1:48 Fairey Fulmar

[Dunny]

3 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Ha ha no worries fella.

Just been looking at Fireflys as seeing your excellent landing light,  made me think about the Firefly and the lack of one in the kit, so will have to do that before it gets painted.

Gonna have to get me a Fulmar too. 

Chris

I've previously used a bit of transparent melted sprue to give a domed effect, and you can just knock up the housing from plastic card - easy!

[bigbadbadge]

5 minutes ago, Dunny said:

I've previously used a bit of transparent melted sprue to give a domed effect, and you can just knock up the housing from plastic card - easy!

Thanks Roger, I will cut it out, box it in and I have the Brengun British Landing light photoetch set so hopefully will be able to cobble something together. Fingers crossed.

Chris

[Dunny]

8 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Thanks Roger, I will cut it out, box it in and I have the Brengun British Landing light photoetch set so hopefully will be able to cobble something together. Fingers crossed.

Chris

Brengun you say - must look that one up!

[Dunny]

43 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Thanks Roger, I will cut it out, box it in and I have the Brengun British Landing light photoetch set so hopefully will be able to cobble something together. Fingers crossed.

Chris

Checked this out - I need these in my life! Thanks for the tip...

[bigbadbadge]

28 minutes ago, Dunny said:

Checked this out - I need these in my life! Thanks for the tip...

No worries, It is a rather nice set, I saw someone else using  them on here and so got a set. Not used them yet though!!!

Chris

[Dunny]

Hi All,

 

A quick update on the Fulmar. Unfortunately the fit of the resin Observer's position was absolutely woeful, so I've spent the morning fettling, cursing and cutting new sections from plastic card. I finally got the fuselage halves together - it's far from my best work, but it's starting to look like a Fulmar!

 

 

The fit of all the plastic components is actually very good - a little filler will be required here and there, but nothing to be scared of. Here's the state of play:

 

 

I'm going to put the resin debacle behind me and push on!

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Roger

[Grey Beema]

Great progress Roger.  

 

Fitting the resin cockpits is a bit on an adventure adventure and eliminating the gap along the cockpit edge equally so.  You’ve done a good job on yours.

 

A heads up though.  If you intend to have the Observers canopy open you need to scratch up a new front section and middle section canopy which will slide under it. Not too difficult but be aware of it at this stage before attaching the front section.

[Grey Beema]

Better late than never,

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205046496

 

 

 

 

[Dunny]

11 minutes ago, Grey Beema said:

Better late than never,

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205046496

 

 

 

 

Better indeed GB! Thanks for the hint on the canopy and the photo - I'm actually thinking of leaving the Observer's canopy shut (it's not pretty in there!)

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[bigbadbadge]

Looks really good fella, despite the fit issues, you have done a grand job Roger.  Definitely starting to look like a Fulmar now

Chris

[Dunny]

1 minute ago, bigbadbadge said:

Looks really good fella, despite the fit issues, you have done a grand job Roger.  Definitely starting to look like a Fulmar now

Chris

Thanks Chris,

 

The resin was an absolute pig, but the fit of all the main components is not actually that bad. I've got the glazing on now, which was a bit tricky - will post tomorrow after it's dried overnight,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[bigbadbadge]

18 minutes ago, Dunny said:

Thanks Chris,

 

The resin was an absolute pig, but the fit of all the main components is not actually that bad. I've got the glazing on now, which was a bit tricky - will post tomorrow after it's dried overnight,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

Oooooo can't wait to see with the canopy on fella, you have done well wrestling the resin. 

 

I am heading to the bench now as want to get some time in !!!

Chris

[Dunny]

4 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Oooooo can't wait to see with the canopy on fella, you have done well wrestling the resin. 

 

I am heading to the bench now as want to get some time in !!!

Chris

Good man - enjoy!

[Terry1954]

Lovely looking Fulmar coming together there. I really like the cockpit work, and the chosen Mediterranean scheme.

 

Will stick around to watch this one.

 

Terry

[Dunny]

59 minutes ago, Terry1954 said:

Lovely looking Fulmar coming together there. I really like the cockpit work, and the chosen Mediterranean scheme.

 

Will stick around to watch this one.

 

Terry

Cheers Terry - welcome aboard! I hope the path forward is smoother than the one behind!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Dunny]

Hi All,

 

Some good progress on the Fulmar today, leaving behind the horrors of the resin cockpit! 😲

 

Last activity for last night was sorting out the glazing. When first offered up to the fuselage it looks far too narrow, and I had that all too familiar SH sinking feeling. However, on further investigation both the rear glazing elements 'spread' under a little pressure, so with lashings of Krystal Kleer and judicious use of masking tape here's where I got to:

 

 

I left that to set overnight and it's tough as old boots now! 

 

Unusually SH do not provide a mask set, so I masked the canopy with Tamiya tape:

 

 

I then sprayed the canopy with interior green:

 

 

 

 

Finally, here's a shot with the first coat of primer applied - this has revealed a bit of seam re-work required, so that's the next job!

 

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Roger

Edited June 20, 2021 by Dunny
Photo added

[Grey Beema]

Good work Roger.  

 

You'll be lashing paint at that soon.  It’s such I pity that the model doesn’t come with separate control surfaces, cutting the thick plastic is a PITA...

[Dunny]

Hi All,

 

Some good progress today (and just for @Grey Beema's benefit, I can confirm that significant quantities of paint have, in fact, been lashed )

 

First up I went to do the preshading, and had a bit of an early spillage disaster:

 

 

I wiped it down, recoated with primer, and no-one will be any the wiser! As you can see I've already applied a coat of Nato Black to the port wing. 

 

 

Next I masked the black up in preparation for the white:

 

 

And here's the white, partially masked for the next stage:

 

 

Here's the leading edges and the underside of the cowling sprayed in a home brew Sand (Mid-Stone mixed with white, thanks for asking!)

 

 

And here's the underside with the rear fuselage sprayed with Sky:

 

 

I then freehanded the squiggle camouflage using red-brown and olive drab:

 

 

I'm not going to win any mottling competitions, but it doesn't look too bad! This is one of the more complex paint jobs I have attempted, so here we are after yet another stage of masking:

 

 

And once that was complete a loverly coat of DSG🤩:

 

 

Finally I freehanded the EDSG (a simple task after all that squiggling!):

 

 

And here she is after unmasking:

 

 

I'm not displeased with the overall effect. What's that - you want to see underneath? Why of course!

 

 

A few minor touch-ups required, but not too bad! I might see if I can get a gloss coat down whilst cooking Sunday roast,

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Roger

[bigbadbadge]

Oh wow Roger, what an update, the paint looks wonderful . What an awesome looking model.

Great job

Chris 

[Dunny]

9 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Oh wow Roger, what an update, the paint looks wonderful . What an awesome looking model.

Great job

Chris 

Thanks Chris! I'm quite happy with progress, all sealed up under a gloss coat ready for decals!

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[Grey Beema]

Great job Roger - you don’t hang around do you?

 

[Dunny]

11 hours ago, Grey Beema said:

Great job Roger - you don’t hang around do you?

 

Thanks GB - what can I say, I was on a roll!

[iang]

That's a  nice looking Fulmar and you've made a great job of fitting the resin.   However, I don't think that the Special Hobby painting scheme bears much relation to the way the actual aircraft was painted, but that's for another time. 

[Dunny]

5 hours ago, iang said:

That's a  nice looking Fulmar and you've made a great job of fitting the resin.   However, I don't think that the Special Hobby painting scheme bears much relation to the way the actual aircraft was painted, but that's for another time. 

Thanks for the kind words Ian! You say another time, but I'd be really interested in any information you have on this scheme. SH have picked up on a couple of pertinent details from the a/c photo that @Grey Beema shared (see link above), such as the white cockpit sunscreen and the lighter wing gun covers. I cannot find any other a/c photos, so any info you have would be gratefully received,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[iang]

Roger, two photos are reproduced in my book on FAA Camouflage and Markings 1937-41 (written using the pseudonym Stuart Lloyd). One of these is the IWM photo GB linked to, the other is one of three photos I have taken onboard Eagle, following a landing accident (one from the rear, two from the front). The aircraft is also the subject of a colour illustration in the book.  It's a while since the book was published (2008) and I'm thinking about the possibility of a new venture (hence the phrase in my post about 'another time'), but in brief: 

1. It is certain from the Eagle photos that this aircraft was not painted with black and white IFF markings. The entire under-surface was one colour (probably Sky).

2. The under-surface colour is the base for the 'spaghetti' markings on the cowl.

3. The 'spaghetti' markings do not extend very far chord-wise on the upper wings

4. Less clear-cut from these (and other 'spaghetti' Fulmar) photos is the base colour for these markings on the wings. In the book it is illustrated as the under-surface colour.  This would involve wrapping the under-surface colour over the upper-wing and then masking the lower wing at a similar position on the chord, before spraying the 'spaghetti' markings. A task possible at sea (probably in Alexandria harbour).  Since the publication of the book, Paul Lucas uncovered a statement in the Operational Record Book of the Repair and Maintenance Branch, HQ RAF ME, Cairo. "7.10.40 Appropriate units given procedure for camouflaging frontal portions of Hurricane aircraft (with V.84 followed by a light and irregular application of very pale blue and green)., in order to effect confusion and miscalculation of range by enemy gunners." V.84 is Aluminium, in pre-war nomenclature. So it is clear that on (most) 'spaghetti' Hurricanes the base colour was Aluminium.  Fulmars were not governed by the same (RAF command) painting instructions, but I've not found any Admiralty instructions relating to this scheme. It is possible that Fulmars were painted the same as Hurricanes. What is clear is that the base colour would need to be carried in naval stores, as 806, 803 and 805 RNAS all painted their Fulmars in this scheme at some point (all based on RN carriers at Alexandria, though 805 was shore based for some time), with considerable variation between different aircraft.  In my view this rules out light sand suggested by Special Hobby, but Aluminium paint would be carried in naval stores.  However, a study of the available 'spaghetti' Fulmar photos does not appear to support the idea of an Aluminium base coat. To me, the base coat looks like the under-surface colour. The book includes this nice close-up that appears to support this view:

 

Notice how on this aircraft the 'spaghetti' mottle extends to the undercarriage doors. On some others, the mottle extends all the way down the fuselage sides, to a position aft of the wings.  806:G is a good example:

 

This photo provides further support the idea that the mottle was usually applied over the under-surface colour on Fulmars, though spinners and an area immediately behind the spinner appear on some aircraft  to be Aluminium (as in 806:G above). In the case of N2015:7C, the spinners appears to be black in the IWM photo. By the time 7C was photographed on Eagle, the spinner is a light colour with a mottle. It is possible, of course, that these are two different 7C aircraft, as the serial is not readable on the Eagle photos, though all other details appear the same in both.

5. The colours of the 'spaghetti' mottle. This is also an unknown for Fulmars, but again the colours would need to be available in naval stores. The simplest method would be to use upper-surface colours, but in the absence of evidence of written instructions, any combination of colours from naval stores is possible, including mixes of roundel colours. 

 

HTH

IG

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by iang