ML196 Fairmile B - Landing Craft Control

[JohnWS]

Thanks Rob.  I never noticed the sights on the Coastal Craft gun 'til you pointed that out.  I guess somebody at Coastal Craft didn't do their homework.   

 

Since I couldn't find any detailed photos of the Mark V gun mount during my build, I was glad to find the line drawings of the mount in John Lamberts book.  Before that, I always wondered why the 3 pdr gun shield had the larger 'V' shaped openings.  After seeing JL's drawings, I realized the wider openings must have been to clear the sights when the gun was elevated.

 

John

[robgizlu]

Thanks once again John - so here's the corrected version.  Whether  these sights will survive spraying with an airbrush is another altogether

 

 

Looks a whole lot better!!

Rob

[beefy66]

17 minutes ago, robgizlu said:

Thanks once again John - so here's the corrected version.  Whether  these sights will survive spraying with an airbrush is another altogether

 

 

Looks a whole lot better!!

Rob

Looks brilliant  👍

 

beefy

[JohnWS]

2 hours ago, beefy66 said:

Looks brilliant  👍

X2

 

Great job Rob!  You'll just have be careful & not get too close to those sights with your airbrush. 

 

 

 

[Niall]

The ring sights like these have 2 components, the front ring and a rear post, smaller ring or small telescopic sight. Oerlikons and Pom-Poms have this type of sight.

[robgizlu]

Thanks Niall - I'm going to add some more pieces after spraying.

 

As John remarked earlier - you sometimes just have to go back when things niggle.  The Bandstand rail was uneven - largely due to the resin stanchions being "bendy".........so I cut them all off.........

 

 

...and replaced them with 0.5mm Brass rod that is a lot stronger .

 

Hey presto - 

 

 

Lesson learn for future bandstands (USE Brass)

 

 

Now - isn't that straighter  Even if it meant breaking the plastic base - which will need rebuilding

 

 

And some more metal bending to shape the rocket racks, that you can also see and will end up like this........

 

 

Thanks for looking in

Rob

Edited August 18, 2018 by robgizlu

[beefy66]

The bandstand ring does look much more circular gives me an idea to re do mine on 466 when I get my finger out on that project again  

 

beefy

[Gondor44]

On 8/18/2018 at 11:46 PM, robgizlu said:

Lesson learn for future bandstands (USE Brass)

 

Sot its a Brass Band stand now?

 

Hat, coat and exit stage left.....

 

Gondor

[robgizlu]

On 24 August 2018 at 4:52 PM, Gondor44 said:

Sot its a Brass Band stand now?

 

Hat, coat and exit stage left.....

 

Gondor

....? Pursued by a bear?

Rob

[robgizlu]

With painting getting closer, I thought I'd try some weathering techniques for the deck using the "Hairspray" method common in AFV modelling

 

 

 

Hairspray here being replaced with AK "worn effects" which does the same thing - I spray 2 coats on lightly

 

 

I've chosen Tamiya XF 18 Medium blue with white 3 : 1 to 

a) Get some tonal variation form the "B15" on the hull sides and

b) Because rumour has it that Tamiya paints behave well with hairspray technique

 

 

Using a wetted brush - you can rub or scratch with a cocktail stick etc - the "hairspray" dissolves lifting the acrylic top layer in a worn and random fashion.

 

 

I applied a filter and added some touch-in with a brush using a sand colour and then tried a pin wash after a coat of Klear.  I've trialled dark brown (port/left) and dark blue washes

 

 

I think I'll probably go for the dark brown.

Thanks for looking and comments

Rob

[longshanks]

Hi Rob, love the concept.

I feel that the wash is a touch dark, would it be worth trying grey or a lighter brown. Just my opinion

 

Kev

[robgizlu]

Kev, Copy that - I Think you are right.

Rob

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Hi Rob,

 

I think could go much bluer. Tamiya XF-18 is very greyish for B15. There's a heap of pure ultramarine went into B15 on top of the Pattern 371 Blueblack and white. The result was really quite vibrant and, funnily enough, a pain to make without using ultramarine!

You get a full-house on that middle one below. It has B15, B30 and B55 on it

 

[robgizlu]

Thanks Jamie

I've just taken some colours from you.  The Narn33 - B15 is Blue!! 

I'll likely be using your enamel for hull sides but want a contrast with the deck and I have to use an acrylic given the hairspray plan.

You are however right about the Grey nature of the Tamiya - Erm

That pic of the D's is testament to the lack of conformity in deck colours.

Rob

[robgizlu]

Jamie,

As an aside, what colour do you estimate is on the deck of the left hand boat - as we look at it?

??faded 507A or G20?

Rob

Edited September 11, 2018 by robgizlu

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

6 hours ago, robgizlu said:

Jamie,

As an aside, what colour do you estimate is on the deck of the left hand boat - as we look at it?

??faded 507A or G20?

Rob

Hi Rob,

 

I'd say that was G10. It has a bluish caste and not a greenish one.

 

Keep up the good work

[robgizlu]

Thanks for that Jamie.  I'm still intrigued by a B30 deck colour!

And now for some mild confessional stuff.

When I returned to modelling over 10 yrs ago - what really snared me was acrylic paint - no odour - quick drying and very convenient to spray or brush.  I spray on an upstairs room so enamel/white spirit is always going to get the thumbs down.

BUT - the lure of Colourcoats with Jamie's  academic research and re-evaluation of British Wartime Naval colours  has been compelling. 

So with his gentle challenge above, I've reached for the Colourcoats (enamels)

The first thing to say is how nicely wrapped they are.  The Thinners are in a sturdy metal container, once  again well vacuum sealed.

 

 

B55 is bluer than some would have had us believe and B15 is surprisingly Blue.  if you need convincing - read Jamie's treatise on B5/B15.  We've become so accustomed to a Grey Blue as I sprayed with the Tamiya above - it really does need a mental hop to re-adjust, though I'm utterly persuaded by the evidence presented.  The demise in his thinking of a fawn "G45" makes so much sense and I kick myself now for having sprayed my Vosper accordingly  I was never very convinced as to that colour.

Having gathered the "bits" that Jamie has suggested - i.e a decent stirrer and loads of cheap pipettes, it's on with the test.......

 

 

So the Excellent news is that Colourcoats behaves exactly as Jamie claims.  I sprayed at 15psi with the dedicated thinner - no odour, no needle clogging, quick drying and hassle free application of paint to get to this

 

 

Significantly bluer than I am used to or have previously considered

 

 

However - I'm sold and I like it - so change of plan with regards to using the hairspray technique and I'll be using this enamel paint instead

Jamie - I have one favour to ask.  Could you use your Light reflection meter and hazard a guess as to whether the dark colour here is B15 or 507A/G10?

 

 

Thanks+++

Rob

Edited September 16, 2018 by robgizlu

[longshanks]

Wow!

That's a fashion statement ….

 

I would imagine it would fade quite quickly

 

Kev

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

5 hours ago, longshanks said:

Wow!

That's a fashion statement ….

 

I would imagine it would fade quite quickly

 

Kev

 

Not too much actually. Ultramarine is sensitive to acidity mainly.

 

The original samples of B5 and B15 in Portsmouth and Kew are amongst the closest to their 1942 colour coordinates of all the paints. The greys have all darkened a bit. The B30 and B55 at Portsmouth have gone greenish withe the yellowing of binder etc.

 

The B5 in particular at Kew though still gives an immediate impression of "Wow. That's very blue".

 

At sea it would be toned down a little bit with salt spray and so on, but ultramarine isn't too bad for losing its colour in the grand scheme of things.

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

17 hours ago, robgizlu said:

 

However - I'm sold and I like it - so change of plan with regards to using the hairspray technique and I'll be using this enamel paint instead

Jamie - I have one favour to ask.  Could you use your Light reflection meter and hazard a guess as to whether the dark colour here is B15 or 507A/G10?

 

 

Thanks+++

Rob

 

Hi Rob,

 

That's hard to say as you know. With only 5% between them the tonal analysis of pictures will be inconclusive.

 

What I will say though is that *usually* the blue looks slightly lighter on panchromatic film than a grey of equal LRV looks. Not by enough to measure conclusively on photos without much to calibrate from, but a subjective impression.

 

The photo there you've posted strikes me as being a rather dark colour. Subjectively, it "feels" like G10. What might be worth knowing though is what you reckon the light paint beside it is. I can find out the actual contrast between them as recorded on film tonight. All it can give though is the gap between them but that cannot be trusted beyond a certain point.

[robgizlu]

Jamie - This photo of Q328 is credited as early 1942 and indeed she was lost in July 1942.  Lambert cites the stripe as being B15.  

I feel that the superstructure is almost certainly white.  I think on balance the hull is likewise White but could of course be 507C/G45

 

Here is another pic ...

 

 

Q328 sits on the foreground Right.  The hull colours in my opinion are white for the remaining "C"s Though it is not so apparent given the hull is in a degree of shadow.

 

Summary:  High liklihood of White hull and superstructure though 507C/G45 hull a possibility

Thanks for your further thoughts and analysis

Rob

Edited September 17, 2018 by robgizlu

[beefy66]

Hi Rob just looked through my copy of Allied Coastal Forces and this popped out at me is this the same information as you have for B15 and 507C

 

 

and the text a bit bigger

 

 

beefy

[robgizlu]

Hi Beefy - I checked that out.  For once John Lambert was a bit astray in that this colour scheme was definitely early war 1941/42 - NOT 1944.  He suggests B15 very clearly though there remains a nagging doubt in my mind that this might be 507A/G10 thus my request to Jamie.

Given the time - I think B15 is more likely

Rob

[beefy66]

Then again to confuse even more the Osprey book on MGB,s has this print in

 

 

To me it looks like a faded 507A on a 507C

 

The photo you posted looks to be showing a lot of wear and chipping on the  lower bow but the bridge looks white  

 

What ever you go for I,am sure it will look right and weathered of course  

 

But do not follow me on colours I always get them wrong  

 

beefy

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

507C does often look quite light in B&W for some reason.

 

One thing to note - B15 didn't exist before Admiralty Fleet Order 2106/43 which was published in May of 1943.

 

Thus anything in 1942 had to be in Pattern 507A or 507C grey, Pattern 537 white, Western Approaches Light Blue, Western Approaches Light Green, MS1, MS2, MS3, MS4, MS4A, B5, B6 or Mountbatten Pink.

 

Any use of G5, G10, B15, G20, B30, G45 or B55 must post date May 1943 because only a select few working on the reclassification onshore had even heard those names before the AFO came out.

 

Let me check CAFO679/42 Camouflage of Small Ships at Sea and see what small vessel designs are in there - I've paid little heed below destroyers, frigates and sloops before.