Thomas Bell Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 Frankly, there is much after market stuff in my stash from my days on the modelling magazines. I've been wondering how to disperse it. I live in Brooklyn, which is hardly a hotbed of modelling activity. As far as I know, there is only one store left in Nw York City catering to scale modellers. The PE and resin stuff, and lots of metal landing gear sets, will not degrade, but I have tons of water slide decals and many excellent dry transfer sets for WW II and Cold War subjects. These tend to dry out with time. I suppose we can work out the deets by PM. Thanks, lads. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 To paraphrase the old saying "you don't have to be mad to enter a GB but perhaps it helps, particularly if you volunteer to run one" - only joking guys😀! Pete 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 7 minutes ago, PeterB said: To paraphrase the old saying "you don't have to be mad to enter a GB but perhaps it helps, particularly if you volunteer to run one" - only joking guys😀! Pete Hey “I resemble that remark.” 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Hey “I resemble that remark.” 😉 Me too! Its very true though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 1 hour ago, Thomas Bell said: You've inspired me. I have a 1/48 B and a G on the shelf, both abandoned at various stages. I just puled out that Zotz sheet (the set has three sheets, including fine wing walks), and it is still pristine. It has markings for B-57B's in NMF and SEA camo, plus the G and RB-57E. If we aren't violating any rules at Britmodeller, I have lots of review sample decal sets from Cold War subjects for runners up. Many of these sheets ae out of print. I'm looking at a fine TwoBobs set from Operation Combat Lancer, the disastrously premature deployment of the F-111A to SEA in 1968. And I have the rare 1/32 Sea Fury sheets from Fisher Models, whose factory was destroyed in a California wildfire. It couldn't have happened to more kind and decent people as the Fishers are. Hi Thomas, Thanks for joining us here, welcome, and thank you for all that info and that glorious book...I have a copy as well. I have that same set of Zotz decals, I had to buy a set sometime ago as the decals form my Collect-Aire B-57/G were missing. For a brief moment I had planned to build it for this GB but the Skyraider bullied it's way onto the bench. I have seen a WB-57F build many years ago.....now that is something I would love to have a go at in 1/48th (I don't build 1/72nd any more). But luckily my madness is contained by the fact I don't have a shelf of any size it could go on.........at the moment! Thank you for the kind offer of some decals were is no problem offering them as prizes......unless we get more then 100 builds in the gallery....then we break the forum software for voting! I know this because I broke it at the beginning of the year with the Nordic GB! I know the Fury decals sheets very well, I'm lucky enough to have 2 of them....along with some others inc the A-1E Skyraider conversion I'm doing. It was a heart breaking shame to hear what happened to them....a great loss to the modelling world! As our beloved Cocktail Waitress Craig mentioned (and looking as lovely as ever in that low cut number..... opps too low!!!! ) please fell free to join us, there's plenty of time. If either are over 25% built (just post photo's) they can still be built here and a great excuse to finish them, they're just not eligible for the gallery. Plus I'm sure there will be plenty to pick your brains on Vietnam Canberra's/B-57's. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted November 29, 2020 Author Share Posted November 29, 2020 (edited) Hello, remember me? My last update was 4th October, massive loss of mojo since for various reasons, however this last week I have started to apply the kit decals in an attempt to get going again - the GB finish date isn't too far away! First, and way above all, I was just absolutely gobsmacked / astonished / delighted / honoured that Thomas Bell, author of the Osprey Combat Aircraft 85 'B-57 Canberra Units of the Vietnam War' chose to join in on this thread. What more can I say? Thank you Sir! So, decals! The kit goes back to 1985 and I think I bought it new sometime before 1990 so the decals are at least 30 years old. The good news is that if you pop them into warm water they don't take too long to unstick from the blue backing paper. The bad news is that they have lost their 'stick' and I have been using Ammo Mig Decal Fix to try to settle them however even with that they are not applying too well. The complex wing walkways are just two decals per wing and they initially broke up in the water. I learnt from this and I cut the decals for the second wing into several segments and this worked better. The bad news is that even using the Ammo Mig Decal Fix some of the black walkway lines are already lifting after a few days. I applied the yellow fuselage bands today, will be interesting to see how they settle. On to some photos:- IMGP4051 by Ghostbase, on Flickr IMGP4052 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I have to say that the colour plates in Thomas Bell's Osprey book were a real help here. The next question is how to seal the decals? I am going to have to apply some sort of varnish, or maybe even a coat of the precious and fabled Future, but I am not sure what is best to use to preserve the dull aluminium shine seen on the B-57B at this stage of their participation in South East Asia. Any ideas welcomed 👍 Michael Edited November 29, 2020 by Ghostbase 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Good to see your B-57 back on the go Michael, and looking very nice too. We have all suffered with loss of mojo from time to time and it can be difficult to get out of so its good to see yours has returned enough to finish your excellent B-57. There have been a lot of decal issues in this GB for some reason, a shame that you have had them too. I think that you need to cover the decals in a coat of future to help seal them to the model, after that a light coat of matt varnish should help to get the finish you are looking for. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Bell Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) Nice work. Even if your decals are fresh those wing walk lines always bring grief. (Try building a B-47 or NMF B-52!) When I built that kit so long ago I had hell with the diagonal squadron stripe. Yours looks great. Thanks for the props, btw. I'm sure you were too polite to mention that one of the Osprey color plates shows a recce bird with bombs hanging off it. I caught this in the galley proof stage but somehow the correction was never made. Edited November 30, 2020 by Thomas Bell 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 great to see this one still progressing, looks good with the decals on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted December 2, 2020 Author Share Posted December 2, 2020 A little more work on the B-57B this afternoon, hoping that I can finish this Canberra by the end of the GB - will be a personal first for me if I can 👍 Have painted the four weapons pylons black and reattached them, also added the tiny shackles which challenged my eyesight, not used to working in 1/72nd scale! Then added the main gears / wheels and well doors. Also the nose gear assembly. I was quite pleased with getting the yellow fuselage bands to meet so well behind the wings. Oh were it always so... Michael IMGP4053size by Ghostbase, on Flickr 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 Very nice work on the pylons and shackles Michael, I can see why that tested your eyesight! I really hope you do get your B-57 finished as it is really looking very good indeed, even better if it will be your first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted December 4, 2020 Share Posted December 4, 2020 she does look good so seeing her in the gallery would be fantastic......fingers crossed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Bell Posted December 5, 2020 Share Posted December 5, 2020 She looks magnificent. A tip you probably already know: The pylons invariably carried Mk 118 750 lb bombs. These were old-fashioned WW II/Korean War style high-drag bombs with low drag fin units. They can be sourced from the Hasegawa dumb bomb set. Also, the tip tanks were always painted flat black. They tended to fade over time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 On 12/5/2020 at 6:57 AM, Thomas Bell said: She looks magnificent. A tip you probably already know: The pylons invariably carried Mk 118 750 lb bombs. These were old-fashioned WW II/Korean War style high-drag bombs with low drag fin units. They can be sourced from the Hasegawa dumb bomb set. Also, the tip tanks were always painted flat black. They tended to fade over time. Just arrived back home and only a few days to go! 😎 I have painted the tip tanks black and was going to use the bombs supplied in the kit. I have checked them against the 1/48 Hasegawa set and they look to be a similar shape to the Mk 117 which Hasegawa describe as a low-drag 750lb bomb. Are the bombs supplied in the kit accurate enough to use? I normally build in 1/48th scale so I don't have any spare resources that I can use unfortunately. Michael IMGP4071 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Bell Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Those bombs look about right from here. When I said low-drag fin units I should have simply said they weren't box-finned bombs. The monstrous CBUs carried in the bay resembled the water heater in your basement. Glad you don't have to worry about those. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Yes the bombs look right to me, and the tip tanks are looking good too, Don't forget that we have an extension to the GB so you have longer than you might think to get her finished. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 I agree they should be fine, something like this is what you're looking for. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canberra_B20_2_Sqn_RAAF_over_Vietnam_1970.jpg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 So close! Almost there however I am going to take advantage of an extra day and not rush things and make mistakes. Starting with the undersides all is completed except for some final detail painting:- IMGP4080 by GHostbase, on Flickr I was very happy with the way that the wing tip fuel tanks fitted onto the wing. Three of the four 750 lb bombs sat well onto the shackles / pylons however one is slightly skewed; I am hoping that this is not too obvious when seen from above. IMGP4081 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The majority of the 8th Bomb Squadron 'Yellow Birds' wore distinctive yellow painted nose cones and many also had yellow air intake cones. I don't have a specific reference for 53-3915 but I am going to suppose that she did wear them and have added a first coat of Vallejo flat yellow to these areas and will apply a second top coat tomorrow. IMGP4082 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Looking at the top sides the main work has been in the cockpit and on the wing walkway decals. I took up Modelling Minion's suggestion to apply Future to the wing walkways and whilst I did so several sections started to lift away from the surface. It looks like Future has done the trick but again it shows how careful you have to be with decals that might be over 30 years old! Part of the fuselage yellow band actually broke apart and fell off. IMGP4083 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The cockpits are also completed, again I need to re-paint a couple of items but is pretty well all there. I won't even try to pretend that my colours are the correct ones 😶 What is left to do? Some final detail painting and a second yellow coat. Apply and paint the mast on the top rear fuselage, mask and paint the windshield and canopy (why do I always leave this to last??). My final question: how should I finish the aluminium surface? Having used Future on the decals I definitely need to apply a final varnish. I have two Humbrol spray cans - Satin 135 and Matt 49 - which would be best to use? I have applied Matt 49 to aluminium before and it pretty well negates any metallic 'shine'. As far as I can see the 8th BS Canberras did still have some 'shine' so would Satin 135 be a better option? I have used satin varnish on other paint schemes and it works well but I have no experience of it on metallic paints. Thanks 👍 Michael 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 She really is looking really good Michael, you did really well getting those decals on. Not sure what to advise you regarding the final coat, but I think that a satin one might work well and get the finish you're looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted December 15, 2020 Author Share Posted December 15, 2020 Completed the last details this morning - masked and sprayed the canopy and windshield, added the dorsal antennae and fuel dump pipe, painted the details and a second coat of yellow paint to the jet intake shock cones and the nose. Also applied an all-over coat of Humbrol 135 Varnish Satin and am happy with the metallic finish, just the right balance of metallic sheen rapidly being dulled by the Vietnamese tropical climate. She is a tail-sitter, I don't think the kit undercarriage would support the amount of weight that would be needed in the nose so I have made up a tail support from a clear sprue. And here she is, the third Martin B-57 Canberra in this GB, to add to those already completed by Pete (PeteB) and Chris (Chrisj2003), and my first ever completed GB entry:- IMGP4085size by Ghostse, on Flickr I have done a quick photoshoot and will add this to the GB gallery soonest. I would like to thank Trickyrich and Modelling Minion for hosting and running this GB, your time and encouragement is much appreciated! And, again, Thomas Bell for writing such a helpful and informative book on the B-57 Canberra at war in Vietnam 👍 Michael 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 Congratulations on your first GB completion Michael!! And a very nice job you have done on it too, she really does look very nice indeed and nicely completes our little B-57 line up and all 3 main camouflage schemes worn by them in theatre. Thank you for having taken part and very well done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted December 25, 2020 Share Posted December 25, 2020 Yes, very well done on completing your first GB and what a nice way to do it with an awesome looking B-57! I know this model and it's not a great one to build, but you pulled it off nicely even with the decals causing some issues. It's a great looking scheme and I like it a lot. I do hope you enjoyed the build, it was a real pleasure to have you along and to follow this build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Bell Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Oh, lord, I hope someone sees this. Due to my bad memory and worse internet skills, I fell out of touch with you all. I promised AM decal sheets to participants in this GB and I did mean it. Please PM or email me, any and all of you, to arrange for your well-earned tokens from me. I have lots of good sheets going to waste, many out of print, covering everything from Fokker E IIIs to F-22 Raptors in all scales. And of course I have a few of the 1/48 Zotz B-57 sheets I researched back when.They need good homes, so contact old TEB. And please forgive my truancy. ([email protected]). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Bell Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 You saw it! Thanks and I'd love to hear from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MortenMK3 Posted Saturday at 19:51 Share Posted Saturday at 19:51 Muy buena version, muy prolija la verdad tiene muchas versiones atractivas tanto americanas como británicas es junto al Buccanner uno de mis preferidos, me viene muy bien esta explicac saludos. 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