Those Magnificent Martians In Their Flying Machines

[72modeler]

11 hours ago, Martian said:

I might even try and knock a Sarah Miles figure together.

You might need a pair of 1/144 DH Spitfire spinners....you will know what to do with them! (I know the drill- go sit in the Naughty Corner and contemplate my behavior!) 

Mike 

Edited June 23, 2021 by 72modeler
corrected spelling

[Martian]

50 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

You might need a pair of 1/144 DH Spitfire spinners....you will know what to do with them! (I know the drill- go sit on the Naughty Corner and contemplate my behavior!) 

Mike 

Only 1/144 scale spinners?

 

Martian 👽

[72modeler]

4 hours ago, Martian said:

Only 1/144 scale spinners?

We're talking Sarah Miles, here, not Anita Ekberg! 🍈 🍈

Mike

[ArnoldAmbrose]

11 hours ago, Martian said:

I wonder what Edwardian sick bags, Royal Navy personnel for the use of, looked like?

They're were the same as now I'd imagine - the 'oggin'. (Otherwise known as the ocean) 😁 Regards, Jeff.

 

PS - I quite like Sarah Miles, too. 😛

[general melchett]

Quote

We're talking Sarah Miles, PS - I quite like Sarah Miles, too. 

 

Who's Sarah Miles?...........anything to do with the company that produced the shockingly unpronounceable Libellula?

 

 

Now, Anita Ekberg, well, that's another matter...... 

 

 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

That doesn't look like Anita Ekberg to me! 😀 Regards, Jeff.

[72modeler]

34 minutes ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

That doesn't look like Anita Ekberg to me! 😀 Regards, Jeff.

Baldrick- you're alive!

Mike

[Martian]

1 hour ago, general melchett said:

Who's Sarah Miles?

Surely you remember this incident? Word is that it was your very self that engineered and then photographed the incident, followed by Lady Melchett expressing her displeasure with a scythe and a very large adjustable spanner. (Monkey wrench for those of a colonial persuasion.)

 

 

Incredulous of Mars 👽

[72modeler]

12 minutes ago, Martian said:

Surely you remember this incident?

I've heard of dropped flaps, but....dropped knickers?  (We've tried to maintain the snappy modeling repartee during your temporary absence, but I for one am glad you're back!)

Mike

[Martian]

2 hours ago, 72modeler said:

I've heard of dropped flaps, but....dropped knickers?  (We've tried to maintain the snappy modeling repartee during your temporary absence, but I for one am glad you're back!)

Mike

Thanks Mike, I have been about but have been making spacecraft and floaty stuff as a bit of light relief.  (Now there's a double entendre for you all to have fun with while I get the build to the point where I  have a bit more to show than dozens of microscopic holes for the rigging.)

 

Martian 👽

[general melchett]

Quote

That doesn't look like Anita Ekberg to me!  

 

Oh yes, in Sweden she was well known for her Sid James impression...she got a couple of big shiny gongs for it...(oh good lord, stooping to the level of the rabble here.......Darling, my coat and waders). 

 

 

Quote

Surely you remember this incident? Word is that it was your very self that engineered and then photographed the incident, followed by Lady Melchett expressing her displeasure with a scythe and a very large adjustable spanner. (Monkey wrench for those of a colonial persuasion.)

Of course, now the name rings a few bells, my mind must have blanked the whole sordid affair. Lady M was hopping mad at my sudden bout of amnesia, even went as far as trying to reenact the scene to jog my memory, her battalion plus-fours and steel-plated corset refused to budge so Baldrick had to resort to block and tackle (not to mention, an adjustable monkey spanner wrench), hell to pay, I don't think he'll ever truly recover....

 

[Martian]

OK, so I now have something to show other than all the rigging holes that you will not be able to see anyway. I have got the wings glued together and the ejector pin marks eliminated. The instructions would have you trap the tail booms between the sections of the upper wings at this stage. There is no way they would survive all the handling during the clean up of the wings and would get in the way of painting. Fortunately, having built this kit before, I am aware of this issue and have a way round the problem.

 

What I was not aware of, seeing as how I did not have internet back in the late 1990s, is that the centre section of the lower wing is not really part of the wing at all but part of the structure that carries the engine, fuel and oil tanks and crew seats. the wings being bolted on to this. This allows the underside of the centre structure to be seen from below. It was out drill and scalpel time and the offending areas of the wing cut away. This was a bit hairy from a strength point of view until the new structure was added from plastic strip. The lower wing is now nice and solid again. Depending on how much the opened out area allows us to see of the detail of the engine crew assembly, I might add a small mirror to he model's base when the build is completed.

 

The kit makes an effort at replicating the engine controls but the detail is very wooly and two dimensional. Consequently, this detail has been removed from the kit part concerned and a new assembly will be built from scratch. I am far from convinced by the pilot's seat so that will be getting replaced and the rear seat will either be reworked or replaced as well. I wonder if I could make both seats from wood veneer? Who am I kidding? We all know that I am daft enough to at least try. 

 

And so to the pictures. The kit plastic is what I can only describe as "marbled" to look at and photographing it has been a right pig of a job. Try and imagine the colour one is likely to go having eaten one of @general melchett's plum duff. Doubtless he will try and blame Baldrick or Darling but I have it on good authority from Lady Melchett herself  that the General's cooking would turn even Baldrick's stomach! 🤮 His half time curried egg and sprout sandwiches were not appreciated at the most recent performance of the Much-Snivelling-in-the-Swamp Ladies String Quartet, when they suddenly discovered that they had acquired a wind section comprising of the entire audience! I have done what I can by playing around with the images so at least you can get some idea as to what I have been up to. Fortunately, this build has to be painted as I go along so the horrible colour of the plastic should be getting covered up sooner rather than later.

 

Thanks for looking

 

Martian 👽

 

 

 

 

[72modeler]

I see what you mean, Martian, and I  do not envy you your task, Those wings look like they were sections of galvanized corrugated roofing cut from an old barn! We have a similar ensemble to the Swamp Ladies here in the Lone Star State- the West Texas Womens Wind Wafters; only difference being they use jalapeno peppers stuffed with cheese, wrapped with bacon, battered, and deep fried for inspiration You should hear their rendition of Flight of the Bumblebee- sounds like a squadron of Lightnings in reheat! (Two can play this game- or is it three?) 

Mike

 

Somebody has to defend the Naughty Corner's honor while CC is away!

[Terry1954]

Those wings look rather good. Have i missed something in all the wonderful dialogue, or are they a bit translucent? The edges and ribs make it appear so.

 

Terry

[Fishbed]

1 hour ago, Terry1954 said:

Those wings look rather good. Have i missed something in all the wonderful dialogue, or are they a bit translucent? The edges and ribs make it appear so.

 

Terry

You beat me to it, definatly a see through quality (to go with the knickers?)

 

Tim

[Martian]

1 hour ago, Terry1954 said:

Those wings look rather good. Have i missed something in all the wonderful dialogue, or are they a bit translucent? The edges and ribs make it appear so.

 

Terry

They are indeed translucent in places and the plastic is eminently workable. It's just so off putting to the eye.

 

1 hour ago, 72modeler said:

I see what you mean, Martian, and I  do not envy you your task, Those wings look like they were sections of galvanized corrugated roofing cut from an old barn!

The Box Kite has somewhat unusual wings in that the ribs that meet the wings spars where the struts are attached are heavily reinforced on the exterior of the wings. Sometimes these showed as the natural wood and sometimes they were covered with fabric, so the kit is correct in this respect. I haven't decided whether to have these ribs covered or uncovered at this stage of the build. 

 

Undecided of Mars 👽

[ArnoldAmbrose]

14 hours ago, Martian said:

 His half time curried egg and sprout sandwiches were not appreciated at the most recent performance of the Much-Snivelling-in-the-Swamp Ladies String Quartet, when they suddenly discovered that they had acquired a wind section comprising of the entire audience!

LoL 😁     Gidday, on a serious note (if that's possible here) this looks an interesting build. Regards, Jeff.

 

[dnl42]

Martian,

 

This looks fabulous! 

 

I want to make sure I understand what you're doing. The part that you worked on is part 7, correct?

My Pyro version of the kit has very opaque parts. I suppose your model could be left unpainted, with translucent surfaces. 

 

My Avro Triplane from the series is the Life-Like rebox; it has opaque parts. As do the others, which are all newer Lindberg versions.

[Martian]

2 hours ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

LoL 😁     Gidday, on a serious note (if that's possible here) this looks an interesting build. Regards, Jeff.

 

Thanks Jeff but serious? here? with most of the "Usual Suspects" on board already? Don't be silly!

1 hour ago, dnl42 said:

Martian,

 

This looks fabulous! 

 

I want to make sure I understand what you're doing. The part that you worked on is part 7, correct?

My Pyro version of the kit has very opaque parts. I suppose your model could be left unpainted, with translucent surfaces. 

 

My Avro Triplane from the series is the Life-Like rebox; it has opaque parts. As do the others, which are all newer Lindberg versions.

Thanks DNL, the part in question is part 7. As to leaving that horrible plastic unpainted, that ain't going to happen. It will be getting painted as soon as humanly martianly possible.

 

I have an Avro Triplane on the way and already have an Inpact Bleriot and Lee-Richards annular monoplane in the stash so I may well expand this thread to include these machines. I have the Martin Handasyde and Avro Biplane already built. I might add some better wheels to the Martin Handasyde or even revisit the subject. I have a half completed Deperdusin somewhere and if I can find it, this seems as good a time as any to finish it. 

 

Martian 👽

 

 

 

[heloman1]

Page two already, where could I been to miss this interlude? Well, I'll tell you! I managed to leave my laptop at the mem sahid's last weekend so until last night at the ale house quiz I was reinstated with said device!

Bit of a bummer when you want to visit your favourite modelling site and you have no teleportation device!

 

Interesting subject Martin, don't believe I 've even had the pleasure of delving into one of these kit boxes.

I'll tag along if I may.

Thanks to Crisp for the interesting 'strides' image. Now there is a word from the past. Brings the Who to mind.

 

Colin

[general melchett]

Following our chat over the ether earlier, I must say, I see what you mean about the marbling but agree with the other chaps that those wings look rather fetching. I remember having the Avro Triplane, Biplane and they were similar (Probably all the kits in the range were the same, to be fair). Renwal’s equally bizarre Voisin Farman 1908 and Curtiss Golden Flyer 1909 went with a different approach, including a sheet of tissue paper (Silk-span) to cover the wooden skeleton, later labelled as ‘Aero-Skin’. The Boxkite was certainly a strange old beastie.

 

Oh, and there’s nothing wrong with my curried-egg and sprout sarnies....just ask the chemical warfare division of the fifth foot and mouth fusiliers (Botulinum battalion).

[stevehnz]

Sorry Martian, only one like, I was laughing too much the rest of the time to manage any more. Big   to you for taking this on, it weren't a bad movie if memory serves me correctly.  

Steve.

[europapete]

Good morning all. Although 1/32, Pacific Monogragh do a lovely Sir Percy (Terry Thomas) figure. Kit number PMFIG-001. 

20th Century Fox have the movie on DVD, www.foxhome.com 

Regards, Pete in RI

[Marklo]

So there’s me keeping my head down and puttering away on my pair of bristols ( scouts that is) 

 And not realising I’d been missing all of this.

[JamesP]

Blimey, I wasn't expecting actual build progress till page 5! 

 

I missed that there was centre section cut-out during my build, but did the remove the clumsy foot box and modify the controls. but every build of particular plane from this period varied slightly.