beefy66 Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Great to see you have not lost your touch the aircraft are mini marvels David. Stay Safe beefy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunzo Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 Great to see you back. I'm intrigued by your work on the air fleet- what metal are they made of and what tools are you abusing them with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancona Posted December 6, 2022 Author Share Posted December 6, 2022 On 02/12/2022 at 17:54, gunzo said: what metal are they made of and what tools are you abusing them with? Hi Les, they appear to be normal white metal thankfully, bearing in mind the excavation work required on the cockpits, you can see the process on the Scimitar below, with the components from the kit at the top. Due to the fact that most of my tools and junk is in storage due to impending house sale, I am limited to some files and some twist drills, so it feels a bit like trying to rebuild a car with only an adjustable spanner !! But at least it keeps me happy, and I feel that I am at least achieving something !! The cockpit excavation is pretty rough and ready, what with drill and file marks, but at this scale under a coat of black paint I am hoping it will look like intentional detail 😅 Cheers David 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 5 minutes ago, Dancona said: But at least it keeps me happy, and I feel that I am at least achieving something !! Surely the whole point of modelling.... Carry on entertaining us good sir Kev 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 13 minutes ago, Dancona said: The cockpit excavation is pretty rough and ready, As ever you underestimate your skill and over estimate the problems David. They look excellent to me given this is a scale that should be reserved for Borrowers... Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancona Posted December 6, 2022 Author Share Posted December 6, 2022 1 minute ago, Steve D said: They look excellent to me given this is a scale that should be reserved for Borrowers... 🤣🤣🤣 I think that you are probably right !! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted December 8, 2022 Share Posted December 8, 2022 On 12/6/2022 at 1:07 PM, Dancona said: Hi Les, they appear to be normal white metal thankfully, bearing in mind the excavation work required on the cockpits, you can see the process on the Scimitar below, with the components from the kit at the top. Due to the fact that most of my tools and junk is in storage due to impending house sale, I am limited to some files and some twist drills, so it feels a bit like trying to rebuild a car with only an adjustable spanner !! But at least it keeps me happy, and I feel that I am at least achieving something !! The cockpit excavation is pretty rough and ready, what with drill and file marks, but at this scale under a coat of black paint I am hoping it will look like intentional detail 😅 Cheers David Those are fabulous. Love the Whirly, too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuNo02100 Posted December 9, 2022 Share Posted December 9, 2022 The quality of craftsmanship that you have demonstrated on the build so far is being carried over to the aircraft, simply amazing BW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 Ooooh, the air group coming together, I like it... Colin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacca Posted December 10, 2022 Share Posted December 10, 2022 Some simply superb work going on here David. I've seen less detail in injection moulded 1/72 aircraft that you are including in these. On 01/12/2022 at 09:27, Dancona said: but are in effect the primary weapons system for the ship I am modelling, I remember having a similar conversation with my Captain in HMS BRAVE once who by his own admission hated WAFUs and thought he could fight the ship without us. I got slightly irritated by that, as one might expect, asked him what weapon system he had that could go over 100 nm and then described Exocet as point defence! Good luck with the house sale/move. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 On 12/10/2022 at 3:10 PM, Chewbacca said: Some simply superb work going on here David. I've seen less detail in injection moulded 1/72 aircraft that you are including in these. I remember having a similar conversation with my Captain in HMS BRAVE once who by his own admission hated WAFUs and thought he could fight the ship without us. I got slightly irritated by that, as one might expect, asked him what weapon system he had that could go over 100 nm and then described Exocet as point defence! Good luck with the house sale/move. I had exactly the same conversation with Broadsword’s XO, who had what appeared to be an irrational aversion to aviators (until his wife quietly explained to me that he’d been chopped on EFTS…). The Captain was on my side, so on a dull day on Falklands Patrol we had a trial. The XO was given conduct and we were launched with 2 Skuas, pretending to be from an enemy FF (actually a small rock off Pebble Island which was credited with Exocet). It didn’t take long to demonstrate that we could OTHT for HMS Pebble while they were still closing to acquire Pebble on radar (you’d think the clue would be in the “Over The Horizon” bit of OTHT, but there you go). We then rammed the point in further by sticking two Sea Skuas into them without ever coming inside Seawolf range. WAFUs 2, XO 0. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancona Posted January 6, 2023 Author Share Posted January 6, 2023 The airwing is continuing to grow, I thought that the Scimitars were labour intensive...that was until I met an AEW Gannet, thank god I've only got one more !! though there is the COD Gannet as well I suppose ! So now I've got one Vixen, two Scimitars and an almost there Gannet,..... according to dad, Victorious had a permanent deck park of fourteen aircraft in 1961, so still a long way to go just to show that, though to realize my ambition of showing twenty five, will depend on how long it is before I find myself taken away in a straight jacket ! The Gannet was very good in terms of shape but was lacking in knobbly bits, the undercarriage was extremely basic, and of course the wingfold from hell !! Luckily the propellers were very well represented with a mixture of white metal and photoetch, and after thinning the tail surfaces and a bit of sorting the surfaces I butchered the wings and knocked up some new main undercarriage struts, with real rubber tyres (tiny O rings) !! Next phase was to try to make it more "Gannetty" by adding all of the lumps and bumps and intakes and stuff that gives the beast its character, this took a while as I found myself squinting at this little thing on a toothpick in front of photos of real ones until it looked about right. And here we are now ! So this is where we are at the moment, I must admit I am looking forward to getting on with the ship herself, I may just get her out for a quick fondle !!!! Cheers David 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted January 6, 2023 Share Posted January 6, 2023 That's very cool, such an ugly aircraft. It was my first flying model powered by a rubber band, only 56 years ago.... Cheers Steve 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancona Posted January 6, 2023 Author Share Posted January 6, 2023 5 hours ago, Steve D said: It was my first flying model powered by a rubber band, Having seen your level of ingenuity and craftsmanship, I am guessing twin contra-rotating rubber bands !!!😁 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted January 6, 2023 Share Posted January 6, 2023 7 hours ago, Dancona said: I may just get her out for a quick fondle !!!! 🙈 So refined, I was wondering about actual size when up popped your fingers Stay safe Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PF Naughton Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Wow, those aircraft are impressive. 😮 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 That is one fine looking Gannet there David. Tiny O rings for tyres ....... ingenuity and modelling dedication all wrapped up together! I've stored that wonderful idea for possible future use myself 👍 Your air wing alone is growing into a modelling masterclass in its own right. Great stuff. Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnWS Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Looking at your aircraft David, all I can say is WOW! John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damoore46 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 4 hours ago, JohnWS said: Looking at your aircraft David, all I can say is WOW! That's all I can say also! Well done!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacca Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 Incredible just incredible at this scale 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bissyboat Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 Wonderful engieering on the carrier. Love the intricate details. Really high level modelling here. Feels like I´m just building Kinderegg models compared to the fine works of you master boat builders. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve D Posted January 14, 2023 Share Posted January 14, 2023 David, You've probably seen this, but in case not, Cheers Steve 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancona Posted January 24, 2023 Author Share Posted January 24, 2023 On 14/01/2023 at 12:16, Steve D said: You've probably seen this, but in case not, I hadnt, so many thanks Steve, !! Im developing a certain ammount of affection for them, there used to be an AEW 3 as a gate guardian at HMS Gannet at Prestwick, I wish I had spent more time crawling around it now ! On 06/01/2023 at 23:11, longshanks said: I was wondering about actual size when up popped your fingers I just have incredibly large hands Kev, just imagine me as a modelmaking Gollum 😁 On 07/01/2023 at 01:42, PF Naughton said: Wow, those aircraft are impressive. Thank you, though I am worried that I may be carted away in a straight jacket by the time I finish my air wing, I may take a break and do some smaller "shippy" bits like the boat crane to recover my sanity !! On 07/01/2023 at 14:40, JohnWS said: Looking at your aircraft David, all I can say is WOW! Dear John, that is quite something coming from you (Mr "how the bl##dy hell did he do that" himself), thank you ! On 07/01/2023 at 04:53, Terry1954 said: Tiny O rings for tyres ....... ingenuity and modelling dedication all wrapped up together! Actually Terry I must come clean on this, they were part of the Seavixen kit, they supplied a choice of full white metal wheels and tyres or the rubber tyres with a metal wheel, the undercarriage on the Gannet was a bit on the basic side so I used a couple of the Vixen wheels with O rings and made my own struts. I must admit, these 1/200 scale aircraft people really know what they are doing, they scale perfectly, admitedely there is a bit of clean up to do but the shapes and proportions are spot on to my eyes anyway, I am making my own life a bit difficult by going for clear canopies and folded wings, but I have huge respect for whoever did the masters for these !! On 07/01/2023 at 19:33, damoore46 said: That's all I can say also! Well done!! Thank you, you are very kind !! On 10/01/2023 at 18:49, Chewbacca said: Incredible just incredible at this scale Thanks Chewwy, but I think you get the biscuit for minature madness, I just have one word for you.......Puma...........have a hobnob !!!! On 12/01/2023 at 13:15, bissyboat said: Wonderful engieering on the carrier. Love the intricate details. Thanks Bissy, though I have to confess that I am making it up as I go along, there have been a few wrong turns along the way, but thats part of the fun I suppose !! Looks like we will be finally moving in a couple of months, so the beast can come out of hiding properly !! Thank you fellow shipwrecks one and all for looking !! Cheers David 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancona Posted January 29, 2023 Author Share Posted January 29, 2023 Well I decided to do something other than tiny aerolanes for a bit, it was becoming a bit of an endurance test, so I intend to dip in and out of the air wing as I go along in future, still at least I have something now, but I will have to wait until I get the airbrush out of storage until I can get some paint on them. As a antidote to teeny Scimitars Ive started on the crane, officially it is the "11 and a quarter ton seaplane and boat crane" but I dont think it ever saw a seaplane, Im sure someone will correct me on this if it did !! Its difficult to find decent photos of it, I suspect when people were taking pictures of Victorious they managed to find much more glamorous bits than the crane, I have found some shots of a very similar one on Hermes which appears to be a partial mirror image, but a very similar overall design. And what a complicated little devil it is too, Im using the AotS drawings which seem to make sense after a bit of head scratching, but it is not an easy thing to fabricate, and there is stilla long way to go. I do have a jib frow the PE set for the Orel paper kit, but it doesnt match the drawings or photos, so it looks like I will be making that too....scary thought there !! Anyway, this is where I am at, still a bit rough so dont look too closely ! Anyway, I must admit that it is very pleasant to be making something proper again !! Thanks for looking, Cheers David 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted January 29, 2023 Share Posted January 29, 2023 Looking good so far..... I'm sure it's not going to be a problem for a man of your talents Is it just the pic perspective or is that gannet really that big compared with the other aircraft? Stay safe Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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