trickyrich Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 I agree the prop looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisk Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 I love this kind of builds Mark which involves a lot of scratch building. 6 hours ago, MarkSH said: Evening all, With the fuselage halves together I have added the Cabane struts and I am spending a fair bit of time trying to blend them into the cowling, I hope to finish the all metal part of the aircraft in foil so they do need to be sanded quite vigorously so it doesn't show up like a sore thumb. Also managed to paint the prop flat coat of Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow with Burnt Sienna oil dragged over the top. Cheers, M. Maybe another possibility is to cut off the Cabane struts. This would make sanding it all smooth much easier. After it is all smooth, you can drill holes for the replacement struts. This would also make applying the foil much easier. Then you just have to fit the struts after the foil is in place.. Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted April 11, 2018 Author Share Posted April 11, 2018 Yes that was a possibility but the fit of the parts is ok and in fact sets the height and angle of the struts and consequently the level of the upper wing, the foiling will be done on an individual panel basis so not a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted April 17, 2018 Author Share Posted April 17, 2018 Evening all, Not been able to do much at all on any of the builds over the last few days, spent much of the weekend decorating and generating brownie points. The Flycatcher has had its tail fitted and the cabane struts are now faired in satisfactorily, plus I found some time to replicate the Decals in CorelDRAW and print them. I decided to just go with the same scheme as I could measure and reference the kit decals. The decals will require some masking and spraying of white prior to application, but I've had a practice with my circle cutter and I'm reasonably confident I can make some fairly accurate masks. I'm intending to air brush the yellow band on the fuselage. Cheers, M. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 she's a nice looking plane, she's going to look great. I love the work you've done for the decals, printing my own is one thing I've never tried. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 Very impressive Mark and wonderful extra detailing. Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted April 22, 2018 Author Share Posted April 22, 2018 Hi all, So yesterday I thought I'd take the opportunity to get to work on the undercarriage structure for the Flycatcher, I'd previously taken the decision to fit it before priming, painting and foiling which may seem to be the wrong way round but having test fitted or at least tried to I felt that it was really quite fiddly and would require some fairly robust handling of the entire model to make it all fit. Anyway, I started cleaning up the components and true to form one of them 'pinged' off of the work surface and headed for the carpet, not a problem I thought as it was one of the main suspension struts and a reasonably large part.....could I find it? could I.......! I spent the next hour carefully removing all the detritus from below the desk, kit boxes, spares boxes, compressor, etc., etc. I even moved the desk itself but not a sign! despair rapidly descending I pondered on how the laws of physics can change so dramatically when we are in the process of modelling even to the extent that wormholes can be created to whisk vital components off to the outer rim! So just as I was preparing a large note in bold capitals that there now existed a 25 mile exclusion zone with regard to vacuum cleaners something silvery grey caught the corner of my eye. And there caught between the seat base and the arm rest support of my office chair....... the little so and so, I mean what are the odds? it could have stayed there for years, another hour of my life I'll never get back. The result of the successful re-capture of the Part number 39 is a rather complicated arrangement for the undercarriage structure which now fitted is quite strong. I still need to be careful with general handling the one thing of note with this kit is that as well moulded as it is the plastic in incredibly brittle, probably something to do with its age or another manifestation of modelling influence on the laws of physics and material properties. Cheers, M. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 gosh that is a complicated looking affair. Half the time they don't want to fit together correctly or keep trying to sag as you're gluing them together, you've done a great job in overcoming both. Trust me I work over a cement floor and parts really bounce when they land on it and odd shape bit go off in some really bizarre directions! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted May 10, 2018 Author Share Posted May 10, 2018 Evening all, I had a bit of spare time today so thought I'd not spend it applying the seemingly endless stencils to the Eurofighter for the RAF 100th GB and do something far more colourful. So out came the Flycatcher and I started to think about just how I was going to get it all together and rigged. The instructions very clearly describe how to run a single length of the supplied thread through the premade holes in the aircraft to end up with the main planes fully rigged with only some exposed thread cutaway after the cement has set. I'm going to follow that description with a couple of minor changes, but first of all a fair bit of painting, detailing and decaling is required to get the model to the rigging stage. The fabric areas have been painted with a mix of Vallejo Metal Colour Aluminium and a small amount of thinned Tamiya flat white. The top wing upper surface was primed white and the outline of the roundels and wing stripe masked off and again the rest painted in the aluminium/white mix. the rudder was also primed white. The top wing upper de-masked and ready for the home-print decals. I'm hopeful that this time I've got the print quality and amount of lacquer applied right, the first test piece has gone down really well, and going down onto white the colour intensity is as intended, fingers crossed . The rudder worked OK, it needed a bit of touching up around the edges, but settled over the ribbing nicely. I have painted the yellow fuselage band, the black border will be a bit of a test, I'll freehand the outer line as I have the yellow to follow but I'll mask and dry brush the inner line a 'la invasion stripes on my Typhoon for the Hawker GB which worked quite well. I have also started to apply the Bare Metal Foil on the metal areas of the aircraft, not sure if the panel just aft of the cockpit should be metal as well, can't find any suitable reference. As you can see I have drilled an additional hole just above the fore most undercarriage strut and the same on the other side. The instructions would have you tie the rigging thread to the same strut and begin the run from this point, however this is not its correct position, additionally the described rigging method has two separate double threads one for each side I intend to use one single double thread passed through the two extra holes I've drilled. So far so good, I've enjoyed this kit so much I have just purchased the Pyro boxing of the Bristol Bulldog which looks equally as much fun. Cheers, M. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 gee she's looking great, I love your homemade decals, they looked to have worked a treat! I'm really looking forward to seeing her completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted May 14, 2018 Author Share Posted May 14, 2018 Evening all, Flycatcher details continue and some need to be added before the upper wing goes on, which now has the decals finished and just for a pleasant change, I'm actually happy with the results. All of the decals adhered and settled as planned....go figure, who are you and what have you done with MarkSH? Just a few minor touch ups required but I'll leave those until after the rigging is done, it'll probably cause some disruption. I have added the scratched gun sighting tube and brackets but am still wondering what colour to paint it, black seems to be the obvious choice, a little more research required. The tube itself is too far aft and would foul the windscreen, I have adjusted it since I took the photo. Won't see much when all is assembled. I have painted the black border to the fuselage band, just a little more foiling to do and then onto the wing assembly and rigging. Cheers, Mark. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 Looking good Mark. Decals have worked out very well. Really like the gun sighting tube too (and can’t help wondering what a Flycatcher pilot would think if he tried a modern helmet mounted sight!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 Gee she looks great Mark!! I love your little gunsight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 That really is looking beautiful Mark. Superb modelling! Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted May 19, 2018 Share Posted May 19, 2018 Coming together nicely Mark,great progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted May 24, 2018 Author Share Posted May 24, 2018 Hello Folks, Spending some time on the Flycatcher this week, The foiling is finished and I have painted up the engine and here it is temporarily tacked to the model. I have also glued the N struts and upper wing in position and fed the cabane/centre section tension wires ready to be glued tight...oh and repaired the same cabane strut for a third time! Now that the upper wing is in position I can start on the rigging in earnest and although fiddly, it has progressed reasonably rapidly with one side almost complete and only some trimming and minor remedial repair work required. I have used the kit supplied 'Kleintex' invisible thread for the rigging wires (except for the cabane wires I forgot about the Kleintex until it was too late) and 0.5mm OD /0.3mm ID Aluminium tube for the turnbuckles, despite all the prevarication and preparation in starting the task I still managed to forget to drill a couple of holes which caused a few nervous moments and curses. I'll let the super glue set properly before moving onto the other side. Cheers, Mark. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 I'm amazed!!! That just looks soooo scary and you're making it look easy! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Beema Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 Looking good Mark.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 Evening All, The Flycatcher is all but finished now just a few touch-ups required and then a sealing coat of varnish and I can hopefully take some pictures in daylight over the weekend. Its amazing what digital photos reveal, things you just fail to see with the naked eye, rigging wires that I forgot to run some aluminium paint along, scuffs and rough bits of paint, I think its a good thing to do as a final check. Overall however, I'm reasonably happy with the outcome, although its definitely easier to rig a biplane in 1/48 than 1/72 like the SE5a I did for the RAF100 GB and so with that in mind I now need to crack on with the 1/72 Swordfish and it's associated rigging Cheers, M. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted June 1, 2018 Share Posted June 1, 2018 Congratulations Mark on a very colourful build. The differentiation between the metal panels and the fabric works really well . Cliff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 well done mark, she looks amazing, the rigging work is awesome. You made it all look too easy, I don't know how you'd do it in 1/72nd scale! Thank you for joining the build, I hope you had fun, she's a great addition to the early years of naval aviation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaddad Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 tasty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 Hi all, Calling this one finished More piccies in the Gallery... Many thanks to @trickyrich for hosting and congrats' to everyone on some excellent builds. Swordfish still ongoing. Cheers Mark. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 well dome Mark, she looks amazing. I admire you rigging skills, it's something that just scares me hence I don't build bi-planes. It was great to have you along on this GB and to follow the build of this lovely wee beastie. I hope you enjoyed yourself and look forward to seeing your Swordfish in the gallery as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amo Aero Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 Magnificent! You really did justice to that old kit. Bravo sir! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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