825 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 (edited) I have three new Airfix Martlets and rashly a few days before Christmas though; 'I'll bash up a couple of them for the Mediterranean Theatre GB as the markings in the box are for two Operation Torch aircraft'. Not a good idea with three days to go and my speed of building. Thankfully sanity prevailed and I will work on them alongside by Tungsten Barrracuda at a more leisurely, and eminently sensible, pace. I'll still build two together and do one of each of the options in the box. They are both for aircraft from 888 Squadron from HMS Formidable. Both are classic Dark Slate Grey/Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky but one has the US Stars instead of British roundels so they will look quite different. Airfix also give the option of folding the wings so I'll do one with straight wings and one with folded. No idea why Photobucket has inserted the pictures upside down. I'll see if I can fix them later. There are things about Photobucket that only Photobucket knows. Edited March 9, 2017 by 825 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 I've picked one of these kits up just a few days ago, a Christmas pressie to myself so I'm keen to follow this one through. btw, the photos look fine to me, not sure if being in the antipodes helps in this respect. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossofiron1971 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Interesting little Project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 825. I look forward to your model build. this should be a good one to follow. thank you. Happy New Year to you and everyone on BM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted December 29, 2016 Author Share Posted December 29, 2016 I've done a lot of painting while everything is still on the sprues. As well as the detail parts, I've started to paint the wings. My recent Airfix experience is that the fit of upper and lower wing parts is really good, so painting them before glueing them together, not forgetting to touch up the sprue gates, gives an excellent demarcation between the Sky on the lower wings and the camouflage on the upper wings without the need for masking. (And in my case several rounds of touching up). I've also painted the lower fuselage around the 'look down' windows Sky and again this will obviate the need to mask the windows. Martlet 1 - straight wings Martlet 2 - folded wings Interior green is Xtracrylix, matt black and aluminium Revell, Satin black Humbrol and Humbrol gunmetal used for dry brushing. The Sky, EDSG and Dark Slate Grey Xtracrylix, all brushed on. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share Posted December 30, 2016 Finally got some work done. Airfix provide transfers for the cockpit instruments and the main panel. I'm happy with them as they are good detail and there won't be much to see inside. Here they are with a coating of softening solvent to help them stick. I'll leave them overnight to dry. Mrs 825 plans to do a serious clean and tidy tomorrow in preparation for Hogmanay, you can't start the New Year with a dusty, untidy house, so I should be able to get stuck in with some relative peace. Hopefully, get a fair bit done. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nomis61 Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Looking good so far. Happy Hogmanay, have a good one! Catch up in the New Year with the ongoing build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 If you have a few B-17 propellers in the spares box then they might look better after a bit of fettling with the blades. The kit prop is more like the one for the Mk.II. Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share Posted December 30, 2016 First up the cockpits. Went together relatively straightforwardly. The harnesses are from 2mm tape fixed with a wash of Kleer. And the fuselage interiors with the windows glued in. I was going to do a wash but felt that it wouldn't add so left it as is. Then the undercarriage which took an inordinate length of time. A little over engineered and fiendishly awkward to get all fitted, as well as having to be left for parts to dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 The undercart is attached to the cockpit and then threaded onto one side of the fuselage. This needed a bit of trimming of the spars and a bit of fettling and fiddling around the undercarriage fittings to get it fitted, but went fitted in the end. And secure, was really tight without any glue. Both areas look busy and full. The second fuselage half was then added. Both fitted well aft of the cockpit but not so good at the front. One required a fair amount of tape around the front lower section in front of the wheel well and I used the spare cowling as a former while the glue dried. The second just wouldn't fit in front of the cockpit and much sanding, scraping and muttering ensued. Whether it was Airfix's fine tolerances or my cack handedness I do not know but eventually it went together. It's just odd that there is difference. I transferred the cowling to help keep the front end together but this time the bottom was fine. They do look a bit tubby , don't they? Now just leave them overnight to dry. Add filler and sanding tomorrow. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 5 hours ago, tonyot said: If you have a few B-17 propellers in the spares box then they might look better after a bit of fettling with the blades. The kit prop is more like the one for the Mk.II. Cheers Tony Thanks for the tip Tony. I don't have a B-17 in the stash but I have a miscellaneous collection of Aeroclub props and there may be a couple that will do. If not I'll probably live with the kit ones. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 EXCELLENT updates. liking it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 (edited) Front end on. A little filler was used to smooth out all the joints. I've turned the reduction gear housing round to have the little extension at the top as per other threads. I repainted it from Grey to black and will dry brush it once fully cured and dried to bring out the relief. The engines are a bit dark being well recessed and I may use some silver/aluminium for dry brushing rather than my usual gunmetal. The Martlet to the right has a pronounced lean which isn't just camera perspective. I'll have to have. A look a this the undercarriage and see what can be done to straighten it up. Edited January 3, 2017 by 825 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Here we are today, undersurface repainted, tail plane and rudder on, wings together and added. The outer wings for the folding version are ready for fixing but that will be done later. In passing, does anyone know the colour of the struts used to hold the wings when folded? Post war they became red IIRC but I'm not sure if this would be the case in the Med in 1942. Any advice greatly appreciated. Paintwork is a bit of a patchwork quilt at the moment but the wing demarcation is razor sharp, and I have now masked the underside of one, and will do the other next before starting to complete the upperworks. And I think I've sorted out the tilting undercart on the right hand one since I took these photos. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Are you going to repaint the engine gear casings grey again? That is the proper colour for US built aircraft engines. Something approximately this colour: Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victory-is-in-the-Kitchen Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Nice work 825. I built this last year and remember having all sorts of fun getting the undercarriage right. They do build into lovely models IMO... just make sure the underneath viewport glass is well glued, unlike mine was 😒 Chris - that's a great pic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 8 hours ago, dogsbody said: Are you going to repaint the engine gear casings grey again? That is the proper colour for US built aircraft engines. Something approximately this colour: Chris Great picture Chris. I originally painted it a light grey but after looking at Tony O'Toole's build and there were some photographs in his build that suggested it was black or very dark grey. So I changed it to black. I am going to give it a dry brush with aluminium and/or gunmetal which should lighten it somewhat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 Some more paint on 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 Some more paint on 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 Had a careful look and the wing/fuselage joint on one needed a bit of filler. The other on looks OK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 Here's today's work. Masking tape off, a little bit of touching up needed but not so bad. Paint done and the transfers on. Followed Tony O'Toole's advice the position of the phi marking. Will look at my generic transfers for some cowling markings as Tony suggested. Here we are at the end of today. Tamiya tape in front is masking for the canopies. No photos but I've started in masking of the props and canopies as you can see. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossiant Oliver Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 I was thinking of doing the same thing! Are you going to add an aircraft carrier stand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 20 hours ago, Crossiant Oliver said: I was thinking of doing the same thing! Are you going to add an aircraft carrier stand? I would love to but I can't find an armoured British carrier deck. I've found US and Japanese wood decks but Formidable was an armoured flight deck Fleet carrier. If anyone knows a source I'd be grateful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 There's been a bit of a hiatus in this build. Loads to do at work, a couple of weekends away watching rugby, can't complain too much, Paris and Edinburgh are not bad places to go to, a Burns Supper and a weekend with 825 junior coming back from uni. Little bits have been done, some of the sticky out bits stuck on, the props painted, and undercart finished but un-photographed as yet. Both are looking nice. Had a little time today and started masking the canopies. Careful use of 2mm tape, cuts of Tamiya tape and a sharp new scalpel blade. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 These are coming out very nicely! Well done Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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