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1/72nd Hasegawa Mitchell Mk.III, 342 `Lorraine' Sqn, 2nd TAF, B.77 Gilze-Rijen, Netherlands, Summer 1945.,..FINISHED!!!


tonyot

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Hiya Folks,

               I`m sticking this one on here for now and hopefully I`ll get it finished in time! Ever since the old Matchbox Mitchell I have always fancied doing a Free French Mitchell as one was included on the decal option;

41001749794_ddb3da3194_b.jpg70470189_44851410 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

I have even saved the decals,..... but never quite got around to building one as I was not sure whether the codes should be grey/sky or red.  I`ve recently been doing some research and it appears that they were red during the war but after VE Day names and unit badges were added to the nose while the codes were repainted, some having the red individual code highlighted with a white shadow and others totally repainted in a lighter colour, here are some of those with the shadow shaded codes;

26851979527_9e941b7538_b.jpgmitchell III FRENCH by Tony OToole, on Flickr

41719576731_c381d0d3c9_z.jpgmitchell b25-488-sqn-rnzaf by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

And this one appears to still retain its red codes,...note how the outer RAF fin flashes have been overpainted, but the inner flashes have been missed ;

41679369152_da09f9d319_b.jpgboston-1 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

An excellent reference is Air Enthusiast,....issue March-April 1996 which has an excellent article on the subject with some great photo`s and a table listing the serial, code and name tie ups were known,....invaluable stuff;

41002206774_8a4216eef8_m.jpgmaIQ5fWX4Nq2y7HuuiExDxw by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

I also have this book too which is quite good and includes good photos;

41679861492_8772373cf8.jpg51ltLXsOWCL._SX384_BO1,204,203,200_ (1) by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

with an online link here;

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FFN2DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=KJ687+mitchell+OA-X&source=bl&ots=EPYPblZuyU&sig=XhMTCNReq4yIgSCgCKxo6KjRInY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjTqKaks9jaAhVNYsAKHSxLCrkQ6AEwAHoECAAQLQ#v=onepage&q=KJ687 mitchell OA-X&f=false

 

The kit I shall be using is the Hasegawa `Foreign Mitchell`s' boxing;

41719576521_f85989d3d1_b.jpgs-l1600 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

Which includes decals for a French aircraft,.... 

41719576831_e16021fc4c_m.jpgB-25J MITCHELL Foreign Air Force 1 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

This aircraft on both Hasegawa and Matchbox sheets is KJ687, OA-X which was named `Toul',.... but the name and unit badge are not included in the Hasegawa kit decals,..... however the Matchbox sheet does appear to include these. Unfortunately the printing of the old Matchbox decals isn`t the best ever,..... so I`ll probably be combining thr best of both sheets,....plus I may have to find others from the spares box as the upper wing roundels on the Hasegawa decals appears to be too small,.... we shall see!

 

Hopefully I`ll get started on this one soon,

 

Cheers

          Tony 

 

Edited by tonyot
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6 hours ago, modelling minion said:

This is rapidly turning into a one man STGB!

Another nice and interesting scheme Tony, I hope you are able to get this one together as well as your H.

I really don`t want anybody to think that I`m hogging the place,..... I just like Mitchell`s!!! 

 

5 hours ago, Beard said:

I'll tag along, if I may, I have a Hasegawa Mitchell in the stash and am curious to see how they go together.

I`m in the middle of a Hasegawa B-25H at the moment on the GB if you want to follow that,..... the kit is lovely!

 

Cheers fellas,

                 Tony

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Nice to see someone actually building all the models I've imaged doing myself, however know will come up short.

I'm gonna tag along as well Tony. I've always had a soft spot for No. 2 Group's aircraft ever since I bought MJF Bowyers book many many years ago.

 

Chees.. Dave.

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3 hours ago, tonyot said:

I`m in the middle of a Hasegawa B-25H at the moment on the GB if you want to follow that,..... the kit is lovely! 

I saw that one just after I commented on this build; I've only got as far a fondling the sprues on mine (which are nice) and they do look like a lovely kit.

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Thanks everybody,..... well time to get started!!!

 

Here is the box art,.....what a fantastic painting and colour scheme,..... one that I`d like to do sometime,.... so keep the decals safe!

41742455052_162e7769d6_k.jpgDSCF3133 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

The bagged parts,...... wonderful quality,.. but having recently built the 1/48th Monogram kit I cannot help but be amazed at how closely the two kits are broken down and how similar the parts are! Of course this kit has fine recessed panel line detail however and not the raised lines of the older, larger kit;

26915762957_7c01d694a2_k.jpgDSCF3135 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

Here are the kit instructions;

41066505534_65893d6da8_k.jpgDSCF3138 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

These are the kit decals along with some old Matchbox decals from the spares box,.... I`ll be mixing and matching these and might raid the spares box for items along the way too

41742454242_488c8ba046_k.jpgDSCF3137 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

And here is everything together,.... ready to start;

39976750360_868077f204_k.jpgDSCF3132 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

I`ll be pre painting the interior tonight along with the latest Airfix Mitchell,

 

Cheers

          Tony 

 

 

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Cheers Skids,..... you know what I am like for the `unusual'!

 

Right,.....after the pre painting last night I got the interior assembled this morning;

26941410767_1c7edb3a7e_k.jpgDSCF3140 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 41809469601_1bef18fb15_k.jpgDSCF3141 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

Also got the engines assembled and the canopies pre painted too;

 26941406857_caed195b58_k.jpgDSCF3142 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

41809474261_0cb831ec65_k.jpgDSCF3139 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

I could have sworn that I had taken photos of the fuselage halves joined,.... the wings and tail being assembled,..... but I cannot find them! Ah well,..... the model now has its wings and tail attached, the bomb aimers nose has also been attached and the model has now been left overnight for the glue to dry,

 

Cheers

         Tony

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, modelling minion said:

Unbelievable build rate Tony! I still haven't started 1 yet.

Just finished my harrier in the Hawker GB so hope to be along for this one very soon. but then there's also the MTO GB which starts this weekend! Will have to give up work I think.

MTO GB,..... I`ll be looking in on that one then! I just get a bit `into' the subject on a GB and everything that I read about during my research I want to build!!! Just because I build a lot and have multiple kits on the go at any time doesn`t mean that everybody has to keep up,..... each to their own I say,.. as long as you are enjoying our hobby,... who cares eeh?

 

Cheers

         Tony

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Hiya Folks,...

                   Well a bit more progress on the model;

40046045240_1b89655949_k.jpgDSCF3178 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

And with the seams sanded and the engines attached,..... it will soon be ready for some paint;

40046044630_d03b56b8d0_k.jpgDSCF3190 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

I`ve added the first coat of paint and hopefully I`ll get more done tonight!

 

Cheers

         Tony

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Cheers Patrice,

 

Well I got the upper surface Olive Drab on last night,.... I`m just adding a different shade to replicate the painted over fin stripes;

41148247594_e7d3757cba_k.jpgDSCF3197 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

And now its time to add the Pactra acrylic Neutral Grey undersides;

41822550362_9e59a73f47_k.jpgDSCF3201 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

41822550592_725ae61573_k.jpgDSCF3198 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

Cheers for now,

                     Tony

Edited by tonyot
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Hiya Folks,.... after a coat of gloss varnish the decals were added tonight,..... and what a ballsache it was finding suitable decals!

The upper wing roundels came from the spares box,.... the Hasegawa code letters are white and too large,..... the Matchbox decals are Medium Sea Grey and the wrong style,..... so as I`d assumed that the code letters were Sky,.... as used on 2nd TAF mosquito fighter bombers,..... I used some from the old Model Aircraft Monthly BPF decal set,... although the `X' was still too big and had to be cut down,.... it was the only one that I could find of roughly the right style. The Cross of Lorraine came from a Special Hobby Boston, the name Toul came from the old Matchbox kit, as did the rudder stripes,..although these were too short for the Hasegawa fins and another set was used to piece up The Hasegawa strupes could not be used as they were too narro and did not cover the entire rudder. The Hasegawa fuselage roundel was used,..... and the missing seral KJ687 was pieced together from a Modeldecal set! Some bomb markings were also added to the nose,... as per the original aircraft

 

Here it is; 

40175630140_1995778b81_k.jpgDSCF3243 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

40175629320_c6c415ea86_k.jpgDSCF3251 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

And here is another little model that I`m working on at the same time! The 1/72nd Revell C-54;

41937717622_97866131c4_k.jpgDSCF3234 by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

Cheers,

          Tony 

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I’ve been looking forward to this one Tony. Once again, it’s lookng the goods like all your models and I share your despair in having to cobble up all those decals. I’m surprised that Franta didn’t provide decals for this version within his DK Decals RAF Mitchell set, however he probably thought that with the additional French insignia it would have proved to be too large a sheet. 

 

This is is my favourite amongst your current batch of “Tony’s month of Mitchell madness”!! 

 

Cheers.. Dave. 

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14 hours ago, modelling minion said:

More excellent work Tony, she looks great with the French markings.

Can't believe you are building this your Ju-52 AND a C-54! You are truly a modelling machine, and a good one at that.

What scheme will the C-54 be in?

Cheers mate,..... the C-54 is going to be an RAF one in overall silver wearing SEAC markings,.. although I quite like it in standard roundels too! It has been a bit of a bind,, especially with the interior which has lots of parts,.....  but I quite fancy building another in the late SAAF sceeme of Dk. Earth and Dk. Green with PRU Blue undersides.

 

All the best,

                Tony

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Hiya Folks,.... well after some matt varnish, a bit of weathering and the addition of the undercarriage etc I`m calling this one finished! According to photos in the Aircam No. 22 on the Mitchell,....The real aircraft had quite a lot of paint chipping around the nose area on the right hand side so I have tried to replicate this; 

 

41372287304_4c4acab5c2_k.jpgDSCF3311_NEW_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

41191180585_4e13e9a5ee_k.jpgDSCF3312_NEW_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

41372285894_b7fadc5b6d_k.jpgDSCF3313_NEW_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

27221932777_18a41e796e_k.jpgDSCF3314_NEW_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

41372284494_160ebe04c9_k.jpgDSCF3317_NEW_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

41372283424_905385ca1f_k.jpgDSCF3319_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

27221931837_e77cb0b8c8_k.jpgDSCF3318_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

27221930337_aa1dd8450c_k.jpgDSCF3321_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

A few additional pics under a better light;

28236265848_52cb28b611_k.jpgDSCF3364_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

41389438054_16fb6db5b1_k.jpgDSCF3365_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

28236263388_279795061e_k.jpg

DSCF3366_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

41389439514_db31416622_k.jpgDSCF3363_NEW by Tony OToole, on Flickr

 

Thanks again for all of the comments and encouragement along the way,

Cheers

           Tony

Edited by tonyot
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My god Tony, that's just gorgeous!

This French Filly looks so good at every angle you look at it. I am so tempted to track down a Hasegawa Mitchell and 'attempt' to get as close to your perfect example. Very well modelled my friend.

Cheers.. Dave

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