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Airfix HP Halifax B.III...... total upgrade.


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As has already been said superb ! I certainly admire your skills and patience General you have done the Halifax justice if only we could get a new tool that's half as good as yours !

Now where's the Stirling ?

Guy

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Dreadfully sorry, but it appears that this one slipped completely under my radar, old bean! I say, but splendid work on the old girl! Hard to believe it's the superannuated Airfix Halibag. And now for something completely different, I dare you to turn the Airfix 'Il-2' into something actually resembling the Shturmovik. It can be done, as our very own AdrianMF completed that well-nigh impossible feat. Still and all, absolutely top-shelf work on this model! By the way, I'm still looking for these 'it just falls together, shake-n-bake' kits that everyone keeps prating on about - any leads? All my kits fight me tooth and nail, a bitter struggle to the death as it were, with me usually giving up at about the 90% finished mark, if not well before, as I allow myself only so many expletives to use on any build, and once the supply is exhausted, off the unfinished model goes to my storage room. It's sort of a wine cellar for models, where I lay them down to age a bit before taking up the titanic struggle again (once my store of expletives has been replenished by perusing 'Sailor Sam's Compleat Book of Cussing').

Yours as always,

Jason

Edited by Learstang
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Very nice work at this old kit! Congratulations, I like it.

I know it very well.

This is my Halibag built from the Airfix kit.

11152704_371508779711428_307394878362514

10600504_274602162735424_295038625083525

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234980080-halifax-c-mkviii-mini-diorama/?hl=halifax

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234919673-halifax-c-mkvii-airfix-172/page-3?hl=halifax

Jurek, not quite sure what I'm looking at in that link ?

Jurek posted the link to my profil on FB, there are more pictures of my Halifax.

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Strew, cor-blimey, lummy and several other British exclamations of surprise and amazement......many thanks all, seems the old Halibag is quite a popular subject with the BM faithful.....

John, thanks ....being a full time sado-masochist does have its advantages ! :bangin:

Guy,

Now where's the Stirling ?

Once I've got this blasted Italeri thingy beaten into submission I'll finish the far easier Airfix jobby.......honest !

Chris thanks, I'm really glad you enjoyed the article..I'll pass that onto the editor, I know he'll appreciate it.

Paul, I've already made some noises about this, they play their cards very close to their chests, understandably......nothing forthcoming so far but here's hoping....

Jason, well OK you're late for parade but at least you turned up !....

I dare you to turn the Airfix 'Il-2' into something actually resembling the Shturmovik.

Good Lord man....I will not be pushed, filed stamped, indexed, briefed or debriefed, (and I don't mean undergarments !) or numbered, my life is my own........ I'm a free man ! (apologies to P McGoohan).......that means NO !! :suicide:

Jerzy, glad you like, as usual with all your work that's really wonderful, great choice of scheme too... thanks for the explanation. Again it shows what can be done with these old kits and the pleasure that can be derived.

Dean, cheers mate.....yes they do look a bit brutal, (and a pretty efficient way of putting the thing nose first into the ground)...as far as I'm aware they didn't deploy to this extreme angle when airborne but only when powered down....good to see you at Sutton !

Cheers folks, :cheers:

Melchie...

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Stunning. Hoping that a new tool Halifax III will give us mere mortals a chance of acheiving a decent Halifax.

My grandfather was navigator with 433sq RCAF mainly on BM-J.

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Hi all, in June I was asked by AMW to build the latest re-issue of the ancient Airfix Halifax B.III and bring it kicking and screaming into the nineteenth century

:rofl::rofl::rofl: !

Amazing build and very inspirational!

Christian, exiled to africa and eyeing up his Wellesley...

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Thanks Christian, (who has been rudely packed off to the Dark Continent), the Wellesley is a very interesting subject for us Bomber Command types being a rather odd beast. Is it the Matchbox or Valom kits that you are lusting over ? I've seen some lovely old Matchbox kits lovingly built up into superb renditions of the old radial powered bomb glider but never made one myself, don't know what the Valom versions are like but generally I like Valom's stuff having just acquired a very reasonably priced Hampden B.Mk1 which I shall have at in the near future, I'm aware of all the problems and fixes but that just adds to the fun..

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Thanks Christian, (who has been rudely packed off to the Dark Continent), the Wellesley is a very interesting subject for us Bomber Command types being a rather odd beast. Is it the Matchbox or Valom kits that you are lusting over ? I've seen some lovely old Matchbox kits lovingly built up into superb renditions of the old radial powered bomb glider but never made one myself, don't know what the Valom versions are like but generally I like Valom's stuff having just acquired a very reasonably priced Hampden B.Mk1 which I shall have at in the near future, I'm aware of all the problems and fixes but that just adds to the fun..

I sold my Matchbox Wellesley to make way for a Valom one. I wish I hadn't. The representation of the fabric over geodetic structure is simply awful in the Valom kit, it was much better portrayed by Matchbox all those years ago (IMHO anyway!). I don't actually think sorting this Valom problem adds any fun...!!

k

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... generally I like Valom's stuff having just acquired a very reasonably priced Hampden B.Mk1 which I shall have at in the near future, I'm aware of all the problems and fixes but that just adds to the fun..

I look forward to seeing what The Master makes of the fabled transparency fit problem.

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True Keef, Terry Grey built a couple of superb Matchbox Wellesleys recently and he commented on the great fabric effect on the kit. I was referring to the Hampden when I said 'fun' and would definitely stick to the MB Welly kits given the choice, (given the availability)...

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SeaHawk....the easiest way around it seems to be to add a small shim to the top of the nose area ahead of the windscreen to spread things out slightly, as a back up I have the Squadron BC WWII vac set for the Airfix Hampden and will probably use the rear canopy part as I want to have it slid open as this will fit a lot more easily over the 'spine' than the thick kit parts. I've already thinned a few of the 'clear' parts out, polished and Kleared them, things seem to fit pretty well now. There are a a few things to sort out on it but nothing too daunting to be fair. Whatever the case it'll be more fun than the blasted Italeri Stirling B.Mk1 thingy I'm wading through at the moment !

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Thanks Christian, (who has been rudely packed off to the Dark Continent), the Wellesley is a very interesting subject for us Bomber Command types being a rather odd beast. Is it the Matchbox or Valom kits that you are lusting over ? I've seen some lovely old Matchbox kits lovingly built up into superb renditions of the old radial powered bomb glider but never made one myself, don't know what the Valom versions are like but generally I like Valom's stuff having just acquired a very reasonably priced Hampden B.Mk1 which I shall have at in the near future, I'm aware of all the problems and fixes but that just adds to the fun..

Thank you Sah!

Well, somebody had to go and keep the flag flying. The rumors that I was taking postprandial ocular somnolence when volunteers were called is patently untrue! I was just the last remaining who did not take one step back...

I have been slowly working at it, (the Wellsley you naughty people), and thoroughly enjoying it. Indeed it is the venerable Matchbox example, which I built in my youth when it first came out. I had a look in the Valom box and put it back again. I really did not like it and I feel, that while it is a bit basic, the Matchbox example is superior. Especially if you like working from a blank canvas... :winkgrin: Mine will be finished as one of those who were a little occupied just to the north of where I am sitting early on in WW2. At present I am trying to work out what to add to the inside of the fuselage, as there is rather a lot! Any ideas on the radio fit??

Dark clouds looming, so time to go before the internet becomes the internot...

Tally ho!

Christian exiled to africa

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Well OK, good to know that there's at least one person stoically sat in his sentry box, furled Union flag in one hand, heavy weapon in the other with a sense of history, not to mention occasion who will simply not let the sun go down on the Empire without a bally good fight !, well done that man, I'll send my Speckled Jim with a packet containing a packet of Old Woodbines full tar naturally, a small bottle of single malt, (pigeons flight allowance) and a George Medal...(please return the empty !).

Basic !...we like basic, the more the better and I'm a great fan of blank canvases. Matchbox chose some wonderfully esoteric subjects in its time just a shame they're no longer with us. As for radio fit I'll dig into the archives and have a good root around, pretty much consisted of a three legged stool, an old trestle table and a morse code key I 'spect...

Look forward to seeing the end result old fella...

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Only just seen this Andy, apologies! I saw this model at the Sutton Coldfield show and thought it was a new tool.... It's stunning, a credit to Andy.

Some of my photos.. taken throughout the day so different lighting from the windows behind the BC table.

20829970174_32b8e79b79_c.jpgSutton Coldfield Expo 2015 by Radleigh Bushell, on Flickr

21426435766_885ed0596c_c.jpgSutton Coldfield Expo 2015 by Radleigh Bushell, on Flickr

21264634478_e96c990af6_c.jpgSutton Coldfield Expo 2015 by Radleigh Bushell, on Flickr

21426233356_d36f8ce870_c.jpgSutton Coldfield Expo 2015 by Radleigh Bushell, on Flickr

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Thanks for the Hampden reply. I cut Valom quite a lot of slack for bringing us a Brigand, And I have a soft spot for their Marauder Ia, which looks okay as long as you don't display it within 20 yds of another Marauder (fuselage 1/4" over scale diameter!).

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Thanks fellas, appreciated as ever,

Rob, cheers mate, glad you like it...I think it'll be toddling along to Telford to make up the numbers if we can't quite muster a full squadron of Stirlings......

Radders cheers, ta for the photos, good to catch up at the show as ever. Great set of photos from the show on your web site too...... I think everyone knows you by now, when they see you and all your camera gear nearing their table they either run a mile or sit there arms folded with big cheesy grins.. !

Seahawk...yep, I know what you mean, I've got their Bombay, and now a Hampden, was sorely tempted with the Brigand recently and really hope they get around to releasing the Harrow. I've spoken to Vaclac many times, he's a really decent guy doing the best he can within the world of short run models, he's courteous, sends replacement parts when asked and responds kindly to all comments, I think all power to the chap........we'd all like them to be Tamihasejimi quality but where's the fun in that... :winkgrin:

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I've got more than a few Valoms in stock too (including a Bombay & two Brigand variants, amongst others! Totally agree about the Harrow also!) Just very disappointed with the Wellesley's surface 'detail'. Another model where the chance to make the ultimate kit was missed & where a 40 odd year old one is still superior. Would like to get a F-101A when it arrives, but it's a little pricey at the moment...

k

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... I've spoken to Vaclac many times, he's a really decent guy doing the best he can within the world of short run models, he's courteous, sends replacement parts when asked and responds kindly to all comments, I think all power to the chap........

My experience as well. Very helpful and courteous. Not to mention holder of the current record, jointly with Royal Mail, for getting replacement parts to me from the Czech Republic.

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