Harry Lime Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Afternoon All, Got the week off work, so I'm taking the chance to catch up on some of my builds. Done a little bit on this one today and last night. Got the engine painted and built up. Got to hand it to Revell, it's a cinch to do and looks good under a lick of paint. Just needs a wash to dirty it up a bit to finish it off. Masked off the prop tips and gave it a blast of black last night. Will mask off the blades and do the spinner tonight, then it'll be ready for the decals. I wasn't happy with the moulded on belts, so I ground them off then gave the seat a quick coat of paint whilst I had the airbrush out for the Tamiya Razorback last night. Unfortunately, it showed I hadn't quite removed all the detail so I will need to strategically place the Eduard etch belts to hide what is left. Thanks to Ali at A2Zee, I thought I'd give the Montex Mini Masks a bash. For a measly £1.50 I got pre cut masks for the canopies, wheels and landing lights. Certainly a lot easier than spending hours with Tamiya tape and a sharp scalpel! And here we are with the windscreen after application of masks and a quick squirt of paint. Tonight, I will be making good the remaining join lines. I've been making slow progress on them all in preparation for the NMF scheme and so far have only needed to apply filler to the underneath of the fuselage, a small smear at the forward underside wing root (just in front of the wheel bay) and will need a small amount on the stbd upper wing root. I like to think the careful, methodical approach will pay divedends when it comes to spraying the NMF by the weekend! Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Nice progress Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I didn't know that there were masks for this kit. I may have to get some for mine. Good idea removing the belts. I left mine, but you are right, Eduard belts would look much better. Looking foward to the next update Mark. Deacon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Good to know you're back at the bench and making progress min What, by the way, is that two-hole 'pit lurking in the bottom right corner of the prop shot? Looks familiar but just can't quite think what it's from Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted November 16, 2011 Author Share Posted November 16, 2011 I didn't know that there were masks for this kit. I may have to get some for mine.Good idea removing the belts. I left mine, but you are right, Eduard belts would look much better. Looking foward to the next update Mark. Deacon There are indeed masks, I got mine from A2Zee, follow the link below. Ali's got a pretty big range of stuff from Montex covering a multitude of kits. http://www.a2zeemodels.co.uk/p-47d-bubblet...vell-3531-p.asp Good to know you're back at the bench and making progress min What, by the way, is that two-hole 'pit lurking in the bottom right corner of the prop shot? Looks familiar but just can't quite think what it's from That pit in the corner is the Fujimi Phantom FG1 I'm plugging away at for the Phantom GB. Keep your eyes peeled for an update shortly! Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 Evening All, This one is slowly moving towards the paintshop now. Got the engine cowling and undercarriage doors sprayed with Humbrol Metalcote, and now I understand why it is sooooo important to get rid of ALL blemishes prior to applying any kind of NMF. With this in mind, I'll be paying extra attention as I finish this one off. Got the seat finished off with a nice Eduard set of straps. I know it should probably a Sutton Harness but I don't have any left since my last one will be going on the Tamiya Mk I and I can live with it. What I couldn't live with was the naff moulded on straps on the seat! The decal sheet and the instructions don't match in my kit, so thanks to Revell's website I managed to download a new copy of the instructions which tallys with the numbering on my decal sheet. This now means I happily satisfy the pervert in me and lovingly apply all the stencils! As you can see, I've made a start with the prop and the undercarriage doors. Should be ready to decal this puppy by this time next week, Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Tidy work loon. The prop in particular looks very realistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 Tidy work loon. The prop in particular looks very realistic. Cheers mannie! I might have this along to the Dec club night for a closer look, it might even be my comp entry. Got a shortlist I'm mulling over at the mo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Cheers mannie!I might have this along to the Dec club night for a closer look, it might even be my comp entry. Got a shortlist I'm mulling over at the mo. Nae sure if I'll make the club meeting but be good to see it if I do. Interesting comparison with the Tamiya and Revel kits you're working on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Nice work Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 Nae sure if I'll make the club meeting but be good to see it if I do. Interesting comparison with the Tamiya and Revel kits you're working on. They are both really good kits in their own ways. The Revell one is great for the price, it just lacks a little finesse over some of the finer details. The Tamiya one is everything you'd expect for a kit costing three times as much. Nice work Mark Thanks Mish! I decided to add some of the finer details to take what is essentially a decent model to the next level. The straps have added a little extra to the cockpit, but I decided to replace the .50 cals in the wings with these from Master Model. Since I tried their stuff, I'm a big fan and can really recommend it without hesitation! I've had a wee set back after slipping with the scriber, but I'll sort that out and hopefully have this one sprayed by Friday. Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 Evening All, It's time for an update, and I'm feeling rather chuffed with my first ever airbrushed NMF! Until this STGB I'd never tried a NMF since returning to the hobby and before that I'd just slapped on some Humbrol 11 to a Matchbox P-51 as a kid. I'd bought some Humbrol Metalcote years ago with the intention of eventually trying my hand, and here is the result.... First up, I sprayed the whole airframe in Polished Aluminium. Then I masked off the leading edge panels on the wings, stabs and tail fin, added a couple of drops of Polished Steel to the Polished Aluminium in the cup and sprayed away. Then it was the ammo access panels turn. I added a couple of drops of Gun Metal to the existing mix this time. I think the contrast is maybe a little to much in some light, but in others it looks fine. Either way, I'm happy with it for now and will be adjusting the mix when it comes to doing an NMF on my Mustang Mk. IV to reduce the contrast a little. All that remains is to mask off the ID stripes and the Olive Drab anti glare panel. Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Nice work Mark, you're getting there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Nice work Mark, you're getting there. Thanks Mish, it almost seems to be too slow though! I seem to spend more time masking than spraying... And that leads me nicely on to today's wee update. Got the theatre bands masked off and sprayed with a mix of Humbrol 25 and 104. The two colours are not good matches themselves for Roundel Blue, so I used 2 parts 25 to 1 part 104 which seems to be a pretty good match to my eye, guess we'll see once the roundels and fin flashes are on. This morning I'll be masking up and then spraying the Olive Drab on the fuselage topside and it'll be glossed tomorrow ready for decalling on Thursday. Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 That paint job looks cracking Mark. Deacon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 What he said, nice work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 That paint job looks cracking Mark. Deacon What he said, nice work. Thanks guys! As I mentioned earlier, I've sprayed the Olive Drab on the upper fuselage. Nothing fancy, just Humbrol 155. Can't wait to spray the gloss coat and start getting the decals on. Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Keep going Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted December 7, 2011 Author Share Posted December 7, 2011 Keep going Mark I certainly am! Well I got the gloss coat sprayed, but had a minor disaster on the port wing where the Humbrol Gloss Cote reacted a little with the Metalcote and they started mixing together. It's not going to kill the finish, as it can be passed off as weathering, but I could've done without it! However, things are still on track to have this decalled tomorrow evening. Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I certainly am!Well I got the gloss coat sprayed, but had a minor disaster on the port wing where the Humbrol Gloss Cote reacted a little with the Metalcote and they started mixing together. It's not going to kill the finish, as it can be passed off as weathering, but I could've done without it! However, things are still on track to have this decalled tomorrow evening. Mark. Now that is weird. We are doing practically the same plane and we are at the same stage. Last night I was brushing Klear onto the build and in places it reacted with the silver paint! It was only in one or two places and shouldn't be too noticeable. With the blue stripes on yours Mark, is there a reason you didn't go the full width of the elevators? Deacon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 Now that is weird. We are doing practically the same plane and we are at the same stage. Last night I was brushing Klear onto the build and in places it reacted with the silver paint! It was only in one or two places and shouldn't be too noticeable.With the blue stripes on yours Mark, is there a reason you didn't go the full width of the elevators? Deacon The reason being that my refs (photo of this machine) show them to be this way. I'm lucky that I've got my hands on Geoff Thomas' book on RAF Thunderbolts and it's proved to be an indespensible guide, even matching RAF serial blocks to their corresponding production blocks. This then allows all the details (like landing light position or corrugated cockpit floors) to be taken into account when choosing/building your particular airframe. My current build is KL308 which is a P-47D-30-RE. This means the Revell kit is the right one for me. However, my next RAF Thunderbolt Mk II will be HD265 which is a P-47D-25-RE. This means it has a corrugated floor, landing light next to the wheel well and a Hamilton Standard prop and is a different beast to this build. In short, this book is THE reference to get hold of when building an RAF P-47. Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted December 9, 2011 Author Share Posted December 9, 2011 Evening All, Started the decalling tonight and have only got the port side of the fuselage to do in the morning. Not long to go now! Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted December 9, 2011 Author Share Posted December 9, 2011 Just a wee teaser before I crack on with the decalling shortly... Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Nearly there Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 Thanks to a couple of unforseen problems, I missed the deadline for the GB poll. I've managed to lose a set of micro drill bits somewhere! I spent an hour trying to find them, eventually conceded defeat and head into the city to buy another set. Eventually got home and after dinner, getting the bairn off to bed etc, settled down to finish this one off. Started getting all the wee bits on, sprayed a coat of satin varnish and started installing the Master gun barrels and it was all going swimmingly. Until I started removing the blu tack from the wheel wells. A whole hour that took! As the deadline came and went, I was still pulling blu tack out. And then one of the barrels slipped into the wing never to be seen again. Time to start banging one's head off the wall? Hell no, I was already commited to finishing so I stayed at the crease and batted on. Now it isn't quite finished, and a proper RFI will be done shortly once I've done all the wee bits to finish off, but here it is in an Almost Ready For Inspection! A big Thank You to everyone involved in this GB, I've really enjoyed seeing everyone else's builds and learning a lot about a type that I didn't know much about at all before this. Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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