Mike Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenshb Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Neat work Neil, but then we're expecting that from you:) What's the reason for the dark gray areas on the nose? Jens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 What's the reason for the dark gray areas on the nose?Jens Ah .... in my haste I forgot any text didnt I !! Dark grey areas on the nose are about a dozen coats of paint, to give a slightly raised effect to simulate the armour plating. Not strictly necessary to be honest, a few scribed lines would be ok. Also added front and rear bulkheads to the undercarriage bays, and extra struts on the door guides are short lengths of stretched sprue (although, to quote an often used phrase, check your references because not all of them had them). Also added the door cable rollers on the front of the u/c legs and holes in the mudguards and brake hoses from copper wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 All of the main components are now together, must say that the Tamiya kit is a breeze to assemble. I will probably leave the intake guards off, it appears that they were not always used from looking at pics, and it seems that this aircraft did not have them. I will also be using the narrow blade props, not the paddle blades, of all the pics of FB XVIII's that I have, they all have narrow ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Beautiful tidy work so far, and great photos too. Please keep the progress pics coming. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeEaton Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 The typically clean Neil build. Loved your jag and so far enjoying this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted June 26, 2007 Author Share Posted June 26, 2007 Cheers chaps. Sprayed all the white areas which will become the invasion stripes, no pre-shading on these bits as I want to try and make look slightly 'newer' than the rest of the camo etc. I will be giving them a slight oil paint wash with some Paynes Grey eventually though. Prop hubs have a coat of Sky and the tips are Yellow, just need a coat of Black on the blades. Undercarriage legs were painted in Humbrol Matt Aluminium (the Metalcote stuff) then given a liberal coat of thinned Tamiya Matt Black (acrylic, so it does not 'lift' the Humbrol Aluminium) which seeps into all the nooks and crannies. Once dry, the legs were then dry-brushed with the Matt Aluminium again, the aim was to try and give a sort of used look to them by painting them this way. Drop tanks were also given a coat of the Matt Aluminium with a couple of coats of Kleer on top to give a slight sheen to them. Realised today that I have none of the Green or Grey camo colours, and looking into my crystal ball I can envisage a trip to Hannants in the very near future to rectify the problem .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary West Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Gorgeous work - your images make your builds look perfection itself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeEaton Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 Gorgeous...stunning...Neil, I wish my builds were as clean as yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Broadbent Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Great work, Neil. My Grandfather was a Director of Molins during the war, he was an engineer so I guess he was involved in the project (and the Cannon Spitfire Ib I think). The old boy is long gone now, of course, and my Pop died some years ago so I suppose I'll never know. Molins main business was in making cigarette manufacturing equipment - big business then! and from an engineering viewpoint I suppose machines for manufacturing paper cylinders at high speed had something in common with feeding bullets into cannon (hence their involvement with getting the Spitfire cannon armament to work properly). Looking forward to seeing more on this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Great work, Neil. My Grandfather was a Director of Molins during the war, he was an engineer so I guess he was involved in the project (and the Cannon Spitfire Ib I think). The old boy is long gone now, of course, and my Pop died some years ago so I suppose I'll never know. Molins main business was in making cigarette manufacturing equipment - big business then! and from an engineering viewpoint I suppose machines for manufacturing paper cylinders at high speed had something in common with feeding bullets into cannon (hence their involvement with getting the Spitfire cannon armament to work properly). Looking forward to seeing more on this one! What a cool story... shame you never got to quiz them about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted June 27, 2007 Author Share Posted June 27, 2007 My Grandfather was a Director of Molins during the war, he was an engineer so I guess he was involved in the project (and the Cannon Spitfire Ib I think). The old boy is long gone now, of course, and my Pop died some years ago so I suppose I'll never know. Molins main business was in making cigarette manufacturing equipment - big business then! and from an engineering viewpoint I suppose machines for manufacturing paper cylinders at high speed had something in common with feeding bullets into cannon (hence their involvement with getting the Spitfire cannon armament to work properly). Blimey, interesting stuff! Last time I was at the Mosquito museum, must be 10yrs or so back, they had one of the Molins guns on display next to the Prototype Mossie I think it was. Big piece of kit! Must take another visit there one of these fine days .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Looking great Neil. And how do you get your photographs to look so sharp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil @ Flory Models Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 Oh yeah so how the hell did I miss this aye. Sorry Neil some how this gave me the slip, Fantastic conversion and a stunning pit to boot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 And how do you get your photographs to look so sharp? Ta again, peeps. I take all the pics using a Canon Power Shot A70, a simple digi camera ('cos I am simple) but I always take them using one of those dinky little tripods, about 8" high when fully extended, and I use a few seconds delay on the timer. Just press the buton, leave the camera alone, and when the shutter operates there is then no camera shake. Lighting is from overhead fluorescent tubes on the workshop ceiling. If I need more height for any shot I just stand the tripod on a pile of books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 Masked off all of the invasion stripe areas with good old Tamiya tape, the black parts will be sprayed on last. Note the 'cut out' bit on the rear fuselage below the fin for the serial number, the number was left surrounded with the camo colours. Will break out the airbrush soon and put the Green and Grey camo pattern on. Still not 100% sure which colour to spray the nose area, in the SAM Combat Colours book it suggests a possible application of Grey primer so may just go along with that thought. Without colour photo's who can say ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungo1974 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Looks great mate!,always loved the D-day markings on Mossie's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 It's definitely the photography that is keeping me pinned to this build - not to take anything away from Neils obvious skill as a modeller - but the photography is a joy to behold ! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 Okey doke, a bit more progress. Pre shaded all the panel lines and such with some Humbrol Gloss Black, then gave the underside and the relevant areas on the upper surface a coat of Xtracolour Medium Sea Grey. Xtracolour Dark Green was then used to fill in the remaining camo pattern, and the nose section and the fairing where the 57mm gun protrudes have a coat of Ocean Grey, again using Xtracolour. (None of your nancy-boy Acrylics here .... ). I am reasonably happy with the shading on the underside, but I have applied a touch too much Grey/Green camo to the top surfaces and the shading effect is not as noticeable as I would like it, to remedy this I will enhance the lines etc with some thinned Paynes Grey Oil Colour once the camo is fully cured. A very faint wash with the Paynes Grey will also be applied to the invasion stripe sections once the Black areas have been applied, don't want these areas too heavily weathered. All airbrushing is done with a Badger 100. While I had the camo colours on the go, I also sprayed some clear decal sheet ready for when I tackle the canopy. A coat of Interior Green was sprayed on first, followed by the Grey/Green camo colours, the plan is to cut some thin strips of decal which will be 50% Grey and 50% Green on each length, then position them accordingly on the canopy so they match the surrounding camo pattern. Parts of the framing which are simply one colour will also be done in this way. A section of decal, right hand side in the pic, was left only Interior Green and this will be sliced up for the internal frame sections. Decided to do the canopy this way as a bit of a change from masking, no other reason really! Will see how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palacefan Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Special!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 This is looking excellent. Good to see someone else who has not gone to Nancy Boy acrylics Julien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Drewe Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 This is looking excellent. Good to see someone else who has not gone to Nancy Boy acrylics Julien Nancy boy acrylics? I actually went the OTHER way and now use incredibly life threatening Mr Color laquers for all my camo work. 'Ard as 'owt, me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousA667 Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 not gone to Nancy Boy acrylics Tee, hee! That should rattle a few cages! Damned if I've ever been able to get acrylic paint to work for me. peebeep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Dammit Neil, you've overtaken me in one post! Mine's sat on the desk with pre-shading done, which is a hell of a lot more wobbly than yours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousA667 Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 pre-shading done, which is a hell of a lot more wobbly than yours! Do you think he might have one of those robot thingies like on the Renault ads? peebeep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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