nimrod54 Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 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. It might be a 'real dog', but you are making a great job of it and providing a lot of useful hints for me when I get back on to doing mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted December 1, 2013 Author Share Posted December 1, 2013 John W - It is indeed the old Airfix Four Stroke kit, in the new box. Last year's Christmas pressie (among others) and just getting started! I hope to get it finished over the Christmas hols this year. bentwaters81tfw - you made me look twice! The piece on the top of the photo is the top of the wing inner section, so it actually curves inwards, not outwards as it appears to in the photo. nimrod 54 - once a dog, always a dog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted December 1, 2013 Author Share Posted December 1, 2013 I'm done for this evening. A coat of Klear was sprayed and left to dry then the decaling began. I have added the spent case chutes (?) behind the cannon muzzles as they are quite prominent in the photos. I haven't added the intake above the right wing root intake, I should have done that earlier in the build and it is a little late now. I haven't formed the channels for the cannons either as they are not too noticeable when painted, so I just used the decals. I cut a piece of white decal to go behind the ace of diamonds as the white/grey colour demarcation will show through too clearly otherwise. It isn't perfect but it isn't too bad. I haven't used the kit roundels as the blue is too bright, so I found some in the spares box that were about right. The rear roundels are over the originals, which are over a circle of white decal, and still the white/grey demarcation showed through; but it is way better than with just the kit decals. Talking of kit decals, the underwing codes are made to go around the pylons, which I have removed: I have nothing the right size in the spares box so I may have to resort to buying a generic sheet. I don't think my freehand painting is quite up to reforming the eights. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Just caught up with this, you've done wonders with the old Airfix kit. Love the work you've done to these u/c bays and intake vanes, and the paint job has brought it to life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 bentwaters81tfw - you made me look twice! The piece on the top of the photo is the top of the wing inner section, so it actually curves inwards, not outwards as it appears to in the photo. Um? I'm looking at the lower port inner wing section, with the boxed in MLG bay. To my eyes the intake trunking appears to curve outwards towards the wing fold. Do I need to go to Specsavers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted December 2, 2013 Author Share Posted December 2, 2013 Um? I'm looking at the lower port inner wing section, with the boxed in MLG bay. To my eyes the intake trunking appears to curve outwards towards the wing fold. Do I need to go to Specsavers? Yep, you're right, it curves the wrong way! Oh well, 1. it's too late now and 2. it really isn't noticeable; but as in the modellers axiom 'I'll always know it's there'. Oh well, too late to hate myself now. The decaling is done bar the underwing serials, and I have a generic sheet coming from Hannants which should be here by the weekend. Once the fuselage decals are all thoroughly dry I will give the fuselage another coat of Klear to seal the decals and give the final shine. Once the wing serials are done I can do the same with the wings and then approach the final assembly. The only thing of any note I did tonight was the nose wheel door light. I used a number tab from a piece of clear sprue, roughly cut and filed it to shape, polished it with micromesh and then cut off a (very small) piece of the right shape to glue to the door. Then I painted it with Tamiya Clear Red. The decals just don't want to respond to micro sol, the '88' on the door has been soaked twice. More persuasion required... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmaker Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Great work on this oldie... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Love that light ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordfish fairey Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Nice work Dave, a lot of effort to get the old girl presentable, but you've done it........................ .Smudge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted December 7, 2013 Author Share Posted December 7, 2013 I love that pic of the start up Smudge. Not sure it passes modern emissions standards though! I have to put in a seriously good word for Hannants here. I ordered the serial decals on Sunday evening, they were dispatched second class on Monday and they arrived in Tuesday's post. They are on, the fuselage and wings have been Kleared and the final assembly is ready to begin tomorrow. More pics to follow then, and thanks for watching. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troffa Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Just caught up with this one Dave, great work on a real clunker- I think I'll get my 1/72 Supermarine Attacker (of indeterminate parentage, maybe Novo/Frog?) out of the stash- it doesn't have a cockpit, not even a peg for an airfix pilot to sit on, just the pilots head stcking out of the fuselage halves. or on second thoughts, maybe not, you've got far more skill and patience than I! keep up the good work, cheers Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Gotta love the Seahawk. One of the prettiest jets ever. I think I prefer it over the Hunter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted December 8, 2013 Author Share Posted December 8, 2013 I want to cry, and it's all my own fault. No one would be so completely stupid as to put the wings on the wrong sides when attaching them to the wing-fold... would they? My only defence is I am tired, but it was still unbelievably stupid. I managed to remove them without completely obliterating the wing-fold, but I had even more trouble lining them up than I had first time, The starboard side is shown because the port side is a teeny bit out of line, but in 1/72 it is a glaring error; flip. The fold locks in red are scratch built, and I broke this one refitting the wings. In the photo I can see it needs a bit of a touch up. I put the ejection handles on the seat and fitted that to the cockpit: Overall it looks like this so far: Undercarriage and aerials next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Lovely! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted December 8, 2013 Author Share Posted December 8, 2013 It's getting there. The fairing where the tailhook meets the fuselage has been built up with Squadron White putty thinned with cellulose thinner as it was poorly shaped and asymmetrical the way Airfix made it. It is fixed and doesn't work as Airfix originally planned, but I can live with that! The aft blade aerial and the aerial emerging from the middle of the starboard under wing roundel have been shaped from slivers of plasticard, and the pitot has been made from 0.6mm and 0.4mm Albion Alloy's brass tube. This has been undercoated white and will be painted later, along with the tailhook. The rod aerial on the aft fuselage will be added right at the end of the build. The undercarriage is on and the mainwheels canted as per the originals. The main gear doors have been cut to fit, they are just not quite right, but they'll have to do. I have been trying to think what they remind me of, not just on the model but on the aircraft itself and it has finally come to me. Spats! They look like an old fashioned gentleman's spats over his black shoes. When I stopped tonight it looked like this: More soon... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 Nice one Dave, an amazing job on this old girl so far. The wing folds are still superb, Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 This is probably the best build of this old kit I have ever seen. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I absolutely wouldn't guess it's that old Airfix kit! Nice work - the wing fold detail really brings it all together, and the finishing is lovely. Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Lovely, just lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Beautiful Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimrod54 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Fabulous job Dave, despite the complications with the wing fold she looks fantastic. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Thats an OUTSTANDING bit of work.... Fantastic build.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 After two and a half months it is done. Finished. I think that I can say that if you want a nice 1/72 representation of the AW/Hawker Sea Hawk with decent levels of detail and reasonably straightforward assembly.... the Airfix kit is definitely not the way to achieve it! I was really unhappy with the main wheel doors so I took the lower ones off and reshaped them. They now look much more prototypical. The tail hook is painted as WV908 is with the Royal naval Historic Flight, not the black and white bands suggested by the kit's colour illustrations. The whip aerial on the rear fuselage is a piece of fine copper wire painted white. The main wheels really do cant as much as represented on the model, just google images of WV908 and look for a head on shot. There are a couple of pics below and I will put a few more in the Gallery. The model is now in the cabinet. Done. Many thanks to the hosts Enzo Matrix and Col and to everyone who has watched at any time, especially those who have commented. Biggest thanks go to everyone here at Britmodeller for your constant inspiration. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 That's a hell of a job from the Airfix clunker that I built 50 years ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 As I have said before, an absolutely to job! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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