TonyW Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 (edited) Here's what hopefully will be the first of a number of builds by me in this GB, the Type 3 boxing of the Airfix Hunter. The kit first came out in a Series 2, type 2 bag in 1960. A very rare type 2 boxed kit was issued shortly before the familiar type 3 boxes hit the shops. Charles Oats is the likely artist for the type 3 boxtop. Two options provided, a 111 Sqn Black Arrow plane or a camouflaged Swiss Air Force version. Mine will be a Black Arrow machine. Guides and references are ready... On your marks, Get Set... Edited June 12, 2018 by TonyW ARROW not DIAMOND!! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Hello a 111 Sq. black Diamonds hunter ... taking my seat. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 12, 2018 Author Share Posted June 12, 2018 Here's the contents of the box, plus a few period building materials. Typical Airfix construction, nothing much in the way of detail, a very basic pilot and seat plus a few underwing stores. I've got two options here. One, build it wheels up on a stand, as an air display ride should look. Two, on its wheels with the drop tanks fitted as it might look in ferry mode. That would give the option of a base of some sort, open canopy and a bit of extra detail, maybe even a boarding ladder?. I'm almost certain to take the easy way outthough, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, an in flight build would sit nicely with my FROG red ASR holder and duck egg green prototype examples. Second, the black version is how I remember the kit from the sixties. Nostalgia is a strong pull! The build won't take long if I stay wheels up, just a basic glue it all shut session, followed by paint prep and Humbrol gloss black. Hmm, the nightmare that is brush painted gloss black. Gulp. Watch this space... Tony. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSH Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 My vote would be for an in-flight display...a Hunter in its element is a beautiful thing! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 Good to see you taking part in another 'Classic kit' GB, Tony. This is most certainly your bag, so will look on with great interest to see this kit build come along. Cheers and good luck.. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I'm really pleased to see this one Tony. A great choice. BTW, why is your How to go Plastic Modelling blue? Mine's red! Cheers Cliff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 (edited) Thanks Dave, it's good to be taking part. I tend to get a bit optimistic as to how many kits I can knock out over the course of a GB, there seems to be all the time in the world when they start. Reality soon kicks in though. Having said that, joining in with GB's has seen more models completed by me in a short space of time than ever before. I'm hoping to crack out a fair few for this particular GB, it seems tailor made for me! Here's last nights progress, not much in the Grand Scheme of Things, but it's getting there. Wings and fuselage assembled, with all the undercarriage doors glued shut. In flight it is then! A couple of things have surprised me so far, the fit of the undercarriage doors is near faultless. They are hopelessly over scale as far as thickness goes. but fit the wings and fuselage like a dream. The kit also has very fine detailing, raised panels and hatches rather than engraved, but very subtle and convincing. Not a rivet in sight either, which is more than can be said for FROGs take on the subject! A shiny black plane is never going to be easy to photograph, but this shot shows some of the fine detail... I've also dug out a built version I had knocking about. I've flatted off the airframe and might use it alongside this build. A two ship formation on a Dogfight Double stand has got me a bit exited I have to admit. If I go that route, it will need transfers. I've dug another set out of my spares folder and given them and the kit ones a coat of clear to be on the safe side, these sheets are forty plus years old now! Today will see the airframe assembly completed and any filling started. I'm enjoying the kit a lot so far, worth every penny of the 3/- pocket money Tony. Edited June 13, 2018 by TonyW 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 2 minutes ago, CliffB said: I'm really pleased to see this one Tony. A great choice. BTW, why is your How to go Plastic Modelling blue? Mine's red! Cheers Cliff RED!!! Now I need to track another book down. Collecting can be a curse sometimes. 🙄 Mine's a third edition, that might explain things. My 'Advanced Plastic Modelling is also blue. Please don't tell me that one has more than one cover as well! Tony. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 9 minutes ago, TonyW said: RED!!! Now I need to track another book down. Collecting can be a curse sometimes. 🙄 Mine's a third edition, that might explain things. My 'Advanced Plastic Modelling is also blue. Please don't tell me that one has more than one cover as well! Tony. 1968 First Edition. One owner from new. Much loved and still the ultimate 'comfort food'! You'll be pleased to hear that my Advanced has a blue cover too. Cliff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 That books's seen a bit of action! The tales it could tell... I bought my copy a few years ago. I wanted a copy when they first came out, but the asking price bought a whole load of kits instead. Money was a bit tighter when I was at school! Finaly having a copy was a joy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 Good progress with the kit Tony . Do I remember it having a removable gun pod or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 58 minutes ago, CliffB said: 1968 First Edition. One owner from new. Much loved and still the ultimate 'comfort food'! You'll be pleased to hear that my Advanced has a blue cover too. Cliff Looks like the dog's been reading your books again Cliff - ask him what was his favourite chapter and has he mastered that "Stretched Sprue" business yet? Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 (edited) 45 minutes ago, CliffB said: Good progress with the kit Tony . Do I remember it having a removable gun pod or something? You remember correctly, there is a gun pod complete with trolley to cart it about. There's not much to hold it in place on the plane and once sat on its trolley, it does not look much. An add on that adds nothing really. If you sat it as shown in the instructions, it would be upside down for fitting to the plane! Mine will be glued in place. Edited June 13, 2018 by TonyW 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 An hour or two this morning got a bit more done. The airframe is all one bit now, I'll let it all dry nice and firm before proceeding further. The spare airframe has been pressed into service as a test mule for the potential nightmare that is a brush painted black enamel paintjob. So far a couple of issues have reared their ugly heads, I need new brushes before the final attempt. My current flat brushes are starting to show their age now and are loosing their softness a bit. The thickness of the paint is also a bit crucial with black enamel. One wing on the mule looks fine, the other has faint brush marks. It's a thin line between just enough and too thick though. Black is totally unforgiving of any mistakes. This build is going to be a challenge! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kay Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 I do love seeing these classic kits - including the other manufacturers - being loved and put together. It's fun to see them built "like the old days", as well as seeing what modern techniques and materials can do to bring them up to date. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 (edited) 35 minutes ago, Heather Kay said: I do love seeing these classic kits - including the other manufacturers - being loved and put together. It's fun to see them built "like the old days", as well as seeing what modern techniques and materials can do to bring them up to date. I must admit to cherry picking how I build kits. I'll use old paint and glue because that's what I've always used. However, a bit of modern stuff like superglue(!) gets used as well. One of the reasons for using old stuff is that it seems to work better than the new gear. Humbrol paints come to mind here, in my experience the new paints are a bit rubbish. I've not tried any acrylics so can't really comment there, far too New School for a dinosaur like me. The thought of buying a whole new paint system kind of puts me off trying as well. I've also avoided Klear and any other mixed media coats on my builds. I'm not sure how these will behave as the years pass. Some of my collectable kits are starting to show signs of the plastic changing, add a few extra chemicals and substances to the mix and I can see problems on the horizon. A build with enamel, acrylic, superglue and photoetch is possibly going to come unstuck at some point. Probably long after I'm gone though, so there's no need to worry really! Each to their own and Viva La Difference and all that. Nice work on your Rotodyne by the way, I have one part done that is a bit to far built to enter this GB. The transfers on that one gave me a hard time as well. Tony. Edited June 13, 2018 by TonyW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, TonyW said: An hour or two this morning got a bit more done. The airframe is all one bit now, I'll let it all dry nice and firm before proceeding further. The spare airframe has been pressed into service as a test mule for the potential nightmare that is a brush painted black enamel paintjob. So far a couple of issues have reared their ugly heads, I need new brushes before the final attempt. My current flat brushes are starting to show their age now and are loosing their softness a bit. The thickness of the paint is also a bit crucial with black enamel. One wing on the mule looks fine, the other has faint brush marks. It's a thin line between just enough and too thick though. Black is totally unforgiving of any mistakes. This build is going to be a challenge! What a fantastic high gloss finish - and brush painted too! What paint are you using? This thread has just cost me £11 - seeing those 'How to go plastic modelling' and its sequel I was taken back in my mind to having them from the local library, so it was off to ebay and a short while later one of each ordered 🙂 Looking forward to seeing the finished Hunter 👍 Jim Edited June 13, 2018 by Jimbo Typos as usual! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 Humbrol Gloss Black, the tin is about thirty years old! The old stuff works much better than the new. The picture looks better than real life unfortunately, but it is only a rehersal. The books are both memory jerkers once you get stuck into them. It's a slippery slope though, before you know it you will be chasing down HisAirDecs, Kookaburra Publications and old Almark Decals! Tony. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 14, 2018 Author Share Posted June 14, 2018 (edited) A trip into Ely and a visit to Tindalls art suppplies saw my brushes replaced today, so a bit of paint has been applied to both airframes. It's looking good so far, although as expected, the two black planes are proving difficult to photograph. Clear coating the transfer sheets has worked, at least it has on the sheet I've used on the test mule. They stuck like glue though, one chance at getting then on straight was all I got. I like the idea of displaying the two planes together. They look like a display team pair, sat wing tip to wing tip. The Airfix Dogfight Double stand that I thought would be a natural for them is less than successful once pressed into use. A bit too much black going on I think. A big and little pair of Airfix stands might do the job but it's early days for the final display at the moment. More as it happens... Edited June 14, 2018 by TonyW 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventora3300 Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 Looking pristine, Tony. If I remember right. The uprights on the Dogfight Doubles stands could be rotated to vary the angles etc. But of course you are trying to produce 'a formation' going in the same direction. Why not paint the stand in a colour that would make it fade into the background? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 They look superb Tony looking forward to these two on that stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 Smashing results so far - great job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 15, 2018 Author Share Posted June 15, 2018 (edited) 10 hours ago, Ventora3300 said: Looking pristine, Tony. If I remember right. The uprights on the Dogfight Doubles stands could be rotated to vary the angles etc. But of course you are trying to produce 'a formation' going in the same direction. Why not paint the stand in a colour that would make it fade into the background? The legs on the Dogfight Double stand are pose able, They can be rotated around the base but the slot at the top is fixed. The planes could be posed OK with the stand, it's just the big pile of blackness that results that does not work at the moment. A possible way out would be to 'chrome' the stand with a broad nibbed Molotow pen. I'm fairly sure that would work, as long as I keep a wet edge to the ink on application. It might be time to experiment with spraying Molotow ink and see how that works. I'll have to check what I have in the way of DD Stand spares before having a crack at chroming though. The stand in the picture was borrowed from a Mosquito/Me262 Dogfight Double box, the collector in me won't be breaking up that box after all these years! This means going through my DD collection to see what's what. It's also a good excuse to run a picture of the Mossie combo kit, alongside a built pair of planes.Nothing at all to do with a pair of Hunters, but far too good an opportunity to waste 😁 Edited June 15, 2018 by TonyW 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 15, 2018 Author Share Posted June 15, 2018 A bit of progress... Both airframes now have transfers on them. Very smart they look too! I've used the same serials and ID letter, T for Tango, on both planes. Tiny little dark red codes against a gloss black background can barely be seen, so I'm not going to loose too much sleep over this. A bit of fooling around with some shiny chrome like card, bought for a couple of quid per pack in a local B+M cheapo store. Scored and folded got me a basic base, another sheet provided a background. Not perfect by any means, but another option is shaping up here. More later. Tony. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share Posted June 17, 2018 The pair of Hunters have had a gloss clearcoat applied and they are currently drying off under cover in an attempt to keep the dreaded dust at bay. I had a dig about in my header files and turned up this one... ... it's the first issue, bagged header for the Hunter, from 1960. Very plain and simple but still effective for all that. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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