desmojen Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 (edited) The first build I will be doing is this fine old Airfix kit, the Bristol Bulldog. The kit dates from 1973 (almost as old as me!) and on first inspection looks to be in good order. A few bits are off the sprue but nothing is broken. The pilot is a bit rubbish but I think I have a Matchbox one in the spares box that I can use. There is a stand too The decals look to be usable but are a bit yellowed and slightly smudged looking so I think I will create masks and paint the markings on. Building will not begin in earnest until 'The Box' (don't ask) hopefully next weekend. Jen. Edited May 14, 2008 by desmojen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmojen Posted April 14, 2008 Author Share Posted April 14, 2008 Well 'The Box' is finally finished and out of my way so now I can get on with some proper models again The Bulldog is esentially together, no troubles so far just a lot of cleanup to ensure a nice fit. I have applied filler and primer as required and I am now leaving it for a few days to really dry through and settle properly. In my infinite wisdom I decided to separate the elevators, as much to add interest as anything. Oh, that and the fact that they looked like planks! I have also started on the Gladiator, here's the box shot. The kit is Rodens lovely looking 1/48 offering. I simply typed Gladiator into the modelsforsale search engine so the etch came up as well. Of course I had to order it! I'm glad I did actually because although the kit is adequately detailed, the etch really adds to it and being Extratech rather than Eduard it wasn't even expensive Here's the progress so far. I think the cowling might need a little work Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz greenwood Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Both looking good Jen. I especially like the Gladiator. Cheers Daz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perry Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Have to agree with Daz, that etch certainly brings her to life, go Jen, go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Oh that old Airfix kit takes me back Jen. can't remember ever building one but I bet my dad did. Nice work on both but like the other I have a soft spot for the Gladiator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmojen Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 I kinda prefer the Gladiator too, but the Bulldog is very cute. Pity about the bit where it doesn't fit together very well! I have virtually completed the interior of the Gladiator now. All I need to finish off is the IP and paint a little etched thingy I've made (no idea what it is ) The Bulldog is drying off elsewhere on the bench having had a bunch of filler applied to fair the nose parts in. Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turnerdad Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 The Glad's looking really nice. The Bulldog really takes me back-1973, that IS as old as me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousER99 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Love the Gladiator pit Jen!! I have one of those Roden kits, the Sea Gladiator and will be watching your progress closely. Thanks for posting the piccies!! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeew Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Nice work Jen. That is some good etch work in the cockpt. I personally prefer Extratech etch, much easier instructions than Eduard especially. Somewhat comprehensive too in my experience. Looking forward to more progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miduppergunner Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Typical - high class stuff - just as good as some of the blokes!!! You know Jen you never cease to amaze me with your ability to produce good stuff quickly - so come on - explain - how much time do you spend on average, per day or week. David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmojen Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 Typical - high class stuff - just as good as some of the blokes!!! You know Jen you never cease to amaze me with your ability to produce good stuff quickly - so come on - explain - how much time do you spend on average, per day or week. David. Thankyou David. Only some of the blokes mind This Gladiator is far from my best work though to be honest, as I don't have long to get it done, it is a little rushed. There's no secret. So far I have spent a total of about four or five hours on the Gladiator. The fuselage halves are together and the undercarriage is on. I've actually spent almost as much time on the Bulldog but have less to show for it! Averagely speaking I guess I probably do an hour or two on a night, but not every night. I tend to spend a decent bit of time at it on the weekends when there's nothing else to do, but the biking season is on us so there's plenty of racing to watch and I've been prepping my machine ready. Waffle aside I suppose I average somewhere between eight and sixteen hours per week. Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmojen Posted April 20, 2008 Author Share Posted April 20, 2008 I have made a little progress over the weekend, BSB and my own motorbike prep have been getting in the way a tad! First, the Bulldog. I got silver on it the other day and spent some time today putting the checks on it. I decided early on not to use the Airfix decals as they are quite yellowed etc. Here it is just now, I also wanted to show you all the propeller from the kit, oh my eyes what an awful thing it is! The pitch of the blades is back to front and for some reason it has a mahoosive step in it, loads of work needed here The Gladiator is creeping into paint now. I spent a few minutes (literally) cleaning up the fuselage seams, but unfortunately the wings needed a bit more work. The underside shape differed from that of the moulded plinth on the fuselage so there was no option but to break out the Milliput. I shot a couple of coats of primer on it this morning and rubbed it out so the scratches didn't show. It now looks decent. The rear glazing is fitted after a little trimming to get it to sit right. Although I had been very helpfully told that humbrol 86 is a good match for light green, I very unhelpfully didn't have any I put some sky grey on first using Vallejo model colour 989, then added the green using (of all things) Gunze Sangyo RLM82! I don't know if it's right but it looks ok. All is now encased in Klear and I've left it to dry a while whilst I do some eating! Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entlim Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 gotta love that Bulldog............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potato Pete Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Jen Let us know how you get on with the engine especially with the fiddly exhausty bits which connect the engine to the collector ring(?). I have one sitting in the stash but am frightened to start, having screwed up this bit on the Special Hobby Skua (currently consigned to the shelf of shame) - I'm looking for clues on where and how to fit them properly.... Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netminder Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Hi Jen, Love the Bulldog fuselage. I have an Amodel Hawker Fury that I'm working on at the moment and would like to try and do the silver/metal like yours. What did you use? Ted Barrett P.S. I got my Seafire 47 conversion. Love it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmojen Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 JenLet us know how you get on with the engine especially with the fiddly exhausty bits which connect the engine to the collector ring(?). I have one sitting in the stash but am frightened to start, having screwed up this bit on the Special Hobby Skua (currently consigned to the shelf of shame) - I'm looking for clues on where and how to fit them properly.... Pete Funny you should mention that, I was formulating a plan on that very subject last night! Trouble being the painting of course, since trying to paint it all after assembly would look bad, but assembling prepainted parts rarely looks great either. I do have a cunning plan though and will let you know how I get on later Hi Jen,Love the Bulldog fuselage. I have an Amodel Hawker Fury that I'm working on at the moment and would like to try and do the silver/metal like yours. What did you use? Ted Barrett P.S. I got my Seafire 47 conversion. Love it!! Many thanks, I am fairly pleased with how it came out. I would have liked a better shine but I think maybe Chrome would be needed... Basically, I painted the fabric portions using Alclad Dull Aluminium straight over all the primer and rubbings, no need for a separate primer. I only discovered this particular shade of Alclad recently and it is my new favourite replacement for Humbrol 56, which incidentally would be an equally good paint to use. Once dry, it was masked up in the relevant places and Humbrol H21 Gloss Black was sprayed onto the forward areas. It is crucial that you get a good finish on this paint as it decides how good a shine you get on your polished metal paint. Once dry, that is then overcoated. I used Alclad Polished Aluminium but as I say I would have liked a bit more sparkle. Maybe Chrome would have worked better, but I think in fairness it may be a bit OTT Glad you like the Seafire set! Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netminder Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 (edited) Hi Jen, Most interesting! I really like the look. Now would you be able to spray the front end, say a gloss medium grey to lessen the contrast between the fabric section and the metal areas? Anyway, I really must get that Amodel Hawker Fury II of mine on the go so I can try the Alclad out! Ted P.S. I may have to buy another of your Seafire 47 conversions as I have a hankering to use the second set to work up the fuselage for an Seafang F32. Edited April 21, 2008 by Netminder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmojen Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 The fruits of tonights efforts........ I decided not to put it off any further and have a bash at the exhaust ring on the Gladiator. I had already built and painted the engine itself, it needs to be fully built since it will not positively locate in the cowling unless the pushrod part is fitted. I found I needed to shave the ends of the pushrod tubes down by about half their thickness to get the engine to fit into the cowl. It was held positively in place by two blobs of blu tak, which also help to hold the whole thing steady on the bench. I then glued the exhaust stubs into place, but only fixed them to the inside of the cowl, not to the engine. Left it to dry for a few minutes and then removed the engine, hey presto, fitted exhausts which are easy to paint! The cowl can be painted entirely separately to the rest of the model since it is all one colour. I will paint weather and finish the engine and cowl before fitting them to the model. I have also fitted the windscreen and the rest of the model is masked up and ready to start painting tomorrow. The Bulldog has been worked on a bit more. I got the engine fitted, painted the anti-glare panel, decalled the fin and fitted the undercarriage. The undercarriage is of course wonky, but I think it is due to one leg being slightly longer than the other! Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potato Pete Posted April 21, 2008 Share Posted April 21, 2008 Very neat - what do you glue the stubs with - CA? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmojen Posted April 21, 2008 Author Share Posted April 21, 2008 Very neat - what do you glue the stubs with - CA? Pete Sorry, I should have said, just ordinary ;iquid poly or your preferred flavour of liquid glue. The one I'm using at the moment is called Plastic Magic, made by Deluxe Materials. You could use CA if you wanted but Poly is a bit more forgiving and will also blend the two parts together a bit if you flood it on once the part has fixed in place. I also forgot to say that I cut off the locating peg on each exhaust stub, there is no hole on the engine for them to go on to anyway. Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brews Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyL Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Lovely work Jen, as usual! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz greenwood Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Lovely Jen. You sure make a neat model! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desmojen Posted April 24, 2008 Author Share Posted April 24, 2008 The Gladiator is now painted! I thought when I read about this scheme that it might look a bit wierd.............and it does! More later, Jen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 The Gladiator is now painted!I thought when I read about this scheme that it might look a bit wierd.............and it does! More later, Jen. Weird indeed - but it does look good though!! And thanks for that brilliant tip on the exhausts Jen - like all great ideas fairly obvious when you see it done, but Pete wasn't the only one scared to start this kit because of those exhausts!! Great work on both these models! Keef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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