TonyOD Posted August 29, 2021 Author Share Posted August 29, 2021 Little Sunday morning shift, and I feel I’m getting somewhere now. Here’s the cockpit assembly, such as it is! I cobbled some seatbelts together from foil but otherwise unembellished. Also the main canopy, masking of which without the aid of precut masks would be plain foolhardy. The Montex masks are pretty good, they’re plastic unlike the Eduard ones I’ve used that are paper, they didn’t seem to want to “sit down” as well as the Eduard ones do so I gave the whole thing an additional Klear dip to seal the edges and I haven’t had any seepage with the interior framing colour 🤞🏻 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted August 29, 2021 Author Share Posted August 29, 2021 On to the turrets… it appears that defensive armament of the Potez 540 comprised of three peashooters. This aircraft was charged with the safe passage of the leader of the Free French, the future President of the Republic and one of the most important Frenchmen living at that or any time, and it was tooled up like the Bash Street Kids. Honestly. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted August 29, 2021 Author Share Posted August 29, 2021 (edited) After an unusually productive day I have something resembling an aeroplane. A bit (but not a lot) of attention to various joins and seams was needed, I have discovered PPP, which is a game changer, I can fill little gaps without obliterating everything around them! Hopefully I have everything reasonably smooth… primer hides nothing… Edited August 29, 2021 by TonyOD 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted August 29, 2021 Share Posted August 29, 2021 2 hours ago, TonyOD said: tooled up like the Bash Street Kids wonderful turn of phrase, Tony! Great progress, the Potez is really coming together now! You'll be painting before you know it! Cheers, Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted August 29, 2021 Author Share Posted August 29, 2021 @2996 Victor You can imagine the scene… Charles de Gaulle rocks up to the airfield, ready for his trip to Africa. ”Right then… where’s the plane?” ”Er… it’s that one, Monsieur le Général.” “We’re going in that? What, you couldn’t find a LeO or something? I know times are tough, lads, but… putain. Still, could be worse I suppose, could’ve been an Amiot…” 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted August 29, 2021 Author Share Posted August 29, 2021 Got some primer on, looking ok. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 Hey, want to know why turrets are called turrets? ’Cos Tourette’s is what I develop when I have to mask the little ******s. 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 49 minutes ago, TonyOD said: Hey, want to know why turrets are called turrets? ’Cos Tourette’s is what I develop when I have to mask the little ******s. I feel your pain, Tony, but I wasn't quite sure how to react: is it a or a ? Either way, great progress! Cheers, Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 (edited) Laugh reaction for the pun, not the good work on the turret masking. AW Edited August 30, 2021 by Andwil 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 2 minutes ago, Andwil said: Laugh reaction for the pun, not the good work on the turret masking. AW Agreed! Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 (edited) Started getting some paint on, hairy stick as usual… this is after two coats of Humbrol 71. I’m familiar with it from the interior of my Amiot, it’s a funny paint to work with. It’s hard to get the thinning right and it seems to thicken as I go. Coverage isn’t great, takes ages to dry. I’m counting on at least four coats. When the underside and nose are done I might leave it for a few days to harden up properly then give the panel lines another pass before putting a couple more heavily thinned coats on. Those wings really do look like ploughed fields 😂 Edited August 30, 2021 by TonyOD 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted August 31, 2021 Author Share Posted August 31, 2021 I’m going to have to be patient with the slow business of painting the airframe, but having finished masking the wee turrets I feel I’ve broken the back of this build. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 Great work Tony They couldn't have taken the Amiot as they hadn't finish hanging the floral curtains in the windows Cheers Pat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 3, 2021 Author Share Posted September 3, 2021 I'm in a bit of a grump this morning because I dropped the model last night and did it some damage. It's not quite a wing root that's split, it's the join between the side panel and the upper panel of the fuselage right nex to it. Not a major repair but it's going to cost me a couple of days and I do wish I could be not quite as clumsy. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 1 hour ago, TonyOD said: I'm in a bit of a grump this morning because I dropped the model last night and did it some damage. It's not quite a wing root that's split, it's the join between the side panel and the upper panel of the fuselage right nex to it. Not a major repair but it's going to cost me a couple of days and I do wish I could be not quite as clumsy. Sorry to hear that, Tony, but I'm sure you'll get it perfectly repaired in no time. Not that it's any consolation, but just to empathise, while decalling my Wildcat a couple of nights ago, I knocked it out of my left hand with my right! Cheers, Mark 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 (edited) I’m just about there with the painting and have patched up that faux pas. I’m not Humbrol 71’s biggest fan. I should be able to crack on with this over the next few days as unfortunately SWMBO is upstairs in bed with the COVID, I’ve managed to sidestep it (we’re both fully vaccinated) but I’ve shelved my plans to be away adventuring this weekend so I can be around to look after her. Edited September 4, 2021 by TonyOD 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 Great work on the Potez, Tony, you'll be finishing in no time nice to have some time at the bench, but.... .....very sorry to hear about your other half hope it's mild and she's up and about again in short order. Cheers, Mark 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 @2996 Victor Thanks Mark. To be honest I’ve seen her far more poorly with a common cold, but she’s under the weather and in the interests of ensuring that I and our son remain COVID-free is confining herself to the bedroom. She’s an up-and-at-‘em sort of girl though, she’s finding it very frustrating. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2996 Victor Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 9 minutes ago, TonyOD said: @2996 Victor Thanks Mark. To be honest I’ve seen her far more poorly with a common cold, but she’s under the weather and in the interests of ensuring that I and our son remain COVID-free is confining herself to the bedroom. She’s an up-and-at-‘em sort of girl though, she’s finding it very frustrating. I know what you mean, Jane's the same! She doesn't take confinement easily and she's not a good patient! Hope your good lady is fighting fit again soon. Cheers, Mark 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 5, 2021 Author Share Posted September 5, 2021 A week from assembly to decal ready. Adieu, little tin of ‘Oombrol soixante-et-onze! I hope our paths don’t cross anytime soon. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 Glad your paint issues are behind you . Martin H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted September 5, 2021 Share Posted September 5, 2021 Get well soon Mrs OD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Tucker Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 Great work on the painting. I hope Mrs OD gets well soon. I'm looking forward to your final reveal and your review of the masks as I've bought this exact kit recently I masking complex curves is a right pain. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 6, 2021 Author Share Posted September 6, 2021 2 minutes ago, Richard Tucker said: I hope Mrs OD gets well soon. Thanks, she seems to be on the mend! 2 minutes ago, Richard Tucker said: I'm looking forward to your final reveal and your review of the masks Well, as regards the effectiveness of the masks we'll only know when I whip 'em off later this week! As I mentioned above being intended for the transport version of this kit the turrets aren't covered, so I had to do them longhand with Tamiya tape. There aren't any curved surfaces to speak of on the bits that are covered by the masks, but the main canopy is a fiendish greenhouse and I wouldn't have liked to have had to do it the hard way! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 6, 2021 Author Share Posted September 6, 2021 (edited) La décalcomanie! Surely a contender for prettiest word in the French language. The decals are, as is the norm for Heller’s musée boxings, superb. Beautifully printed and very forgiving. The individual letters on the fuselage codes and the large underwing codes are connected by narrow strips of carrier film, presumably to ensure correct spacing of the letters. Forgiving as they are, I didn’t fancy trying to manhandle them across the trenches of the wings so I cut out the separate letters and used a photocopy of the decal sheet as a spacing guide. Incidentally if anyone fancies a crack at this rather lovely old kit on the cheap, get hold of a Smer reboxing, bin the nasty decals and I’ll be happy to send you my leftover schemes from the Musée kit, they are immeasurably better. One of them is the same aircraft as Smer’s offering, as it happens. Edited September 6, 2021 by TonyOD 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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