heloman1 Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Who'da thought that this was a Matchbox kit disguised as something better? Fantastic work, I'm impressed. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 This is looking awesomely good! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 Thanks everyone After a couple of days of masking and painting I've now finished the main colours. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 Nearly finished painting, just a couple of black panels to do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Fantastic work, from a Matchbox kit into a gem. Congratulations. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 The black panels are done, decals are on and I've done an oil wash. A little dry brushing and a final mat coat and I'll be done. While waiting for paint/decals/wash to dry I got bored and started four kits... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 It's finished! I'll take some proper photos tomorrow when I'll have some daylight to play with. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Fantastic! You would never guess that this was from that old Matchbox kit! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Wow.....Certainly don't look like Matchbox in that pit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 (edited) Cheers guys! I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed building this one. Having built this kit a couple of times when I first started modelling and having problems with both, (those were my "tube glue" days) to have the chance to turn one into something I am truly proud to have built makes me so glad I took up modelling again. More photos in the gallery. Edited December 11, 2013 by Speedman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 What stunning work. Well done Speedman, I have been watching your progress like a hawk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 That is stunning. Love the scheme and version. Looks so much nicer than the later OG with odd lumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 That is a little jewel, well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Best Matchbox Cobra I've ever seen.....Suspect that goes for most of us! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Venables Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 I somehow missed this thread until now. I must say that you have done a brilliant job on that golden oldie. Beautiful work indeed. I plan to model this aircraft because at one stage it carried an RAAF "zap" of a red kangaroo on its fuselage side, which makes an interesting variation. May I ask the source of your colour reference for "Virginia Rose II"? The references I have seen state that it was finished in tan and green only, and not the usual 3-tone SEA scheme. I know that AZ Models have offered a 3-tone scheme on their boxing that includes "Virginia Rose II" but I feel this is incorrect, mainly because available photos of this aircraft suggest the camo was only two tone. Maybe there is a more definitive reference out there somewhere that I haven't yet come across? I was beavering away with the Mastercraft copy of this kit early last year. Despite what has been written elsewhere, the Mastercraft kit is NOT a re-box but a copy of the Matchbox kit... and a really bad one at that! I gained the impression that Mastercraft took a Matchbox kit, changed enough of the details to avoid copyright infringement, then reassembled the parts to look roughly like the original Matchbox sprues and made a mould. Unfortunately, none of the changes they made where for the better - panel lines are worse than the original Matchbox kit, some new panels are fabricated or incorrectly placed, the engine intakes were changed to something completely different from the original, the rotor blade and hub details have been redone badly, etc, etc. The only thing in favour of the Mastercraft kit is that it is dirt cheap. At the time I bought it, I thought I could bash it into shape but eventually gave up in favour of buying the AZ Models kit upon its release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted March 16, 2014 Author Share Posted March 16, 2014 I think the problem is a lack of decent colour photos for reference because quite a few black & white shots of her do look to be two-tone camouflage only. I spent approximately 50 hours digging through hundreds of articles and thousands of photos and eventually found a reference to SEA being applied but the Cobra NETT guys and I also found 3 colour photos which clearly show this as being correct. I've not got the links anymore, but I found one of the photos was still on my hard drive. So AZ did get it right (although they did get the pattern slightly wrong), it's just a shame their kit has quite a few details wrong. Just found another one. I'll have a look for the third one as it's a great shot of her with almost no noticeable weathering and taken fairly close. Presumably it was taken prior two the two photos above which were taken a few minutes apart. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Venables Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Hi again Speedman. I also have spent a lot of time trying to research this aircraft but those pics are ones that I have not yet seen... and they are quite compelling evidence to confirm the 3-tone scheme. Some photos I'd seen showed what appeared to be a very slightly darker tone on the front of the transmission cowl and mid way along the fuselage boom but I was not convinced it was actually a different colour. Until now! Many, many thanks for those pics. It is always good to have a quandary resolved. By the way, what details do you feel AZ managed to get wrong? I have the kit but have not yet built it or had a really good look at the sprues. I did notice they provide only the twin gun turret (not appropriate for Virginia Rose II, though I have a vague feeling I read somewhere that she carried the grenade launcher at a later time), the rotor head is missing some obvious detail and the main rotor strengthening plates are too short. Nothing I can't fix and/or live with. Cheers for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 For starters the nose, cockpit and front transmission cover profiles... Wrong, wrong & wrong. Also the port boom inspection panel is too rounded, the intakes are a later design, the gunner's main sighting control is missing the side handles, the gun pods have no cooling ports, the panel below the exhaust on the starboard side has louver vents when it shouldn't, ,the shape of the cockpit armour is wrong and there shouldn't be tail lights on the boom. That's just the things I've spotted from looking at sprue photos, plus you've already mentioned a few things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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