Rob G Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 As I said right at the start of this GB, Imma gonna do the Gnat and this bad girl. <insert obligatory box shot, c/w parts and aftermarket> There's a Pavla nose cone, Master metal pitots (because they were cheap) and a new pilot's seat from High Planes - the observer gets to sit on the undersized seat as supplied by Mr Cyber-Hobby (because I'm cheap). I'll use the kit decals, probably the one with the shark's mouth, although that may be subject to change. I'm heading out to work for at least 7 days, so I was casting around for something to do to keep my modelling mojo motoring, and decided that this was a good candidate, seeing as everything I'm currently doing for GBs is pretty well at the stage of not being portable. I'm hoping to get this thing's internals done and the the whole airframe ready for paint before I get back, then I can have a big airbrush session and cover everything in jam. Seeing as I'll be modelling in a small room that's not mine, I've decided to do this'un in acrylics instead of enamels - not so much for the smell, as thinner doesn't overly worry me, but for the ease of cleaning brushes and mopping up any spills that may happen; management get shirty if we make a mess of the accommodations. I'll do the whole thing in acrylics I think, even the outside, just to keep it easy. As I'm using acrylics, I'll throw a coat of rattle can primer over the whole sprue before I start, to help the paint stick a bit better. Hopefully I'll have time to do that and let it dry before I hit the road tomorrow... I've got the sprues washed and have made a short list of the paints I need to pick up on my way out of town, so here's hoping I can make it through 12 hr days with a bit of energy left over! Photos as progress progresses. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Sounds a good plan Rob. Good luck getting all the paints you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 There's only a few I'm missing Col, and the LHS carries Gunze Sangyo, which is not only the specified paint, but also my 2nd favourite acrylic after Xtracrylix (I first used that stuff on my UK visit in 2007, but it's somewhat difficult to get here). The only non-GS colour I want is Tamiya's NATO Black, to give me something a bit less Stygian in the cockpits. I just hope I can manage some time on it every evening... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Modelling on the hoof, I know that feeling well enough. Duncan B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG058 Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 A nice kit. I built the FAW1 with the same AM as yourself. Here's my RFI http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234994699-172-sea-vixen-faw1/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Nice choice Rob. I've always had a soft spot for the Sea Vixen since I had a small diecast back in the 60s. Wish I still had it now! Cliff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Things progresseth. I haven't figured out how to get photos from my Flickr account onto BM via the phone, so you'll have have to wait until I can set up the laptop and do it via steam power. In the meantime, I think I have found Nirvana (the mental state, not the grunge band). Miles Davis streamed via Bluetooth headphones from the MP3 library on the phone, a lovely kit that is giving me no grief and that gentle mental relaxation that comes after a long, hot day at work, then a shower, dinner and a relaxing pastime. For thems wot is following along on the radio (ie all of you, seeing as there ain't no pitchers), I've got the cockpit mostly done (it forgot the paint for the bang seats, didn't it?), the intakes and exhausts, with fan detail, are together, painted and installed, wheel wells are in and painted, and umm... that's it so far. Once I decide if I can add the seats after joining the fuselage, I can stick that together and that will be a big stage out of the way. In the meantime, outer wings, things to go under said wings, and undercarriage bits can, and will be, detached, cleaned up, glued as required, painted and set aside until their moment of destiny arrives. I'm thinking that all the little bits will fill the next few evenings quite nicely. Photos will be added when I can. Thanks for following along. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 In the interests of full disclosure, I have to let you all know that my mobile phone died last night - no warning, it just shut down and stopped. Dead. I had to spend an extortionate sum to get a bit of wi-fi time on the camp's network, which I am using right now. Seeing as the phone died, I can't access the photos to post them, as they're on the micro SD card, and I don't have a reader handy. At least, I hope they're on the mSD... I do have this laptop, and my 'toy' camera, which I can use together to take more photos, if I can work up the enthusiasm. I'm a little browned-off with technology right now. We'll see what transpires, but probably not tonight - I was up until midnight trying to sort the phone out, then awake again at 0415 to get ready for work - thankfully, my laptop has a built alarm clock function, that I didn't know about until I was forced to look for it, so I was able to set it to wake me. Sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Sounds as if you need to do a bit of modelling to relax there Rob Given the circumstances I'm sure we can cope with written updates 'til you are able to get photos sorted at a later date Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 Thanks Col. I'm much too annoyed to model, I'd rather have half a bottle of good Highland malt, shame I quit drinking 30 years ago... :/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Thanks Col. I'm much too annoyed to model, I'd rather have half a bottle of good Highland malt, shame I quit drinking 30 years ago... :/ Sometimes it's best to put down the modelling tools and chill out. If you have a decent internet connection it may be worth using the time to do some research or have a look for your next must have bargain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 This connection is usable, but hardly brilliant. And I have enough in the stash TYVM, I don't need encouragement to buy more. (Seriously, I am thinning the herd, I'll never build all that I have and the money is more useful than boxes of plastic bits.) Progress may happen this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted March 13, 2016 Author Share Posted March 13, 2016 Aaalllll rightyyy then! We're back, we're bad, you're black, I'm mad! (Name the movies! No google cheating!) Updates here have been lacking, due in no small part to 7 days of pulling on chain blocks and having a bit of a resultant muscle tremor every night last week. Not conducive to 72th models. I did get some bits done before the hard work started, here's proof: First up though, the temporary-home-away-from-home work area. Noice, innit? Now we have 'the bits inside the fuselage' progress as it stands. And a close-up of the bit what the pilot looks at when he's driving. Nicely detailed, even with no decal. Paint it white, dry brush it black, bingo. Even if you suck at dry brushing, like me. And a look up the fox's tail. Nice detail in there, ditto the front end, but you can't see that, coz it's buried. Tonight, in between playing around with a Gnat canopy, I intend to make a big start on the chairs, pilot's in particular, and get all that stuck in place &c. Tomorrow, God and life willing, I'll join the fuselage halves and potter along with sundry other bits. More anon. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Nice to see this one coming together Rob. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie_c67 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Lethal ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Lethal ;-) Aye, it's a Weapon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted March 25, 2016 Author Share Posted March 25, 2016 It's been quiet in here, but things is moving along. Finally got the cockpit done and the fuselage closed up, and all the various bits'n'bobs trimmed, glued, cleaned up and test fitted. A few more bits to sort out, then it's off to the paint shop, hopefully on Sunday along with all the other half complete airframes that I have sitting around on the bench.Main fuselage - I'm going to build this one with the wings folded, so it's an amputee right now. The fit of this kit has been exemplary - the only places I'll need filler due to kit oopsies are the wing fence inserts and a bit each side of the nose, where the top fuselage half overlapped the bottom by a smidgin. Careful fitting and a bit of sanding fixed most of it, but the last bit looked better with a smear of Mr Surfacer. Any other issues are caused by my basic 'hit it with a hammer' skill levels. Bits'n'bobs - missiles, pinion tanks, rocket pods, all the stuffs, safe and sound in a seriously solid box - there should be more of it. And lastly, be careful where you drop the liquid cement brush when you're in a hurry to hold parts in place. This little ouch will take some effort to heal, methinks. More shortly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 It's not build without at least one glue mishap. Good build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 LOL thanks 825. I topped that one this evening however - managed to put my superglue applicator down on top of a P-47 canopy. It had just been used, so it still had a dob of superglue on it... <sigh>. (WORDS were said!) Mercifully, the dried glue popped off with a bit of help from a scalpel, and it has to be polished and Kleared anyway, so no big drama, but I really don't need that kind of heartache right now, I've got too many on the go! For thems what is following along at home, nothing went into paint today - I remembered that I had a distasteful task to do, and that was to polish and Klear ALL the canopies for builds that I'm working on right now. There's 5 of them. This thing (2 part pilot's, one part observer), 2 x Academy P-47s (2 parts each), 1 Revell P-47 (also 2 parts) and the Gnat that preceded this (mercifully, just one part.) I hate canopies. So instead, I started my entry for the Hurricane GB. I know, dumb, dumb, dumb. In my defence, it only has a one-piece canopy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted April 14, 2016 Author Share Posted April 14, 2016 Update. In a fit of idiocy, I decided that seeing this was going to be built with the wings folded, I should make the nav lights clear, because they'd be right there on top, on show. The recesses were duly filed out, clear sprue was filed flat, drilled, the hole filled with the correct colour paint and glued in place. Another application of the file to make the shape right, and it was on with fine wet and dry and then MicroMesh to polish it to a shine. Yes, I've written red and green on the wing parts - saved having to work it out every time I picked the bits up. And here they are almost done (still a spot more polishing to finish off). I'm actually quite chuffed at how it turned out. Not perfect perhaps (the drilled hole for the bulb needs to be further aft and could probably be much smaller), but acceptable given my usual ham-fistedness with fine details. Tail booms are on, and I'm fettling and fitting the pinion tanks. As moulded, the edges are somewhat thick - photos of the real thing show a definite edge to them where they adjoin the booms, but the kit overdoes this more than a little IMO. A gentle scrape with a #11 blade and a quick blending in with some 1200 grit soon brings them down to a more in-scale thickness (thinness??) Here's one side, with the woodmongery I needed to use to get the darn thing to sit down in place - unfortunately, the pegs left a few dimples in the thin plastic which will need to be filled. It never ends, does it? Work continues, more anon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Enjoyed seeing this update to your progress Rob and good work on those nav lights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted April 22, 2016 Author Share Posted April 22, 2016 It's finished!!! Who am I kidding? Nowhere near, and unlikely to be at any point in the near future. Thanks to those who tuned in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 Sorry to hear that Rob. Hope it does re-surface one day. Cheers Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted April 25, 2016 Share Posted April 25, 2016 Sorry to hear you're not enjoying this one Rob. It looked to be going well in your previous updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 Thanks guys. I'm having a black spot with a lot of things right now, and modelling is one of them. Can't get any of it right, doesn't matter what I do, so best to put it all away, on the shelf of doom, with all the other unfinished projects. Maybe this'll start again at some point. If so, I'll post about it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts