John Aero Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 (edited) This is only around 36 years late, but I've been finding boxes full of polystyrene peanuts and the old show models, some worse for wear, that were usually built from the first vac shots literally "hot off the press" and usually only scant days before the old IPMS UK.Nationals. I usually released three new 1:48th scale subjects for the Nats each year That year it was Stalag Luft Stoneleigh, as it was known to us inmates due to it's very basic accommodation at Stoneleigh Agricultural Showground. It really was common for me to cut out, abrade down and glue together and then paint the kits in about three days using only the legendary Midnight Oil. I think that the other two might have been an Avro Tutor and unusually a 1:32 Pitts Special. Taking a leaf from Moa's book... The Gamecock is a survivor, so here it is.. Edited March 28, 2019 by John Aero addition 55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pheonix Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 For a model put together with only midnight oil 30+ years ago, that si something to be proud of. Lovely model. P 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britman Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 I have the kit and if it turns out like that , I will be very happy. Amongst other projects I have two Woodcocks in progress after a ten year delay! Keith PS. I will post them when done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted March 28, 2019 Author Share Posted March 28, 2019 Apart from the prop ,engine, main U/c legs guns, tail skid and control column, which were white metal castings from my cobbled up master parts, the entire airframe including the wheels is vacform from an epoxy mould, cast over a pattern I carved out of Lime wood, which was fixed to a thick plywood back board via a silicone rubber sub stage. The struttery was all Slaters plasticard rod. Pour Rubber over the wood, to create a female mould, Rubber into the female Rubber mould, with a release agent, to create a Rubber male master, then Aluminium filled epoxy over the Rubber male. Drill lots of vent holes in the "still green" epoxy. When properly hardened there was a production mould and the wooden master was still unblemished. John 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 Oh, John- she's a beauty! Either you were always an incredible model builder, or the rest of us haven't gotten any better since then. That is one gorgeous little Gamecock- thanks for sharing her with us! I actually have this kit, and it's one of my prized possessions; one of these days I will get up the courage to build it, along with my Demon. Hector, and Flycatcher...thank you for producing so many great kits and detail parts for us over the years. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted March 28, 2019 Author Share Posted March 28, 2019 Ahh this is the 1:48th Vac not the later 1:72 injected one, which sadly I broke yesterday trying to adjust a slightly out of alignment wing. Oops. The vac Gamecock has literally traveled hundreds of miles, being taken to around six shows a year for about 30 years and so far has never been repaired. The only one of my kits to have actually flown was my prototype all Yellow civil 1:48 Chipmunk G-JAKE which was spotted by the owner at a Tollerton Airshow and in exchange for which I claimed a ride in the real one. It flew out of Tollerton just resting on the back seat. I forgot about the promised ride until a few years later when in company with the aviation author W.A. (Bill) Harrison we flew the Rolls Royce club Cessna 150 into Netherthorpe one evening. There sitting on the club veranda like a Tombstone Cowboy was the Chipmunk owner who after a brief intro, dragged out the Chippie and I got the promised flight, with the bonus that so did Bill. John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Getting Old Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 very nice indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted March 28, 2019 Author Share Posted March 28, 2019 Now here's a philosophical conundrum. Is it a model completed from a set of production kit parts? Yes it certainly is. But also is it a scratch built model? Yes it certainly is. Because I made or shaped or moulded every stage, starting with either a piece of wood, plastic or metal. So to which category does it belong? 😕 John 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britman Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 Scratch built kit John? Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 Wonderful, thanks for sharing, i have the 1/72 version and a Woodcock, Gauntlet etc . All will be built as part of a silver wings collection one day soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 1 hour ago, John Aero said: Ahh this is the 1:48th Vac Sorry, John- I didn't realize it was 1/48 😥...as you can tell by my username, it's not my scale, but my comments are still appropriate- that is one beautiful build Mike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Gorgeous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted March 29, 2019 Author Share Posted March 29, 2019 Thank you all for the many kind comments, I was certainly a prolific producer when I was in my early forties. For a long time I made everything from Masters to moulds and then built the prototypes to put on the trade stand at shows. I developed all my own techniques but often derived or modified from common practice.. My late wife Angela, once said that I should have one word on my gravestone.. 'Modified' It wasn't long before I needed help with kit pattern making so I could concentrate on developing the new short run injection moulded enterprise and the ever growing white metal"bits" range. The talented Brian Fawcett took on many of the Masters and once I'd assembled a first"hot shot" this was soon given to a young Air Cadet who was a talented modeller and who had become an Aeroclub 'groupie'. This was Paul Molloy who then went on to be a regular part of our trade stand at shows. It made a change from his day job with it's blue flashing lights and sirens I ought to write this down for posterity, or would it be posterior John. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putty Animal Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 Amazing. Pants down the nicest Gamecock I've seen in the last 30 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldy Posted March 29, 2019 Share Posted March 29, 2019 John, it may have been built in a hurry but it captures the look of the Gamecock beautifully. Simply lovely. Cheers Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 That’s fantastic John. I was lucky to find one of these the other day after a long time looking! I can’t see mine coming out anywhere near as well as yours though. My kit only has white metal engine, prop and gun so don’t know if the undercarriage etc is missing. The bag of WM is still stapled to the box. And yes, you should write it all down. It would make fascinating reading for all your Aeroclub fans! Cheers Glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted April 12, 2019 Author Share Posted April 12, 2019 Glen, Yes it should have the undercarriage legs and tail skid. I'll see if there is a possibility of any parts lurking around.. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Aero Posted April 12, 2019 Author Share Posted April 12, 2019 The stable mate to the Gamecock was the 1:48th Avro Tutor which was a Vacform with metal parts and another speed build hence the overall brush painted Humbrol Yellow. Here it is some 34 years later, untouched but with the exception it's now temporarily on a base. I didn't make this base, as it and the figure were done by my friend Alan Simpson who sent it to me, to spur me into modelling for myself when I retired. The result was my Gipsy Moth diorama in the Classic forum. I now have a mammoth undertaking under way, The Stackton Tressell Aerodrome Project, of which more anon. John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Getting Old Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Brilliant diorama That grass looks so real Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Both very beautiful models! In very interesting memoires... Cheers J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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