Back in the Saddle Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 I've just noticed this GB and have had a lonely helicopter kit in my stash for a while, so will be joining in with this one! It will probably be built OOB, due to the time constraints of a GB. I might be tempted to get some PE for it, but no guarantees... I'll take some photos tonight and get my WIP started soon.👍 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dansk Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Good luck with yours matt. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Great to have you with us, good luck with the build cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 Here's a picture of the box to get started: No sprue shots, but the kit is completely untouched. Having had a good look at it last night I have decided to build it solely OOB - the level of detail appears to be very high and it's certainly one of Airfix's better efforts. I have also been wanting to build a model with tiger stripes for a while, so when I saw that was an option on this kit my decision was made: Work on the interior begins soon! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeronut Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Just beware of the fit if the internal parts inside the fuselage. The mearest hint of Paint (or glue) on the mating faces produces an interference fit that means the fuselage will be hard (or impossible) to close up. It’s a lovely model when finished though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truro Model Builder Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Another Lynx to follow! Excellent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted June 23, 2020 Author Share Posted June 23, 2020 @Aeronut, thanks for the warning! Always nice to hear these things before starting to build! My Spitfire Vb had the same issue - Airfix tolerances seem to be a bit tight! 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 Cracking choice of colourscheme for this one 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted June 24, 2020 Author Share Posted June 24, 2020 6 hours ago, Col. said: Cracking choice of colourscheme for this one Thank you! Work has begun; hopefully some photos soon 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted June 24, 2020 Author Share Posted June 24, 2020 Regarding the colour scheme, photographer Phil Cooke has very kindly given me permission to post his images of this aircraft, taken at Fairford during RIAT 2005. Firstly, a general view of the aircraft: And a close up showing details of the tiger stripes on the tail: Thanks for the images Phil, that is hugely appreciated! So onto the build itself. This is the finest kit from Airfix I've ever worked on. The level of detail is superb and the few bits I've glued together so far have fitted perfectly. Here are the seats, prior to assembly, showing the standard of detail provided by Airfix: The cockpit construction is underway, with some tiny details in place - the rudder adjustment controls were particularly fiddly! The seats are in the background, complete but without the cushions, which should aid the painting...! More cockpit construction will continue tomorrow.👍 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 I’ll tag along if that’s alright. Might join in, I haven’t done a GB in ages. 🤔 Jont. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share Posted June 27, 2020 On 24/06/2020 at 22:51, The Spadgent said: I’ll tag along if that’s alright. Might join in, I haven’t done a GB in ages. 🤔 Thanks for the support! Grab a kit and join in - you know you want to! 😁 GB's are great in one respect, with the usual friendly banter and the chance to see what other people are doing with similar kits. On the downside there is the time constraint... I've finished two models now in a GB with hours to spare - the Vulcan in the KUTA build and most recently the Lancaster. My Spitfire Vb is also heading the same way; I think that should get finished in the final hours! At the moment I'm feeling more confident with this build, but I bet it turns into a rush at the end again! Work on the cockpit tub continues. A coat of light grey was sprayed over the whole thing then the details were picked out with black. A dirty wash was applied and the decals added to the instrument panel: The seats are a garish day glow orange, which adds a nice splash of colour to a drab interior. I'm starting to paint the seatbelts and other details on the backs of the seats and cushions. The cabin is lined with a quilted material and Airfix suggest this is painted with Humbrol 78 - cockpit green. However, all the pictures I've seen show a more metallic, silvery colour on the inside so I mixed up some cream and silver and sprayed the panels with this instead: I don't think the photo quite shows the metallic finish...🤔 It looks better in the flesh! Next job is work on the cabin seats. They are plain bench seats and the real one are canvas(?) stretched over a tubular frame. The kit offering looks like this: I will distress them a bit with a Dremel (taking care not to melt the plastic this time!). Hopefully with some depressions and scratches in the plastic they will then look more like canvas rather than plastic... 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Tidy progress Matt. Sure your plan for the cab seats will be a great improvement on the plain molding Airfix have provided. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 On 6/27/2020 at 8:30 PM, Back in the Saddle said: I don't think the photo quite shows.... I don’t think that photo shows how much CrAzY stuff it does to my eyes. 🤣 excellent progress. 😇🤗 Johnny 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dansk Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 (edited) Looking super matt, a lot of quality progress in a short time. 👌 keep up the good work. Edit p.s. have to agree with you on the airfix standard here, its really awesome with detail, even coming from a tamiya build. Edited June 28, 2020 by Dansk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Sorry about the optical illusions - wait until I post the pictures of the same bits after a dirty wash!😁 The cockpit is pretty much complete. Front view: And rear view: The whole thing has been built OOB - a great level of detail supplied by Airfix on this one. 👍 Work on the cabin continues, with distressing the seats and painting the quilted lining next on my list. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Very nice work so far 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 You're making great use of what the kit provides Matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 Time for a little update. I glued some plastic strips to the area under the instrument panel, to make it a little busier and replicate the cabling found there. I used a liquid weld glue, which attacked the paint a bit, but once dry it didn't look so bad! Here's that area, seen from the lower rear fuselage: I have also finished distressing the seats and these are now painted and awaiting a wash to bring out the detail. I have painted some masking tape orange and will use this for seatbelts: I hope the grooves will look more like creases after the wash! Once this is done, the cockpit tub will be ready for final assembly. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 I've been on a roll today - the seats have now been finished, so a quick photo before the detail gets lost when the cabin is closed up... A dry fit has also been done and it fitted inside the fuselage shell - result! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted July 5, 2020 Share Posted July 5, 2020 looking great - will watch along - spent a bit of time in the back of those things, one of my old colleagues transferred over and flew them. Now seen on TV flying an Air Ambulance up north....was nearly on the wrong end of one on Telic 1, 2003, when it initially mistook my team as an enemy team...the irony was we had called for air recce support and it was meant to be helping us.....lucky much swearing on the radio and a Union Flag on the roof averted what could have been nasty....note there is no crew in this model either, same as my Merlin.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 Great little article on BM about making intake guards: Thought I’d share in case it helps anybody else. I’ve ordered the mesh, so will be having a go at making these... 😬 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filler Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 This is looking great and it's lovely to read about a kit that fits together so well. Good luck with your mesh covers. It looks a pretty tricky job, but certainly worth the effort. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dansk Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 Looking ace Matt, I think you may be finished by the time i have used the first bit of glue on mine 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back in the Saddle Posted July 11, 2020 Author Share Posted July 11, 2020 Cheers Paul - hope yours gets some attention soon👍. I’m currently working on the rotor head - it’s as complex as the cabin and looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now