Christer A Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 Hello everyone! It has been a fun couple of months... my divorce (in good faith more or less) has gone through, I've sold and moved away from the house that we built 3 years ago and into a smaller one. All normal stuff has been packed and unpacked, the stash was moved separately in order to not scare anyone, and all built and unbuilt models survived the ordeal. Whew! But something seems to be missing... I've spent the last couple of weeks putting furniture in place, unpacking, building stuff in the new place that also was totally refurbished by me on the inside not to mention moving out the "last few things" from the house, "Last few things " is more or less an enormous amount of things hidden in the shed, or attic. You know the drill. All good so far, but I'm running out of steam. Too much energy has been spent on all this, and not enough on recovery, mindfulness or downtime. How could you do that when everything is a big mess, and you can't move around? Well, with some effort I have managed to get to a decent level is some rooms, but my future modeling cave is far from accessible. What to do then? I feel the need to glue plastic together! Well, the toolbox is over there, the cutting mats close by, and maybe just maybe I can just use the coffee table in the living room? It's in the living room nicely located in the acoustic sweet spot that those big nice-sounding Danish floor standing speakers create that I bought as divorce gift to myself.... Let's get it on! With some nice tunes blasting from the stereo I took a long hard look at all the stalled attempts at the new shelf of doom....and promptly pulled out a big box instead! It's big, it's British, it was a bit misunderstood and someone failed to understand that it got the wrong props compared to the prototype... Still, for just a 100+ examples built it did hold the line for a long time (in wartime that is!) and that is an impressive feat! Lot's of things have been said about this kit, but to me it looks very nice in the box, but some level of Special Hobby-ness is to be expected. Just because I can, I've invested in some extra stuff: I also have a set of masks for the markings, which sure will come in hand once I get to the painting stage. After a brief rummaging in the box, I went to work with the cockpit wings! This thing has got some serious wing span! I started to build the radiators: To help with painting , this pair will be left off until I've painted and weathered the radiators, otherwise it will be completely obscured. It's quite a lot of parts to build up all this, and according to the destructions a few of them goes on the other half? That's odd. Well, I'll go for the option that gives the least amount of gaps. To get a decent fit for anything one has to work for it! This is a semi-short run after all, Scraping mold seams, and dryfitting like a possessed helps a lot though! This is part of the fun though! Can't really see Tamiya and their beryllium tungsten-carbide molding tools tackling one of these, in this scale! All right, now the shelf of doom is increased with one more potential victim....But hopefully not! 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 Hi Christa Sorry to hear of your divorce and all the upheaval. It is great to hear your all sorted in a new place and able to model again. Looking forward to this one, I have just started one myself although I started with the cockpit. All good there so far. Great start on this one. Chris 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaWeasel Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 Looks like a good start on one of the more uncommon British aircraft, nice work so far 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 As a divorce survivor I can feel for you, but glad that you are coping and getting back to building models, it was one of the first things that I did. And the Westland Whirlwind is one of my favourites after reading about the real thing in my comics when I was still in short pants, I also have one in the stash to build so I will be interested in how you get on. Cheers Dennis 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlxBNE Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 I will draw a chair up for this one. Partly cos I am curious how the Special -hobbyness pans out but mostly because this forum has given me a great deal of indirect joy and support over the last couple of years and I want to join in as the great and the good (and idiots like me) join you on your mojo building Whirlwind (see what I did there?) I am grateful that I rediscovered my childhood hobby of model aircraft building during a time in my life when things appeared a bit tough. Now that those tough times have passed I am even more grateful to be back into this weird and wonderful hobby and I have this forum to thank for that. Glad to hear that you have found enough space in the chaos to listen to some good turns and glue some plastic. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 So you haven't got much room and you've dived into 1/32nd scale. Mad, but mojo boosting. Like it! Best of British to you in your new life. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
europapete Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 (edited) Well Pete, I reckon that starting a big model in a small space will give his energy a boost to keep going on the move-in and get his hobby hut room sorted! Well done on surviving this far without going insane Christer, best wishes for the future, life will get better from here. Edited September 16 by europapete 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted September 16 Author Share Posted September 16 7 hours ago, bigbadbadge said: Hi Christa Sorry to hear of your divorce and all the upheaval. It is great to hear your all sorted in a new place and able to model again. Looking forward to this one, I have just started one myself although I started with the cockpit. All good there so far. Great start on this one. Chris Thanks Chris! The new place is getting sorted out, slowly but surely. Going on hard with both an intense work period and all stuff related to moving house did take a toll though, but I'm getting back in. I'll have a look at yours (Probably have done that already but not commented on it). The cockpit surely looks very detailed on the sprues! 4 hours ago, TeaWeasel said: Looks like a good start on one of the more uncommon British aircraft, nice work so far Uncommon British aircraft are a lot of fun, aren't they! 4 hours ago, spitfire said: As a divorce survivor I can feel for you, but glad that you are coping and getting back to building models, it was one of the first things that I did. And the Westland Whirlwind is one of my favourites after reading about the real thing in my comics when I was still in short pants, I also have one in the stash to build so I will be interested in how you get on. Cheers Dennis Thanks Dennis! This divorce is a good thing for me, it'll just take some time to get things in order. Building models surely helps, even if scale modelling is not a selectable interest in Tinder 😉 I really like the look of it. It looks fast and nimble somehow! 3 hours ago, AlxBNE said: I will draw a chair up for this one. Partly cos I am curious how the Special -hobbyness pans out but mostly because this forum has given me a great deal of indirect joy and support over the last couple of years and I want to join in as the great and the good (and idiots like me) join you on your mojo building Whirlwind (see what I did there?) I am grateful that I rediscovered my childhood hobby of model aircraft building during a time in my life when things appeared a bit tough. Now that those tough times have passed I am even more grateful to be back into this weird and wonderful hobby and I have this forum to thank for that. Glad to hear that you have found enough space in the chaos to listen to some good turns and glue some plastic. Thank buddy! Czech short runs are a lot of fun, but will keep you on your toes all the time! Just wait until I get to the engine nacelles... Mojo building Whirlwind 😁 This kind of activity is very good stress relief, that's for sure! It allows you to relax from the day to day chores, but you need to be very focused on it, otherwise things will go sideways! Well, there will be more god tunes and gluing later tonight! 2 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said: So you haven't got much room and you've dived into 1/32nd scale. Mad, but mojo boosting. Like it! Best of British to you in your new life. Thanks Pete! I didn't have that much available room, but with on wardrobe almost constructed and a new modelling den underway things are looking up! Now I just need to avoid starting a few other kits at the same time and all is well. Surely an easy thing to do, yes? 1 hour ago, europapete said: Well Pete, I reckon that starting a big model in a small space will give his energy a boost to keep going on the move-in and get his hobby hut room sorted! Well done on surviving this far without going insane Christer, best wishes for the future, life will get better from here. Exactly! Sometimes you just need quit whining about the darkness and light a flamethrower instead! Life will get better, and I've already chosen a theme song for 2024 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy H Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 Looks like a great start on my favourite aircraft - I'll be looking in regularly on this one. 😎👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 1 hour ago, Christer A said: Thanks Chris! The new place is getting sorted out, slowly but surely. Going on hard with both an intense work period and all stuff related to moving house did take a toll though, but I'm getting back in. I'll have a look at yours (Probably have done that already but not commented on it). The cockpit surely looks very detailed on the sprues! Hi Christa I have not started a WIP myself, I was thinking about it and then was not sure. Will have a think about it. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted September 16 Author Share Posted September 16 24 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said: Hi Christa I have not started a WIP myself, I was thinking about it and then was not sure. Will have a think about it. Chris An extra WIP can't hurt! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 Glad to hear your getting yourself sorted in your new pad and even more glad that you’ve started this kit. I didn’t even know they came in 1/32😳 “ you’re going to need a bigger boat! “ Seriously though, looks like your going to have a fun time with this. I’ll tag along if I may. Johnny 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted September 19 Author Share Posted September 19 On 16/09/2024 at 18:48, The Spadgent said: Glad to hear your getting yourself sorted in your new pad and even more glad that you’ve started this kit. I didn’t even know they came in 1/32😳 “ you’re going to need a bigger boat! “ Seriously though, looks like your going to have a fun time with this. I’ll tag along if I may. Johnny Thanks and welcome aboard Johnny! I have a Classic Airframes Whirlwind safely tucked into the stash as well, so the madness can continue on, but in a smaller scale... Where was I? Right, the engine gondolas. This has caused some issues for many, so I was a bit wary on how to approach this. On the other hand, by doing it early when the mojo is strong the chance for success is greater 😇 The rear buklhead is a decent fit and was duly glued in. It's the front one that is interesting... Straight from the box, it does not fit at all: This is because the gondola expect the firewall to be perfectly flat, but the lugs for attaching the landing gear protrudes straight through it. Well, that's no big deal. Just saw off the offending bits. so that the firewall is smooth. By doing so, it is perfectly possible to get a decent fit! Then of course, there is the issue of mislabeled parts in the destructions. The bulkhead parts ARE different, but only on the side that faces the engine. There are some engine bearers molded here which is a bit strange since there are no engines included in the kit, nor have I seen any "official" sets form CMK. Matching the flat sides towards each other and I cannot see any difference though! Especially once the mold seams have been scraped off. In other news, my little board game arrived. 5kgs of gaming goodness, which was quite a hefty lump to sling underneath the arm while pedaling home on the old bike. Yes, this is more or less the story of Aliens with a different make up job, but it is really fun and suspenseful to play. It also includes a bunch of very detailed figures that surely could benefit from some paint. How hard could that be? 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlxBNE Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 Call to order please! Don't go getting side tracked with interesting board games and painting of detailed figures when we are all enjoying the whirlwind. Nice progress on the gondola special-hobbyness. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted September 19 Author Share Posted September 19 But getting side-tracked is my middle name! 😁 No worries though! I got my modeling den a bit more kitted out now with a decent amount of room. Just need to figure out how I will solve the spray booth situation during the winter... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 I have the classic airframes one too. I must get it moving up the pile. Great work on the engine gondolas. Bonkers fit on the front fire wall but I guess that’s where the fun’s at. 🤗. That’s a lot of game there, painting WIP for the figures? Go on you know you want to. Johnny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOK61 Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 I'll grab a front-row seat, if I may. I have always thought the Whirlwind was an interesting aircraft, ever since I first found out about them back when I was in short trousers and building models on granny's dining table. I can remember assuming that it must be a late war might-have-been, because how else could I have not heard about them. Best of Luck with the plastic-bothering and with all that other stuff too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted September 20 Author Share Posted September 20 6 hours ago, The Spadgent said: I have the classic airframes one too. I must get it moving up the pile. Great work on the engine gondolas. Bonkers fit on the front fire wall but I guess that’s where the fun’s at. 🤗. That’s a lot of game there, painting WIP for the figures? Go on you know you want to. Johnny. IIRC the Classic Hobby one does have quite bad main wheels, and a nose that is devoid of fairings for the lower cannons. Completely unbuildable then 😉 Nah, it's probably a decent Classic Airframes kit! Oh, there will be a WIP for the Nemesis figures! There are a lot of them in the box, and all will look better under a coat of paint or five. 5 hours ago, MOK61 said: I'll grab a front-row seat, if I may. I have always thought the Whirlwind was an interesting aircraft, ever since I first found out about them back when I was in short trousers and building models on granny's dining table. I can remember assuming that it must be a late war might-have-been, because how else could I have not heard about them. Best of Luck with the plastic-bothering and with all that other stuff too! Welcome aboard! I remember looking at it in one of the 80:s Airfix catalogues , but didn't really pick up upon it then. Fast forward a few decades later and it's one of many esoteric British subjects that I have a thing for 🙂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted September 20 Share Posted September 20 Nice progress on the nacelles Christer and thanks for the heads up re the bulkheads too. The Classic Airframes kit does build up nicely if you take your time. The cockpit as is well detailed too. If you ever find yourself near to Folkestone, Kent, in a place called Hawkinge at the Battle of Britain collection. They are part of the Whirwind project and the cockpit and a good portion of the fuselage that has been built is on display there. They hope that the wings will be done in the next couple of years, if I recall correctly. It is a great place to visit. Great work on the Whirwind Chris 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted Tuesday at 08:26 AM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 08:26 AM Thanks Chris! What I've seen in the box for the Classic Airframes WW does look nice. I think that it is missing the gun fairings on the nose though. I'd really like to go to GB to have an enormous museum tour! It could be great fun. (But I'm pretty sure you're talking about Hawkinge...since Hakinge sounds like it's a small Swedish village located here on the west coast. We have Steninge, Getinge, Slöinge, Trönninge and so on. Not a huge guess that these names are related in some way...) Anyway, let's have a little update on the Whirlwind (Figure painting for the Nemesis bord game will happen, but in a thread of it's own) Well, my little pleasure den has been a little more furnished now: It's possible to actually sit there and do some work now! Still need to add a electrical socket in this little room since there is none, and I only have the roof lamp to illuminate things. For now it works fine, and I have the spray booth out in the conservatory but winter is coming, so for a few months it will be too cold there. By the way, conservatory has a rather catchy nickname in swedish "pensionärskuvös", which roughly translates to retiree incubator 😁 For the actual plastic parts on the whirlwind, I gave the engine nacelles a first dab of filler Nothing remarkable about it, just something that will improve the joins a bit. I usually like to get a head start on the landing gear quite early just to see how it can be installed, and if it can be put in place later. Well, the main part is quite sturdy in itself, but those tiny lugs on the nacelle bulkhead should then provide enough glue surface for the entire leg. Scary! Next step is even worse. Note the large fork called Step 55. That's 4 tiny parts that could've almost been one (but this way allows for more details). They're then supposed to join up with the other struts and bits with very vague locations and glue points. Thanks Special Hobby! It means that I'm unable to construct the landing gear in advance since it will be more or less impossible to install it later. All parts were put in a plastic bag and stored for later use. Let's just hope I find it then! 😅 Oh well. Let's do something simpler, like painting the radiators! I went for aluminum instead of interior grey/green. It seems more in line with how the Hurricane and Spitfires were painted (or not!) during this period. The radiators themselves also received a small wash to make them pop a bit. With that done and properly dried I dug out some clamps and glued the wing together. Onwards! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted Tuesday at 08:46 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 08:46 AM Hi Christer Yes you are correct meant Hawkinge, j haven't edited. It is a great place to visit. Some lovely kits in your stash. Cosy mancave too. I do love the translation of conservatory and will use that from now on 😄 Good to see some progress on the Crikey. The wing does look very impressive, it's a big old kit. Great work. I have decided I will fo a WIP for it. I just need to decide whether to do an Op Srarkey machine or another one, just need to do some more research. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christer A Posted Wednesday at 04:23 AM Author Share Posted Wednesday at 04:23 AM Thanks Chris! I visited a mate over the weekend and spent the entire day there building on the Whirlwind. More pictures to follow. Also managed to collect my external stash from him that I wasn't able to store somewhere at my old house: That should do nicely for a while... Looking forward to your WIP! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted Wednesday at 05:49 AM Share Posted Wednesday at 05:49 AM 1 hour ago, Christer A said: Thanks Chris! I visited a mate over the weekend and spent the entire day there building on the Whirlwind. More pictures to follow. Also managed to collect my external stash from him that I wasn't able to store somewhere at my old house: That should do nicely for a while... Looking forward to your WIP! Ooooooo nice. Should keep you busy. I will start mine soon just as soon as I have hot my folding wing sections sorted on a Firefly build. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted Wednesday at 06:23 AM Share Posted Wednesday at 06:23 AM Best wishes for your new life. I don’t have one of these (yet) but I also built the Classic Airframes 1/48 kit many years ago. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlxBNE Posted Wednesday at 06:48 AM Share Posted Wednesday at 06:48 AM What can I say ....BM never stops educating me. I now aspire to a pensionärskuvös of my own. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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