Mike N Posted April 6, 2022 Author Share Posted April 6, 2022 Thanks for the tip, Toby. I'll take a look at them before going any further! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritJet Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 Looking good, for something that fell out of the ugly tree, hitting every branch on the way down! It certainly doesn't have the beauty of the Comet but is still appealing for some reason, I hope you'll take a photo next to your Comet prototype when it's finished, if nothing else the size difference will be impressive. I'm surprised at how many pinholes you had in the resin, mine didn't have any that I remember. Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 On 05/04/2022 at 19:32, Mike N said: As the weather forecast is looking a bit dodgy in the coming days, I made an effort to get some primer on tonight, in between the gusts of wind. Here's the Nimrod prepped for it's makeover: I didn't have to bend the coat hanger, I just showed it the AEW and it curled itself back in revulsion Warming the can before spraying. I'd previously hit upon the idea of using an old pop bottle for this rather than a washing up bowl, much less hot water needed, especially in these expensive times. First up were the control surfaces to check the paint was spraying OK. A whole load of pin holes revealed themselves... Then the main event. As can be imagined it took several blasts to cover it all. I'm not claiming it looks any prettier in white, but perhaps somewhat appropriate... 🐘 Mike Looking perfectly ugly! can't wait to see some colour on it 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted April 13, 2022 Share Posted April 13, 2022 Lovley! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted April 13, 2022 Share Posted April 13, 2022 Yes, it's looking, um, beautiful! Excellent job on the conversion! I didn't realise there was one available. Not that I would probably build it, as once finished, the nearby models would fly off the shelf in disgust/fear. Best Regards, Jason 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted April 20, 2022 Author Share Posted April 20, 2022 Cheers for the comments, chaps! Not a huge amount of progress worthy of photos recently. I had to fill dozens of pin holes in the tailplanes as well as the rudder and elevators, plus blending in the windscreen took a couple of attempts before I accepted what I ended up with. All of these required a shot of primer, rubbing down, etc. In fact, I've got entirely through one of those 500ml cans I bought recently... After that, I gave the necessary areas a couple of coats of Halfords Appliance White, again straight from the can. I'd forgotten how good that stuff is, a really nice hard finish. And here's how she is now, masked ready for the Light Aircraft Grey to be airbrushed on. It'll take a couple of sessions at least, due to the area needing to be covered and the difficulty of manoeuvring it in my spray booth. It'll be another week or so to get that done due to real life stuff, but once it is, it's only the radomes and a few minor details to do and then it's decalling time Mike 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 Ew, isn't it hideous! Great work! Halfords Appliance Gloss White really is the best until you make a mistake with it and have to strip it off the model. Keep the updates coming! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 On 4/23/2022 at 8:37 PM, Adam Poultney said: Ew, isn't it hideous! Great work! Halfords Appliance Gloss White really is the best until you make a mistake with it and have to strip it off the model. Keep the updates coming! I have searched online for Halfords Appliance White a few times over the last year and cannot find it advertised on their website - does anybody know if they have stopped doing it? I would pop down to my local shop and have a look, had they not closed it, making it a 20 mile round trip when it was less than 1 mile before! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 2 minutes ago, PeterB said: I have searched online for Halfords Appliance White a few times over the last year and cannot find it advertised on their website - does anybody know if they have stopped doing it? I would pop down to my local shop and have a look, had they not closed it, making it a 20 mile round trip when it was less than 1 mile before! Pete I got some not too long ago and it still looks like it's on the website https://www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-and-body-repair/car-spray-paints/halfords-gloss-white-spray-paint-500ml-708784.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritJet Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 Looking good, you're definitely on the home straight with this now, it will really come to life once the grey is on. Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted May 2, 2022 Author Share Posted May 2, 2022 Not only got the grey on, but also applied the decals: I used Model Alliance sheet 72176 for the codes and national markings, but these could just as easily have come from generic sheets. The instructions show the 'last two' of the serial on the fin, but unlike other AEW3s, I couldn't find any photos of XZ286 with these applied. I also used the same company's stencil sheet 729043, and good job I had two of them as this scheme sported two of the red emergency access (?) markings by the doors. Good quality photos showing the stencils applied are hard to find, so I based application on the scheme worn by the MR1s and applied the most obvious ones. Next it'll get a coat of gloss to seal the decals. I might add some light weathering but photos suggest XZ286 was kept pretty clean - probably so it wouldn't sully its looks I'll probably do the radomes after that, followed by a coat of satin to bring everything together with an appropriate sheen. There are a few details to paint and add, so not quite there yet, but approaching the final straight! Mike 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 Nice job with the decals! She is really coming to life! It seems that the white top actually accentuates that massive proboscis, although I notice that the back end is still modestly hiding under the masking tape. Regards, Jason 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 Great job on the paint Mike. Almost can't bear to look at the front end though 😄 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr T Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 A bit late in the day, but I have used the car primer paint sold in larger branches of the Range not to be bad, very similar to Halfords, smaller cans and was about the same price per 100ml. Your Nimrod is a cracking model BTW. I recall the real thing showing up at a Finningley airshow in about 1980-1. It looks just as ugly in the air. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted May 7, 2022 Author Share Posted May 7, 2022 Thanks for all the comments. I agree, there is no good angle for this beast, but I would have loved to have seen it fly - it was presumably repelled by the ground. Those two big radomes have been handy for holding the model, almost like a rolling pin with wings. Not a lot of progress to report since last time. There's some gloss varnish over the decals and I'll hopefully get the radomes painted tomorrow. I'm also working on the undercarriage and the odds and sods that always add a surprising amount of time to the end of a build. Not too much more work though I hope! Mike 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike N Posted May 28, 2022 Author Share Posted May 28, 2022 All done! I'd struggled to get time to do the last few bits, but there was nothing too taxing really. I studied photos of this particular airframe to get the appropriate aerial fit, most of which came from the kit (usually in modified form). This aircraft also carried a striped probe on the tip of the starboard wing pod, which I think was red and white but is difficult to tell from photos. I don't have a 'normal' Nimrod to contrast this monstrosity to, but even more striking is posing it next to the prototype Comet. Beauty and the beast (in reverse order!) (Sorry @BritJet, I still need to add the upper wing serial!) Now I've just got to find a space for it on the shelf... Thanks for looking and for all the comments along the way. Mike 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted May 28, 2022 Share Posted May 28, 2022 OK, it's not a beauty but you did certainly make something of it! That paint job is really tight. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritJet Posted May 28, 2022 Share Posted May 28, 2022 Gorgeous, the prototype Comet's not too bad looking either! 1 hour ago, Mike N said: (Sorry @BritJet, I still need to add the upper wing serial!) You can't rush these things.... Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Poultney Posted May 28, 2022 Share Posted May 28, 2022 What a disgusting plane, ew! But what a stunning model of it! Great result and good to see the comparison. Would love to see the Comet 1 next to a Nimrod MRA.4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 Fabulous work Mike. Flawless 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 That looks great, though tempered by a certain amount of ugly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 No doubt it's mother would still love it. Curious whether it would have been as effective an operational platform as the Sentry if the "boffins" had been able to resolve its development issues. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Posted May 30, 2022 Share Posted May 30, 2022 An excellent model and a very well documented build. The comparison the the MK1 gives a great impression of the airframes development. Well done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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