Ray's 2021 Yearbook

[Ray S]

Hello all! Having been on this fine Forum for quite a few years, this was the first time I found out what the 'Yearbook' was all about! I hang my head in shame.

 

I tend to do a write up of all the models I build, and have created a file of the builds, I started doing that in March 2015, and so far have 81 completions in the book. I thought I had a pretty good completion rate for this year, but when I checked back, I had only finished 12! Anyway, this collection is the first six of my output from 2021:

 

My first model to be finished was a Christmas gift from 2020 from my lovely wife Jane, and by the 9th of January this year, it was done. It was the Trumpeter 1/72 EE Lightning F1A, finished as an aircraft from the Binbrook Target Facilities Flight, 1970. I know the Trumpeter kit has an error or two(!), but it went together beautifully. I used a resin cockpit upgrade set for it, and that fitted pretty well too:

 

 

 

The next project was another Christmas 2020 gift, this time from my son John. This was the Airfix 1/72 EE Lightning F6, this time I used Xtradecal markings for an 11 Squadron amchine from Binbrook in 1978. This one had dayglo patches for the Binbrook Open Day, where it was in the role of 'bandit' for the display. I needed less work done at the tail and nose than on my other Airfix builds, it went together very well again, and looks much more like a Lightning should:

 

 

 

Then I started on a demanding Group Build schedule. I think I bit off more than I could chew, but things started well for the Australian and New Zealand GB. My first entry was an OzMods (double whammy there!) 1/144 DHC Dash 8-Q300 from Air New Zealand. This was a short-run kit, and oh boy, it showed. Look around that though, and there was a little beaut waiting to be produced. I loved the build, and had great satisfaction when it was complete. I may well have flown in this one on the Christchurch/Nelson (or vice-versa) trip I did in 2017 when I went to see my old school mate. Getting the black/white demarcation masking was tricky, and was not quite right in the end:

 

 

 

Fourth on the list for 2021 is the third 2020 Christmas present, this time the 1/48 Hawker Hunter F6. I have to admit I chickened out with the RAF options, mainly due to getting the underwing serial numbers onto the undercarriage doors, and opted for the version from 324 Squadron, Royal Nederlands Air Force, 1964. Having seen a number of magazine articles, I was concerned about joining nose cones and tail halves, but should not have worried, this was another that caused me no issues at all. I brush painted the upper camouflage but rattle-canned the underside aluminium:

 

 

 

After this, I returned to the Aus/NZ Group Build with the Airfix 1/144 Boeing 737, which was supplied with Air New Zealand or Ansett markings, so another 'double whammy). In the way of keeping balance, I did this one as Ansett so I had done one from both countries. The kit was anold mould, but a new red boxing. The nose was widen slightly, and I used some plastic rod and clear PVA to create the cockpit glazing, and lots of putty for the doors which were a very bad fit, possibly because I fitted them upside down (but at least they were not inside out!):

 

 

 

The 6th kit was one I bought on my one and only trip to Hannants in Lowestoft. It was in 2018, and I was like a kid in a sweet shop. I ended up buying four kits and a couple of transfer sheets, but it would have been so easy to have maxed out my credit card! This was the KP 1/72 DH.99 Comet. I wanted to do this in a different scheme compared to the Airfix offerings I have done over the years. The kit was a mixed blessing, it was better than the Airfix one, but still was not quite right. I had quite a few problems with it, but it scrubbed up nicely in the end as  Portuguese one, CS-AAJ 'Salazar', from 1939. I have been told since that I put the wrong spinners on it:

 

 

 

The Comet was finished on 23rd March 2021, the first anniversary of the Covid Lockdown. It had been a productive nearly 4 months. I will show the next 8 months in the next post.

 

Thanks for looking, and going through the ramblings.

 

Ray

[Ray S]

Hello again, if you got through that last post!

 

The next Group Build I entered was the 'Unarmed' GB. The first one for this was another aircraft I may have flown in (I have never noted registration details on my flights), a Royal Nepal Airways DHC Twin Otter. This was the Revell 1/72 (ex-Matchbox) kit. I built it OOB, except for the markings which I obtained from Parkes682Decals on this Forum. I had done one from Nepal Airlines previously and found that the tail stripes did not meet under the fuselage as they should, so I masked and painted those on this one and realised afterwards that they should have been 3mm wide, rather than 5mm.

 

 

 

Number 8 in the completions is probably the reason I began to fall behind in my GB schedule. I had chosen a fairly simple subject, the Aeroclub 1/72 Felixstowe F.2a flying boat for the 'Anything But Injection' GB. It took me a little longer than I expected, and it took nearly all of the GB to do it. I went to town on The interior and quite a bit can be seen, and I had many a nightmare trying to work out how to deal with various 'challenges' that kept cropping up. One thing that really helped though was the design of the kit, and the fact that I needed to drill holes through the wings to attach the struts, then fill the holes. It made to a relatively painless build (I said relatively!). I had a great sense of achievement when it was done. The white swirls on the fuselage were from AIMS. It is probably the most complex aircraft I have built:

 

 

 

 

 

I still had time for another entry for the 'Unarmed' GB, this was a Christmas present from 2014 or '15, again from my good lady wife, the 1/144 Zvezda Il-62M, from the Russian Ministry of Emergencies. Wow, what a model this was! It was an absolute delight to fit together, despite forgetting to add nose weight and missing out the well for the tail support. The surface detail was delightful, the fit exquisite, and the transfers behaved very nicely indeed. The only thing I could not recitify was the fit of the cockpit glazing, the plastic was so flexible:

 

 

 

This shows the difference between the Il-62M and a modified Airfix VC10 C.Mk1K(ish):

 

 

Continuing the Group Build theme, a couple now from the 'Less and a Tenner' GB. The first was the Airfix 1/72 Sopwith Pup, I added quite a bit of detail and modified the wing surfaces, and used a Blue Rider sheet for the Harlequin colour scheme, and it all came in way under the £10 limit. The kit was something like £1.70 in the late 1980's, and the transfer sheet was £5 tops this year. Mind your eyes!

 

 

 

The next in the 'Less than a Tenner' was the Airfix 1/72 Albatros DVa. This was the red box issue and was again modified with scrap to produce an interior, adjusted the top wing cut-out, added a better radiator above and below the top wing and various other things. The 'wood effect' ply finish was done with an acrylic 'sand' colour followed by Humbrols Clear Orange. I thinned that with ColourCoats Naphtha thinner, but it did not work properly. I only found out when I was painting the fuselage, but it produced exactly the effect I was after!

 

 

 

Just for a change, my next model was for a Group Build! This time it was for the 'Bristol Aeroplane Company' GB. Again I chose a simple subject, the Libramodels 1/72 Bristol Scout vacform. Having now built two vacforms this year, I cannot be called an 'anti-vaccer'! The kit in gerneral was pretty good, it had a fair bit of white metal goodies and transfers. I added quite a bit to this one too, and even made my now customary error with the framework inside - I had noticed in the plans but did them wrong! The top wing collapsed a couple of times when I was adding the extra struts and rigging, but being made of stern stuff, I said 'Ooops' and carried on. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed it:

 

 

 

The final build for 2021 was a bit of a surprise. I was at the Jet Age Museum, Staverton, Gloucestershire for a Club 'demonstration' day, when a club friend walked in. He asked one of us if he would like to build a model for his mate who's father had flown in the aircraft before WWII in Singapore. Well, the person said 'no', then pointed right between my eyes and said 'He will!' The kit in question was the Special Hobby 1/72 Vickers Vildebeest MkIII from 1936. The father had been a wireless operator/gunner in the Beest but had found other duties before Singapore was attacked and overrun by the Japanese, so it was a lucky break for the son to be born later. Not all of the crews of the Singapore Vildebeests were so lucky, brave lads all. The kit was a definite challenge again but I overcame a number of self-inflicted problems, and the recipient was very happy with the model:

 

 

 

 

 

And there you go, the last of the completed builds for 2021. I may not have done as many as I had thought, but it was quite a handful!

 

Thanks for looking, and all the best everyone for 2022, may your stashes reduce!

 

Ray

[Heather Kay]

A great and varied selection, Ray. A year to be proud of, I think.

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Nice work Ray, a great collection for the year 🏆

[Alan P]

Beautiful models Ray 👍 superb skills with all those little biplanes, not a subject I've ever been brave enough to tackle! The Felixstowe is just brilliant.

[Lightningboy2000]

That is a stunning & varied collection of really well built models.

Im a big fan of the Lightning so those two are attractive to my eye, but I'm really impressed with the Felixstowe & I love the Revell Sopwith which is a really nice kit to build.

 

Martin

[bigbadbadge]

A cracking year Ray, they're all rather lovely   the Felixstowe is the stand out for me  I have the Roden kit and seeing you build a vacform kit of one really impressed me. Great work 

Chris

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday Ray, my brother had an EE Lightning when we were kids, and one of us an Albatross. I've always liked the Albatross so naturally yours, plus the Vildebeeste. It doesn't look like it would have much of a chance against Japanese Zeros. Regards, Jeff.

[Bertie McBoatface]

Museum quality all the way, Ray. Outstanding work. And all that rigging!

[AdrianMF]

 A super variety of subjects for the year. The Felixstowe was simply awesome and the Pup is gorgeous. 

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Wulfman]

A lovely and interesting year’s work, great modelling !

 

Wulfman

[Ray S]

Thanks everyone for the lovely comments and the 'likes' and views, they are all very much appreciated!

 

Ray

[F-32]

Wonderful collection