace during Desert Storm. But this is an old aircraft (it's basically an upgraded GR.1A/B and is in the middle of being phased out by the RAF and replaced by new-build GR.4's. GR.6/EW.6 (1999-?): (see http://www.britmodel...?hl=+bae +eagle) Seen as a failure to upgrade GR.4A aircraft in the late nineties and early 00's. The new nose caused several handling issues at high-speed and were all converted to EW.6 (electronic warfare) by 2006. They now ply their trade jamming enemy radar and SAM sites. GR.4NB (2004-?) Seen by many as the ultimate successor of the successful GR.4 is the new GR.4NB (new build). Has the same distinct nose, but everything inside is state of the art, from AESA radar to advanced to new engines, this jet has it all. Used in highly-dangerous SEAD and tactical strike roles, this aircraft has a scare factor seconded only but the A10 and AC130 and is currently being used against ISIS and made short work of the 2008 'invasion' of the Falkland Islands by Argentina ending this battle in 2 weeks. GR.8 (2014-?) In late 2014 aviation enthusiasts spotted an all-black TSR2 sporting canards, new intakes, a new canopy and revised engine nozzles. The MOD was forced to reveal the existence of this aircraft at a press conference on the 28th March 2014. Very few photos of this aircraft exist and is believed to be the last TSR2 variant until it's replaced by the Black-Widow II GR.1 currently in service with the SOS (special operations squadron). And has apparently been involved in turning an ISIS training camp into a crater with a version of the famed tall-boy bomb. That's it! Photo updates to come soon and I will be starting this as soon as possible! chomp chomp -raptor
  9. Here's my build: A 2-seat FGR.5 tiff for op shader. I got extremely early on, all I did was start cutting the hole for the 2nd seat and its now been sitting alone, unloved, unwanted for nigh on 3 months. I'm not that happy with the kit to be honest, you'd think Airfix make some pretty high quality kits, and they do. But not this time. The starter set arrived with the pilot missing and some horribly moulded exhausts and that's just for starters. It's so full of imperfections. On the other hand I've nicked its canards for my TSR2 build so I'll be scrathbuilding some.... (the joy ) Still it could be worse... Here's a quick résumé of the back story, the complete version will come soon: After the Paris attacks of the 13th November, the British Parliament was quick in upping its contribution to the fight against ISIS with op Shader. To alleviate the Tornado's flying ops day in, day out some FGR.4 Typhoons were sent to RAF Akrotiri to join in. But they weren't as effective as previously thought. One bright spark considered using the T1 variant as a dedicated strike variant. This was tested and yielded better than expected results but it lacked the flexibility of that the Tornado possesses. In 2017 a solution was found. Remove the airbrake behind the cockpit and install a rudimentary WSO position. Admittedly it was very cramped, claustrophobic and referred to by WSO's as the 'coal hole'. The 2nd cockpit continued to be refined and in 2018 the dedicated 2 seat strike version of the Typhoon was born: the FGR.5. While the principle was the same, the aircraft was built from the ground up as a 2 seater. The cockpit was enlarged and a bigger radar was installed. It immediately started to make a difference in the field. To the point that ISIS admitted that they were 'genuinely frightened upon hearing the distinct sound of the FGR.5's EJ230 engine'. I will be building a representation of a FGR.5. Photo updates to come! chomp chomp -raptor
  10. The final development of the ubiquitous Bf 109 was this K variant. It was fitted with a four-bladed propeller and with two underwing gun pods containing two 20 mm MG 151/20 each. It was undergoing tests when the US Forces captured this single aircraft, taking it back to Muroc Army Airfield (Edwards Air Force Base) for testing and analysis.
  11. Originally Ha 141, designed by Dr. Ing Vogt in 1937 as a private venture, the prototype first flew on 25 February 1938. The A series flew well, but the five BV 141B-0’s were plagued with various troubles. The B series first flew on 9 January 1941. These problems were solved with the development of the Argus As 820 power plant giving a maximum speed of 345mph, a vast improvement on the previous BMW engine. Although originally designed for a reconnaissance role, it was transformed into a torpedo carrying Maritime Patrol aircraft designated Bv 141B-05 and assigned to Küstenfliegergruppe 906.
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