Greg Law Posted June 23, 2021 Author Share Posted June 23, 2021 My latest on this TF-X. This will be a Torpedo plane and most likely the last to be finished. Mainly because I have to wait for the decals to arrive. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 All three engines are done. I am having trouble with the Revell kits wings to fuselage lower joints not seating properly. I will have to use superglue filler to sort it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted June 26, 2021 Author Share Posted June 26, 2021 This is the progress on the IF. It is really being a pain. I tried dropping on the canopy for the photo, but like so much it didn't fit. It fits the TF-X ok. I think it's the Eduard instrument panel that is causing it. I'm going to have to mangle the top of it. The plane isn't cleaned up yet. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted June 29, 2021 Author Share Posted June 29, 2021 I've been having more drama with the Revell kits. This is my fault, but I will mention it as a heads-up for those that want to build the kit. It is the engine build. There are multiple parts that need to be properly lined up. It looks easy until you realize the the front Cowelling ring needs to line up correctly with the back exhaust part that has the engine mounting guides on it. To do this all the parts in-between need to be correctly placed and aligned. You need to get the front part of the engine the right way round in relationship to the back exhaust parts mounting. The instructions are not that clear. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Sorry to hear about the engine misfortune Greg, however good to see you’ve mentioned it here for others to watch out for. It seems these modern day kits are all engineered with precision fits, get them slightly wrong and there’s trouble ahead. I’m sure you’ll recover it all in good time. Cheers.. Dave 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackroadkill Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 Just had read through the thread, Greg and your Beaus look great. I hope I can get mine to come close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted July 12, 2021 Author Share Posted July 12, 2021 Looks like my TF.X won't happen. At least not in time for this GB. What I thought was a decal set turned out to be an article on the coast Beaufighters only. No decals. This is a pain as I had built most of the plane already. On second thoughts after looking at Brett Green's build I should be able to make these decals myself. However it might not make the deadline. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted July 13, 2021 Author Share Posted July 13, 2021 After all that fuss I have discovered that one of the kits schemes will work on the fuselage I have built. Not exactly what I wanted, but will do for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted July 14, 2021 Author Share Posted July 14, 2021 Well thanks to Pete and his fonts I will be able to do my original TF.X RNZAF scheme. PE- F1. I made the file ready for final printing. Thanks Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 (edited) Hi Greg, Glad to hear that they arrived and work - I got them from a friend in the States a few years ago and am happy to mail them to anybody who wants. Several RAF wartime styles, plus post war, RCAF, Dutch WWII, Luftwaffe and sets of USAAF stencils for codes and letters, together with post war USAF buzz numbers. There is also a strange "handwriting" one I have not tried which might work for names. As I mentioned the only problem is that gmail does not allow zips, but it sounds like the unzipped version I sent you also works? Pete Edited July 14, 2021 by PeterB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted July 14, 2021 Author Share Posted July 14, 2021 Sure did Pete. The only problem was the fonts had a strange thing happened in Illustrator. They allowed me to do one set of letters then switched back to the default font. I had to restart the computer to get them to work again. Even reopening the program didn't work. Anyway once I had one set I could copy it and change the copy to what I wanted. So all is good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted July 15, 2021 Author Share Posted July 15, 2021 Chris. Taking up you suggestion of using Tamiya weathering effects. I like that as I do have some, so will give it a go. I use Vallejo metallic paints for my metals. To do the front of thr cowellings I have made a mix of steel and copper. If I add the Tamiya weathering I might have something. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted July 15, 2021 Share Posted July 15, 2021 Hi Greg, Never had that problem in Paint Shop Pro, both on my old Win7 computer and my current Win10 one. Must be something to do with settings somewhere I guess. I used aluminium and "antique bronze" for the exhaust collector or whatever it is at the front of cowlings and that works quite well - I believe that they were natural metal in many cases but tarnished with the heat. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted July 16, 2021 Author Share Posted July 16, 2021 Hi Pete I think illustrator has an advantage over paint shop and photoshop because it is a vector program which makes it easy to scale text without losing definition. Now I have this first file I can just change it as needed. Anyway I have photoshop so can use that if needed. I just black based the TF.X. All my work around the canopy looks to have helped. I used the CA. Method over the joint and did a massive sanding session on it and the wingtips this morning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 Nice work on the Beaufighters. FWIW I use silver/gunmetal plus dark earth to get the exhaust ring colour, with a dash of dark grey if it looks too bright, and some wine/rust if it wants to look really burnt. There’s an example here, of a relatively new one with not much discolouration. Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted July 31, 2021 Author Share Posted July 31, 2021 Not much has happened on the TF-X. I sprayed thelower surfaces with Mr Hobby Aqueous sky. Even after two coats it turned out very thin and glossy. While I was doing that I noticed I hadn't fixed up the nose joint (trouble with doing more than one buildof the same plane. You can get confused.) I just got all that sorted out ready for a lightened Tamiya Sky coat in the morning. So far the slow post hasn't delivered Daves decals for the RAAF MK25, so that's still on hold. I might look at doing a different scheme for the Malta plane. It will end up very beaten and weathered. I was sent some colour images from the new Beaufighter book at Wingleader it's on sale now, so I got a copy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted August 6, 2021 Author Share Posted August 6, 2021 Can someone give me advise on what is the best colour for the upper surfaces of my TF.X. you can see the profile earlier in this thread. I use Tamiya and Mr hobby Aqueous paint. Good news on the IF. I managed to remove the flaps, so now I can pose them partly open. This will resolve my bad fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Greg, I use Hataka paints at the moment, I bought their fleet air arm set and have to say I really like their colours. Your looks like it will need a little fading so the whole set might come in handy. I only brush paint I don’t spray so can’t comment on how they perform in that respect. the beau’s are coming along nicely though! Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted August 6, 2021 Author Share Posted August 6, 2021 Thanks Rob, however I will be sticking to the paints I have. I have draws full of Tamiya and Aqueous. I just need a suggestion on which one of from those brands to use. I'm highly likely to have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 11 minutes ago, Greg Law said: Thanks Rob, however I will be sticking to the paints I have. I have draws full of Tamiya and Aqueous. I just need a suggestion on which one of from those brands to use. I'm highly likely to have it. Fair one, I always went with Tamiya for past build, so that would get my vote. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted August 12, 2021 Author Share Posted August 12, 2021 Finally gave the TF-X a top coat. I used a mix of Tamiya Ocean grey with some US navy blue added. I'm happy with it. Gived a bit of a faded look. Once it has dried and any needed touch up is done I will take an image. I had to order refill ink for my printer so I could make the decals for it. Hopefully they will arrive tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted August 13, 2021 Author Share Posted August 13, 2021 Ok, here is an image of the progress on my TF-X. This is just the basic paint layer. I've based the colour on this profile, mainly because I like it. But made it a little more blue. Might look a bit too blue because of the flash. In reality it is greyer and darker, closer to the profile. You can see the decals I have printed. I just need to seal them over the next few days. That will give me a chance to clear coat the plane. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted August 19, 2021 Author Share Posted August 19, 2021 On the TF-X Beaufighter I have had problems with the large home made decals not laying flat. However I persevered with the decals and have one side done. There are small wrinkles in them, but won't be a problem for me with my eyesight. The second side I'm going to try splitting them up and apply one letter at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted August 20, 2021 Author Share Posted August 20, 2021 This is my latest progress on the TF.X. These are home made code decals which were difficult to handle. Anyway this is the best I could do. I still have the small kit decals to put on. The roundels are from the kit. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 She’s looking fantastic Greg and the home made decals are perfect to my eye. Really nice job and colour scheme. Cheers.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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