Blackburn Shark +++++Finished+++++

[825]

I know this is third Shark but it's one I've been wanting to do for a while and I've put it off for all the right reasons, mainly the Forth Rail Bridge lattice of struts. However the GB is a good excuse to get going. 

 

 

110 parts, but there are a number of options, float plane or wheels, wings spread or folded, bombs, depth charges or a torpedo, so not all will be used. And two tiny transparencies. The boxing gives three options, a pre-war acraift from HMS Courageous, and a camouflaged trainer from 1940, both wheeled and a Portuguese floatplane. 

 

 

i look the look of the camouflaged version but I've had my fill of yellow on the two target tugs I've been doing and I don't have the paint for the underwing shadow scheme in the temperate land scheme. So it'll probably be the prewar kite.  The options are outlined on the behemoth  of an instruction sheet. Obviously the days before booklets. 

 

 

Here's the contents of the box, and the transfers look pretty poor but may be useable if they're Frog. However, I suspect it's a Frog box and set of instructions and possibly a Novo set of sprues and transfers. 

 

Edited September 5, 2019 by 825

[Rabbit Leader]

They look like original Frog parts @825. Frog resorted to dark Blue plastic around 1975, so this all ties in nicely with the box art and box design. Now there's only one way to know if you have original Frog or Novo decals, take a scrap decal and hover it over a dish of water. If it shatters into a million pieces, you know it's the Novo product. Just by looking at this set I reckon you've ended up with the real deal and is something that I'm keen to acquire as time gets on. 

 

Cheers and thanks for declaring your interest on here.. Dave 

[stevej60]

Love that trainer scheme might have to have a crack at it one day.Look forward to progress.

[JOCKNEY]

I'll have a rummage for spare decal.if yours are US.

Really looking forward to seeing you bring this one to life 

Cheers Pat 

[TonyW]

A fine choice for the GB.

 

That looks like an original decal sheet to me, I think you will be fine.

I've not seen that big sheet before but the box is a bit later than I'm used to. The photo on it is unusual for a FROG sheet and it would make a first class idea for a way of displaying the kit!

I wasn't aware of the cammo version either, the yellow undersides would certainly make for a colourful model. 

 

I'll be adding a Shark project to my build list later as well, it looks like the plane will be taking centre stage in this Group Build, who would have thought that?

 

Tony.

[825]

10 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

They look like original Frog parts @825. Frog resorted to dark Blue plastic around 1975, so this all ties in nicely with the box art and box design. Now there's only one way to know if you have original Frog or Novo decals, take a scrap decal and hover it over a dish of water. If it shatters into a million pieces, you know it's the Novo product. Just by looking at this set I reckon you've ended up with the real deal and is something that I'm keen to acquire as time gets on. 

 

Cheers and thanks for declaring your interest on here.. Dave 

Thanks Dave, the plastic does seem a bit different to the Novo Sea Hawk, and the transfer sheet on closer examination looks a lot crisper and clearer than a Novo set. Also the name transfer for the stand looks like original Frog, so hopefully they are useable. 

 

10 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

I'll have a rummage for spare decal.if yours are US.

Really looking forward to seeing you bring this one to life 

Cheers Pat 

Thanks Pat, as I say above hopefully they are Frog and useable. I've had a look through my transfers stash and so far found nothing for a Shark. Apart from starting from scratch with generic roundels and numbers. 

 

3 hours ago, TonyW said:

A fine choice for the GB.

 

That looks like an original decal sheet to me, I think you will be fine.

I've not seen that big sheet before but the box is a bit later than I'm used to. The photo on it is unusual for a FROG sheet and it would make a first class idea for a way of displaying the kit!

I wasn't aware of the cammo version either, the yellow undersides would certainly make for a colourful model. 

 

Tony.

Tony, Sharks were used for training up to about 1943, long after being replaced by the Swordfish in front line use, so plenty of scope for camouflage. I'd like to do one but the yellow underside is a pain and I think the lower wings will be in one of the shadow schemes, but I don't know which. Light green and light earth perhaps?  Paradoxically, as the Shark was metal apart from the wings a Cerux grey/Aluminium dope scheme might be easier. 

[TonyW]

I've had these pictures in my files for years, no idea where I got them from but they might come in handy?

 

[JOCKNEY]

I have spare Shark decals do you want them ?

[825]

On 6/14/2019 at 11:09 AM, TonyW said:

I've had these pictures in my files for years, no idea where I got them from but they might come in handy?

 

Thanks Tony, this is useful for the camouflage scheme, but the Shark trainers in 1940/41 were in the Tempertae Land Scheme on the upperworks. Somwould be Dark Earth/Dark Green with lighter colours on the lower wings. What these colours would be is the conundrum. 

 

On 6/14/2019 at 4:33 PM, JOCKNEY said:

I have spare Shark decals do you want them ?

Thanks Pat, but can we hold for the moment and see if the kit ones are useable. 

[825]

Interior completed and fuselage closed up. The cockpit is sparse with just the seats, moulded in bulkhead and TAG's gun and mount. I fashioned a control column out of wire but it can hardly be seen, so I'll add some crew. Went together fine. A little bit of tidying up required but thankfully no need for a sand fest. 

 

 

The crew, prewar life jackets in buff rather than yellow Mae Wests, though I think their flying helmets are probably a bit dark. 

 

[bigbadbadge]

Great start, it is good to see another Shark on the go too. It's a cracking model too.

Good luck with your build

All the best

Chris

[825]

Spent some today assembling all the wing parts. With the 'movable' airelons and slats, and separate elevators and rudder, tidying and trimming them took a little time. 

 

 

It's quite hard seeing flaws and seams on the dark plastic so I've given all the struts a quick coat of light grey and they nearly all have seams and quite a few small moulding dimples that will need filled. I also need to look at the other Shark builds and see how best to approach putting the wings together. 

[bigbadbadge]

Looking good and coming on well. Re the wings, I was going to follow @AdrianMF build on the forum where he built the outer wings as separate modules to add to the centre, however following his advice I will go for the lower wing first then the upper. 

Keep up the good work

All the best

Chris

 

[825]

2 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Looking good and coming on well. Re the wings, I was going to follow @AdrianMF build on the forum where he built the outer wings as separate modules to add to the centre, however following his advice I will go for the lower wing first then the upper. 

Keep up the good work

All the best

Chris

 

Thanks Chris. I'll look up Adrian's build and keep watching yours. I'm a little away from putting the wings on, as I want to complete the fuselage as I suspect access to it once the wings are on will be limited. I'm also toying with the idea of painting the wings before assembly so as not to have problems accessing the undersides of the upper wings in particular. 

[Paul821]

7 hours ago, 825 said:

Thanks Chris. I'll look up Adrian's build and keep watching yours. I'm a little away from putting the wings on, as I want to complete the fuselage as I suspect access to it once the wings are on will be limited. I'm also toying with the idea of painting the wings before assembly so as not to have problems accessing the undersides of the upper wings in particular. 

It's tips and learning from the experience of @825 @bigbadbadge and @AdrianMF that is proving the value of me holding back on my build. Keep up the good work chaps.

[AdrianMF]

The problem I found is that the lower stub wing positioning drives the whole wing alignment. I gaily stuck the stub wings on, built the outer wings as standalone cages, then found out they didn't fit together! Rather than pull it all apart I built it folded, where I could hide the misalignment. So next time I think I would build all the bits of each wing first and then worry about the struts. Hope the explanation of "how not to do it" helps a bit.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[825]

6 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

The problem I found is that the lower stub wing positioning drives the whole wing alignment. I gaily stuck the stub wings on, built the outer wings as standalone cages, then found out they didn't fit together! Rather than pull it all apart I built it folded, where I could hide the misalignment. So next time I think I would build all the bits of each wing first and then worry about the struts. Hope the explanation of "how not to do it" helps a bit.

 

Regards,

Adrian

Thanks Adrian that's really helpful. I've already glued the stub wings on so will have to take it from there. My thoughts are to get the lower wings on, complete the painting, add the struts and then (hopefully) just pop the upper wings on. Over optimistic perhaps but I've got my fingers crossed. 

[PeterB]

The normal "shadow shading" FAA scheme would be Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey on top surfaces and Dark Sea Grey and Light Slate Grey on top of lower wings and in some cases lower fuselage sides (RAF used Dark Green/Dark Earth and Light Green/Light Earth) but that did not come in until 1940/41 I believe and Dark Sea Green was being used pre war and possibly in Norway as well. "You pays your money and takes your choice" as the saying goes. I have used the full scheme on my Albacore and it looks OK, but on my Gladiator it looked a bit "artificial". All a matter of "Scale Colour" I guess. The idea was to use a lighter colour where the shadow of the upper wing would fall to sort of balance things out, hence "shadow shading". Probably fine in larger scales but I am not sure it works in 1/72.

[825]

Fuselage completed, tidied up the joints and painted 'Cerrux' grey and the top decking in Black. I'm going for the pre-war grey/aluminium finish rather than the camouflage version. Thanks to everyone who's given advice on the shadow scheme. It's filed in the database for future use so it it's definitely helpful. 

 

[825]

Lower wings and tailplanes on. I'll now paint up with Aluminium, finish and tidy all the struts then add the upper wings. I hope this will be the best approach. 

 

[825]

A few coats of Aluminium paint on. I used Revell Acquacolur thinned with about 10% flow Improver, this is then thinly applied with tiny amounts on a soft brush, almost dry brushing, in a number of very thin coats. I usually lay down a couple coats of gloss black but as the base colour is very dark I didn't bother this time. 

 

 

Another coat to finish off and then some further assembly. 

[bigbadbadge]

Looking very nice indeed so far.  I brush paint too, but can't get on with Acrylics, although I have never tried flow improver, might be worth checking out one day.

Keep up the good work

All the best

Chris

[825]

3 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Looking very nice indeed so far.  I brush paint too, but can't get on with Acrylics, although I have never tried flow improver, might be worth checking out one day.

Keep up the good work

All the best

Chris

I used to find that acrylics, although great for cleaning and having no smell, dried too quickly and it was difficult to avoid streaks. Flow Improver makes such a difference. It doesn't just help the paint flow to a smooth it retards drying a little so you don't get your brush catching and streaking if you inadvertently or deliberately go over paint you've just laid down. They still dry quickly. I was able to lay down the Shark's wings on the first side painted after painting the second side without it sticking to the cutting mat. The only thing to be careful of is you do need about three or four thin coats. And the first coat looks absolutely awful. The first time you think'What on Earth have I done?'

 

Have a go you'll be surprised by the results. Also have a look at Tony O'Toole's builds. He brush paints all his models (with judicious use iof rattle can sprays) and they look superb. I think he primarily uses acrylics with flow Improver. 

[bigbadbadge]

Hi 825

Thanks for the tips. I know Tony as a fellow brush painter too , I use enamels lightly thinned to eliminate brush marks in a similar way.  I have a large number of Humbrol paints so want to continue with those, but may have a look at some acrylics in future too.

Keep up the good work

All the best

Chris

[stevej60]

Looking good.