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Valom 1/72nd Bristol Type 130 Bombay MkI


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As I threatened, I’ve made a new tail oleo, repurposing the kit wheel. Three bits of brass wire and some careful soldering. The other parts are supposed to be the twin antenna masts. Again, brass wire that I’ve filed flats on to make them a bit more like the thinner section. Either way, better than the two-dimensional PE parts.

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7 hours ago, Greg Law said:

Your paint work looks good Heather. A little uneven finish on the brown will simply look like weathering. Anyway it looks good to me.

 

4 hours ago, stevehnz said:

That has come along splendidly heather & at a rate of knots, nice going. 👍

Steve.


Cheers chaps! I’m actually quite chuffed with the way the paint has gone on. I usually end up with some brush marks somewhere, but this time it’s worked really well. While it’s nice to have the airbrush, sometimes the old ways are simpler.

 

There will be a short hiatus while I wait on the Cameo and materials to arrive, and learn how to use it!

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Superb work Heather and almost looks like it may end up being the first to the Gallery. I think brush painting is the way to go on this kit, although I’d never try it myself so will waste spend many an hour masking the hell outta mine ! 
Cheers.. Dave 

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3 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

almost looks like it may end up being the first to the Gallery


Thanks Dave! I’m not counting chickens.

 

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This arrived today. So far, I’ve done a basic cut on some thin card stock. It seems to be working. I’ve got a roll of Oromask on order, and I need to learn how to create the stencils for markings, so there may be something of a lull in construction.

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On 6/15/2021 at 1:59 PM, Heather Kay said:


It’s not a complex kit, just a bit fiddly. I’m surprised at how quickly it’s coming together, if I’m honest.

 

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Any slight gaps where transparencies didn’t quite meet the fuselage have been filled with Kristal Klear. The Peewit masks are very good, but they fell into the trap of assuming thick bars on the turrets. If you read through Ced's WIP, linked to early on in this thread, you’ll note the cupolas were fixed and didn’t move. They were also made of Perspex sheets riveted together to form the bubble. That’s why I’ve used the Peewit masks but filled in the bars as well. A cursory coat of interior green over where actual bars were, and I reckon this is about ready for the first primer witness coat. 
 

The question is whether it’s calm enough outside to squirt rattle cans, or do I have to clear everything and set up the paint booth? Hmm.

I am reading along having completed this kit for the Med GB a few months ago and I recognize quite a lot of the pain here. The thing I will take away is a) using marker pen to highlight the dips and troughs and b) painting the canopy the interior colour BEFORE priming on the outside of the canopy. This is a revelation! I've only ever painted the inside of one canopy - my Storch as it is basically a greenhouse. I'll try this technique on my next model.

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On 27/06/2021 at 14:29, Heather Kay said:

I’ve just ordered a Silhouette Cameo 4

 

I've been looking at these for a while, but I'm not sure what I actually need for cutting out basic masks - the Cameo 4 is quite a bit more expensive than some others in the range. I'd be interested why you went for this model if you don't mind sharing

 

Cheers

 

Colin

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32 minutes ago, ckw said:

I'd be interested why you went for this model if you don't mind sharing


Sure thing. As you know, my "day job" is building commissioned models of railway subjects. I have a lot of coaches to build. A lot. Not all kits come with interiors. 
 

Now, step back a couple of years or so, and a fellow railway modeller got himself one of the earlier model Cameos. He used it successfully to create entire wagon kits from styrene sheet, for his own pleasure. A little light bulb went on in my head. Perhaps I could use one of those machines to make coach compartments, window frames, and essentially lots of things not often in the boxes.

 

There followed a period of research, as well as discovering folk hereabouts using computer-aided cutters to make paint masks. My mind was set, but I put off the purchase until I felt the time was right. The Bombay seemed an ideal guinea pig, too.

 

I chose the Cameo 4 because it’s big enough, and tough enough, to deal with what I expect to use it for. I also have a maxim that I try to buy the best tools I can afford. The supplied blade is the company's smart one, which automatically gets set for different material via the software. It has a cutter carriage that can take two blades so you don’t have to swap the things out for different materials. It can take a 12in wide roll of material. The Cameo 4 is also able to cut material without requiring the usual sticky mat. 
 

The free software is adequate, but limited. I had a play with it last night to see if I could scan and trace the Bombay transfer sheet. The answer was "not quite", so I will have to upgrade to the Designer Edition (about thirty-five quid at present exchange rates) so I can import files from my preferred drawing package. That way I shall have proper control over the artwork.

 

So, in my case, the purchase is a tool for my business use, which can also help me with play. Hope that makes sense.

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Not sure if the tax code in the U.K. is the same as in the states, but here if the equipment purchase  is business related it's purchase plus depreciation can be used to lower your tax bill. Which was handy for me with Computers and software that  just happened to cross over to model making. So its was an added benefit.

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34 minutes ago, LorenSharp said:

Not sure if the tax code in the U.K. is the same as in the states

 

It pretty much is, I think. Business expenses, such as tools and computers and all that jazz I can claim against my tax on my annual return. They're figured as part of my accounts. As I work from home I am also allowed to claim back a proportion of home costs as well. I just have to remember to keep the receipts!

 

While I get used to the software for the cutter - I've already stumped up for the so-called Designer Edition, which is quite a revelation even based on my very limited exposure to the free version - I have also been reading around on the camo and markings situation.

 

My reference for this is Scale Aircraft Monographs "Camouflage & Markings: The Battle For Britain - RAF May to December 1940" by Paul Lucas. Lucas goes into some depth looking at how the RAF camouflage and markings came into existence, and how they changed during the lead up to war, and through to the end of 1940. It's pretty exhaustive, and pays careful reading. 

 

It's led me to reconsider even further the markings on the Bombay. Remember, I'm building the option for L5813 which crashed after stalling on a landing run in May 1940. At this stage of proceedings, the familiar yellow ring around the fuselage roundels hadn't been officially authorised. Likewise, the fin flashes were also not officially endorsed. Even the upper wing blue and red roundels could be deemed questionable. Most of those familiar markings were authorised by the Air Ministry in July 1940, some two months after L5813 was lost.

 

What am I trying to say? Well, my reading of this is L5813 - remember, few photos of Bombays in No 271 Squadron service exist, and even fewer from the early part of 1940; indeed, most images are of No 216 Squadron aircraft deployed in and around North Africa later in 1940 and beyond - was camouflaged with the Dark Earth and Dark Green with aluminium undersides as I've painted my model. The red-white-blue under wing roundels are correct, I'm willing to accept the red-blue upper wing roundels, but the fuselage roundels most likely didn't have the yellow ring. Equally, I doubt the tail fin flashes, and would even go as far as to say the aircraft serial number appeared on the tail. I expect the squadron codes weren't carried, either.

 

This supposition on my part is partly confirmed by looking at how Hurricanes and Battles appeared during the early part of 1940. No fin flashes, no yellow rings, rarely any squadron codes. They all look very odd to the way we think WW2 RAF aircraft should look, as we're all used to how things settled down during the latter half of 1940. I will go as far as to say the Bombay painting guide provided by Valom is educated guesswork on their part, based on how the North African aircraft were painted as seen in most contemporary photos.

 

Now, I am happy to accept a contrary view. At this point, I can go in different directions for the painting of markings on my model. That said, though, I think there's enough evidence, based on research by others, to support what I've put forward. Anyway, it's my model and I'll finish it how I like! :angel:

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In case you’re wondering why it’s all gone quiet, I’m still waiting on a delivery of Oramask film. It was expected here on 6 July, but tracking told me it had been delivered to my alter ego in Schweinfurt, Germany, on 30 June. Full marks to DHL there, for missing my front door by about 550 miles and three countries. :slowclap:
 

Having chased up the vendor, another box is supposed to be heading my way. When I last checked, it was still in Germany, Dorsten to be exact. 
 

So, until it arrives, no further Bombay works. Still, it’s letting me get in with the day job. 
 

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The green coaches are waiting on information from the client, so I’ve embarked on three Gresley teak coaches. I bought these as a part-built job lot from a friend, and I’ve already got a customer happy to buy them at my asking price. All I have to do is finish them.

 

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They've been treated to some rather expensive but rather good PE bogies. This pair was started a couple of years ago, and has just been completed.

 

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And, being a glutton for punishment, here’s a second set started. 
 

*checks DHL site: still in Germany*

 

*sigh*

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While I mentally prepare myself to wrestle with the Cameo and Oramask, I’ve been reading a bit further on the markings situation.

 

I've now come to the definite conclusion I shall paint the Bombay as follows: Three-colour roundels on the fuselage sides, under wings and upper wings, aircraft serial on the fuselage, no squadron codes. My understanding is the blue-red upper wing markings were not commonplace on non-combat types in May 1940, and the Air Ministry Order mandating yellow outer rings on the fuselage was only posted to squadrons on 1 May 1940. It’s highly unlikely, in my view, that every operational aircraft had been so updated by the time L5813 crashed on 11 May.

 

Now, where’s the button to start up my pooter? 

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Hi Heather,

 

LNER Teak coaches - that should be fun. You may remember I asked you about teak finishes a couple of years back and you gave me links to a useful series of articles on painting teak - I will be interested to see how you get on.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

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25 minutes ago, PeterB said:

I will be interested to see how you get on.


Sadly, these coaches will be near the end of their working lives, painted maroon with simple lining under the window line. :( 

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And so the adventure in creative cutting begins.

 

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I used to sit at a Mac all day, creating illustrations, magazines, photoshopping, web design. I still have all the kit, but I find myself getting very frustrated with the technology these days. I started the Mac, waited for things to settle down, then tried to launch a couple of programs. Some time later, nothing happened, save my blood pressure began to rise.

 

A couple of restarts later - and reminding myself that I use a Mac to avoid all this rubbish, so where’d it all go so wrong‽ - and things let me get on. 
 

First, I needed to draw out the elements I wanted. Knowing the magic ratios for the roundels, and converting the imperial inch measurements to the real world 1/72nd scale metric equivalents, it was a simple matter to draw some concentric circles. After all my wittering up thread about research, a bit of further reading led me to decide on the blue-red upper wing roundels and add the squadron codes. 
 

I had downloaded the truetype font that’s available on t'internet, but it didn’t want to play ball. I think our own @CedB found the same issue, but I thought I could overcome it. Nope. So, plan B. Dig out the transfer sheets of serial letters, scan and trace *cough* use as inspiration for my own art. I think it might prove useful for me to spend a while making master copies of all the required letters and numbers at some point. Anyway, after some naughty words - I’m out of practice with all the software lark these days - I managed to create something I could try and cut.

 

At the top of the photo you can see a paper print that I used to check sizes on the actual model. I decided to shrink the 48in code letters to 36in for a better fit on the fuselage. Off to the Cameo we go!

 

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After some strange noises, I got this. Has it cut through enough? Well, I used a software preset for the film.

 

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Because I’m doing these stencils back to front, I created a box/container for each part of the markings. This will be the main mask, and the bits in the middle will be pulled out to make holes for the paint. My brain is happy with that description. Tentative picking with a scalpel point shows I can lift an entire roundel as a block. That’s handy, because it means I can lay the whole thing on the model, and just remove parts as I go. Keeping registration and avoiding stretching will be things I must overcome in due course.

 

Now I have the technology, for the next build it might be easier to paint the markings and mask them while the rest of the paintwork gets done. Something else to experiment with.

 

Let's see how I get on with the next stage. Watch this space.

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Hi Heather,

 

I have some RAF, US and Luftwaffe fonts - sent by a friend so no idea where they came from. I can mail them to you if you want to try them - not sure if they will work on a Mac but they work fine in Paint Shop Pro 8 on my Windows 10 PC and a couple of other forum members I sent them to don't seem to have any problems!

 

Pete

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7 minutes ago, PeterB said:

I have some RAF, US and Luftwaffe fonts - sent by a friend so no idea where they came from.


It is worth a try. There’s a chance they’re not the same ones most people link to. You have my email address, don’t you? If not, I’ll PM shortly. :like:

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Hi Heather,

 

Looks like they are True Type after all but perhaps worth a try - 2 RAF WWII, 1 RCAF, 1 RAF Post War, 3 USAAF/USAF, 1 Dutch WWII and 1 Luftwaffe. Not sure if I have your addie so best PM it.

 

Pete

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If you don't mind I will follow along . Still not helping with stash reduction . The Harrow is here so is a Varsity and now I just bid on a Bombay . Looking forward to the next installment .

Martin H

PS Those coaches look awesome 

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2 hours ago, Grandboof said:

Still not helping with stash reduction


I'm not sure there’s anything I can do there. Sorry. :innocent:

 

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Well, here goes. Place the mask. In the end, registration tape was not required. While the film is stretchy, it doesn’t stretch much if handled carefully. Lots of extra masking to make sure paint goes more or less where I expect it. Enamel paint, thinned with ColourCoats thinners, airbrush on a very low pressure and a small spray pattern, and lots of careful coats building up the colour. In this shot, the red centre of the upper wing roundel is already done and has been remasked (original film placed over the red area again) for the blue.

 

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Oh my! That’s actually amazingly good for my first effort. I expected a ton of bleed under the tape and along the engraved panel lines, but there is very little, if any.

 

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Fantastic!

 

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Buoyed with success, on to the underside. For this backwards method I’ve elected to place my mask, then carefully extract the centre circle and paint the red first. Leaving other the other rings in place means I’m left with a red circle which makes it a bit easier to replace the circle mask for the centre in the right place. Here, I’m painting the white rings. I’ll replace the white ring mask, then do the blue.

 

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Not bad. No worse than good transfers, at least.

 

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I was a bit eager and managed to dob some red on the white. If that’s the worst I do, then I’m happy. I’ll deal with that later, when it’s dried properly. Let’s see if I can manage the fuselage roundels.

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