Shagbat! Mr Mitchell's other design classic...

[hendie]

it's looking a bit medieval at the mo'  - I keep expecting a portcullis to slam down from that hefty looking gateway

[Martian]

3 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

I decided to take a slight break from PE origami today, and instead spent much of the afternoon drilling a lot of small holes all over the place, ready for rigging in due course.

 

I did, however, glue some plastic as well:

 

I also made a final decision about the configuration of this build - here's a not very subtle clue:

 

Airfix have engineered this very cleverly, with pretty substantial spars (as seems to be their standard approach nowadays) that give a decent hinge (for the folded version) and solid dihedral (for both folded and spread).  I simply sawed both spars in half and fitted the starboard side of the folded one and the port side of the spread one.

 

I also added a bit more in the rear cockpit - the TAG's seat and a bin thing on the starboard side (not sure what it was for).  The sections of tape are me starting to mask off areas of bare plastic for future glued joins, in preparation for spraying.  The cockpit section (seat, pedals, stick, control runs etc) will remain separate until after painting, to allow decent access.

 

More soon

 

Crisp

With progress at this rate, you will have her finished by the weekend!

2 hours ago, hendie said:

it's looking a bit medieval at the mo' 

Steady on! That's no way to talk about our Crisp!

 

Martian the Mischievous

[Kallisti]

Funnily enough, I built the engine nacelle this afternoon as well

[AntPhillips]

Ooh, all looks very tasty so far, and lots of fettling of brass, this is going to be another super Crisp build  (you see what I did there, OK i'll get me )

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

I think I have now completed the internal PE, which is something of a milestone in this case, since there is so much of it.  So here is a shot of most of the model PE'd-up large, plus the almost empty brass runner (there are in fact two, but only one shown here).  The pieces left on it are either things I am not using (a couple of minor bits which will be completely invisible) or gun magazines; my aircraft won't have guns, and I am assuming they'd have flown around on a training squadron without the magazines either, unless the guns were rigged for a specific gunnery serial.

 

Having read some other builds which comment on tight tolerances with fit, I also did some dry fitting today - allowing for a few pieces of tape on joins, mine seems to fit OK at the moment (though we all know it can be very different once glue appears!).

 

I am seriously impressed with Airfix's engineering on this kit.  I have had the Special Hobby 1/48 Walrus in my stash for ages, but one of the things that always kept me from starting it was the prospect of aligning the engine nacelle and struts - even the instructions say it's quite tricky, and I think you could only do it with some significant jig action.  Airfix have thought about it and solved the problem perfectly - including the offset angle for the thrust line, as you can see above.

 

Despite Hendie's understandable scepticism at the start, I have almost completely resisted the temptation to detail this any further.  The only changes I have made are to improve the steps on the engine nacelle struts - these were hinged and had a prominent recess into which they fitted (though as far as I can see no-one ever bothered to retract them) - Airfix didn't bother to mould this, so I have added it; see above, the two rectangular trenches in the strut.  

 

 

My only other change is to add the grooves cut into the rear gunner coaming (you can see one of them quite well in this last phot); I have found some good walk round shots which clearly show the lines running from the cable reels inside the rear fuselage (the round things clearly visible on both sides of the fuselage in the top photo) and passing through these slots (presumably to allow the cover to close without fouling the lines).  Since the kit has the reels nicely done, it seems silly not to have the lines running from them.

 

The eagle-eyed amongst you might just spot a couple of holes drilled for the rigging - most of which is (obviously) in the wings, but the engine nacelle and floats also get to be rigged.  

 

Time for primer on the inside next, I think!  I have just decanted a can of Tamiya grey primer (a deeply stinky process); airbrushing it gives you much better control than the rattle can.

 

This is a seriously good kit; top marks to Airfix (and it makes me positively drool at the imminent prospect of a Sea Fury in the same scale...)

 

More soon

 

Crisp

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[perdu]

We know what little beauty you will be grasping copious numbers of on Saturday then Crisp 

 

This wonderful aircraft is making me consider slightly my take on 48th as a suitable scale for an elderly gent like meself

 

This is something to ponder over the weekend no doubt

 

but the space they consume, they are massive

 

[Martian]

Good work Crisp. As regards armament, it would depend on where a training squadron was operating as to whether it would be carried. The aircraft of 765 Squadron based at Sandbanks would almost certainly have carried armament as a matter of routine as they were operating in a combat zone, indeed the station itself came under direct fire on more than one occasion. On the other hand, 765's sister squadron at Lawrenny Ferry  carried armament only for bombing and gunnery practice.

 

Hope that helps

 

Martian

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

7 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

Good work Crisp. As regards armament, it would depend on where a training squadron was operating as to whether it would be carried. The aircraft of 765 Squadron based at Sandbanks would almost certainly have carried armament as a matter of routine as they were operating in a combat zone, indeed the station itself came under direct fire on more than one occasion. On the other hand, 765's sister squadron at Lawrenny Ferry  carried armament only for bombing and gunnery practice.

 

Hope that helps

 

Martian

Sorry, I should have been more specific.  Of course you are right, but I meant 751 NAS, when flying from Arbroath in Spring 1944 (when my Dad was there).  I doubt they would have routinely flown with guns shipped - and the only photo I have of this airframe (an IWM one of 4 751 Walruses in formation) certainly shows no guns.  I am also depicting this cab on the ground.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

10 hours ago, perdu said:

This wonderful aircraft is making me consider slightly my take on 48th as a suitable scale for an elderly gent like meself

 

This is something to ponder over the weekend no doubt

 

but the space they consume, they are massive

Fold the wings.  Simples.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

On 04/11/2017 at 10:18 PM, hendie said:

it's looking a bit medieval at the mo'  - I keep expecting a portcullis to slam down from that hefty looking gateway

It was only when I did my dry assembly yesterday that I fully realised why the Hendie Portcullis Frame is quite so huge; it was effectively a combined nation engine bearer and main spar combined, so it’s hardly surprising that it looks a tad agricultural!

[perdu]

Combined nation

 

Don't you just lurve seductive text baby...

 

😂

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Combination... I think that’s what I meant!

 

Anyone whose first name is Crispin knows all about the “joys” of predictive text... and I’m sure I am not the only one who has to check that the machine hasn’t ‘improved’ the word “Airfix” into “Airfoil”.  Every.  Blooming.  Time.

[Massimo]

Those PE are really a lot!!!

The result is great and it must have been real fun to fit them !!!

Anyway, as you've pointed out, this seems to be another very good model by Airfix and it's a real pleasure to see this Manufacturer, whose models we all grew up with,has come back thebest way!!!

Ciao

Massimo

[Fritag]

This is a great looking kit and it's great to see it Crispinated.

 

Now I do appreciate that it's not getting the full Crispination - but I have to say that even a half-Crispin is pretty bloomin impressive 

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Thanks for kind remarks, everyone.  Onwards!

 

The level of detail inside this kit means that you simply have to paint it before assembly (IMHO, anyway).  I have already mentioned that I have read more than one review / build thread across the Interwebs that mentions tight engineering tolerances - the WingNut Wings sort, where a layer of paint can be enough to compromise fit.  So, though it is time consuming, I have elected to avoid that trap by masking all the mating surfaces - buy shares in the thin Aizu tape, cos it is superb stuff!

 

Here we are with all the masking done:

 

...and here after spraying a layer of (decanted for airbrush) Tamiya primer:

 

I love this stage - all of a sudden it is less about "ooh, look at all that PE" and more about the detail that it provides.  Interior Green base coat next, but that might well be post Telford.

 

2pm at Bill's gaff, I understand...?  See you there.

 

Crisp

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

5 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

…that might well be post Telford…

 

…or maybe not:

 

Base-Coat-Tastic!

 

Only part-way through did I remember that the section aft of the rear gunner opening will be aluminium.  No matter.

 

That lot should be well and truly cured by the time I get back from Telford, so I can then get on with the fun bits.

 

Crisp

[Massimo]

Very good idea, to mask the joint lines !That will ensure a better gluing too without compromising the paint!!!

Well done!!!

I love British interior green!!!

To be honest I love all the range of british shades! They make a model very colourful and never boring!!!

What next...a bid of washing?

Ciao

Massimo

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

1 hour ago, massimo said:

What next...a bid of washing?

Pretty much all brushes from here on in - first some high- & low-lights (I might normally try some variation in the base shade with the airbrush, but there are so many ribs etc that I think for once I will have better control with a brush).  Once I am happy with the look of a "pristine" IG coat, it will be time to bash it around a bit (quite a lot, actually!) - black, steel, duraluminium, etc, & some of the faithful Prismacolor silver pencil.  Then seal it, and then, yes, some washes.  This was an airframe that had been worked very hard for at least 4 years; they'd have done their best to keep it presentable, but I suspect the interior would have been looking pretty shabby by the time my Dad sat in it!  That's how it's going to be modelled, anyway…

 

I am in the mood for more origami, so have done two of the four bomb racks.  No criticism of Airfix is intended by showing the comparison with a kit part; this sort of thing is what PE is perfect for; the limitations of moulding mean that you simply couldn't do anything this delicate (other than in resin).

 

They will now live in a strong plastic box on their own until used!  Mind you, if you think these are delicate, wait until you see the Light Series Bomb Carriers…

[perdu]

See ya later

 

Looks super

 

[Alfisti]

Hi Crisp,

wonderful build and some truly great detail going on here.

Just thought I might mention a potential problem,one that I have encountered anyway.Part C07,the tail plane is slighty warped,in my issue of the kit,hopefully this is not the case in all models!Then,if you want to pose the elevators in the down position,this is nigh on impossible as the kit stands,it needs some minor modification.Parts E08/09 which are the tail plane supports need the triangular piece(actuator?) filing down to accommodate the drooped elevator.I also filed down the locating lugs that fix inside the rudder to a round section,and also filed off the locating tabs on the tail plane,this I found allowed elevator droop.

Hope this may be some help to you and other modellers building this kit.

 

Dave. 

[hendie]

17 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Mind you, if you think these are delicate, wait until you see the Light Series Bomb Carriers…

 

arghh - wish I'd known that lot were available when I was doing the Lysander build

 

this coming along very nicely

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Right.  Back from Telford (& mighty fine it was too - especially being able to put a face to so many BM friends now).  This is where we are with the Walrus:

 

I have re-sprayed the rearmost 4 bays of the fuselage Duraluminium (not sure why it was different back there, but it was).  I have also used one of my favourite tools - Caran D'Ache colour pencils - to start the process of improving all that base colour Interior Green.  Stage 1 is to highlight most of the edges (of which there are a lot!) with a paler green; same principle as dry brushing, basically.  I have done all four sections seen here, but in this photo it is most obvious on the part furthest from the camera.

 

And, just to prove that other people have the same mad ideas as me, here's a photo of a Walrus on the Airfix stand, where they have opted to build the same half-folded configuration as me.  Mine will be the other way round (starboard spread, port folded), but you get the idea.  Mine won't have guns, but will be rigged (fnaarrr). 

 

Pip pip

 

Crisp

 

 

[perdu]

Love those Caran D'aches Crisp often use em for instrument hi-liting, though at the mo' I've W&N watercolour pencils on try out

 

Tippy tongue and a million easily controlled effects available 😕

 

(What did you think of the Wellington interior, huh?)

 

Crisp I'd just like to tell you how excited I was to see you gazing at me through the square window yesterday

 

A wonderful moment, one of those I treasure

 

Thanks for popping round to share those magic times with us, ain't Telford a marvellous 'thing' huh?

 

We'll all need to keep in touch, its been amazing

 

Thanks Crisp 

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

The Wellington interior (in your fave scale) looked astonishing; the Airfix designers are on sonething of a roll, I think.

 

Telford is fab.  There are many reasons that my middle aged return to the hobby has given me pleasure, but probably biggest amongst them is the peopke who do it.  I don’t really do competitions, so I accept they may be different - but in my experience people are generous with advice, materials, spare parts...  and we’re all mad as each other!

[Martian]

Lovely work Crisp. You have put your finger right on the reasons for getting involved with the hobby, right down to the mad bit.

 

Martian