CliffB Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 I'd forgotten that some early Airfix kits had moulded-in crew figures. This is great nostalgia trip. Thanks John. Cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 Good job on the painting John, the colours look very good. That decal sheet looks really nice, some nice options on there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted June 9, 2020 Author Share Posted June 9, 2020 I should have mentioned that Uncle Bill did his National Service in the RAF as an Observer on Lancaster MR3s. He had a fund of stories about flying through all sorts of weather and the effects it had on inexperienced crew members. Much talk of mops and buckets 🤢 Even allowing for that, it sounded pretty exciting. John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted June 21, 2020 Author Share Posted June 21, 2020 For all its faults, positive location of the struts isn't one of them: Certainly much better than the contemporary, or even later, WW1 biplanes. John 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 that is looking very smart indeed John, nice work. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted June 26, 2020 Author Share Posted June 26, 2020 Well, you wouldn't mistake it for anything other than a Gladiator... ...but it's rough 😱 John 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Definitely Gladiator shaped and looking very nice too from your picture John. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 It's a Gladiator alright, it looks good. And for a mould that originated in the mid-1950s I would say it was a pretty good effort. We are spoilt for choice and quality now aren't we? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share Posted June 27, 2020 2 minutes ago, Jinxman said: It's a Gladiator alright, it looks good. And for a mould that originated in the mid-1950s I would say it was a pretty good effort. We are spoilt for choice and quality now aren't we? We certainly are, and the Gladiator is a good example. I never built the FROG kit but it looks quite neat, on to the Matchbox which was a revelation in how to mould small scale biplanes and make them buildable by anybody, through the much more detailed Heller kit to today's state of the art Airfix mould. I loved the Matchbox kit. It let you build a Gladiator with no fuss at all. Same with their other biplanes, having struggled with the individual struts in some of the early Airfix kits. How did we build any of them before super glue...? John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 The colours you have used on the Gladiator have a really nice, old world, look about them. At first glace, it's like looking at a wartime build, either a Penguin or one of the many wooden offerings of the time. That's a successful build in my book! Tony. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Big fan here of those Matchbox biplanes - every time one was reviewed in Scale Models back in the day it was said they must have had a real interest in their subject matter. Must hunt that Siskin and Fury down in the stash sometime.. 😀 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Basic markings applied from the excellent Hornby-era sheet, applied with Humbrol Decal Fix: The kit has no semblance of a collector ring so it's masked off here. It's had a coat of Matt Cote to seal the edges and it will probably get a finish of 171 Antique Bronze. The canopy has had a thin coat of blue grey applied to the inside. No, I'm not rigging it 😱 John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinxman Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 What a great kit from all those years ago - I wonder how many Airfix sold altogether? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Jinxman said: I wonder how many Airfix sold altogether? A LOT more than Glosters built, thats for sure! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share Posted July 1, 2020 I know the bronze collector isn't accurate but it looks pretty cool: Final bits added, Some paint needed: John 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 I think the collector ring looks great John. Very close to completion now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dansk Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Looking great John! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 (edited) Hi John, Nice to see that you have gone for shadow shading - most people do not bother, assuming they even know about it! I did it on my Albacore a year of two back and with care it can look very good. If I ever refurb my Heller Glad I will have a crack at it - didn't bother first time round. I remember building one of these not long after it came out - my 3rd plane kit I believe. Did not bother painting it, but then I did not have much in the way of paints in those days and I suspect Airfix showed a "silver" scheme, almost matching the plastic. Thinking about it, I wonder why they they went for a Frog style solid cockpit as their Hurricane, and Lysander had the more conventional "hole with pilot" AFAIK - may be wrong. They were all released in 1956 I believe - maybe the Glad was somebody else's mould? Cheers Pete Edited July 1, 2020 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Looks like a fun build, I do like your colour calls for the shadow scheme, they work really well together. I think I'll use them for the East African conflict Glad I've got lined up. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 9 hours ago, stevehnz said: Looks like a fun build, I do like your colour calls for the shadow scheme, they work really well together. I think I'll use them for the East African conflict Glad I've got lined up. Steve. I fancy an East African Gladiator myself. I've got this sheet: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/plastic-planet-club-ppd-72004-gloster-gladiator-over-north-and-east-africa--372550 which will find its way on to one of my Heller or Airfix kits at some point. John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 I believe that RAF 2-blade props were finished in a medium grey, so this one has had a coat of 87 Steel Grey, which has long been my go-to general purpose covers everything grey paint. Apart from that, canopy frames, exhaust pipes, a general tidy up and a final overall Matt Cote and I'll be calling it done. John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 On 01/07/2020 at 22:45, PeterB said: Lysander had the more conventional "hole with pilot" AFAIK The first Airfix Lysander had a flat shelf and a pilot head and shoulders to stick on it. The two tone shadow shading looks good. Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 Very nice John,and very close to finishing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted July 3, 2020 Share Posted July 3, 2020 12 hours ago, AdrianMF said: The first Airfix Lysander had a flat shelf and a pilot head and shoulders to stick on it. The two tone shadow shading looks good. Regards, Adrian Makes sense - the one I currently have must have been re-tooled then. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 5, 2020 Author Share Posted July 5, 2020 Calling this one finished. The model is remarkably heavy! In summary: Airfix 1956 tool. Parts from Type 3 bagged kit and 2004 90 Years of Fighters collection. Upper camouflage 163 Dark Green, 29 Dark Earth, 86 Light Olive, 84 Mid Stone Underside 33 Matt Black, 34 Matt White Collector and exhausts 171 Antique Bronze Engine 53 Gun Metal Tyres 33 Matt Black Prop 87 Steel Grey Decals - Roundels from Airfix 2008 boxing, serial from Type 3 bag. Top Coat Humbrol Matt Cote John 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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