Christmas Airfix!

Rockhopper, that JP looks lovely.8. Nice preshading and the gloss finish looks just right.

@Rockhopper – some stunning painting there. Interesting idea on the solder – I hadn’t thought of that, will see if I’ve got any thin enough once I’ve sorted out the spark plugs which WnW have got in the wrong place. I made 12 new ones out of brass tubing late last night, just 12 more needed for the other cylinder bank…

For the Victor builders – here’s what one looks like naked (Duxford October last year). In real life those air intakes look like someone bashed them out with a hammer!

That’s the Mk. 1 with the smaller engines.

In real life those air intakes look like someone bashed them out with a hammer!

In real life someone probably did! The V-bombers were all hand built with minor (and sometimes quite major) differences between each airframe.

Thanks for the kind comments guys!

The JP was a nightmare! I wanted to do it in the early training scheme which is light aircraft grey overall with loads of florescent orange decals. Firstly one one company still makes light aircraft grey then secondly the airfix decals are dreadful. They are very thick and brittle. One of them is supposed to fold over the leading edge but even with loads of Markfit strong on its just shattered when i tried to bend it, even the ones on mostly flat panels just wouldn’t go down flat then bits came off when you try and move them. The only other scheme using light aircraft grey base was the Mcaws display team from the 1960 so thats what I ended up doing.

Rio is right about the V bomber force, even inspection panels from one aircraft might not fit another due to the hand built nature of the whole thing.

I’m running out of space to display them

Aren’t you allowed to hang them from the roof anymore? That was the only place to put them in the 80’s

I’m running out of space to display them

Me too. I build them then I put them in a box. No idea what I’m going to do with the Victors.

I was so appalled with my previous efforts at enhancing the cockpit that I did it again.

I photocopied the instrument panel from the decal sheet, chopped it up and glued it on with a Pritt Stick.

Much happier.

It makes all the difference don’t you think?

Nice work on the cockpit, I’ve never thought of copying the decals before.
Looks like you may be needing a bit of filler on that one!😂

The panel lines are very pronounced on that kit, looking at the Duxford restoration pic above you can hardly see them.

Fuselage fit is fine actually, that is just some quick taping for the photo. The wings on the otherhand are like trip hazards.

The Matchbox decal sheet has no instruments, but the Revell does, so i just photocopied it. Then I ran off 6 more copies to get a load of dials to chop up and stick on. I need to add a “box” on the wall behind the copilot’s seat and maybe scuff up the floor a bit. There’s also some ducting, so I may stick a few bits of plastic runner on the walls.

I’m going to put the crew in too, but will repostion a couple of heads and sand off their arses so they are not all the same height when sat down.

Inspired by this I’ve just photocopied my decal sheet. Looks good, was going to suggest adding some seatbelts to make it look busier but if you’re putting the crew in that’s maybe not necessary.

The crew will be “belted” in. They’ll also need some control columns.

Right, here is my latest actual finished kit in about 16 years (maybe more) which has been ‘on the go’ for about the same length of time, It’s even survived 2 house moves.
Monogram 1/48 A1H Skyraider, which is a decent kit but my finishing skills have gone a bit rusty without practice. So I’m not happy with it & it turned into a bit of a practice/re-skill kit, I couldn’t be arsed to detail the weapons.
& instead of choosing one of the 60-70 kits I have stashed, I’ve decided to finish the Hasegawa P3C Orion that’s been on the go maybe even longer. So long I lost the undercarriage & had to buy some white metal replacements. (I’ll post pics of that in 5 years time when It’s done)

Don’t laugh…..

I read about a pilot who flew the skyraider in Vietnam. He said it was more dangerous climbing in and out then flying missions as they spewed oil over the wings.

Looks good to me Grunty.

I want a Skyraider for my stash as it is an interesting looking aircraft, but I have to show some restraint.

I’m liking aircraft with folding wings, they take up less shelf space 🙂

Nice A1, brute of a plane!

here is my latest actual finished kit in about 16 years

I can beat that, I’ve got a half finished Jaguar (Fat Slags, op Granby) that’s been in a box since the mid 90’s. I’ll get it done one day.

Damn you… I’ve just done an eBay search for a Skyraider.

A-1H “Paper Tiger II” carrying the toilet bomb in October 1965
In October 1965, to highlight the dropping of the six millionth pound of ordnance, Commander Clarence J. Stoddard of VA-25, flying an A-1H, dropped a special, one-time-only object in addition to his other munitions – a toilet.[24]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-1_Skyraider#/media/File:A-1H_Skyraider_of_VA-25_with_toilet_bomb_on_USS_Midway_(CVA-41)_in_October_1965_(NNAM.1996.253.2381).jpg

Some wag once used one to drop a khazi.

Am signed off long term sick at the mo so just started work on PT109 and got a vosper mtb next.

I probably need to learn how to weather stuff plus an airbrush would be better than rattle cans

Airbrushes are so affordable now – £60 will get a you a compressor and a airbrush from ebay or amazon, that’s what I’ve been using since Christmas.

Cool, any recommendations?

Damn you… I’ve just done an eBay search for a Skyraider.

Well, I went to the model shop in Ripon yesterday for some glue & lo & behold, they had a Tamiya 1/48 one in for £24.
I couldn’t resist but I’ll make sure I make a better job of that one!

Episode 2

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00037sz/james-mays-big-trouble-in-model-britain-episode-2

Excellent stuff.

Airbrush wise… I got something like one of these compressor/airbrush sets and it hasn’t let me down. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Professional-Airbrush-and-Compressor-With-Tank-Filter-Regulator-Cooling-Fan-Kit/272686620378?hash=item3f7d639eda:g:y-kAAOSwYutaq9l4

I use Tamiya paint and I flush it through with water the thinners after each use.

Mines very similar to the one linked above but it hasn’t got the tank. I didn’t actually realise that it came with an airbrush so I ordered another one! But the supplied one is actually better.
I’ve since upgraded to a Harder and Steenbeck Duo I think it’s called which was about £80. It uses a lot less air than the others but in all honesty it’s no better as an airbrush.

1/72 scale Stuka. I’ve got the 1/48 scale version to build as well which will be interesting.

Haven’t built a kit in at least half a centuary. Anyone got advice on who makes a decent Vaught Corsair kit? Otherwise I’ll end up buying that huge Tamaiya Mosquito…

You can get the Italeri 1/72 one for not very much money.

I did it as one of my first kits back.

Thanks Harry.
Sadly I tried Google. My bank account may wish I hadn’t.

https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/builds/tam/build_tam_60325.shtml

Thanks for recommendations 😁

Really enjoyed James May as well

Tamiya do a nice 1:48 Corsair; I find 1:72 too small & fiddly for my ageing eyes, while 1:32 takes up too much room (aircraft anyway).

Try http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk

this came up on my youtube feed, enjoy

Does anyone put a flat and bulge into each tyre to show the weight on it?

I do.

I weight the tyres by putting a piece of kitchen foil on the sole plate of an iron and pressing the wheel on it, nice controllable heat so I don’t ruin it.

That B17 looks a nice kit, but I think that the panel lines on the fuselage are overdone, it looks quilted! 😂

I tend to agree that a lot of the weathering/detailing you see these days is super exaggerated.

I tend to agree that a lot of the weathering/detailing you see these days is super exaggerated.

Especially panel lines, compare the kit panels on the Airfix Victor above with the pics of the Duxford example.

To flat spot my tyres I stand the finished model on sand paper and gently “brum” it like a kid with a toy car. I don’t make any noises though.

In other news… has anyone used Humbrol acrylics with an air brush? I’ve done the intakes on the Victor with a regular brush and I’m less than impressed. I’m considering finding, or mixing with Tamiya, an alternative before I cock up the whole model.

Especially panel lines, compare the kit panels on the Airfix Victor above with the pics of the Duxford example.

The Victor is the 1980s Matchbox now released by Revell. I would hope that the new Airfix is better. At x3 the price it should be.

Also, with the Victor I decapitated the crew then stuck their heads back on at different angles so it looks like they are talking to each other. I was surprised by how effective this was.

Airfix have a bit of a reputation for deep panel lines, even on their new tools.
All my recent airfix kits come with pre flat spotted tyres.

I use Tamiya acrylics with a few Vallejo Model air pre-thinned as well They all go down beautifully in my airbrush but don’t brush very well. I tried airbrushing a Humbrol acrylic as i needed that specific colour but it didn’t work well at all so now when i buy airfix kits with the paints included i just chuck them away (keep the brushes though!).