D-day Spitfires - Eduard Longest Day 1/72 Combo

[CedB]

28 minutes ago, limeypilot said:

I agree re 1:48 and even 1:32 - all that happens is you have to add more detail, which is usually the same size as the 1:72 bits that you can't find!

I'll stick to the proper scale for now.

 

Ian

Good man Ian, quite right  

18 minutes ago, Spookytooth said:

Oh dear Run out again.

Will get some more from the off`y.

 

Simon.

Thanks Simon - we can always rely on you to keep us (virtually) supplied!  

 

 

PE i/p anyone? Our own @Procopius has had problems with his Xuron PE cutter in the past so I thought I'd post this close up:

 

 

I find if I use them like this, with the blade underneath and 'under' the part, I can position the top blade and 'snick', comes off without any knubs:

 

 

Nice.

GG Thin to stick the three parts together making sure the dials are visible and then some extra glue in the holes to represent the glass:

 

 

We'll see how they turned out later.

[Spookytooth]

22 minutes ago, CedB said:

Thanks Simon - we can always rely on you to keep us (virtually) supplied!  

 

Always happy to oblige dear chap, cannot have restless natives.

And don`t worry about the "White legs " mate, along as you have a licence for them that all that matters.

 

Simon.

[Biggles87]

I agree with Ian’s point about 1/32 scale. I started buying 1/32 to cope with my ageing skills about the time we moved here and yes you are encouraged to add more detail but it also extend my already snail-like progress to unacceptable lengths.

Before the days of etched accessories someone suggested slivers of plasticard for brake levers, if you try to cut a very thin strip from a sheet it tends to curl, giving you a nice curved lever. It worked well for 1/48 but I think you would have trouble  doing it small enough for 1/72.

You can keep the poltergeist, I don’t want it!

 

John

[CedB]

22 minutes ago, Spookytooth said:

Always happy to oblige dear chap, cannot have restless natives.

And don`t worry about the "White legs " mate, along as you have a licence for them that all that matters.

 

Simon.

Is that like a dog licence?  

 

3 minutes ago, Biggles87 said:

I agree with Ian’s point about 1/32 scale. I started buying 1/32 to cope with my ageing skills about the time we moved here and yes you are encouraged to add more detail but it also extend my already snail-like progress to unacceptable lengths.

Before the days of etched accessories someone suggested slivers of plasticard for brake levers, if you try to cut a very thin strip from a sheet it tends to curl, giving you a nice curved lever. It worked well for 1/48 but I think you would have trouble  doing it small enough for 1/72.

You can keep the poltergeist, I don’t want it!

 

John

Thanks John  I'll have to see if we can exorcise it then… twisting head memories anyone?

 

 

Next step - remove the plastic compass ready for the PE replacement: 

 

 

Of course I could use a scalpel but that's too easy.

You know I have this idea that I can compensate for my lack of skill by purchasing tools.

What do they call that syndrome? Ah, deluded, that's it…

In a vain attempt to get closer to Baronial modelling I bought this a while ago:

 

 

A Jeweller's saw. Comes with over 100 blades (so I guess they break easily). 

Tony tells me he uses this all the time now so in for a penny…

 

For those not in the know, they're not like broaches - if you look really closely you can see the blades have 'usual' saw teeth (just really tiny) AND there's a toothless bit at each end:

 

 

…that goes in the screw jaw thingies like this:

 

 

Then you realise you should have put the blade through the part before you put it in the frame:

 

 

 

I am an idiot. Still.

 

That done though the compasses were removed in a few strokes:

 

 

I'll know next time.

Probably.

[Spookytooth]

3 minutes ago, CedB said:

Is that like a dog licence?  

 

Yes Ced, "Dangerous Legs Licence" .

Come in yearly, 10 year or life-time...

 

Nice work on the Spitfire sir.

 

Simon.

[keefr22]

Yep, good start Ced!

 

Keith

[bbudde]

Hello I*m also in here. Very late, but I am. Nice start. Sorry to hear about that mishap.

Cheers

[Valkyrie]

If Carlsberg made pubs... i think this might be my new local. I have actually had to get a beer for this update. This is a great detailed thread great subject. I can see me drunkingly buying this as so far even though you are removing finite pieces you make it look easy. Good work 

[hendie]

Good grief Ced.... trials and tribulations of a tooled up modeler.   Looks like you need to invest in some kevlar thread.  Or a lot of very soft foam to lay all over the floor

[CedB]

22 hours ago, Spookytooth said:

Yes Ced, "Dangerous Legs Licence" .

Come in yearly, 10 year or life-time...

 

Nice work on the Spitfire sir.

 

Simon.

Thanks Simon  I think the 10 year one please…

21 hours ago, keefr22 said:

Yep, good start Ced!

 

Keith

Thanks Keith  

19 hours ago, bbudde said:

Hello I*m also in here. Very late, but I am. Nice start. Sorry to hear about that mishap.

Cheers

Hi Ben and welcome  

15 hours ago, Valkyrie said:

If Carlsberg made pubs... i think this might be my new local. I have actually had to get a beer for this update. This is a great detailed thread great subject. I can see me drunkingly buying this as so far even though you are removing finite pieces you make it look easy. Good work 

Thanks V - it does get a bit rowdy sometimes but the locals are pretty friendly  

9 hours ago, hendie said:

Good grief Ced.... trials and tribulations of a tooled up modeler.   Looks like you need to invest in some kevlar thread.  Or a lot of very soft foam to lay all over the floor

I know! I'm using 'strong Linen' thread so it should be OK; you certainly can't break it by pulling with your fingers - I have the scars to prove it. Must be the knots.

 

 

Things have been painted ready for detailing:

 

 

I still like brushing H78 for this job as it gives a sort of pre-weathered finish. I promised a photo of the i/ps earlier:

 

 

Nice. Obviously not glued yet as I'll do that after I've put in the (gulp) PE compasses.

Hate those.

Daughter and puppy are arriving soon - a good excuse to delay the job!

[Brandy]

Is it Bob-a-job week? Find yourself a friendly boy scout for knot tying duties!

 

Ian

Edited July 11, 2019 by limeypilot

[hendie]

6 hours ago, limeypilot said:

Is it Bob-a-job week? Find yourself a friendly boy scout for knot tying duties!

 

Ian

 

I've heard rumors about some sea-faring types being members of this parish on occasion... aren't they supposed to be good at tying knots?  P'raps they can enlighten Ced

[Brandy]

That was also a consideration. I suppose it all comes down to preference....boy scouts or sailors? 

 

Ian

Edited July 11, 2019 by limeypilot

[The Spadgent]

Page two. I knew it! 🤣 well at least I get two spits for the price of one. Lovely start Mr B. I’ll tag along if that’s ok?

 

Johnny boy. 😀

[CedB]

23 hours ago, limeypilot said:

Is it Bob-a-job week? Find yourself a friendly boy scout for knot tying duties!

 

Ian

16 hours ago, hendie said:

 

I've heard rumors about some sea-faring types being members of this parish on occasion... aren't they supposed to be good at tying knots?  P'raps they can enlighten Ced

16 hours ago, limeypilot said:

That was also a consideration. I suppose it all comes down to preference....boy scouts or sailors? 

 

Ian

Thanks Ian and Hendie - Scouts or Sailors? 🤐

 

9 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Page two. I knew it! 🤣 well at least I get two spits for the price of one. Lovely start Mr B. I’ll tag along if that’s ok?

 

Johnny boy. 😀

Welcome Johnny  

 

 

Compasses. Five little circles joined together that need to be folded so you end up with something that looks like this:

 

 

Only in focus, obviously. Done now and they're fitted, another fiddly job:

 

 

Gunsight. There are two types provided - make sure you paint the right one:

 

 

… and then remember to fit it at that 'sweet spot'; you know, before you've closed up but after the risk of knocking it off has passed. Tricky.

 

Seats painted:

 

 

Ready with the rest:

 

 

I'm hoping some of these guys will fit:

 

 

Not the most handsome crew but good enough for the ceiling.

[Heather Kay]

20 minutes ago, CedB said:

Not the most handsome crew but good enough for the ceiling.

I think it’s lovely you provide lots of toys for them to play with once they’re in the cockpit and flying from the ceiling. 

[malpaso]

I know you know this really and no one will see on the ceiling but the sides of the seats should be red/brown.  The whole bucket is a plastic item, only the ex-BL handbrake and the struts should be IG.  And apparently the backrest could be dark BRG or black.

i know I should get out more.  

Cheers

Will

[CedB]

1 hour ago, Heather Kay said:

I think it’s lovely you provide lots of toys for them to play with once they’re in the cockpit and flying from the ceiling. 

Awww thanks Heather  It's a sort of disease you know…

38 minutes ago, malpaso said:

I know you know this really and no one will see on the ceiling but the sides of the seats should be red/brown.  The whole bucket is a plastic item, only the ex-BL handbrake and the struts should be IG.  And apparently the backrest could be dark BRG or black.

i know I should get out more.  

Cheers

Will

Thanks Will - not that old Chestnut!  

Of course you (and the instructions) are right but the picture in this thread stuck in my head. I'll try to remember for the next one(s) which will probably be a different mark and so I'll get it wrong, again!

 

 

Time to get this lot together:

 

 

Step 1 is to stick the floor to the port side and, being paranoid that the fuselage won't join up, I cleaned ALL the glue locations first:

 

 

Step 2 is to insert the seat support apparently. There's no guidance on when to insert the i/p bulkhead and I would now say DO THAT FIRST 'cos the floor slides through the bulkhead and, if the floor's glued in, you'll have trouble getting it fitted and you may knock off the i/p:

 

 

Ask me how I know.

After getting it all together with various implements of destruction:

 

 

I checked the fuselage joins:

 

 

 

Nice. Note in that second shot the possibility of the suggested method of 'shoving the cockpit up from the bottom'. No comment (snigger).

 

The necessary shot of the never-to-be-seen-again cockpit:

 

 

Also nice.

Great kits these. Nice rest for me (so far).

[Biggles87]

Nice cockpits, shame about the seat colour. Only kidding.

I prefer my seat cushions to be black with a very slight hint of brown, hoping that this shows some sign of wear. While looking through my collection of Xtracolour tins a few weeks ago I came across one called French WW II Chocolat Noir which I’ve dry brushed over the black on my last couple of seats, and I use Humbrol Brick Red ( can’t remember the number ) for the actual seats.

 

John

[Valkyrie]

That’s a great cockpit! Ip perfect

 

Nice tip for seat colours @Biggles87 

[CedB]

11 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

Nice cockpits, shame about the seat colour. Only kidding.

I prefer my seat cushions to be black with a very slight hint of brown, hoping that this shows some sign of wear. While looking through my collection of Xtracolour tins a few weeks ago I came across one called French WW II Chocolat Noir which I’ve dry brushed over the black on my last couple of seats, and I use Humbrol Brick Red ( can’t remember the number ) for the actual seats.

 

John

Thanks John  I use Humbrol 73 which iModelKit says is a reasonable match. It won't really be seen now the crew are in…

5 hours ago, Valkyrie said:

That’s a great cockpit! Ip perfect

 

Nice tip for seat colours @Biggles87 

Thanks Valkyrie  

 

Crew selected and in place:

 

 

What's that? Oh, those bits on the left of the picture? Well, as usual with Eduard kits the Airfix pilots don't fit without a little, ahem, surgery.

Their feet had to come off and that yellow blob is, how shall I put it, part of 'Chubbies' lower back. Lower. Lower. Yes, there.

The belt is a discarded attempt to give them a harness - too narrow to go over their neck. Hold on to your hats boys…

 

Close up in the morning.

[CedB]

As promised, closed up:

 

 

Pretty painless.

Don't forget to glue B37 in before you join the fuselage halves. You can insert it from the bottom but it's easier if you put it in first.

Watch the vertical alignment on the seams - a great fit but it can wobble a bit.

 

As an aside, my Touch-N-Flow applicator has rusted. Rats.

I really like this for joining up the fuselages as you can run the applicator along the seam without having to dip the brush again and again.

It also avoids those blobs of glue when you touch the brush to the seam.

 

Another applicator and some more Plast-I-Weld ordered.

[CedB]

Wings also painless:

 

 

 

Then it's the most irritating parts of the kit.

Firstly the nose. This is usually considered a "Why oh why oh why oh why did they mold that in two parts?" so this time I used plenty of TET and pushed and shoved until the damned things settled, hopefully without a bad seam:

 

 

Happy with those (until the paint goes on, probably).

Next comes the tiny bar behind the seat. Yes, it was a pain as usual. Stuck to the TET brush, fell into the (thankfully open) cockpit more than once but finally on:

 

 

The doors are there to remind me to paint the inside when I do the bar. Later.

[Biggles87]

I have a selection of ( non-Eduard ) one piece resin top cowlings for my 1/48 Eduard Spitfires. Strangely the Eduard ones do not fit! I wonder if the 1/72 versions are any better. 

Good luck with the sanding.

 

John

[malpaso]

Personally I don’t see why there’s such a fuss about the Eduard cowlings.  It’s effectively no worse than the joint on every other 1/72 Spitfire kit!  Actually better as on my ones so far a quick line of tipp-ex and some wet and dry and it’s done...admittedly a one piece part would have been even better though they would have needed multiple versions.

cheers

Will