Navy Bird's Complete Waste of Time 2019

[Navy Bird]

Hi mates,

 

Last year I made a pledge to build more models than 2018 (when I only finished four kits). Yet again I was unable to deliver on my promise, and I actually built fewer models! Just three lousy models left Chateau Oiseau de la Marine in 2019. Is it my age that is preventing me from building more? Too many grandkids? Losing time by traipsing across Old Blighty with @CedB, @Procopius, and @Cookenbacher? Losing more time by singing in the rain with Wifey in Scotland? Maybe it was working part time for my old employer on top secret special projects. In any event, I failed. But I will again boldly predict that in 2020, I will build more models! Can I do it? Or is this again just the wistful wanderings of a wrinkled old man?

 

Here is the pitiful output from 2019:

 

1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc (completed July 2019)

Tamiya

 

During the height (depth?) of my chemotherapy back in 2015, a very fine gentleman from Australia sent me the fantastic 1:32 scale kit from Tamiya of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc. The generosity of this man was unbelievable and at the same time a beautiful gesture to someone going through a difficult time. I will forever be grateful to him. It took me a long time to start and finish the model, but at last she was finished. Although the Tamiya kit is amazing right out of the box, old Navy Bird never misses an opportunity to spend some of his children's inheritance on aftermarket goodies. These are detailed in RFI post below. 

 

Click here for the RFI post with complete details of improvements and modifications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was fortunate to have the model win the Best Aircraft and Best In Show award at ROCON 2019 in September.

 

 

1:72 Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 (completed April 2019)

Aki Products

 

In the midst of my build of the Tamiya 1:32 Spitfire, I decided to tackle a small side project, and one I've been wanting to do for some time. This is the 1:72 resin kit from Aki Products in Japan of the Hawker Sea Fury FB.11. There are a few articles and reviews on-line about this kit, and I can say one thing - believe what you read. This is an outstanding kit, and the best replica of the Sea Fury that can be had in 1:72 scale as of this writing. In fact, this kit surpasses many injection moulded kits in detail, quality, and fit. It's that good. Unfortunately, I don't think this kit is still in production, so the price (when you can find it) is a bit crazy. OK, a lot crazy. But I'm stupid, so I bought it.

 

I chose the Royal Australian Navy display aircraft circa 1961 for the markings, and I made sure to go by actual period photographs and not from the restored warbirds that have worn this scheme at one time or another. The overall Oxford Blue scheme was too hard to pass up. As you look at the photos, you may notice that the flaps are down in some, up in others. This is because the flaps are hinged on the model, and can be posed where you like. The metal rods used as the axle of the flap hinges are actually cast into the resin - a clever bit of engineering and some nice quality control to pull it off.

 

Special thanks to @NAVY870 and @Paul Bradley for their help in this build. Without their sage advice, old Navy Bird would have been naughty and done something silly on more than one occasion.

 

Click here for the RFI post with complete details of improvements and modifications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1:72 Gloseter Javelin T.3 (completed December 2019)

Heller

 

Like most of you 1:72 folks, I've been waiting for Airfix to scale their beautiful 1:48 Gloster Javelin kit down to the gentleman's scale. Waiting...a long time. As it seems Airfix is busy with other projects, I decided to force the issue by building the OLD Heller 1:72 Javelin, and along the way to try and make it a wee bit more modern, starting with a complete re-scribing and converting the kit to pose the airbrakes open. Surely this will cause the gears of fate to start meshing, and Airfix will get the idea. So you can thank me then!   

 

Since I have little common sense, I also thought it would be a good idea to build two of these old kits, one a T.3 (the Heller offering) and the other an FAW.9 (the Airfix re-tool). I also played with the idea of using either the ZTS Plastyk or Frog kits for the FAW.9, but upon inspection I donated those instead to my 3-year old grandson so he could practice using an entire tube of glue to add the seats to the pit.

 

The T.3 is finished, and I duly present it here. The FAW.9 will appear sometime in 2020, unless those gears of fate turn too quickly and thermally disintegrate.

 

Click here for the RFI post with complete details of improvements and modifications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I told you it was a pathetic output. Perhaps I should make a resolution to build fewer models in 2020 - since the opposite of my pledges always seem to come true!  

 

Cheers,

Bill

[AliGauld]

hi There,

 

Producing models of such extremely high quality is far from pathetic output.

Stunning work, Sir If my brutal attempts looked half as good I'd be over the moon.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[Retired Bob]

32 minutes ago, Navy Bird said:

Well, I told you it was a pathetic output. Perhaps I should make a resolution to build fewer models in 2020 

I would not worry with models that good, quality trumps quantity every time (sorry to use the T word) 

[Paul Bradley]

A fine trio!

[jenko]

Brilliant.

To coin the fraise...……….. Quality not quantity.

 

And they are real quality.

 

Dick 

[Stew Dapple]

A beautiful collection Bill  

 

p.s. 1/32 kits count double for a 1/72 builder  

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[CedB]

Superb trio Bill - all three are stunning (as usual)  

[Rabbit Leader]

Shear awesomeness just doesn't even come close to describing these three brilliant replicas!

I'd give my whole cabinet away just to house these in my collection. 

Cheers and very well modelled.. Dave 

 

[stevehnz]

Maybe the quantity was lacking a bit Bill but the quality was  top of the heap. Three brilliant models that I've enjoyed following. Looking forward to 2020 now.

Steve.

[PlaStix]

Hi Bill. Hope you are well. To produce three models with that much detail and superb quality would take me much longer than a single year!! Awesome modelling as always!   

Kind regards,

Stix 

[Johnson]

On 1/14/2020 at 8:39 PM, Navy Bird said:

Well, I told you it was a pathetic output

Yup, quite pathetic Bill.

 

Actually that's a level of patheticness* that I could happily aspire to. The Spit IX is awesome, and I am a confirmed Sea Fury nut (FROG Sea Fury build in last years GB), yours is superb. Lovely Heller Javelin.

 

I look forward to seeing your meagre offerings for 2020! 

 

Best wishes,

 

* spell checkers hate me 

[Navy Bird]

 

Yes, my output was pathetic but I think it was mostly due to some part time work I did for my former employer. That took up a lot of hours that were reserved for modelling. And, of course I'm doing another project for them right now, but that has to be finished by June. So the second half of 2020 should see me rocking and rolling again.  

 

Cheers,

Bill

[Cookenbacher]

Three stunners Bill.