"MASSIVE and OLD" It's only a ruddy GRUMMAN EA-6B Prowler 1/48 by Airfix.

[The Spadgent]

Welcome back on station John, and in fine style too! Lovely work on the Growler - Plasto is a man's best friend there is seems but you're wrestling it valiantly. It's sure to turn out a corker if your work on those displays is any indicator Milo and his Lanc look ace BTW (looking forwards to his RFI..), as does your feathered companion; chickens do give such unnervingly severe looks sometimes don't they?

Tony

Thanks chap, it's a crazy to think I never really filed or filled much before isn't it. Hopefully the boy will be quicker with the stickers so we can get that beast finished up.

I know what you mean, I worry when hens don't look at me like had.

Take care.

Jont.

[The Spadgent]

That instrument panel looks great, as does the Lancaster.

Thanks, it's nice to get some hairy stick action. If you know what I mean.

The boy says thanks also.

Jont.

[The Spadgent]

Super quick morning update while every one was asleep. I feel a bit like the secret lemonade drinker some times.

Some base paint added to the template seat.

 

 

That's going to look super with some Flory action, highlights and belts.

Next up is some light details, PE in place and test fit of the main ip sections.

 

 

The HUD screens aren't added yet, just the one test and all the little bits need assembling but I'm really happy for now. Flory and highlights once again will add depth and life.

I'm off to make breakfast for the kids. Maybe more later.

Thanks as ever for taking an interest, happy modelling.

John

Edited August 31, 2017 by The Spadgent

[Tomoshenko]

Great stuff. The scratch built ladders and hatch work will look the business, and that pit and seat don't arf look good. Plus you can have some nice fresh eggs again so treat yourself to an omelette.

[TonyTiger66]

Welcome back John, hope you had a great hollibob! You're really cracking on now with the Prowler. The resin cockpit has proven to be a fantastic investment; all the extra work is certainly worth it.

The scribing, ladder, framing - this really is a transformational build

Best regards

Tony

[The Spadgent]

Great stuff. The scratch built ladders and hatch work will look the business, and that pit and seat don't arf look good. Plus you can have some nice fresh eggs again so treat yourself to an omelette.

Thanks Tomo, egg sarnie a all round this morning.

Welcome back John, hope you had a great hollibob! You're really cracking on now with the Prowler. The resin cockpit has proven to be a fantastic investment; all the extra work is certainly worth it.

The scribing, ladder, framing - this really is a transformational build

Best regards

Tony

Thanks Tony, more sanding later, currently I'm full of PE seat belts. Sounds boring? Isn't boring. Hope you're feeling better sir?

Johnny photo etch.

[The Spadgent]

Guys, throwing it out there.

I've just tamiya ts13 gloss coated my test chair so I can weather it, it's not so bad but it looks like the gloss is reacting with the paint and thining it. Looks ok but I'm not looking forward to doing the pit itself. I can only assume it's the resin? Does anyone know if resin has problems with tamiya paint/ top gloss coat?

Thanks for any help.

John.

[At Sea]

I always give resin a coat of Halfords grey primer before anything else, doesn't react & makes a nice base for anything else.

Once under a coat of paint though I can't see how it would react with a top coat.

Is there any source of silicone around, Mr. Sheen or similar used in the last day or 2?

[The Spadgent]

I always give resin a coat of Halfords grey primer before anything else, doesn't react & makes a nice base for anything else.

Once under a coat of paint though I can't see how it would react with a top coat.

Is there any source of silicone around, Mr. Sheen or similar used in the last day or 2?

Thanks for the reply.

I under coated with tamiya primer as always, then did everything as per usual. No other contaminants that I can see. It's very odd. It seems to be only the black. Perhaps it wasn't as thickly put on as I thought, then when glossed the Matt effect was lost, lessening the darkness? Does that make sense? I'll post a pic. But thanks for your help non the less.

[The Spadgent]

If you look at the head rest it seems to have a lighter edge that it didn't seem to have before. The black all over seems thinner?

 

Oddness I tells ya.

Edited August 31, 2017 by The Spadgent

[The Spadgent]

I just tried to paint on some decanted gloss. Smears the paint everywhere. Lucky it was a test area on the base of the pit.

[At Sea]

Strange...

Maybe the solvent in the gloss is too hot for the black?

I'd put a 2nd coat of black on, leave it 24hrs and hope for the best.

[The Spadgent]

Strange...

Maybe the solvent in the gloss is too hot for the black?

I'd put a 2nd coat of black on, leave it 24hrs and hope for the best.

I'm going to wash it dark anyway so all should be ok. I'll 3 do coats on the other seats. Thanks for your help.

John.

[Phil Lewis]

Guys, throwing it out there.

I've just tamiya ts13 gloss coated my test chair so I can weather it, it's not so bad but it looks like the gloss is reacting with the paint and thining it. Looks ok but I'm not looking forward to doing the pit itself. I can only assume it's the resin? Does anyone know if resin has problems with tamiya paint/ top gloss coat?

Thanks for any help.

John.

With the Tamiya clear you want to only do very light coats and let it dry well between.

Don't be tempted to give it another pass as I can attest from bitter experience that it will melt the paint underneath and make it run.

Repeat after me, 'single, light, pass and let it dry between'

Brilliant work so far and you're really motoring again

Liking your posts just doesn't seem quite adequate

[The Spadgent]

With the Tamiya clear you want to only do very light coats and let it dry well between.

Don't be tempted to give it another pass as I can attest from bitter experience that it will melt the paint underneath and make it run.

Repeat after me, 'single, light, pass and let it dry between'

Brilliant work so far and you're really motoring again

Liking your posts just doesn't seem quite adequate

Phil you may have nailed it. it was quite a big spray for such a little seat and it looked kinda thick on. Dang!! I'll give a thin coat tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks again bud.

Johnny thick spray.

[James G]

Cockpit looks great, nice work.

[phildagreek]

[The Spadgent]

Thanks guys. It was a bit hairy there for a minute but I think it turned out OK. Phil was 100% right, tamiya gloss seems to melt the paint if applied too heavily. Lesson learned. Quite a lot done this morning but I thought I'd share a quick update of the poorly seat.

 

As you can see he's looking much better. thanks Phil.

More later but I need some early lunch and the chickens need cleaning out.

Then back to the prowler. Ahh I loves days off with nowt to do but diddle.

Johnny diddle

Edited August 31, 2017 by The Spadgent

[TheBaron]

Hummm. That paint looked dicey for a while. Thank goodness Dr.Phil was on the ward doing his rounds

[The Spadgent]

Well that was a productive day, for the prowler anyway. it started here. See if you can guess the part.

 

Yup it's ladder tastic, none of this part really exists apart from the bit I cut from the main fuselage. So it's plasticard and holes ahoy!

 

Looks pretty good and fits into the fuselage, which is a bonus. there are so many little things that need doing to get this bird off step four so onward and upward. Next step, sanding that filler and put the rear wall in the ladder space.

 

 

Feels smooth sand looks good so time for some primer me thinks.

 

And that tricky ladder side.

 

Phew, it worked. I can't tell you how pleased I am to see the fuselage in primer, getting closer to getting to the dizzy heights of step five. just one more shot to show you the whole thing. I might cry.

 

As you saw last night I had a slight wobble with the gloss on the ejection seats, Dr Phill sorted this out using the patent light and many spray technique, I applied this to the rest of the pit later on. Just because, here is the template seat again after some Flory washing.

 

Now I have this done I can hear a production line in my very near future.

 

While letting the seats dry I finished the last few buttons and screens and glossed the pit ( light and many ) so I could add a wash. This time everything went well, the three main sections got glued ready for instillation. Oooh exciting. Here is the front view.

 

And.

 

The back.

 

Still have to attach all the little gubbins and obviously the seats but for now I'm going to leave the out until I get it in and closed up.

This is a mammoth post so I'm going to split it into two as I'm loosing my noive. I've lost updates before.

Thanks for watching my madness. More in a bit.

Take it easy.

Johnny modelling day.

Edited August 31, 2017 by The Spadgent

[Spookytooth]

Nice work on the "office", John.

She is starting to take shape.

I like the job you done on the ladder mate.

Simon.

[The Spadgent]

Jeepers, I just noticed how Bblluurrrryy that last pic was, sorry about that. Any hoo on we go. First off we add paint to the frame and scratched internals of the fuselage.

 

With some off cut for lead in the nose, not sure if I had to add weight but I thought what the hey, in went the basic pit.

 

Seems to have gone well for a few minutes, time for a hitch. Well here she is, the other fuselage half didn't fit. , it fit before I painted. Bugger, not to worry I popped off the holding struts on the other fuselage half and attempted to squeeze the ruddy thing together. After much huffing and puffing we are here.

 

Woot, not too many gaps and minimal fillin....... What was that you say? Turn it over? Why there's nothing to see there.

 

Ooh look it's the grand canyon .I will not let this spoil how well the top fits, I built a few little shims and braces out of plasticard and held the top sections in place, no really. glued everything else firm with a view to slowly closing the mother of all gaps.

 

This part is the key, and guess what? It needs scribing.

 

It got a sand but by this time about eight hours had blissfully floated by and I had to get the dinner on. So with that I'll explain the plan. The gap will close but I need to do it a little at a time, adding the mid section will take some of the structural stresses from the top joint, the last thing I want is that pinging off later on. Here's where it is at the moment.

 

Totally do able. isn't it? not wanting to let me off to lightly another spanner my way cometh. The front canopy fits or should I say doesn't fit like this.

 

Slump. Now I'm guessing this is due to the stupid and ace pit I've fitted. It's a tricky one this and currently I can see two options. The gap is out as well as down if you catch my drift so adding some plasticard to fill the gaps is less straight forward and looks awkward, so option two is to chop the canopy down the middle and add a little plasticard here. Now this might seem mad but I think it might just work and actually be the moe elegant solution. I'm not touching it tonight so if you helpful lot have any thoughts or opinions please air them.

Thank you all for taking time to come and watch / read my ramblings, I'm enjoying this build in a twisted sort of way.

Take care and as always. Happy modelling.

Johnny gap

Edited August 31, 2017 by The Spadgent

[bigbadbadge]

Hi Fella

All looking rather nice now, shame about the windscreen though although I am confident that you will be able to sort out and your extra work will pay many dividends when this bird is complete, talking of birds good to see that your chicken is better. The Lanc will look great I am sure and I too cannot wait to see this, I will show my lad to see if it will inspire him !!!

Keep up the great work

All the best

Chris

Edited August 8, 2016 by bigbadbadge

[bbudde]

I have no real idea, but it seems to be that the cockpit is to wide. So if it's possible I would thin the sidewalls again, grit the cockpit narrow as you can. Perhaps you have also to split the canopy, but the strip would be smaller to fix and the gap on the bottom also. You have put a smaller strip of plastic to the bottom and the front wheel bay is not that wide. So it would be all in all in dimensions. But not sure, if this works. Cheers

[Howlindawg]

When you say it fit before you painted... do you mean with the cockpit in place?
​What's changed since the dry fit that worked?

​Or am I completely misinterpreting your comment.

On a positive note - I'm completely in awe of that cockpit.