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PK604 Halifax GRII 58 Sqn. Coastal Command. FINISHED.


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The paint's only just dry on my RAF Halifax and I'm up for another.

 

I spent an eternity on the first one, trying to decide which version, out of the three Matchbox provide, to do. I went for the early MKI in the end as it was so different to the Airfix radial powered version. The Matchbox boxart didn't help though as the white and grey Coastal Command version looks so inviting. Picking up two Matchbox kits at this years Shuttleworth model show means I can have my cake and eat it too! 

It's been a bit hard for the Kit Collector in me to build a really mint early kit. My builders usually come as rebuilders or in beat up boxes that won't display well. The thought of having two very different versions of the same kit to display together swung the deal though. I'll still have the mint box, and if I don't open it, who's to say it's empty?

 

Here's the lovely, untouched sprues...

 

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Out with the primer, before I change my mind.

 

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I nipped out to a Boot Sale while the primer dried. No booty today unfortunately, but if you don't go, you won't know. Maybe the next one.

This afternoon a bit of construction happened, along with parts cleanup and some detail painting.

 

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I knocked off at about five, and here's how I left the kit. Lots of basic prep done and all ready for more tomorrow. 

 

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1 minute ago, TonyW said:

but if you don't go, you won't know. Maybe the next one.

My thoughts exactly. 

I'm first here so I get the front seat in the dinghy (It is a Coastal Command build after all). I'll start bailing out now then... 🚣‍♂️ 🚣‍♀️*

 

*One of these emoji's is a man rowing a boat. The other is apparently a woman rowing a boat. This world gets more and more screwed up every day

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A few days since any updates on the build, but it's getting there.

 

The fuselage and wings are assembled and painting proper has started. Humbrol DSG over white primer, followed by two thinned coats of Xtracolour DSG. That colour is a bit darker than the Humbrol version and it gives a good gloss for decalling. I started that as soon as the paint was dry.

 

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More white was needed to cover a bit of bodywork at the front fuselage joint. It's taken a few coats to cover. The wings and fuselage have spent the day in the sun, letting the paint harden. More tomorrow with luck.

 

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My car builds, plus a couple of recent interlopers, put the Halifax on a back burner for a while. It got a bit of attention last night though. The workbenches in the shed are a bit full up at the moment, so I brought the Halifax indoors for the evening and did a bit while net browsing.

 

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Canopies and turrets got most of their framing done, exhaust manifolds fitted and engine intake holes painted in with matt black. I drilled them all out for the RAF build but wimped out on this one.

 

Prop blades are from my spares box as the thought of thinning down and reshaping the Matchbox ones was more than I could bear. They are either Airfix Stirling or Lancaster ones I think. They look a lot better than the kit ones at any rate.

 

Exhaust staining has been started, using oils and is a work in progress.

 

Next up will be the undercarriage. I'll be doing that with the wings still detached along with the rest of the work on the wings The RAF build got a bit unwieldy when it came to adding all the little finishing parts and I gave myself problems knocking parts off while working elsewhere on the airframe.

For this build I'm having a go at doing the fuselage and wings as separate parts and joining them right at the finish.

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The idea of building up the wings and fuselage separately fell at the first.

The undercarriage on this kit isn't the easiest in the world to get lined up and the possibility of having two wheels at differing angles was not to be ignored. Fixing the wings in place and then fitting the undercarriage nice and square was the way to go. Before that though, there was some work on the tail joints needed. The camera revealed some poorly fitting areas that got sorted and repainted.

 

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The nose glazing got fitted and the rear turret had some framing re done as I got the demarcation between the DSG and white a bit out. 

The white finish on the plane is not one of my finest modelling moments and it looks like I have another three footer on my hands here. I'm not complaining, the build will function as intended, as part of a larger Matchbox window type display. Moving towards the bigger display, I've built a couple of bases today. One for the Halifax and another for the Wellington to go with the Bomber Command Halifax base already done.

 

Here's the three together as of an hour or so ago. Things are starting to slot into place now. A few more days and the Coastal Command Halifax should be done.

 

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The Halifax was finished an hour or so ago, just in time to catch the afternoon sunlight from the shed roof window.

 

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The paintjob isn't the greatest, with the white areas giving me problems with weathering. It doesn't look too bad in the pictures, but the plane sat in front of me looks a bit dirty rather than weathered. A good learning experience though.

 

Here's the finished model...

 

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And here's the Halifax twins, sat in the soft afternoon sunlight.

Thoughts of making a purpose built base for the pair to sit on got nixed once the size of the required base became apparent.

 

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47 minutes ago, Mike Dean said:

Two different aircraft from exactly the same box of parts, but requiring you to buy two kits to do it. Matchbox knew what they were doing.😉

 

It's addictive. If the closing date wasn't so close I would be looking to build a Coastal Command Wellington and an all black Skyknight to go with the choices I went with.

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Looks terrific Tony

I'm having trouble trying to convince myself that my attempts to paint the Wellington white for its Coastal Command service won't look blooming awful after my MGTC paint failures.

Thanks for the well aimed KUTA !

Cheers Pat 

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Hi Tony,

 

Nice job. As to the white used by Coastal Command, the IPMS Stockholm colour chart lists it as "Grimmy White" which is perhaps a misspelling of Grimy White? They suggest Hu 41 which is "Ivory". As I have said elsewhere I like the Xtracrylic white as it is slightly "off white" and not as "in your face" as normal white. Apparently on the Sunderland they used glossy white on undersurfaces and flat white on the vertical surfaces - similar to the USN scheme of Gloss/non specular ie flat Dark Sea Blue, though I have never bothered attempting to model the different finishes myself.

 

Pete

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Absolutely terrific. They both look good but that GR Halifax really looks the biz. 👍

 

Apparently, after much experimentation into camouflage schemes, Coastal Command operational research concluded it was best to paint aircraft the same colour as seagulls. So blame them for all the white! 

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  • TonyW changed the title to PK604 Halifax GRII 58 Sqn. Coastal Command. FINISHED.
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