davecov Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 My build of the Matchbox 1/72 Gloster Gladiator (PK-8) will be reported here. Box contents and build details will follow. Dave 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Well done Dave Are you going with the box decals or something more exotic ? Best of luck. Cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 16, 2022 Author Share Posted January 16, 2022 Thanks Pat. I am going with the kit decals as they are in good nick. Having already posted the artwork, here are the rest of the details of the boxing. This is one of the original boxings that had a clear plastic window on the reverse showing the garish colours within. Reverse of the box shows painting profiles for two machines: The parts are moulded in bright red and beige. The transparencies include a full cockpit windscreen and canopy and an adjustable stand: The decals are for an RAF and a Swedish machine. They are well printed and in register. Considering their age they are in good condition: The instructions are spread over six pages. First page is the cover with a potted history of the Gloster Gladiator: Next to the cover is a page shows painting details for smaller parts: Another page lists all of the Humbrol/Airfix paints needed for the build: The other side of the sheet shows the assembly sequence. First page shows sections 1, 4 and 5: Next page shows assembly sections 2, 3, 6 and 7: Final page shows assembly section 8: That is all for now. Dave 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 I have now got this build underway. All parts were removed from the runners and cleaned up. Some of the cabane struts were very delicate and a lot of care was needed: The cockpit floor and seat was glued to the fuselage interior which was then painted with H101 Matt Mid Green. The engine and propeller were painted black and the painting of the pilot was started. The cabane struts were glued to the underside of the cowling: The painting of the pilot was completed and he was glued to the seat. I did think about adding a control column but as it wouldn't be seen, I didn't bother. The fuselage halves were then glued together and the cockpit canopy masked and glued. The engine was dry-brushed with H11 Silver to bring out it's detail: That is all for now. Dave 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Just getting back to some of these newer posts Dave and am glad to see this Gladiator kit in all its original glory. I must admit, those No. 73 Squadron flashes do appear a little off in colour and it would be good to see these decals replaced with a better coloured set or even the lovely Catograf decals which come with the first boxing of the new tool Airfix kit. Cheers, welcome and best of luck.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 Thanks, Dave 👍 More progress to report. The fuselage joins were masked and filler applied. The top has just been sanded and the masking tape removed: The underside still needs doing: All filler was sanded and the lower wings, tailplanes, rudder, tailwheel and main undercarriage legs were glue in place: The engine cowling was glued in place: That is all for now. Dave 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Love these old Matchbox biplanes, must get one of these myself. Gone together very well . Great work Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 I don't remember mine being in the same colour of plastic but then it was a long time ago. Certainly better than the old solid cockpit Airfix one I had previously built, and I think I may still have it somewhere. The only downside I think I can remember is that the decs were not as dense a colour as they might have been - bit see through. Hopefully yours will be OK. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 I built one of these when it first came out and I can't remember the colours it was moulded in either. It was the only Gladiator I had ever built until I built the old Airfix one six years ago. I had forgotten it had a moulded pilot's head and it came as a shock when I started to build it. I cut the pilot's head off and installed some cockpit detail and a "pukka" pilot: At least I was able to rig it then but it has proved to be almost impossible for me to do now. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimJ Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Nice work so far Dave. The Gladiator was the first Matchbox kit I ever built when they first came out and I remember it was moulded in the same colours as yours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 My latest update. Time to get the upper wing on. First of all I glued the wing to the cabane struts. When dry, I glued the outer struts to the upper wing: The wing struts were then glued to the lower wings. I found it necessary to bend the wings slightly in order to get them to fit: The whole plane was then given a priming with some Alclad 2 Gloss Black Base: The wheels and cowling weren't forgotten either: That is all for now. Dave 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 This is the penultimate update of this build. The whole plane was given a coat of Alclad 2 ALC-119 Airframe Aluminium and the collector ring and exhausts were sprayed with Alclad 2 ALC-110 Copper. The engine was glued in place and the cowling was pushed onto the engine without the need for glue. It was a really tight fit and in the struggle to get the cowling on, I broke off one of the exhausts: I put the decals under a UV lamp for a couple of days and then got round to applying them. Before putting them on, I cut a piece of the name decal and tried that first. There were no problems and I quickly applied the decals. For decals that were almost 50 years old, they went on perfectly without the need for setting solution: This build is almost finished now. I just need to finish painting the tyres and apply a coat of varnish over the whole plane: That is all for now. Dave 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Looks good next to the Fury, and no traces of red! Good to see some less common markings on the pair too. Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 Thanks Adrian. 👍 I was a bit afraid that the red plastic would be bit of a challenge to cover but the Alclad 2 lacquers went on pretty well. As for the markings, it seems that every man and his dog does RAF versions so I decided to go for the alternative options - there were less decals to apply as well! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 My final update. The painting of the wheels was finished and they were glued to the axles. Final act was to apply a coat of Alclad 2 (ALC-311-60) Klear Kote Light Sheen over the whole plane: That is all. Dave 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Beautifully finished Dave and love the fact you’ve used the alternate Swedish and Yugoslav decals on these two classic Matchbox biplane kits. Cheers and very well modelled.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 Oh yes lovely Gladiator, great work on this one. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted January 22, 2022 Author Share Posted January 22, 2022 Thanks lads. 👍 Sometimes it is nice to leave the AMS behind and just knock out some quick builds with no faffing around. They have been very enjoyable builds because of that. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 Great stuff Dave Those Swedish marking are really unusual and it makes the finished aircraft all the better for it. I have a stalled one of these somewhere, seeing how well your has turned out I really should finish it. Cheers Pat 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 This and the Fury look superb in the Gallery I must try the Alclad Aluminium soon. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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