Natter Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 OK, at last. After the 1/9 Bianchi bicycle I am in for the GB with my 1/72 Airfix AW Seahawk from a modern release gift set. The moulds are very much the original from about 1959. I have the Airwaves set for the MPM model, which I think I can adapt, the Aeroclub white metal seat and (not shown) the Falcon vacform canopy. I have lost the original injected canopy and I have never done a vacform canopy before; oh yes, and you only get one vacform in the FAA set which I have. Best I don't mess up then, especially as I want it show it open. There will be no extra detail in the wheel wells, I will just box them in. I will try and do something with the aftermarket for the cockpit as it will be on show even if I don't open up the canopy. Now, just to prove it is all in bits, the picture: The kit decals will be used, though I know they are translucent and will need some backing when they go on. That's all for now, good luck to all GB-ers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon.M Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Hi Dave This was one of my favourite models when I was young. Was it really that simple. I look forward to seeing how it goes together. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Nice choice Dave, done one last year and other than the see through decals, it's quite a simple kit. Which suits me. Look forward to seeing this build, Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 It's a good choice. Even though the kit is simple it does build up into a good representation of the Seahawk. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted October 6, 2013 Author Share Posted October 6, 2013 So, after a week of no modelling I managed a bit this weekend. I have the fuselage closed up now and awaiting a bit of clean up; and a bit of a scribe if I feel brave. The cockpit interior was done with the photoetch for the MPM kit as I picked it up really cheap at a show. I know there's an etch set for the Airfix kit, but that's no challenge is it?! The wide shelves at the sides of the cockpit were narrowed with a scalpel and thinned with a dremel. The rear bulkhead didn't fit so I cut a couple of small slots with a razor saw at the back of the cockpit for it to slot in to and allow the fuselage sides to close, job done. The interior is painted with Humbrol German Grey and dry brushed a couple of grey shades, and I have lightened the pictures quite a bit so you can see the detail. The coaming has been cut back a bit, but more may be required to take the gun sight when I come to fit that later. The instrument panel was fitted to an offcut of plasticard which was then shaped, the instruments being painted with a fine brush and 'glassed' with Klear. The cockpit floor was scratched from sheet. I have an Aeroclub seat to fit, but that will go in towards the end of the build. Pictures then... There's no way I am going to put the same sort of detail in to the wheel wells. The real aircraft has an incredible mess of wires and hydraulic pipes in the wells, and as the models wheel wells are very shallow I have chickened out of the effort required to improve them. The nose wheel well is just a flat shallow effort anyway. I have put the air-conditioning intake in the nose and I will probably use the etch to fold the wings - maybe. More soon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paganpete Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Great effort so far Dave; you have done more in a week than I have in a month! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jb65rams Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 You have made good start with this. Have one of these in the stash so will follow with interest. Was tempted to do it for this group build but went with a couple of Novo Attackers instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedman Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 That looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Lovely pit. I remember building the Frog/Novo version... Solid wheel wells and a moulded in pilot head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 This is an impressive start! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Nice start Dave. The Seahawk 'pit was a mess of wires and stuff around the sidewalls so in 72nd scale this makes a reasonable representation of that chaos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 Mmmmm. Nose weight. Normally added before closing up the fuselage halves. Normally. I had to take out part of the nose bay floor, which is pretty gash anyway, and pop in some lead shot with some epoxy. The rest of it has been fairly boring sanding down ejector pin marks, and trying to rescribe. I'll try and add some pics later, but the rescribe attempts are generally pants! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 OK, update. The wing pylons are rubbish, so of they came. As you can see below, the sanding to smooth the remains of the pylons needed to take care of the ejector pin marks and the seams on the leading edge too: The wings are not the only parts with awful ejector pin marks, witness the underside of the tailplanes: I am going to fold the wings, but the MPM etch means more work on the Airfix wings. The cross-section is all wrong for starters, so I glued a strip of plasticard along the top surface.... .... and sanded it to a rough profile. Then with superglue and talc filler I filled in the gaps it left and when it had hardened I sanded that to achieve a better finish. A quick (?!) scribe of the wings and I am here: Scribing a fuselage is still a skill I have to 'develop'. The wings are relatively flat and it's all straight lines, but the fuselage is a struggle with its curves. The result of my attempt to do the canon muzzle panels can be seen - pants and in need of filling and rescribing. You can just see the forward section of the nosebay roof I had to remove to put the noseweight in. The model will be seen from above, not below, so the wheel bays will remain as they are; rubbish! Considering the plastic this kit is moulded from has the consistency of milk chocolate this has been a bit of a challenge, but it will get done. The way things are going I am going to go out an buy a Tamiya model, I seem to keep smashing myself against poorly detailed, badly fitting old kits which fight back hard. A quick look at the bits of the stash I can actually get to revealed old Heller, old Airfix, old Revell, old Monogram and old Italeri kits. ebay madness all, oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Brave work on an old mould Dave. You deserve a nice new Tamiya kit after fighting with this old lump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 I think I would tidy the nose wheel bay up. The rest of the model is going to look rather special and it seems a bit of a shame not to go the whole hog. Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 I have done a small tidy on the nosewheel bay, but this kit is driving me up the wall; I just want it done now One of the guys at the club on Thursday described this kit as a 'real dog', a bit of an understatement. Maybe in the sixties it was OK, but not now with the MPM/Special Hobby and the Hobbyboss kits to choose from. But, this is the Obsolete Kit GB so onwards it is. I have boxed in the main wheel bays, added in the intake vanes and made up exhaust tubes form plastic tube which has been sanded and filed to give scale thickness at the outer end. the extra little piece of card at the outer end is to spread the join to fit the etch wing-fold: I added nav lights from clear sprue, and then sanded them to shape with a final micromesh polish: With the inner section of the wings spread to match the etch wing-fold I had to add more filler to the outer sections to match the profile and then more sanding ensued. I have made about four attempts to get this right but I am still not satisfied, though it will have to do. This pic should give you some idea how much filling and sanding was involved: With the wing-fold in place and primed it looks like this: The final fettling to get it in the right place will have to follow at the end when the painting and decaling is done, and the wing outer sections are fitted. The main assembly is all done now and primer applied. The white primer doesn't show any detail (including my poor attempt at re-scribing) but this was my finish point for the evening: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Great work on all those various details. They are coming together well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted November 30, 2013 Author Share Posted November 30, 2013 Now then, where were we? I have had a fairly busy few weeks with modelling being a little sporadic, but I have done some. I bought the Fleet Air Arm set of Falcon canopies, which was just as well as I have lost the original injection moulded transparency. The scary bit is that there is only one of most of the canopies in the set - no room for error. Oh yes, and I have never used a vacform canopy before. No pressure then! I was careful and took my time with a new scalpel blade and this was the result: It fits quite well doesn't it? Which is quite surprising as it is the canopy for the Supermarine Attacker- d'oh! So back to the canopy set to cut out the one for the Sea Hawk... With the correct canopy fitted I masked up for painting. The underside is in Lifecolor white and the uppers in Xtracrylix Extra Dark Sea Grey. The windscreen canopy is fixed in place and the rear section just in place for the photo. After a crisis of motivation where I have been distracted I should now be back on track to complete this before the deadline, so I can line something up for KUTA IV. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Brown Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 Looks good Dave. You certainly like a challenge! I've been "Building" one of these for the past few years. I do a bit then have to put it down, feeling quite depressed! Hope to finish it in the next year or two. Rick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted November 30, 2013 Author Share Posted November 30, 2013 Wise words Rick - it is a challenge! Never mind the next year or two, I only have until 15 Dec to bash this into submission. I have done a few more bits before stopping this evening for a wee glass of red. The gear bay doors on the model are at least a scale three inches thick, so I used the originals as templates and made new ones from thin card: The thickness is somewhat different: The seat lacked a certain something, so will be replaced by an Aeroclub white metal piece: The wheels are pants too: I stamped discs from very thin card (5 thou?): And then drilled some 0.4mm holes around the edges so they at least represent the originals: Hopefully more to follow tomorrow. I must avoid being distracted by what I was playing with while I was away last week: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 Like many of the builds in this GB, this one looks like it as going to turn out rather special as well. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Great build thread - really enjoying it Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 It fits quite well doesn't it? Which is quite surprising as it is the canopy for the Supermarine Swift - d'oh! So back to the canopy set to cut out the one for the Sea Hawk... Clever move that....cos now with the correct Sea Hawk canopy it's the second time you've used a vac form canopy and your all experienced like! I've only used a vac form canopy once - there's definitely something a bit sweaty palm about it - especially if you've only got one shot at it. Really neat work - love the wheel hubs. Gonna look great. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Is that the old Airfix Four Stroke kit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 I have boxed in the main wheel bays, added in the intake vanes and made up exhaust tubes form plastic tube which has been sanded and filed to give scale thickness at the outer end. the extra little piece of card at the outer end is to spread the join to fit the etch wing-fold: Just a thought, but isn't that intake trunking curving the wrong way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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