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"Martlet??.......ours is called Wildcat!" - Martlet vignette


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Well it's been a while since I’ve made any aircraft kits but two GBs have got me back into building 1/72nd aircraft. This build was for the ‘In the Navy’ GB that is still running down in the Group Build section.

I have previously built Airfix’s 1/72nd Wildcat as if it were in flight so, when a colleague at work kindly got me this Martlet for a birthday a while back, I thought - rather than make it with the wings out, I would do them folded. The ‘In the Navy’ GB seemed the logical place to make it in this way and I had some ideas for how I would display it.

This particular Mk.IV Martlet - FN142 - is modelled when it was based on HMS Formidable in November 1942. This is a photo of the actual aircraft:

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This certainly isn't a diorama - it barely qualifies as a vignette but, my intention from the start was to display it as if it were on the deck of HMS Formidable - although my idea changed a little as a couple of things became obvious. The first was that the plastic I had chosen for the deck was too thick for me to cut neatly enough in a curve. My original idea was to have the Martlet on one of the aircraft lifts but the ones I could see seemed, in photos of the actual deck, to have rounded corners. The other thing was that I was going to have it surrounded by mechanics working on it. I purchased a couple of boxes of the new 'Classic' 1/76 figures from Airfix. In my opinion they are terrible!! They look way too small and the material they are still made from is rubbery and really difficult to remove seams from! So there are only three figures in my small scene and they are away from the aircraft so it's harder to tell how small they are.

Kit: Airfix 1/72 A02074

Extras: Plasticard, plastic rod, lead wire,

Paints: Humbrol, Revell, Citadel and Railmatch acrylics all applied by brush.

Base: Wilkos picture frame, Evergreen styrene sheet, Airfix 1/72nd figures and Academy stowage items.

The GB WIP can be found: HERE

The RFI for the Martlet itself can be found: HERE

 

The title of my vignette comes from the idea that there must have been a discussion, at some point, about the name change - here it's an American commander and two RAF chaps.

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A few photos of the overall base:

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So a big thank you to my colleague at work for buying this Martlet for my birthday and thank you to everyone who took the time to comment and make suggestions in my build thread. Thank you also to @rob85 for being the fantastic host of the GB.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited by PlaStix
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Aye up Stix.

 

Hope and Mrs Stix are both keeping well.

 

Thats a stunning little piece. Exceptional finish and presentation as always.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

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Hi Stix,

 

I hope you are well.

 

I really like your base and presentation of the Martlet. The figures I recognised as being the very old Airfix RAF personnel set so I think you did well to make them look this good!  

 

Nice to see  dio based on HMS Formidable as my grandfather served on her during WW2.

 

All the best Greg 👍

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4 hours ago, polybebber said:

Beautiful, simply beautiful!! Hard to believe it's 72nd scale and all brush painted - hats off!

Lothar

Thank you very much polybebber. That is very kind of you! :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

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On 04/05/2020 at 10:24, iang said:

Fantastic Martlet. The brush painting is superb. 

Hi Ian. Thank you very much for your very kind comments! :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

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On 04/05/2020 at 10:33, rob85 said:

Fantastic skill with a brush as always and glad the GB pulled you back over to aircraft for a bit!

 

love this little build.

 

Rob

Hi Rob and thank you again for your kind comments. This GB certainly got me back into aircraft modelling. I'm currently building a Mk.22 Spitfire in the Spitfire/Seafire  STGB.

Kind regards,

Stix

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 04/05/2020 at 11:36, fatfingers said:

Aye up Stix.

Hope and Mrs Stix are both keeping well.

Thats a stunning little piece. Exceptional finish and presentation as always.

Regards,

Steve

Hi Steve. Yes we are both well thank you and we hope you and yours are all well too.

Thank you very much for your comments.

Take care and stay well.

Kind regards,

Stix

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Hi Stix,

 

Superb vignette as usual, like me a lot, I would love to make planes again someday, but they are more difficult than AFVs, and techniques have changed so much since then ...
Cheers and TC
Francis.👍

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Nice build Stix, I remember reading Eric Winkle Browns book, Wings on my sleeve. He flew these on a convoy support go Gibraltar, he had an on going battle with an FW 200.

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On 04/05/2020 at 13:51, GREG DESTEC said:

Hi Stix,

I hope you are well.

I really like your base and presentation of the Martlet. The figures I recognised as being the very old Airfix RAF personnel set so I think you did well to make them look this good!  

Nice to see  dio based on HMS Formidable as my grandfather served on her during WW2.

All the best Greg 👍

Hi Greg. I am well, thank you, and I hope you are too.

Thank you for your comments and thank you for letting me know about your Grandfather serving on Formidable. It's always lovely to hear the connections modellers have with history.

Take care and stay well.

Kind regards,

Stix

 

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I've just had a very pleasant revisiting of this on a decent screen, my phone screen doesn't do it justice at all & justice it deserves in spades. A lovely vignette that really tells a story, all of it beautifully modelled. :thumbsup:

You don't think the two Brits mightn't have looked better in Navy uniforms? :unsure: :D

Steve.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 04/05/2020 at 22:14, modelling minion said:

A brilliant diorama and superb Martlet and figures mate, it all works really well together.

Hi Craig. Hope you are well. Thank you very much as always for your kind comments and support! :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

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  • 2 months later...
On 05/05/2020 at 11:19, Clogged said:

Looks amazing. Love seeing figures with a plane/vehicle whatever, always improves a sense of scale.

Hi Clogged and thank you very much for your kind comments.

Kind regards,

Stix

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  • 2 weeks later...

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