825 Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 I'll join in with this from the stash. I bought it long time ago and I don't know where or when. I've made one a few years back and it goes together quite well. The price is tucked round the side and I was surprised it was so cheap. Not quite the 2/- Airfix Spitfire of 1960. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted May 31, 2021 Author Share Posted May 31, 2021 Sprue shot, two runners of grey plastic that are classic Matchbox. Instructions again straightforward Matchbox cum Revell. All the colour call outs are Revell colours. Few mixes and more or less equivalents from the Revell range for the S1E colour scheme with shadow colours on the lower wings. Three transparent parts and a nice looking transfer sheet for two versions and common use stencils. The prewar roundel blue does look a bit light though. But as im going for the camouflage versions that's not a problem. Two versions, an aluminium painted prewar aircraft from 713 NAS in the Med and a 765 NAS aircraft at Lee on Solent in 1940 in the S1E scheme. I thought there was an HMS Ajax option from the Battle of River Plate but that must be in another boxing. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 A Matchbox biplane - what’s not to like? Looking forward to this. Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTiger66 Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 Looking forward to this 😀 This is a kit that I have wanted for some time; as you say, there was an HMS Ajax version. My grandfather was on Ajax at some point, I’m told: Really want that boxing. However, seeing it made by anyone will be a treat. Good luck with the build 👍 Anthony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 Beautiful box art, that sold the kit back in the day ,aircraft, navy, floats, all the ingredients are there👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 Hi 825 and welcome to the GB. Great to have you here with what looks like an excellent choice of kit for the LTAT GB. I'm looking forward to following your progress. Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 Hi @825 Great choice, lots of us have this in the stash, so it will be great to see this one built. Good luck. cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Tucker Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 This will be my go-to kit for the Matchbox GB so I'll follow along. I haven't bought one yet though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 On 5/31/2021 at 12:13 PM, AdrianMF said: A Matchbox biplane - what’s not to like? Looking forward to this. Regards, Adrian Thanks Adrian, Matchbox biplanes are well engineered and I found when I did a Gladiator the struts and wings do line up well and make for a good firm model. On 5/31/2021 at 4:34 PM, TonyTiger66 said: Looking forward to this 😀 This is a kit that I have wanted for some time; as you say, there was an HMS Ajax version. My grandfather was on Ajax at some point, I’m told: Really want that boxing. However, seeing it made by anyone will be a treat. Good luck with the build 👍 Anthony I might be wrong about the Ajax boxing Anthony as there's no reference in Scalemates. But it doesn't have this boxing so it may be missed. There is an Xtradecal sheet with the Ajax Seafox on it though. I'll find the link for you. On 5/31/2021 at 6:17 PM, Hewy said: Beautiful box art, that sold the kit back in the day ,aircraft, navy, floats, all the ingredients are there👍 Like Airfix, back in the day Matchbox knew how to grab the potential buyers attention quickly. 23 hours ago, PlaStix said: Hi 825 and welcome to the GB. Great to have you here with what looks like an excellent choice of kit for the LTAT GB. I'm looking forward to following your progress. Kind regards, Stix Thanks Stix 14 hours ago, JOCKNEY said: Hi @825 Great choice, lots of us have this in the stash, so it will be great to see this one built. Good luck. cheers Pat Thanks Pat. Somebody had a WIP a year or so back and they did a fantastic job, superdetailing and correcting errors. Mine will be straight OOB. Not even seatbelts as I'll be using the crew. Mind you the observer or TAG probably didn't have a seat belt, just a chain to keep him from falling out. 5 hours ago, Richard Tucker said: This will be my go-to kit for the Matchbox GB so I'll follow along. I haven't bought one yet though It's a nice kit Richard, the fuselage has 1982 on it, so one from the later Matchbox years. Although this is a Revell boxing. Anyway to the model, I've put a bit of paint on the various parts. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 On 5/31/2021 at 4:34 PM, TonyTiger66 said: Looking forward to this 😀 This is a kit that I have wanted for some time; as you say, there was an HMS Ajax version. My grandfather was on Ajax at some point, I’m told: Really want that boxing. However, seeing it made by anyone will be a treat. Good luck with the build 👍 Anthony This is the Xtradecal sheet with Ajax's Seafox on it. https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X72134 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 A bit more work done. I checked and the seats and crew can be added after closing up. Which is helpful as probably the join that needs the most filler is the bulkhead between the cockpits. So the fuselage halves glued together. Not bad fit for a moulding that's nearly 40 years old. A little bit of filler will be needed but not much. I was going to add some details to the interior but once the crew are in there's not much to see. The pilot's seat lies too low, the poor Matchbox Sub Lieutenant wouldn't be able to see so I've put some plastic card packing to lift it. I've also added a piece to fit a scratched control column which will hardly be seen anyway. The control column is a bit rudimentary but it'll suffice with some black paint and hidden away in the small dark space that is the pilots cockpit. And the lower wings and a bit of filler added. Now to leave to dry. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted June 2, 2021 Share Posted June 2, 2021 The rivets around the cockpit remind me of sitting in a country pub somewhere in a big leather chair with studs round the edges. I should get out more... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 4, 2021 Author Share Posted June 4, 2021 Some paint on, Sky grey undersides, masked off and some Slate Greys on. A couple of coats will be needed. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 6, 2021 Author Share Posted June 6, 2021 Slate Greys finished and then the Dark Greys, needed a couple of coats. I'll recheck in the cold light of day and lay down another coat if needed. If not, then I'll get on with adding the upper wings and floats. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 Looks super. Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 18 hours ago, AdrianMF said: Looks super. Regards, Adrian Thanks Adrian. Today I got the crew in and the main struts on and painted. I was going to do a bit more detailing in the cockpits, but you can't even see the control column I made. I may add a radio into the observer's cockpit but we'll see. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Tucker Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 This looks really good. I must buy one.... I've never made this plane. I'm looking forward to watching the next steps. Putting the top wing on always gives me trouble. How did you guarantee that the struts are in the right place for the top wing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 I thought it best to put the walkway transfers on the lower wings and then varnish them before putting the top wing on. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Nice progress, you"re really rattling sling with this. It'll look good in that camo scheme. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 This will make a nice counterpoint to your Albacore. What paints are you using for the TSS? Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 21 hours ago, Richard Tucker said: This looks really good. I must buy one.... I've never made this plane. I'm looking forward to watching the next steps. Putting the top wing on always gives me trouble. How did you guarantee that the struts are in the right place for the top wing? Matchbox biplanes usually have quite good and positive fixings for their struts and to be honest after checking the main interplane strut fitting on the lower wing, I just fitted them by eye. Althoughthe MB/Revell instructions suggest you glue the secondary and cabane struts on as well to the lower wings and fuselage respectively, I'll probably add them on after I've got the upper wing on. It'll take careful work with tweezers and judicious application of glue but it'll mean I'll get the angle for the cabane struts in particular right. For other biplanes, I've used a jig out of a piece of card to get the angles right, and use a specialist stand to hold everything. 18 hours ago, AdrianMF said: This will make a nice counterpoint to your Albacore. What paints are you using for the TSS? Regards, Adrian Thanks Adrian. The paints are all Xtracrylix, with Camouflage Grey (Barley Grey) for the Sky Grey, which isn't available in acrylic. I can't remember where, but I saw it recommended as a close equivalent for Sky Grey a few years back on a thread here on BM. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 On 6/8/2021 at 12:39 PM, stevehnz said: Nice progress, you"re really rattling sling with this. It'll look good in that camo scheme. Steve. Thanks Steve, the S1E/TSS scheme on a biplane, albeit a bit intricate with the shadow colours, comes up nice. Mind you the most taxing I've done was a Malta Sea Gladiator which also had black and white undersides to the lower wings. Seven different colours on a 3 inch model did take a fair bit of time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 Upper wing on, patience, tweezers and judicious use of Tamiya Extra Thin needed. Everything fitted in the end and it's seems quite sturdy. The cover over the gun is on and the canopies have been dipped in Kleer and left to dry. I've diverged from the instructions for the floats. The instructions show building the frame and float uppers together, then adding them to the airframe, then add the floats to that. I was worried both about alignment and putting pressure on a relatively weak structure if the floats needed some fettling and or filling. And although not at all bad there was a bit of trimming of the float top to get them to fit into the floats as well as a small amount of filling needed on the upper surface at the front and back. So I've assembled the floats and then added the framework to the fuselage and I'll leave everything to firm up before putting the floats on. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 Floats on now, and a little bit of touching of the paint here and there needed. A bit of finishing off to do and then the transfers on. The transparencies need maske, painted and fitted but were on the home straight now. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
825 Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 On 6/8/2021 at 1:51 PM, AdrianMF said: This will make a nice counterpoint to your Albacore. What paints are you using for the TSS? Regards, Adrian Here you are Adrian, just for you. The Seafox is bigger than one expects. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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