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I say, we've been Zapped by those Colonial blighters!!!


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Budge up, shove up a bit, move down......  Room for one more upstairs?

 

XV590 was an FG.1 of 892 Naval Squadron which was zapped by it's hosts on a visit to NAS Oceana. in 1978 I believe.

 

OK, I've now seen that @FortyEighter is also building this bird, but who can have enough of the rivalry between these two closely-linked navies and the fun and games that go on in service life.

 

Well I've found a few reference pics on t'interweb, so plan to build it as close as I can to those pictures, so no fuel tanks, no armament, just empty inner pylons.

 

My only difference is that I don't intend to fold the wings on this build as I'm slow enough as it is so really would like to finish the build before you pack up the finishing line and start man-packing it back to BM Towers, (you'd never guess the effect on a particularly competetive and sporty, but slow over the distances Master FC, when this happened at a Inter-house Cross-Country event at Junior-High school now would you?!!  Saying that my pals thought I'd gone for quick cup of tea as I lived on the race route but alas no!!) 

 

col1.jpg

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K2OpUVzB33o/WQgBPDXJCpI/AAAAAAAAZD0/V4M1ZpYlgfUVBTLbgUXvV0NpsRpVkwk7QCLcB/s1600/col1.jpg   

col2.jpg

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oNp5fFdwTV4/WQgBPcTZN0I/AAAAAAAAZD4/sIaqyFXh8iAhiGf4APnTbATPYNLoREn6gCLcB/s1600/col2.jpg

 

This has nothing to do with my other 'Toom refurbishment that is ongoing, which I showed a sneak peek of in my recent Sabre build, that is short of said tanks at all no - hrumph for even suggesting such a thing!!!

 

002

 

Despite the lovely Claire at Revell UK having sent my request to Germany for some spares to finish this build some 3 or 4 months ago I'm still waiting.  If you're reading Mr Revell Germany, can you send me some spares please, however you don't need to send a set of tanks now!!!!

 

Anyways onwards and upwards to the next victim.  It's quite an old boxing of the Hasegawa 1/48 FG.1 that has an in-box scheme for an unzapped XV590 anyroads.

 

DSC_1053

 

As you can see there are some goodies to add.  The decals were obtained from @theplasticsurgeon a while back but I was aware that one of XV590's serials was the only thing missing from the sheet before purchase but with the box-art scheme being what it is we may be able to work around this (more on this in a bit).

 

Let's have a quick peek in the box then shall we?

 

DSC_1054 DSC_1055 DSC_1056 DSC_1057

 

Now as you can see in the second from last piccy, the kits decals are not so good.  I will be trying to obtain another sheet or just stencils from another source before we get to that stage, but that's a problem for another day!

 

As per Modelling Law we started in the cockpit (I didn't really but don't want to be burnt on the stake for doing the intakes first!).  The Eduard etch instructions have you trim a fair bit off the kit pieces as well as just removing the surface details.  Well after following those we got to this:

 

DSC_1058

 

and here's the etch we're going to add once we're primered and base coated.

 

DSC_1059

 

Yes I know it's for an FGR.2 but it's close enough for me.  If anyone can point to any massive flaws in my plan to use this please speak now or forever hold your peace!!

 

OK, I didn't really start by cutting up the intakes for Alley Cat's seamless set now did I?  I love deniable modelling!

 

DSC_1060

OK, I have already broken off the pitot like things that go inside the intakes (they were between the compressor fans until they met my thumbs for fingers) so we'll resort to he kit ones that are good enough in my view - well the have to be now don't they!!

DSC_1061 DSC_1062

Anyone notice the schoolboy error?  The starboard side was cut out with a Dremel, but I was using my razor saws and my Xuron sprue cutters on the port side when I plain forgot just how brittle older Hasegawa plastic is and it shattered and split and needed a fair bit of attention from Mr TET to fix.  Photos are post the fix so hopefully we might get away with it.

 

Anyways here's a dry fit of the intakes....

DSC_1063

Quite pleased with that so far.

 

Right time to get shaking those old Halfords Primer maraccas and will give the cockpit some grey and the intakes some white coverage.

 

Okilly-dokilly Modelerinos, untill the next thrilling installment it is then..........

 

Be good out there, Chris

 

 

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2 hours ago, Fatcawthorne said:

The decals were obtained from @theplasticsurgeon a while back but I was aware that one of XV590's serials was the only thing missing from the sheet before purchase but with the box-art scheme being what it is we may be able to work around this (more on this in a bit).

 

Good to see they're being used.

I'm following with interest.

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Hi Chris,

 

Those seamless intakes look great - they'll put my Hasegawa ones to shame!

 

Re the missing serial number, I might be able to help as I have a set of decals from the Xtradecal sheet and also a set of "rub down" serials.  Providing I don't have any issues, one of those sets should be spare in due course.

 

Mike

 

 

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On 7/20/2019 at 6:06 PM, FortyEighter said:

Nice choice, will be interesting to compare when finished.

 

Mike

 

On 7/20/2019 at 8:53 PM, PhantomBigStu said:

Welcome aboard 

 

On 7/21/2019 at 6:45 AM, exdraken said:

Nice project!

Nice extra parts!

Taking a seat!

 

 

On 7/21/2019 at 11:18 AM, whiskey said:

I have that Aeromaster sheet. I've always wanted to do either this Phantom or the USMC one that got zapped. Definitely watching this!

Thanks for joining us fellas, hopefully won't dissapoint!

 

On 7/20/2019 at 8:38 PM, theplasticsurgeon said:

Good to see they're being used.

I'm following with interest.

Thanks for sorting them out for me, just disappointed it took a GB to get me going enough to use them.

 

On 7/23/2019 at 5:43 PM, FortyEighter said:

Hi Chris,

 

Those seamless intakes look great - they'll put my Hasegawa ones to shame!

 

Re the missing serial number, I might be able to help as I have a set of decals from the Xtradecal sheet and also a set of "rub down" serials.  Providing I don't have any issues, one of those sets should be spare in due course.

 

Mike

 

 

The rub down ones might be a step too far for me Mike but I'd happilly relieve you of the normal ones if they end up going begging.  Thank you.

 

Anyways just a quick update as I'm off to the local LDN Wrestling show with son #2 tonight in Clacton on Sea in a sec.

 

Those seamless intakes are superb in fit and for matching the kit detail.  Gets a Highly Recommended from me.

 

Here they are with a coat of white primer and some Mr Hobby Aqueous Off White......

 

DSC_1071

 

The undercarriage wells, doors and legs all got the same treatment.  The Off white was chosen to give a contast with the white undersides on these RN craft.

 

The pylon mountings that aren't being used were closed up with stretched sprue to fill the holes.

 

DSC_1070 DSC_1069

 

These are all ready for a touch of detail painting and some weathering and washes.

 

Lastly the cockpitty bits got a coat of Mr Hobby Gull Grey, ready for the etch and weathering too.

 

DSC_1068

Anyways off to the wrestling.......

 

Tada, Chris

 

 

 

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Well pre-season for footy started yesterday with a full friendly game, and whilst it's only been a couple of months since the final game of last season, the slightly older bones didn't like being dragged back into action so soon!  Got home at 1830ish last night and promptly fell asleep on the sofa and woke up at 9.30 this morning; must've needed it is all I can say!

 

Therefore the weekend's progress has been a touch more limited than I was hoping for.

 

We've spent today working mainly on the cockpit, adding the Eduard etch, which I have to say I am well impressed with.  Now I don't often build "heavy metal" such as the 'Toom, my usual genre being WW2 RAF aircraft, so the etch used in those is a little bit simpler.  The front cockpit in particular I think is very well catered for.

 

DSC_1079

 

There's a few more bits that are easily knock-offable that haven't  been added yet but they will make the final cut I assure you!

 

The rear console is quite tidy too, except I have knocked off two tiny prong-like frames from the top which will get re-attached with some plastic rod reinforcement later in the build.

 

DSC_1077

Still have to paint the Observer's control stick area, which for some reason on a coloured etch fret is left natural metal?!!?

 

Also need to find some decent piccys of the back of the panel so I can scratch some extra detail in the space between the cockpits.

 

The Verlinden resin seats also got a look-in today, using Rubber Black as my base coat and then 3 different greens for the seat "cushions" and straps, and picking out the buckles etc in aluminium.  These will get a Future wash to sharpen the edges and to add some depth.

 

DSC_1072

 

I promise you that the difference between the 3 greens is far more noticible with the naked eye.  As the pictures are far bigger than the actual seats tou can see the flaws where the odd touch up is required before giving them a wash that bit more easily.  

 

Speaking of Future Washes most British Phantoms where I've found images of their wheel wells an dundercarriage seem to be quite grubby in those areas (even if the airframe is reasonably clean) so I've given such areas quite a dark wash.  I've also got the first coat of rubber black on the tyres, using a very thin coat to allow capilliary action to take the darker colour right up to the wheel hub and hopefully end up with a clean hub/tyre demarcation.  More coats to come though.  

 

DSC_1075 DSC_1076

 

One quick question regarding the auxillary doors, the only reasonably clear pictures I've found so far (from the Black Mike restoration) show the insides of these doors to be red.  Would that be correct for all British Phantoms?

 

Well Mrs FC has been off gallavanting at the Standon Calling festival up the road at Bishops Stortford since Thursday with her pals, and is due back tonight.  Can you see the flaw in leaving two teenage lads at home with their Dad and expecting to come home to a tidy home???  No neither can I, but not brave enough to actually let her see just what it really got like whilst she was gone!!!

 

Well until the next thrilling installment..............

 

Chris

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 7/28/2019 at 10:59 PM, PhantomBigStu said:

Ah preseason, I’m envious, wish ours would start with actual games rather than fitness work, personally I tend to run more on the pitch, anyway good progress :)

Could do with the fitness though now Stu as I've been on my warm-weather training camp for the last two or three weeks, which was thinly disguised as a family holiday to Punta Umbria near Huelva where my staple fare consisted of either an Estrella or Cruzcampo beer in one hand and a Cafe con Leche in the other; let's call that a balanced diet eh?  Had the first post-holiday game at the weekend and lost 5-1 and as I'm the goalie found that a bit of a toughie! 

 

On 8/4/2019 at 12:18 PM, exdraken said:

Nice cockpit!!

Thank you exdraken, glad you approve.

 

Well as @FortyEighter has moved a step ahead with his build of this same kite, I have been suitably embarassed to post a quick update of the paltry progress made since returning from sunnier climes last week.

 

Whilst away I received the Airwaves canopy etch plus an Aires FG.1 cockpit in the post, bought from eBay in one of those rare lucid, sober-enough moments by the pool.  That got me thinking as one of the parts I really don't like about this kit is the lack of detail between the Observer's Control Panel and the rear of the driver's cockpit.  This looks nicely done in the Aires set so I have decided to have a bit of an Eduard etch, Hasegawa Plastic and copied-Aires resin mash-up to give me a more convincing pit.  I have therefore used some silicon to cast a mould of the Aires parts with a view of re-casting some personal-use only copies of the parts to chop up to fit with what I've already done.

 

I had the silicon to hand as I had been making resin copies of 16 Air Assault Brigade's Pegasus emblems that go on the Garrison's notice boards, but I have run out of the actual resin so will cast these parts once Mr Postie has worked his magic in getting a new batch to me.  I will put up some photos of all that once I start pulling the original Aires parts out of the moulds (the silicon was a couple of years old so despite being mixed thoroughly with the catalyst hardner it has not completely set in some parts so I'm seeing if a bit more time will help things out). 

 

Real construction has been made too; the seamless intakes have now been attached to the fuselage and the joint made less visable with PPP.  Some obliterated detail was reinstated with my Squadron scriber and then Halfords grey primer was rattle-canned on to check all was hunky-dory.

 

DSC_1083

 

DSC_1084

You can see that I've trimmed off the tab that goes between the two cockpits ready to incorporate that Aires part.

 

Here's a view down the intake, happy with that!

 

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The cockpit got my now-compulsory Future Wash treatment so is looking like this:

 

DSC_1082

I've removed the etch from the top row of Observer's instruments as this top part should get razor-sawed off to be replaced by my casting and then the etch can be replaced in the making-good process. 

 

DSC_1080

 

Well at least it was something!!!!

 

Oh why can't I still be on holiday!!!!  I only completely relaxed a day or so before getting back on the big silver bird back to the World.

 

I suppose at least here I can hide in the man-cave.

 

Anyways hasta luego amigos and catch up soonish.

 

Chris

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Shipping 5 goals, someone wasn’t doing their job 😂, seriously though glad I’m not a keeper, though I don’t know going into the season where I’m going to be playing, I’m a left attacking mid who due to “administrative oversight” (or rather managerial incompetence) ended up spending most of last season as a CB or LB. anyway good progress 

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On 8/23/2019 at 11:18 PM, PhantomBigStu said:

Shipping 5 goals, someone wasn’t doing their job 😂, seriously though glad I’m not a keeper, though I don’t know going into the season where I’m going to be playing, I’m a left attacking mid who due to “administrative oversight” (or rather managerial incompetence) ended up spending most of last season as a CB or LB. anyway good progress 

Cheers Stu, it was hard enough to keep it to five, a needless penalty, two short backpasses and two unopposed headers at corners.  The pointing out that some weren't doing their job led to a few barneys in the bar after!!

 

On 8/25/2019 at 5:09 PM, Biggles87 said:

I had intended to join this GB and forgot, so I’ ll watch yours instead if I may.

 

John

Good to see you here John, will try not to disappoint.

 

On 8/26/2019 at 9:34 AM, exdraken said:

Nice work, and update!

 

you had a GREAT diet down there!

Although I do prefer the harder to get Alhambra.... Especial if I could elect further!

shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcTg13Sj2SfTzzrjYq6AB

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcTg13Sj2SfTzzrjYq6ABv9pW1f09yn-Ef86iSo7XIaobT1WgtgcTg&usqp=CAc

 

Thanks exdraken; you are not wrong, this truly is the nectar of the gods and if I've got spare weight left in the suitcase on my Spanish trips is something I will always try to bring back with me.

 

Well again only a small amount of progress to report.  The resin casting (mainly to make the Observers coaming but obsessions always take over!) went well with about 4 or 5 runs until I was consistently getting the result I was after.

 

The mould was made from the resin parts in the Aires set.  With hindsight I think I'd make each part individually next time in moulds made from lego blocks, rather than as one big slab holding all the parts.  This will allow more movement when pouring the liquid resin which will mean it would be easier to remove all the air bubbles/get the resin into all the moulds extremeties.   It's not so much of a quantum leap but I can see trying to make photo-etch as a project in my  future.

 

DSC_1088 DSC_1089

 

 

Here's the raw materials which were mixed 50/50......

 

DSC_1090 DSC_1091

 

and here are some of the parts it spat out...............

DSC_1093

 

You can see some of the short-shot issues I had, especially with the console (ironically the raison d'etre for the exercise) and the control column.

 

I ended up using a pipette to squirt the resin into these parts and the last run was successful.

 

The console looks good to me when added to the gap between the cockpits.....

DSC_0001 DSC_0004

 

I added a plastic card shim as there was still a sizeable gap in my kit parts/resin/etch mash up.  Mating the cockpit up to the fuselage (not glued yet) shows that the shim needs to be black rather than the gull grey so will touch that up later.

 

The cockpit also got a Windsor & Newton Flat coat.

 

I have also been adding the Airwaves etch, which was a bit of a PITA, especially the front seals (the parts with the integrated mirrors) which did not seem to follow the contours of the Hasegawa clear parts unless you clamped the clear parts to make them narrower.  After clean up another coat of Clear went on the cockpit glass which are now under cover to prevent dust contamination, so no piccies at the moment but you can see where I've added the p/e cockpit sill seals (try saying that after 8 of those green bottles and you can win a special prize!).

 

DSC_0003

 

 

The final job for now was hollowing out the rear vents on the intake splitters.  We are aiming for this..........

 

19Lpwfd.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/19Lpwfd.jpg

 

and so far we are at  (a before and after comparison).......

 

DSC_1092

 

I think I will just add come plastic sheet to the outlets to make separate vents.

 

Well that's enough unproductive keyboard time, I'm off to the mancave, catch you all later.


Chris

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Here you go, just checked on the canopies and the Klear is dry now so took a couple of shots.  The PE was affixed with a combination of a Chinese GS Hypo Cement knock off (from eBay) and Araldite Clear, so hopefully they should stay stuck where they should be for the forseeable.

 

DSC_0005 DSC_0006

 

Next is to mask them up and spray on an inner colour coat.

 

Have a great weekend all,

 

Chris

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The clear parts did get masked but have been dipped in Klear again to make the lines as sharp as poss, so no photos again until they're dry again.

 

I had an early knock off from work today as I was really struggling, must be starting to come down with the lurgy again.  Luckily the shaky hands and wobbly eyes that I was going through trying to engrave folks' trophies at work didn't manifest itself on my benchtime.

 

Now I had already joined the fuselage halves together, had sanded out the join lines, reinstated panel lines, rivet details and the circular panels on top of the fuselage ready to join the wings (which I had put together some weeks back) to them.

 

DSC_0009

 

Although I'm on a budget I've been looking at some macro lenses for my Nikon DSLR in order to get into these sort of details that bit closer. Lets hope we come up trumps with something decent.

 

The wings were attached with Araldite at the join with the resin Alley Cat intakes, and like a numpty whilst trying to make the parts join as seamlessly as poss I had shaved a smidge too much resin from the mating surfaces so made the tiniest of holes in the bottom of each intake trunk which will need repairing later in the build (you won't let me forget now will you??).

 

The area between the intakes was flooded with TET and seems to be quite flush with the area behind the nosewheel.

 

DSC_0008 DSC_0007

 

Lastly the nose cone was assembled, also with TET.  I do wish I'd fitted each nose half to the fuselage and then joined the whole halves as the nose cone appears from a dry-fit to be a touch too big in all dimensions so will need some sanding back when set.

 

DSC_0010

 

Well we seem to be barrelling along nicely now, so lets hope I can keep this momentum going for the forseeable.

 

See ya soon,

 

Chris

 

 

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Well, mojo and therefore momentum seem to be turned up to 11 at the moment and despite some very stressful days in the shop it's been a godsend to retire to the cave for a few hours to get some more done on this.

 

Sorry but that momentum, and the frantic excitement it caused, meant that I missed out on photographing a fair chunk of the last couple of sessions, however the clear parts that had been previously masked got a rattling of Halfords primer.  I will take a good hard look at them to see if we need to give the PPP a session with these before we start looking at interior and top coats.

 

DSC_0017

 

Having TETted the rest of the fuselage/wings join with no real kit-induced issues the main body had some more filling, sanding, filling, sanding, swearing, filling and sanding done, mainly to blend in the joins between the lower fuselage/wing assembly to the resin intakes, and to the upper fuselage to hide the join behind the wing trailing edges. I hacked a fair bit off the plastic at the front of the lower wing piece as it kept fouling the resin intakes (I had previously sanded the intakes as far back as I could, plus a bit extra for luck, and pin-holed them) and dry fitting showed that I thought I had the level of it spot on with the intakes, however after a good clamping and the rest of the gluing, the plastic part ended up sitting below the level of the intake bottom.  Hence the filler/sanding routine.

 

The cheek intakes were attached and blended in, as was the tailcone with the navigation light.  The undercarriage, Auxillary Doors, cockpit and intakes got masked off and a coat of Halfords white primer was applied to my bottom!

 

DSC_0016

 

The top looks OK too (well to my eyes anyways) and will get a full primering in grey next.

 

DSC_0015 DSC_0011

 

 

Well as I have 3 more of the Revell vesion (plus a Showtime 100 J for a J(UK)) in the stash, all with Alleycat intakes, I am learning for those future builds and will be less rash with the SIHRSC action on the front end of  the lower wings next time.  Well having had a good look through the decal dungeon it seems that most of my 'Toom stickers are for FG.1's, so with future builds in mind need to think about creating some FG.1's from the Revell kits.  I had previously approached both Revell and Hasegawa regarding purchasing the slotted stabilators sprues but it was a proper dead end; Revell say they haven't done any and Hasegawa say they haven't got any spares even though I believe they're included with their current catalogue F-4's.  There are a couple of a/m options but the only ones I can find currently for sale (Hypersonic's version) are an Australian import that are priced to attract the wrath of Royal Mail's Customs-collecting thievery.

 

To that end I am going to mould my own stabilators in resin using the Hasegawa parts as a master.

 

I prepared the kit plastic by adding strips of plastic card to the fuselage edge to make a thin strip that can be easily removed from the finished article.  I then added more plastic strip to make a pour stub.

 

DSC_0018 DSC_0019

 

OK, so they are a bit rough around the edges but they are only for my personal consumption.  Whilst gluing the strips to the stabilators I got a couple of gluey fingerprints in places where there should be none and had to sand them out using manicure buffers.  If I was to do it again then I'd dispense with the layers of strips for the narrower part and just use a  suitable rectangle of plastic card.

 

The catalyst and the Silicone were mixed in a 10:1 ratio and ended up looking like, and being the same consistency as, a MaccyD's strawberry milkshake (but better tasting and probably more nutricious!! - please don't try that out at home kids!!!!).   I made a mould enclosure out of Lego and rolled some Playdoh to make a base to fit the pour stubs to.

 

DSC_0021 DSC_0020

 

The Lego and the Playdoh were mated together and the strawberry milkshake was poured from a height, in order to get rid of air bubbles around the parts, to fill up the recepticle.

 

Voila!

DSC_0023

 

So that's where we stand at COB today.  I'm still feeling pretty cack from last weeks lurgy (but have had it confirmed that it's a genuine nasty viral thing rather than my hypochondria!) so I'm heading up the carpeted hills to Bedfordshire for some well-earned kip.

 

Sees yer all laters....

 

Chris

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And here you go, here's the first couple of pairs of stabs fresh from the moulds.

 

DSC_0029

 

The top set have had a bit of a clean up and have had holes drilled to accept some brass rod which I find is a far more effective (and more permanent to be closer the truth) way of fitting Hasegawa 'Toom stabs.  I'm really chuffed with how they've come out.

 

Well with that little interlude out of the way we can return to our main programme.....

 

I've done as much filling and sanding as I'm going to do now, so gave the undersides their final sprinkling of Halfords white, which when dry I smoothed off with a manicure fine sanding sponge.

 

DSC_0026

 

Now much to some of your's distate I'm sure, I fall firmly into the school of pre-shading as the first process in my preferred weathering system.  Now I've never done a large surface in a white finish since discovering this technique so this for me is a bit of a shot in the dark, and I could end up barking up the wrong tree (other metaphors are available!).

 

Educated guesswork tells me that flat black on white just isn't going to cut the mustard (there you go, found one already), so I've pre-shaded with a very thinned coat of Mr Hobby Aqueous MSG.

 

DSC_0027 DSC_0028

 

Well, we'll get some white on that once we're all proper dry and see how things go.

 

Well @PhantomBigStu mein host, I hope your footy season opened more successfully than mine.  The lurgy I've been complaining about is a shingles like attack and I've got cold sore/chicken pox type sores on my legs.  They itch like billio but are only a really tiny part of the problem.  I feel so wiped-out all the time at the moment; it's like a proper full-blown flu and even when I explained that to my team before the game (we had a bare squad of 14 so I didn't want to drop out) not a soul stepped up to take the gloves off me.  It probably didn't help that we were playing the thug-life side of our league and some of their players still play in semi-pro teams (we're an over 35's vets team) 3 or 4 tiers above our league.

 

Anyways we lost 18-0, I can hold my hands up to 3 of them, especially the one comedy own goal, but the other 15 were other folk's problems.  It's a good job I love the game is all I can say!  We're getting close to the point where planes might just be my only hobby left at this rate.

 

Anyways, I'm having a constitutional early night tonight to try and get myself set up for a long day at work tomorrow.  Let's see if I can get some shut-eye,  If not you might get another update later!

 

Catch you all later.

 

Chris 

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Well we're still on track for completion in this GB, so a quick update on the underside colour for this build.

 

We'd applied MSG as a panel line pre-shade and as I mentioned earlier it was a leap into the unknown for me as to how effective this would look,

 

The first thin coat of Mr Hobby Aqueous white got us to here........

 

DSC_0031

  

DSC_0030

 

I think we might be on to something here.  A second coat...............

 

DSC_0032 DSC_0033

 

And then a third.....

 

DSC_0034 DSC_0035

 

I think we're there now.  The flash does make the photos show up the contrast between the pre and un-shaded areas more starkly than the Mk.1 eyeball, but I'm pretty happy with how it looks in the flesh now.

 

Now I'm going to give it 24 hours to dry before masking off the white areas and priming the uppersides ready for another pre-shade and a top coat of Mr Hobby Aqueous EDSG.  This has nothing to do with there being an England Euro qualifier on the telly box tonight (and where the pre-match build up has contained plenty of AH-64 Apache footage from the war that blighted tonight's opponent Kosovo's recent history, so an aviation/footy win-double for the FC there!) but I think the longer I leave it before masking then the less chance I have of lifting the Gunze paint, that from previous builds experience has been a bit fragile.  With only 19 days to go in this GB I think prudence will win the day.

 

OK it's 15 minutes to kick off, and almost time for the National Anthems, so I've broken out the obligatory bag of Monkey nuts (a throwback to my childhood visits to White Hart Lane where my Dad would always buy a paper bag or two of Percy Daltons from the sellers that walked amonst the crowd, to munch whilst watching the Spurs) so let's wrap up and get our game face on.

 

Catch up laters.

 

Chris

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Well, don 't know how we're fitting any modelling into real life at the moment but we're making some glacial progress despite it.

 

Tonight, I'm taking son #1 and his girlfriend to the O2 to see Muse as it was his 18th birthday on Friday.  Looking forward to seeing his face when he has to pay £7.50ish for a pint of beer!!!  Therefore I thought I'd better update where we've got to before I jump on the train to London.

 

I added some "vanes" to the discharge ducts on the rear of the intake splitter plates which I hope will make a significant difference to the finished kit.

DSC_0036

I've cleaned them up a bit more and then prepped them to make resin copies as I'd like to be able to use these improvements on my future 'Toom builds.

 

I've also bought a cheapo set of close up lenses that fit my camera's filter rings.  For the pennies spent I'm quite happy with the improvement in detail shown.

 

DSC_0041

 

Well, the underside white got masked off, which was not viable after the 24 hours that I had hoped for, but it got left for another full day as the gloss white was still tacky and the Tamiya Tape was leaving marks in the surface.

 

DSC_0038

Halfords grey primer was splashed on the top surfaces.......

 

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The dreaded pre-shading was done with Tamiya Flat Black and the nose radome painted in their semi-gloss black.  My airbrushes are having a bit of a 'mare at the moment.  I have an H&S Ultra, a Sparmax 35 and a Badger 360 and all seem to be spattering a bit more than usual.  I have tried adjusting the compressor pressures and my thinning ratios (down to 1:1 even) and it doesn't want to fix things.

 

The only significant change to my set up recently was the removal of an oil trap from the air output circuit as it had ceased to be airtight so the compressor was always having to work to fill the tank to make up for this.  However I can't see this causing spatter as there is still a decent moisture trap in the circuit.  Any thoughts from the hive?

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Then we gave a first coat of Mr Hobby Aqueous EDSG...............

 

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Well it turns out that the support band tonight are one of my son's girlfiend's favourite bands so I've inadvertantly done good, but it means they don't want to miss it so we've brought forward leaving time to be sure, so I'm going to knock it on the head and go and get ready.

 

Catch up later, have a good one.

 

Chris

 

 

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A big thankyou to both @PhantomBigStu and @Enzo Matrix for proposing and agreeing a deadline extension to this GB.  Like many of the other GB'ers here life has conspired to throw as many lemons in our way and although as some of our more positive folk tell us, that when life deals us a lemon - make some lemonade, the solution as far as I can see it is to add them to the stress-busting G&T's!!!! 

 

If I'd modelled at hyper-speed I might just have made the original deadline but quality would definitely have sufferred, and as everything I seem to touch lately seems to either break or fall off (haven't had a wee for a week just to be on the safe side!!!) less is definitely more at the moment for me.

 

Well we got the top coat colours looking more or less just as I wanted them......

 

DSC_0042 DSC_0043 DSC_0044

 

.... and the masked off the exhaust areas for some Mr Hobby Super Metallics action.  Super Titanium, Dark Iron and Stainless were the weapons of choice here.....

 

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The metallics got a buffing with a cotton cloth before being unmasked to avoid spreading the metallics to the next block of colour.  Even with being very carefulI I still managed to get metallicky fingerprints on the main colours, plus some overspray on the bottom colours from touching up the leading edges' EDSG, and that will need some attention next. 

 

Speaking of attention, the first metallic coats on the stabs were Vallejo Dark Aluminium which usually sprays wonderfully, but this time round was a pig!  This got cleaned off with surgical spirit before electing to go with the Mr Hobby Super Metallics (and order a new needle, nozzle and cap combo for my H&S Ultra) but this cleaning down has caused a fair bit of seepage under the masking which will need to be sorted.

 

DSC_0047 DSC_0048 DSC_0049

 

Well I still haven't fully shaken off the effects of this shangles attack and even though the sores are gone I still feel mentally and physically wiped out (enough to pull out of yesterday's footy so I must feel poorly!) but I'm pleased with what we've done so far and even more pleased that we've got another week to play with.

 

Until the next time.....

 

Chris

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Hi Chris,

 

Presumably you're still suffering from the after effects of the shingles as you've not posted in the last week - hope you are back to full fitness soon.

 

In the end I decided to use the Xtradecals for the underwing serial numbers (easier to conform over the wing hinge) but if you want the rub down ones send me a PM and I'll gladly put them in the post to you (FOC).

 

Mike

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On 9/29/2019 at 6:25 PM, FortyEighter said:

Hi Chris,

 

Presumably you're still suffering from the after effects of the shingles as you've not posted in the last week - hope you are back to full fitness soon.

 

In the end I decided to use the Xtradecals for the underwing serial numbers (easier to conform over the wing hinge) but if you want the rub down ones send me a PM and I'll gladly put them in the post to you (FOC).

 

Mike

Mike, that's really kind and thank you, however I bit the bullet and also bought the same Xtradecals as you used.

 

DSC_0056

  

 

You're right though making any real progress when you feel like a bag of spanners is tough.  Everything I seem to touch is still going wrong and with the amount of touch ups this has had so far I'm sure the extra thickness of the paint means we're now building a 1/43 'Toom!

 

The gloss white from Mr Hobby Aqueous just seems to never fully dry, I've left it 3 or 4 days and then as soon as you touch it it leaves a fingerprint.  Pretty fed up with it all I have to say.  At least I now now what my least-favourite paint is now!

 

Anyways I have now added the front and centre canopy pieces, faired in with PPP and swearing (counter-intuitively a harmonious pairing!) and the EDSG has been made good.

 

Here's where we are now, I've also looked at some colour pictures of XV590 and it appears the Yanks painted out the ROYAL in black before adding the COLONIAL so some Tamiya Nato Black was masked off to represent this. 

 

kPDZhng.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kPDZhng.jpg

 

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If we're going to have a chance to finish this by Sunday we need to get a bit of a stride on now.  I'm sick of touch ups so we're calling this as good as it gets and will be Futuring the airframe tomorrow morning ready for some stickers.

 

Whilst waiting for the white to dry I've done a bit more work on XV590's FGR.2 younger sibling, which was an old old build that I stripped back with Mr Muscle and repainted using current techniques. Not one for this GB but it should be following the Navy kite over the line pretty soon.

 

DSC_0057 DSC_0058

 

Well I'm off for a good cry after my beloved football team were humiliated in the Champions League by Bayern Munich this evening - Ah the joys of being a Spurs fan!

 

See you all tomorrow, Chris

 

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