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Airfix Tiger Moth RNAS Abbotsinch 1962 - Finished


AdrianMF

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I thought I’d give myself some light relief from too much work and a complicated main project (Short S23 Empire) and build something for fun here: 

778-D1-DB0-5-EEC-4-DF5-9-C89-E3-F18762-F

This has a suitably naval silver-with-yellow-stripes scheme:

6-EF4-BEB8-0-B91-4-F1-C-A8-D0-4-AB7-BF0-

And I do like this kit, having built all the previous boxings!

3-DD9627-A-CDC6-4-D16-B6-DA-7341902-EA0-

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

 

 

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I prefer not to chop up the fuselage to add the strakes. I cut them off the replacement inserts and add them to the original fuselage. Easier to clean up:

9-CC7-AEF8-1511-4-C6-F-BFA0-2-DAD103352-
And yes, the cabane struts broke in exactly the same place as every other time I’ve built this kit!

 

Regards,

Adrian

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I’ve added a few extra details - the fuel pipe, aileron control links and extra undercarriage struts. The appropriate number of coats of yellow have been applied and rubbed down a bit ready for masking:

B2867-A1-E-8-AAB-4934-AADB-8-A92-E62493-

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The rod sticking out of the bottom of the fuselage is the aileron crank, and this has wires going into the lower wing to drive the ailerons - I might replace them with something thinner and more to scale...

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I don't remember that being there on previous builds - looks like mould damage rather than flash:

20200316-082804.jpg

 

Revell Aqua Color silver and Daler-Rowney flow enhancer are being brushed and sanded - two coats so far:

20200316-083409.jpg

 

 

 

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17 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

couple of these kits

You won't regret it! I don't know why I find it such a satisfying kit, but I'm already thinking of getting another one so I can do the Australian version, which is the alternative option in the box. There must be tons of aftermarket decal sheets out there too...

 

Regards,

Adrian

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I really like the range. I use them straight out of the pot for dark earth/green and ocean grey, and have simple mixes for slate/EDSG. Their aluminium is also good but a lot flatter than the silver.

 

The flow enhancer makes the silver self level. I'm sure other brands of enhancer are available.

 

I'm applying it with a softish 6mm flat brush, 50-50 paint to enhancer, doing a section at a time and moving on as soon as I've got a thin coat with no bubbles. It dries so quickly that you can't work it for too long.

 

I could probably use less enhancer and some water instead, but it works like that.

 

Regards,

Adrian

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Decals on:

20200316-232251-HDR.jpg

 

The decals are great but the underwing serials fought me hard - large and thin, and the backing for the "X" is cut away so it's like a floppy starfish. I cut a slot between X and L in the first one to get it over the aileron push rods, and cut all the way through the second one, which still fought me tooth and claw! Still, it's mostly in the right place and I've done a teeny touch up, so they're good enough for me.

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Well I’ve got the cabane struts stick down, checked the alignment and threaded through the invisible monofilament for the rigging:

C2583750-680-D-4156-8-F6-E-08-EBE80-AFCE

ECEC95-D6-84-B2-444-D-A3-AB-F8-B33-BAC31

 

The rigging has been coloured silver by dragging it over a silver marker pen tip. I will leave that to set before tensioning, and then the rest of the rigging is going to be pre-coloured EZLine stretched to shallow holes filled with superglue. So no holes through the wing - that’s the plan!

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Great stuff! I do like this kit but like you I find its getting too small and fiddly, great colour scheme though!

On ‎3‎/‎15‎/‎2020 at 12:12 PM, AdrianMF said:

And yes, the cabane struts broke in exactly the same place as every other time I’ve built this kit!

😆 yep!

 

Bob

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On 3/16/2020 at 1:33 PM, AdrianMF said:

I really like the range. I use them straight out of the pot for dark earth/green and ocean grey, and have simple mixes for slate/EDSG. Their aluminium is also good but a lot flatter than the silver.

 

The flow enhancer makes the silver self level. I'm sure other brands of enhancer are available.

 

I'm applying it with a softish 6mm flat brush, 50-50 paint to enhancer, doing a section at a time and moving on as soon as I've got a thin coat with no bubbles. It dries so quickly that you can't work it for too long.

 

I could probably use less enhancer and some water instead, but it works like that.

 

Regards,

Adrian

Hi  Adrian,

 

I am mostly an enamel man, but on the few occasions I have dabbed in acrylics AND used flow improver, I have always been disappointed.

I always added some H2O and a few drops of flow enhancer, and I have never been happy.

Having read your post about using flow enhancer 50/50 with paint, I thought "why not".

So with Mr Hobby acrylics I added some Windsor & Newton flow improver (+/- 60 paint/40 F.I.) and it was a revelation!

Brilliant painting experience, self-leveling of the acrylics, etc.

 

Thanks for the tip. I will try to tackle my Stuka with mostly acrylics. It should work just fine!

 

Cheers

 

JR

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And finished:

61-B49925-FA87-4774-8-B02-871-B3-B7-B77-

 

You can just make out the reworked pitot tube.
 

Part of the charm of this model is that it does fit in the palm of your hand:

A4-DC2685-D74-F-402-F-8-DF4-19-D8-F15954


The rigging was done with pre-painted EZLine into shallow holes (or thereabouts!) with superglue applied onto the hole with a cocktail stick and the thread dipped in accelerator:

A51-C9752-666-D-43-B7-930-F-C3-A7-D7556-

CDD45-F44-D2-C5-4-F83-BED0-4-FF749-DFAD3
 

You can compare and contrast this with the rigging @John D.C. Masters is doing for his AZ Tiger Moth in this GB. This was an nerve-racking experiment for me - I think I will revert to monofilament pulled all the way through for my next one!

 

The only weathering is a light pencil line around the yellow bits of the aileron and slat borders.

 

I will take some pics for the gallery when the weather is less miserable.

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

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Very pretty Adrian.  I don't know why you're unhappy with the rigging.  It looks fine from where I'm sitting.  

 

You know...a De Havilland 'Moth' STGB might be fun...so many 'Moth' variants...

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