theplasticsurgeon Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 This one was debated for Nordic II GB – Ragnar’s European Tour 2021 - receiving contradictory comments. But Col said: If not it's eligible for the Interceptor GB - so here we are. Costing £3 in 2017. Massive reduction in Hobbycraft sale Parts, Which I airbrushed an RAF blue last week. I retrospect - I don't think these were blue. So I resprayed the parts green earlier today. I'll be going for a generic RAF airfield defence, somewhere in Britain. Rather than North Africa. My first build of this kit. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 Hi Tim, I was thinking of building one of these too - what colour scheme were you thinking of as a matter of interest? Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 1 hour ago, PeterB said: I was thinking of building one of these too - what colour scheme were you thinking of as a matter of interest? Well currently the parts are Humbrol 244 - which is a Luftwaffe green. Planning to airbrush a lighter green, just before I fit the wheels. Probably black platches as well. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 Cracking subject choice Tim and the polar opposite to your 262s Let's call the blue and 244 pre-shading or black basing of sorts 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 (edited) Thanks Tim, I should have read your previous post properly! I see in my version Airfix say it was one in the Western Desert in 1940, which I guess will make it a Mk 1 Bofors, probably on a Mk 1 "carriage". I was hoping to get a set of etched "pancake" sights to go on it from Milicast but they seem to be out of stock at the moment. I may do mine in desert colours, but I doubt it will be plain "desert yellow" aka sand as Airfix suggest - at that stage the base colour is more likely to have been either Portland Stone, or Light Stone. Must dig out my references on that period. I know that RAF vehicles were generally painted in the same camo as Army ones from about the end of 1941 onwards, possibly earlier in the desert, but "artillery" units in the Army were different, and it depends on the date. If I do go for 1940 then there are several possibilities, at least for the tractor, including the Caunter scheme from about November onwards. Cheers Pete Edited December 31, 2020 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 I remember hassling my local model shop for this when it was first released. Once I got it I was very disappointed with how small and fiddly the parts were. It was a struggle to build then when I was a teenager and the moulds were new. I don't think I would be keen to build a new one. Good luck with your build. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 1, 2021 Share Posted January 1, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Colin W said: I remember hassling my local model shop for this when it was first released. Colin Hi Colin, I remember going into my LMS regularly over quite a few months waiting for this kit to turn up after seeing it advertised - in the end I gave up, the one I now have being a much later release. As usual with the Airfix "gun kits" I think it is missing several of the crew, but I will probably build mine in travelling mode as I am no good at figure painting anyway! I have managed to track down some appropriate etched gunsights from Dan Taylor's Modelworks at a very reasonable price - he does early, mid and late war versions together with the one used on the US version. Pete Edited January 1, 2021 by PeterB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted January 1, 2021 Author Share Posted January 1, 2021 Confirming that it still has lots of small and fiddly parts. Progress has been made today. Assembly of the chassis and cab, the cargo compatment, and the gun. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 2, 2021 Share Posted January 2, 2021 Great progress Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted January 2, 2021 Author Share Posted January 2, 2021 I've now reached the point where all the fiddly parts are fitted, so I'll airbrush it a lighter green - hopefully tomorrow. and those wheels, before I fit those. I remember having a play on a Bofors at a Portsmouth Navy Days - probably late 1960s. Cranking one of the handles - can't remember whether I was up&downer or round&round. Were Bofors powered? 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 2, 2021 Share Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, theplasticsurgeon said: Were Bofors powered? Not originally Tim AFAIK. However both the RN and USN developend powered mountings with varying degrees of success, The RN STAAG (stabilized tachymetric anti-aircraft gunmounting) even had radar, but it was a big heavy thing that did not work too well I gather so they reverted to the old manual mounts later in many ships. The Army Ordnance Quick Firing 40mm Mk III (the original Bofors was the QF 40mm Mk I) was fitted with the Kerrison Director, an analog computer which required an extra crew member to dial in the relevant info and it would then use hydraulic sytems to elevate and rotate the gun. Apparemtly it was pretty good but a bit complicated and so only produced in limited quantity and mostly for fixed batteries of Bofors. On mobile versions it was replaced by the so called Stiffkey sight which had a sort of trapeze to move the sights to give the correct lead, and that was issued from 1943 onwards. Dan Taylor does 3 versions of the sights for the Bofors, the early one which he says was used up to the end of 1940, the mid one which is what Airfix show on their box art surprisingly given they say it was a 1940 version, and the late one with the more complicated Stiffkey set-up. Pete Edited January 2, 2021 by PeterB 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 2, 2021 Share Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) This illustration might help with my previous rambling comment. It shows the Stiffkey sight, which is basically an early version with the two circular "pancake" sights and the added trapeze with the offset/lead sight - it is named after the training establishment that devised it apparently and I have no idea how it worked! The one Airfix show is the mid war type which is the basic early sight with the right hand pancake replaced by a rectangular grid, at least according to the info on Dan's website. Pete Edited January 2, 2021 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 Airbrushed overall a more acceptable coat of Humbrol 30 Green, with contrasting brushing of Humbrol 155 Olive Drab for the canvas covers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 Wheels fitted, decals applied. I'll declare completion when I've painted the crew figures. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Nicely done Tim and quick work Are you staying with us for more projects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 55 minutes ago, Col. said: Nicely done Tim and quick work Are you staying with us for more projects? Thanks Col. I won't be starting anything new tonight. The Gulf War GB doesn't start for another 2 weeks - so more interceptor projects is a good posibility. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share Posted January 4, 2021 Calling this completed now, crew figures added. And yes, rejoining with more interceptors. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Nicely done Tim 8 minutes ago, theplasticsurgeon said: ...And yes, rejoining with more interceptors. Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Good job done. It looks great. I think if we do another eligible GB I might have another crack at this one. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianfuxia Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 this is great! I have the same thing almost finished - you've reminded me and inspired me to get back to it. Totally suited to this GB too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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