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D-Day Anniversary Build- 1/72nd Planet Models GAL Hamilcar assault glider. ***FINISHED***


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Hiya Folks,

                 I wanted to complete a D-Day build, especially one associated with the Airborne Forces and so settled upon this 1/72nd Planet Models GAL Hamilcar kit from Planet Model;

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Here are the parts laid out for inspection,..... some of the vacuformed nose pieces have had the tips caved in during transit,..... and a Tetrarch tank that has already been built is also shown here for scale!;

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Here are some reference pic along with some that I took of a Matchbox Halifax that was converted into a GT.V glider tug;

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Here is some reference material that I have collected along with the kit instructions;

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Here is one of the fuselage halves along with a model of a Tetrarch Airborne Tank from MMS Models that I had already built, from a white metal kit,... the figure is probably going to be replaced or re painted;

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So thats it for now,

Cheers,

            Tony

 

PS,.... Just noticed the dog,....or her hair at least,.......getting in on the photo!

Edited by tonyot
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Great choice Tony. I remember a long time ago in the Airfix magazine (possibly 60's/early 70' there was a build of both the Hamilcar and Tetrach. And I think ere may have been a cover picture of the tank exiting the glider.  It's a long time ago and I may be wrong but it's possible the edition is buried I need the loft. I'll see if I can find it and let you know. Will be an excellent tribute to all who fought on D Day. Looking forward to following it. 

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Hi Tony, a great choice for a D-Day build, I too recall the Airfix mag article the @825 has mentioned above, I can probably find it with out too much hassle if the loft is not forthcoming. from memory there is a Hamilcar fuselage at Middle Wallop which might be useful for interior details if anyone has any photos to share, but the kit doesn't look too bad in that respect.

Steve.

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A nice looking kit, Tony.

 

I thought “good idea, worth trying to follow the master and build one myself”.  That is until I searched Evilbsy.  A tad over £72.  Postage IS free but I’m afraid that’s over my limit (not to mention SWMBO’s likely opinion).

 

I’ll still watch with interest ... OK if I draw my chair up a little closer?

 

Jonny

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11 hours ago, stevehnz said:

Hi Tony, a great choice for a D-Day build, I too recall the Airfix mag article the @825 has mentioned above, I can probably find it with out too much hassle if the loft is not forthcoming. from memory there is a Hamilcar fuselage at Middle Wallop which might be useful for interior details if anyone has any photos to share, but the kit doesn't look too bad in that respect.

Steve.

Thanks Steve,..... I have photos that I took of the Middle Wallop fuselage and also the hulk at Bovington Tank Museum,....so I`m OK thanks. 

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2 hours ago, Jonny said:

A nice looking kit, Tony.

 

I thought “good idea, worth trying to follow the master and build one myself”.  That is until I searched Evilbsy.  A tad over £72.  Postage IS free but I’m afraid that’s over my limit (not to mention SWMBO’s likely opinion).

 

I’ll still watch with interest ... OK if I draw my chair up a little closer?

 

Jonny

"The Master",....LOL,.... I don`t think so Jonny!! I`m having a bit of a sparse patch at the minute too,..... so please don`t expect too much!! Wow £72 is steep,.....but Planet kits are quite expensive when they first come out,..... and then just rise in price as they become more scarce. 

Draw the chair up,....but I hope I don`t disappoint!

Cheers

          Tony

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On 5/14/2019 at 8:11 PM, Aeronut said:

Tony, PM me if you are going to town on the interior as I have scans of the AP and Illustrated Parts manual I could let you have.

Cheers mate,.... much obliged,..... but I don`t think I`ll be adding much, if anything to the interior,...... the tank takes up most of the place. 

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Cheers Chris mate!!

 

Well a bit more of an update,..... I have sanded the fuselage halves to make the mating surfaces flatter and also drilled out the windows,....... unfortunately the resin fuselage halves are twisted and bowed,........ I may have to heat them with hot water and try to fix it that way? 

I`ve also painted the interior, going for a lightish brown dry brushed with a mid brown and given a watercolour wash to try to replicate a plain wooden finish, with Interior Grey Green for the cockpit and also the metal plates used for the tracks/wheels of the cargo. 

As well as that I have cut out the vacuformed nose,..... at the moment I cannot decide between the clear nose which has been partially painted, but a little small,..... or the larger white plastic nose part with clear parts to be added later which is a slightly better fit?

Here are some pics;

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Cheers for now,

                        Tony  

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I have just found this thread now, because right now I;ve bought in H, (for the first time) ... - Gal 49 Hamilcar! However not that one by Planet resin kit only vacu by Sanger.  The purcel just arrived  so I wanted to see if there was any thread on Hamilcar on BM. 

I will watch your build to be instructed with detailing of my vacu set....

Regards

Jerzy-Wojtek

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Tony, the floor trackway was wood not metal and it could be moved to suit the track of the vehicle carried. What metal the Hamilcar had was mostly stainless steel, and used only on the high stressed areas.

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On 5/22/2019 at 6:58 PM, Aeronut said:

Tony, the floor trackway was wood not metal and it could be moved to suit the track of the vehicle carried. What metal the Hamilcar had was mostly stainless steel, and used only on the high stressed areas.

Thanks for that info mate,...... I knew that it was adjustable for the load, be it tank, bren carrier, 17 pdr and tow etc,........ I`ll re paint them Brown from green! 

Cheers

          Tony

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Hiya Folks,.... a bit more progress,...... the fuselage halves are attached, as are the wings,........ the warpage was pretty bad and the fit was not brilliant,.......so out with the filler!!

 

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Cheers,

           Tony

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Hiya Folks,

                Here is some filler applied to the model;

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Wish me luck!!

Cheers,

         Tony

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Well,....... lots and lots of sanding later,....... and a coat of rattle can brown primer later to test the seams,....here i the model;

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Here is a close up of the nose area, showing the vacuformed nose cone with the resin insert;

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And next onto the painting,....... the camouflage pattern in the kit is fictitious,......so reference photos like this have been sourced to piece the correct pattern together!

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Cheer,

        Tony

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Hiya Folks,..... a bit more to report,........ I poured hot water over the wings an tailplane and tried my best to bend them back to a decent shape! Then I brush painted Dark Earth onto the model this morning and began to paint the nose cone and fin black. Found some deep scratches around the nose from the sanding,..... so these were filled in too,..... ready to sand them;

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Cheers,

           Tony

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Hiya Folks,....... the first coat of Dark Green camouflage has been put on;

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Getting there,....slowly,..... was hoping to have it finished for 6th June,........ but not to worry!

 

Cheer

          Tony

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Hiya Folks,..... a bit more progress,..... 75 years to the day when the Airborne Forces were taking off after dark bound for Normandy,....... brave men all and they created history,...massive respect! 

 

Well,.... after a few more coats of Dark Green on the upper surface,....... masking was applied and Tamiya rattle can Satin Black was sprayed onto the model;

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Masking removed,..... excuse the pics,.....I had lost the daylight by this stage;

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I still need to mask off and paint the upper surface camouflage onto the nose cone,......but that will come later,......probably after the pub and the D-Day service.

 

Cheers,

           Tony

Edited by tonyot
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Oh, not often seen that glider being bult. Maybe because you know only the mainstream manufactor models. As a German I have to apologize for my country on that day, for starting that war then for insane reasons. Not my way of thinking, but I get confronted to it from time to time. Glad that the guys were not confronted then with a weather here like today. Expecting a violent stormfront in an hour our two here.  Will be off for that then. Cheers

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8 minutes ago, bbudde said:

Oh, not often seen that glider being bult. Maybe because you know only the mainstream manufactor models. As a German I have to apologize for my country on that day, for starting that war then for insane reasons. Not my way of thinking, but I get confronted to it from time to time. Glad that the guys were not confronted then with a weather here like today. Expecting a violent stormfront in an hour our two here.  Will be off for that then. Cheers

You were not around then mate,..... so it isn`t your problem old Son. You are getting the weather that we had yesterday,.....not nice but it doesn`t last long. Glad that the veterans got a window in the weather today and did not get wet,...... just hope that it lasts into Thursday in France too,

 

Cheers

           Tony  

Edited by tonyot
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You have nothing to apologize for, bbudde. You didn't do anything. What those in our paste, be it family or countrymen, may have done or not done, is not our responsibility.

 

 

Chris

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Lovely build. Makes me tempted to attempt oned myself a (we have a Market Garden GB on atm) hmm. As for the history, as was pointed out on the TV yesterday in the many D-Day 75th programs, we have seen 75 years (well 74 and a bit to be slightly more exact) of peace in Europe. Actually there was  a very good interview with a German veteran who admitted that while he had been fighting for the wrong cause, he was still also fighting for his fatherland, made total sense to me.

 

Also as an Irishman I could drag up lots of historical bad blood, but tbh it is in the past and we are closely tied nations nowadays to everybody's benefit (I won't mention Brexit, seriously what were you thinking)

 

On a semi related note I've decided to scratch a Horsa in 1/144th for our GB. Will post a WIP thread here once I get started (just want to get the que down to single digits first, my four interwar builds (a Fury, a Flycatcher, a Bulldog, and a Gamecock all in 1/48)

 

 

Edited by Marklo
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