John Masters Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 (edited) And I am off...first I cleaned off the bench. I've not done that properly since my first GB back in...I don't know...I've forgotten... Greece can be a dusty place and my flat is no exception, hence the glass-doored cabinets I have for the built kits. This is kit PK-8, Gladiator Mk.1 and I will make it in French livery for a nice, silvery change. This is my second build for this GB and I am eagerly awaiting the outcome of the 2018 voting! Oh boy, am I excited! All I ask is a clean bench and a kit to steer her by... Except for the decals from the excellent Extradecal Gladiator set, this will be OOB as much as possible. And my second Gladiator from that decal collection. I built the Greek bird last year from the new Airfix kit. Why do I think this will be more fun? --John Edited December 10, 2017 by John D.C. Masters slpeling 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Possibly my favourite Matchbox kit of them all, not least because it was far superior to the Airfix kit. I have the Revell rebox somewhere, and it's still a nice, well thought out kit. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 That's gonna look superb in that scheme John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Looking forward to this one - only built an Airfix version many years ago but it was a handsome 'plane. I see some rigging and aerial wires on the paint scheme pictures - was there much rigging on a Gladiator, being one of the most modern bi-planes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 11, 2017 Author Share Posted December 11, 2017 There is a fair amount of rigging among the wings--interplane and cabane struts...etc...but not much else. The landing gear wasn't supported that way and all the control surfaces have internal cables. I'll be using fishing line for the rigging on this one, probably .007 since the flying wires were actually "RAF wire", not really wire at all, if I am correct, but rather long pieces of solid metal with turnbuckles at the ends. The stabilizer has a bit of rigging too, but not much. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 11, 2017 Author Share Posted December 11, 2017 ...oh yes...the radio antennae too with the grounding wire. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 12, 2017 Author Share Posted December 12, 2017 Just a start...plastic primed and colours picked out. I'll use the rattle can aluminum as much as I can and touch up with the hairy brush. I think, too, that for this I may have to use the pilot. I usually don't. Just a feeling! I may dig around and find some other figures and create a little tableau...I have so much stuff in bags in the spares drawer...now off for a nice 36km mountain bike ride on a cool, windless day on Paros... --JDCM 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 13, 2017 Author Share Posted December 13, 2017 (edited) A bit to start...I have readied the mighty Bristol Mercury IX for some Flory wash (yes...it arrived!); painted most of the Watts two-bladed wooden prop and the rubber on the wheels and given the pilot a good going over. Please note the dashing blue-with-white-polka-dots scarf Capt. Jean-Loius is wearing--a gift from his charming Mlle. Angelique. I'm already having fun with this one... I haven't painted a pilot in many years. All Vallejo paints here... --JDCM Edited December 13, 2017 by John D.C. Masters 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 15, 2017 Author Share Posted December 15, 2017 Some more...I decided to give Jean-Louis something more to sit in so I scratched a rudimentary control panel, stick and rudder pedals. Of course, none of this will be visible once the canopy is attached...but I'll know. He is now in the pilot's seat...I have assembled the fuselage and cowling...attached the lower wings and the stabilizers...filled with a bit of putty...hmmm...in the background you can see the bronzish cowling ring, prop, etc...what else...I guess it'll be ready in a few hours for the first round of aluminum. I will paint the radiator vents a different shade, a little darker and also use some Flory on them. Oh yes...also masked off the canopy. --JDCM 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted December 15, 2017 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Good Morning JDCM Very good job so far I am sure that Capt Jean louis will appreciate the scarf .. Patrice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 16, 2017 Author Share Posted December 16, 2017 Man...am I glad to be back here. That website downtime gave me the DTs...so I built a little bit, played about with some muck... I sprayed Le Gladdie with some Humbrol aluminum from the rattle can...did the other odd bits too. Attached the rudder decals which I do not like at all... Too thick, I feel....so much solvent and nothing good looking. I will remove them and hand-paint the trois-coleurs... I used Flory Wash for the very first time and I like it a lot. With what I learned here (thanks Johnny!) and also from their tutorial on the website I think I did an ok job of it. I used a mix of black and brown dirt. After I removed the excess, I drilled many, many holes for rigging and also the support holes for the antennae. I used a little plastic rod for those. Hmmm...what else...Oh yes...dirtied up the copper/brass cowling ring so it looks less than shiny, a little burnt actually. Glued on the motor, attached the cowling and also added those cool air intake nozzles that go through the motor (plastic rod) as well the small cowling attachment rods in from of the motor (stretched sprue). I glued on the canopy. Attached the upper wing...cleaned up the landing gear with some putty for the sink holes... Phew! I think that is the whole of last night and today... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 Wow, that is a lot of progress in one session! For the wing struts, were the ones on the fuselage still 'adjustable' when you came to put the top wing on? Setting up struts and supports always seems to be a problem for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 17, 2017 Author Share Posted December 17, 2017 (edited) Thanks Ventora3300... Yes, well, I had time on my hands and the heavy lifting had already been done. Regarding the wing struts...you mean the outer struts, not the cabanes? There were no adjustments needed. They fit right in pretty snuggly. These Matchbox (and some Airfix) kits have the 'connected strut' that fits in the little groove. Thanks again! Today I'll rig it and maybe decal Le Gladdie. I am headed to Athens tomorrow for a few days so it would be good to have it done and on the shelf by then. Plenty of time! --John Edited December 17, 2017 by John D.C. Masters 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 (edited) Aha - I meant the cabanes as I see you had them set up before putting the top wing on. I had a look at the sprue shots again and I can see that they are attached to a piece of base that sets them correctly when the bases are put on the fuselage. Also, It certainly helps if the wing struts for each side are connected together on a base before slotting into the lower wing. Good engineering by Matchbox? I just get visions of a collapsing nightmare as you try to get all the cabanas and struts lined up and the top wing on and end up getting glue everywhere!! Good old Matchbox and well done to you for the final result. Edited December 17, 2017 by Ventora3300 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 18, 2017 Author Share Posted December 18, 2017 Almost there.... I have to go to Athens this morning for a few days so I had to interrupt the finishing stages of this nice little model. I have rigged everything except the tail feathers. I have applied the decals to the upper wing. I have repainted the rudder...it looks much nice than the supplied decal. And the exhausts and tail wheel are on too... Here's a shot of my bi-plane rigging technique...it's a cross between fly-tying and cardiac surgery... The tint is a bit off in the picture. It really is more aluminum looking than it looks! I'll finish this up Thursday evening when I get back...brush on a little satin sealant over the decals and weather them a bit to match the rest of the plane. Finish the rigging, antennae, etc... What's next? No GBs for me until the RAF 100 Years GB... --John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 Eh voila c'est fini! Here's one of the images...the rest will be in the Matchbox gallery. I really had lots of fun with this build. Someone mentioned that it is one of the best Gladiator kits around, and I must agree. Having built the new Airfix kit as well, I liked this one better. Rigging is .008 monofilament except for the antennae which is EZLine. This was also my first attempt with Flory wash and it may seem a bit heavy-handed, but I have a feeling that these Gladiators were used a lot and were very much obsolete by the time 1942 rolled around. So I present Capt. Jean Louis St. Jacques and his sturdy English mount... --John 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Wow, fantastic result and rigging is impressive. Great background. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 I knew I forgot something...it nagged at me until I looked at the photos... The rigging on the outer wing struts... Out of the cabinet it comes for a final bits...damn! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 Ok...It's done! Should I post a new picture? Do the unfinished images disqualify my gallery posts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 A superb build and finish John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 Thank you Steve. I am embarrassed by my forgetting the outer wing strut rigging. I have rectified that situation and will replace the gallery photos with new ones tomorrow... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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