825 Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 (edited) My second build is a fairly elderly Matchbox Hellcat There are two options in the box, a US Navy and a FAA temperate Sea scheme option. However the transfers are a tad old looking, quite yellowed (although a period on the windowsill owould help) and I'm not sure the roundels should be yellow trimmed. I've got a bundle of aftermarket transfers so a Gloss Sea Blue option of 1844 NAS or similar is appealing. Fairly simple kit with light raised detail. And in traditional Matchbox fashion, two coloured plastic, albeit a couple of reasonably muted greys rather than bright primary colours. No trenches either. Although uncharacteristic for MB, even older ones, there are a few ejection pins and a little bit of flash that will need cleaned off. As a Gloss Sea Blue aircraft is best painted in one go at the end rather the components on the sprue, then GSB it will be. The build will be OOB with seat belts from tape and a crudely fashioned instrument panel (the retracted wheel blanks look that one might do the trick and a control stick from wire to give a wee bit detail in the office. Edited December 18, 2018 by 825 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 It's a brave individual who takes on an 'older' kit. Looking forward to this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted November 17, 2018 Author Share Posted November 17, 2018 1 hour ago, wimbledon99 said: It's a brave individual who takes on an 'older' kit. Looking forward to this Thank you. But it's not so bad in the box. The Goose I'm also doing looks a lot more challenging, and it's only 5/8 years old not 40. My experience with Matchbox kits is they do go together pretty well although they do need a bit of filler here and there. But to be fair nothing outrageously awful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted November 17, 2018 Share Posted November 17, 2018 Great to see a Matchbox oldie in the GB! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted November 18, 2018 Author Share Posted November 18, 2018 Finally a bit of work done and a few coats of paint applied to the interior areas and engine. As can can be seen this is going to be a Dark Sea Blue finish (despite initially painting the wing undersides in Sky. The cockpit is a little bare so I'm going to use this wheel insert as a base for then instrument panel, along with one of these paper panels. The control column will be a piece of wire bent to the requisite shape. The cockpit opening is small so this will probably be enough as little can be seen. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted November 21, 2018 Author Share Posted November 21, 2018 Using Xtradecal sheet Yanks with Roundels 3 to do this BPF Hellcat from HMS Indomitable. Gloss Sea Blue with Extra Dark Sea Grey blanks for overpainted roundels. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted November 22, 2018 Author Share Posted November 22, 2018 Interior detail done, straps from Tamiya tape and a wire control column mounted on a piece of plastic strip. I'm reserving on the IP as I think there is probably enough already there Closed up. And wings assembled. There is a need for some filler but it's a lot less than many. Much of this is my clumsiness. Apart from the cowling area there is only an imperceptible seam along the bottom and a part of the upper join where I was probably too enthusiastic removing the sprue gate. I have now sanded these down and polished them up and there is a Micro thread Ike green line left. No photos yet but I'll post tomorrow. I said the much newer Goose would be more troublesome! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted November 23, 2018 Author Share Posted November 23, 2018 Cleaned up nicely. Now with wings and empanage on. I think a small amount of tidying up around the cowling ring is needed but there doesn't seem to be any gaps on the wing joints. So a short interval and then it will be time for paint. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 That did indeed clean up very nicely! Looking good Can I ask where you purchased those clamps? They look perfect for our hobby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted November 23, 2018 Author Share Posted November 23, 2018 3 hours ago, wimbledon99 said: That did indeed clean up very nicely! Looking good Can I ask where you purchased those clamps? They look perfect for our hobby! I got them in Modelzone before they closed. Their called Berna clamps. However Shesto do them http://www.modelcraftcollection.com/ as well as loads other clamps. You can get them on eBay and Amazon but watch out as sometimes there's more expensive. Shesto are a brilliant place for loads of modelling stuff. No relationship apart from a satisfied customer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 4 minutes ago, 825 said: I got them in Modelzone before they closed. Their called Berna clamps. However Shesto do them http://www.modelcraftcollection.com/ as well as loads other clamps. You can get them on eBay and Amazon but watch out as sometimes there's more expensive. Shesto are a brilliant place for loads of modelling stuff. No relationship apart from a satisfied customer. Cool - Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted November 24, 2018 Author Share Posted November 24, 2018 A few coats of gloss Sea Blue on. A couple more needed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted November 28, 2018 Author Share Posted November 28, 2018 Painting done and some transfers on. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 Looking good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 Wow, what a transformation. That's looking a bit good Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted December 15, 2018 Author Share Posted December 15, 2018 On 11/28/2018 at 8:35 PM, wimbledon99 said: Looking good! Thanks. Once fully and properly covered I think Gloss Dark Sea Blue looks really good On 11/28/2018 at 9:55 PM, stevehnz said: Wow, what a transformation. That's looking a bit good Steve. With Flow Improver diluted Xtracrylix the secret, when brush painting, is lots of very thin coats (I usually need 4) but the first couple look seriously awful. The other thing in this kits favour is that although old the Matchbox range were in general excellent in shape and accuracy even if the level of detail is less than we woul expect today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted December 15, 2018 Author Share Posted December 15, 2018 All the transfers on, undercarriage on and prettty much ready for finishing off. The canopy is masked and will be fitted and sealed before painting. The grey blanks on the wings are where the roundels were painted out on moving from the East Indian fleet to the British Pacific Fleet. I painted the area with Extra Dark Sea Grey and a layer of matt varnish, then cut out a roundel shaped mask, placed it in the appropriate place and put a couple of layers of Gloss Sea Blue over the area. The tail has fin flashes painted over as well but as they are rectangular I'll use strips of masking tape. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted December 18, 2018 Author Share Posted December 18, 2018 All the final bits on, a bit of touching up of the paint where needed and we're now done. Some better photos to take and into the gallery it can go. Hellcat MkII 1844 Squadron NAS HMS Indomitable 1945 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Looks good!! Nicely done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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