Jump to content

Burn Down Their Hanging Trees (1/72 Airfix Lancaster B.III)


Recommended Posts

15 hours ago, perdu said:

Wow PC don't they purvey a large number of said pamphlets, I fear that you must be very specific when you ask Adrian to help you.

 

"Oh I cannot remember best send me the lot!" might not be the ideal entreaty.

Oh, it's the Skytrex WWI and WWII naval rules, specifically. 

 

13 hours ago, limeypilot said:

Your tale of Grant's escapade reminds me of one of my own. My parents were chatting with the neighbors across the road when they spotted me standing in the window (it was open, and I was merely holding onto the window frames, standing on the bottom rail). That statement gains a little more perspective if I mention that it was the upstairs window, and our house was on the side of a hill. From that window to the ground was therefore about 3 storey's worth! I vividly remember one of them standing outside talking to me while the other crept up behind me and grabbed me. 

We've had a few similar experiences with Winston. Being a parent is exhausting.

 

Anyway, tonight was my eighth wedding anniversary, but Mrs P was feeling poorly and went to bed at 8 PM, so I just worked on the model. 

 

All of the exhaust shrouds are now fitted:

 

IMG_20190730_223736

 

The escape hatch portholes have been rounded off a bit more using the highly scientific method of tearing off a little piece of sandpaper, wrapping it around the handle of a paintbrush, and sort of corkscrewing it into the hole.

 

IMG_20190730_230327

 

Nose sanded down after filling in about the fairing:

 

IMG_20190730_223802

 

And all but one spinner assembled:

 

IMG_20190730_223820

 

Getting close to where I'll be unable to put off primering her for much longer.

 

 

 

  • Like 18
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Stew Dapple said:

Nice work! Those holes too big for a rat-tail file? Asking for a friend... :D 

They're a little larger than my rat-tail file, which I used initially on them, but couldn't quite seem to get the edges to round off properly. I used to have some cylindrical sanding sticks the exact right diameter, but of course I've either lost them or mistaken them for a snack and eaten them.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lanc's coming on nicely PC, and the thread's a typically good PC read. 

2 hours ago, Procopius said:

Anyway, tonight was my eighth wedding anniversary, but Mrs P was feeling poorly and went to bed at 8 PM, so I just worked on the model. 

Now that's a really nice one sentence paragraph.  On the one hand it's obviously sort of sad that Mrs P was poorly on your anniversary -  but on the other hand it was an opportunity for a very witty piece of writing.  Every cloud has a silver lining etc.:)

On 7/27/2019 at 4:28 AM, Procopius said:

the best Hornet you can imagine is merely adequate

I've been internally musing on this for a few days and have to lodge a small grumble of protest.

 

I and many of my chums spent much of the late 80's coveting the F18.  I remember doing the Nato Tactical Leadership Program (TLP) at Jever back then and the Canadian F18s were by far the coolest/most versatile jets there.  

 

TLP002_zps35156394.jpg

 

Mind you; that was a long time ago and I s'pect your right and newer kit has rendered the old F18 no more than adequate. Age can do that to you I find :D

 

 

 

  • Like 7
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you certain young Steve, that was not simply engine envy in that the F/A18 actually owned engines that produced MORE power than noise?

 

Unlike the oddly almost adequate Engins Francaise in the Jag?

 

I learned a lot about Jags from you during my essay into Adourland...  :)

 

Mind you I would prefer our forces even now to have 18+s instead of 35s

  • Like 1
  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, perdu said:

Mind you I would prefer our forces even now to have 18+s instead of 35s

But that would require “cats & traps” in the carriers, and that was never going to happen from the moment very early in their design that they opted not to go down the nuclear propulsion route.  Certainly won’t now, unless the Magic Money Tree sprouts into a complete forest.

 

I’m with Steve (which probably just shows that we’re roughly the same age).  My Stovie contemporaries were full of praise for the F18.  Not as sexy as the F14 (but then, what could be?), but a very capable weapon system - and the sheer scale of its evolution since suggests that Northrop were onto something all those years ago. [I accept that comparing a “Superbug” to the YF17 is essentially comparing 2 different aircraft - but the same thing never stops us referring to the AV8B+ as a “Harrier”]

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Procopius said:

They're a little larger than my rat-tail file, which I used initially on them, but couldn't quite seem to get the edges to round off properly. I used to have some cylindrical sanding sticks the exact right diameter, but of course I've either lost them or mistaken them for a snack and eaten them.

Did they have chocolate on top, orange underneath and a cake-like base? :cwl:

 

In which case, quite understandable...

 

SD

 

 

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Fritag said:

I and many of my chums spent much of the late 80's coveting the F18.  I remember doing the Nato Tactical Leadership Program (TLP) at Jever back then and the Canadian F18s were by far the coolest/most versatile jets there.  

 

 

 

Ah, Steve, I'm afraid you have me at a slight disadvantage in terms of cool points. I spent the late 1980s telling my fellow preschoolers that Santa Claus didn't exist and getting sent home for it. So please understand how painful it is for me to have to contradict you, a bit like Job arguing with god. 

 

I'm sure the F/A-18s were pretty cool in the 1980s, but I've always had room for nothing but hate in my heart for the two cheap-looking 1980s wonderjets that replaced the Phantom for the USN andv USAF. I'm referring, of course, to the F-16 and the F/A-18. The F/A-18 is however by far the worst offender. From its rude, disgustingly small jet exhausts (fig.1) to its curious resemblance to a police sketch artist's composite drawing of every other jet fighter of the 1980s. the Hornet doesn't spark joy. That's aside from a very compelling argument which recently fell into my hands, and which is reproduced below as (fig.2) with appropriate emendations; I trust you'll find it as masterful a display of ontology as the world has seen since St Anselm penned the Proslogion. 

 

How much of this is down to the fact that the F/A-18 displaced my father figure in the form of the F-4, I leave to you closet Freudians amongst us. (That said, I have a RAAF and a RCAF Hornet in the stash to build, plus one of those dorky Super Hornets for the RAAF, as well.)

 

162882_MCD_F-18A_Hornet_US_Marines_Tail_

Figure 1. An affront to god and man.

 

 

facts

Figure 2. Unanswerable. 

 

19 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

I’m with Steve (which probably just shows that we’re roughly the same age).  My Stovie contemporaries were full of praise for the F18.  Not as sexy as the F14 (but then, what could be?), but a very capable weapon system - and the sheer scale of its evolution since suggests that Northrop were onto something all those years ago.

Not you too! I feel like the guy at the end of Ionesco's Rhinoceros

 

Despite this horrid outburst of pro-Hornet sympathies -- here! in my own damned thread! -- I managed to get some work done tonight, and primed part of the Lanc with Mr. Surfacer 1500 diluted with Mr Levelling Thinner. I only did one pass and didn't get all of it covered, not even all of the underside, but at some point a fella has to move past the theorizing and start making his ideas a reality, no matter how ham-handedly. 

 

IMG_20190731_225532

 

 

  • Like 9
  • Haha 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

:rofl:

Nice, smooth Lanc PC, seamless.

Sorry if you can't hear me but I'm standing over here, away from the argument about things of which I know nothing, in case it turns physical.

My Dad always told me 'There's no such thing as an innocent bystander. Stay away from trouble'.

Wise words.

  • Like 2
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My apologies; I hadn’t realised your antipathy to the F18 was based on such rational and objective grounds!

 

Since we are using coolness and size of jet pipe (fnarr) as criteria, henceforth I shall campaign unceasingly for the air groups of QE & PoW to consist of Sea Furies & Buccaneers, perhaps with a few Pups, Flycatchers, Fireflies and Swordfish held in reserve just in case.  And Sea Kings, obvs - but none of your Mk5s & 6s, with their passive ASW and <*shudder*> digital processing; strictly HAS2 and valves in this shining new world.  

 

That still leaves room for exciting new types like the Sea Vixen in the future, after a further 20 or 30 years of development to get them really bedded down.

  • Haha 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now I get it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He's Tom Cruise

 

A wonder Ced didn't notice but as he's standing very far away...

 

 

and now I will stand even further away

And warm up the getaway bike

 

Anyone know how to ride this damned thing?

 

 

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14s, 15s, 16s, 18s, whatever. They're all boring grey jets (and let us not even contemplate the monstrosities that are the 22 and 35).

 

Wyverns - now there's the best of both worlds. Jet AND prop, cool colours and a face that's impossible to confuse with anything else.

 

In the meantime, 48 cylinders from Messrs Rolls and Royce and an assemblage of parts courtesy of Mr A. V. Roe & Company will keep the home fires burning--the Lanc is looking good and deserves to be built without any further reference to those BGJs mentioned above.

 

I may have mentioned this in another thread, but your tales of woe make me appreciate my single, childless status!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

My apologies; I hadn’t realised your antipathy to the F18 was based on such rational and objective grounds!

 

Since we are using coolness and size of jet pipe (fnarr) as criteria, henceforth I shall campaign unceasingly for the air groups of QE & PoW to consist of Sea Furies & Buccaneers, perhaps with a few Pups, Flycatchers, Fireflies and Swordfish held in reserve just in case.  And Sea Kings, obvs - but none of your Mk5s & 6s, with their passive ASW and <*shudder*> digital processing; strictly HAS2 and valves in this shining new world.  

 

That still leaves room for exciting new types like the Sea Vixen in the future, after a further 20 or 30 years of development to get them really bedded down.

There a couple of unruly looking ladies at the door asking if they might be able to join that party

ehFxfuZ.jpg

  • Like 2
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Be a shame if they couldn't join in, EVERY party needs a couple of unruly ladies after all.

 

I never went to good party that didn't have unruly birds there

 

 

In fact I'll raise a glass to unruly ladies everywhere

 

Cheers

 

🍻🍹🍺🍸

  • Like 1
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

4 hours ago, Procopius said:

Despite this horrid outburst of pro-Hornet sympathies -- here! in my own damned thread! --

 

Humble apologies.  I failed to infer from the original comment as to the at best 'merely adequate' Hornet that the PC antipathy ran quite so deep :blush:

 

4 hours ago, Procopius said:

I've always had room for nothing but hate in my heart for the two cheap-looking 1980s wonderjets that replaced the Phantom for the USN andv USAF. I'm referring, of course, to the F-16 and the F/A-18. The F/A-18 is however by far the worst offender. From its rude, disgustingly small jet exhausts (fig.1) to its curious resemblance to a police sketch artist's composite drawing of every other jet fighter of the 1980s. the Hornet doesn't spark joy. That's aside from a very compelling argument which recently fell into my hands, and which is reproduced below as (fig.2) with appropriate emendations; I trust you'll find it as masterful a display of ontology as the world has seen since St Anselm penned the Proslogion. 

 

How much of this is down to the fact that the F/A-18 displaced my father figure in the form of the F-4

 

Ah.  It probably doesn't help my case then that I (i) firmly declined the RAF's kind offer to drive the F-4, (ii) spent much of my RAF career driving adour powered(?) jets with simply minute jet exhausts and (iii) had a rather enjoyable few months driving the F16C/D at Macdill.  Not sure I'm equipped for persuasive advocacy on this issue.....:weep: 

 

How about if I said that the F18 had a very nice digital moving map display?  Compelling?  No - I thought not - bit too niche an argument.  Anyways, with hindsight p'raps it was disproportionately important back when being lost in the murk at low level seemed to present an existential threat. :hmmm:

 

Apologies also for being the unwitting precipitator of the introduction of discussion of all these Navy-type-aeroplanes into a plainly RAF- anchored thread :doh:    :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Haha 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

F-14, Vietnam veteran? Very tenuous. I really don't think you can class it as a 'Nam veteran when its first mission was covering the evacuation! 

I did my flight training at a school owned and run by an ex USN pilot, F4-Us in Korea, followed by "can do, where to?" (If you can find the video, he was sqn commander at the time and is a key player in the vid!) His son flew F-14s and dumped one, fully armed, into the Red Sea, a la Top Gun - flat spin after an engine failure. Fortunately both of them survived.

 

Ian

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, NAVY870 said:

There a couple of unruly looking ladies at the door asking if they might be able to join that party

ehFxfuZ.jpg

Though it was undoubtedly a fine aircraft, I developed a distinct antipathy to the A4 in 1982.  Not Aussie, I grant you, but still Southern Hemisphere.  

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And to think i initially thought that all this "Hornet" talk was referring to the De Havilland Hornet. 😉 ... Silly me to think that in a thread about a WW2 Bomber. Never not once did i think we would start talking about modern (boring) grey jets ? 

 

The Lancaster is looking great BTW PC.

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Though it was undoubtedly a fine aircraft, I developed a distinct antipathy to the A4 in 1982.  Not Aussie, I grant you, but still Southern Hemisphere.  

Understandable Crisp

 

Very!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course it had a small jet pipe! The more a gas is restricted, the faster it flows! Therefore, the Hornet is infinately better than the F14.

QED.

 

Ian

  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

And to think i initially thought that all this "Hornet" talk was referring to the De Havilland Hornet. 😉 ... Silly me to think that in a thread about a WW2 Bomber. Never not once did i think we would start talking about modern (boring) grey jets ?

Surely only a lunatic could have antipathy for the de Havilland version; a sublime aircraft.

 

And yes, the Lancaster is indeed looking spiffing  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Surely only a lunatic could have antipathy for the de Havilland version; a sublime aircraft.

 

Dare I say it... (yes, I dare)... The Hornet is prettier than the Mosquito (and that's quite a large hurdle to overcome.)

 

  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...