Christmas Airfix!

Undercarriage fairings on the wrong legs?

No, looks like I got away with it!

It’s s the decal on the L/H side, the ’16’. It looked great after a matt clear coat of Alclad II and I was really happy with it. I like to finish off with a dusting of ground pastels to blend everything together, but for some reason it made the decal carrier film show up, just on that one though. It was invisible after the clear coat, I should’ve stopped there! 😭

For those of a certain age…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj9ZFuOMfUw&app=desktop

I can’t see anything dodgy on that 109, it’s very nice.

I’m waiting on some paints – a) modern Russian armour and b) USAF Vietnam era aircraft.
Given up on the T-34/85.
Russian SAM vehicle next up, plus a Hasegawa A-7D Corsair II to paint in 1/48 When the ‘nam paints arrive

Harry the Spider I remember the cartoon but had to google what it was called though.

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman

IIRC the little one spoke a bit funny.

Hasegawa A-7D Corsair II to paint in 1/48 When the ‘nam paints arrive

Nice, I’ve got a 1/48 F105 to do in SEA scheme. I keep putting it off though as its bloody enormous, especially next to the WWI Albatross I’ve just restarted!

I’m after an F4E to do in Israeli colours if anyone sees one?

I think Model Hobbies have an Italeri F4E in 1/48

Yeah, here you go : https://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/italeri-148-f-4e-phantom-ii–2770-88919-p.asp

Decals should be available aftermarket: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/skys-decals-48-007-israeli-f-4-phantoms–1109341#

Next one up: Meng 1/35 Russian 9K37M1 BUK mobile SAM system. No interior so it should be quicker than the T-54 I did earlier…

1) working Torsion Bar suspension:

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2) it’s big. About 30% longer than a T-34/85:

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More to follow…

BTW this is just the lower hull. Missile carrier/launcher sits on top of this in the same way that a turret would on a regular tank

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The rear end:

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Top view:

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Front end:

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I haven’t put the crew visor asssmbles in yet, will do those after the paint job

Next up – the tracks !
4x sprues of 56 links, plus pins to make working tracks

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@johndrummer that mobile Sam system looks a beast, do you keep all of your completed kits or just the best ones, I’m running out of space.
I’m not going to pull the trigger on that Italeri F-4E, I’m going to hang on for the Zoukei Mura one that’s due out soon. The price is a killer though!

While I’m waiting for the Phantom I’ve resurrected a kit I started in 1995, the Eduard 1/48 Albatross DV. Its an absolute dog of a kit, the difference between this and their 109 I’ve just done is light years apart! I’m determined to finish it despite hating it, I’ll fight it to the end. It didn’t help that I decided to anneal the etched set in it with a blowtorch as I thought it would be quick, it certainly destroyed most of it quick and I had to buy another set (a different one though). The story so far…

I do keep them all, unless really poor (eg my 1/72 Airfix 190A). They do end up boxed up & in the shed after a while. That might not be happening to the later beasts though. Thing about tanks, even in 1/35, they do fit nicely in a shoebox, for the most part. I suspect the SAM thing will need a bigger box. E.g. a DrMartens box

That Albatross does look like it’ll make a fine model, even if you do have to wrestle it a bit. I’m not keen on anything with rigging so biplanes, WWI monoplanes & sailing ships are off my radar for now

The SAM system is actually coming together quite quickly, I think I’ve got the lower hull done in 3 nights. Thankfully no interior…
Until I start on the tracks

I’m not keen on anything with rigging so biplanes, WWI monoplanes & sailing ships are off my radar for now

I’m not a fan of those kits you listed but I’m going through a bit of a masochistic phase at the moment, I bought the 1/48 Airfix Walrus last week!

Some more WIP photos of my 1/35 SAM system:

Working suspension:

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Part finished track:

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Individual links, held together with pins on one side & glue free. Mostly. Some didn’t hold on their own so had to be glued. A pain to build but very nice

Little jig to help build the tracks:

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4 sprues of track links & joiner pins:

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Yes, I know I haven’t plumbed the hoses in, and I haven’t finished the tracks or the crew compartment visors…

Found a good mossy log for my 1/76 Panzer.

Nice. I can’t work at that scale, almost

Cheap one from my LMS so that I could try Blutac Worm Technique.

Done and dusted in about 2 hours.

It normally hides in the kitchen until my wife finds it. Then I have to re-hide it.

Going to keep the log and put a Typhoon flying over it.

Well here’s another one. Airfix Whitley GR MkVII 1/72. Mostly went together very nicely – the exception being the bomb bay doors which are a rotten fit if you leave them closed and have no method of location at all if you want them open – hence a slightly bodgy 1/2 and 1/2 approach. Still haven’t got dipping transparencies sorted, not helped by getting overspray inside the turrets. <<sigh>>. Still – it looks OK from a normal distance.
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@countzero – thanks for the praise (we are not worthy etc). That’s mostly Airfix to blame for the Wellington interior and the moulding of the geodesic framework in the wings, with some help from Flory washes and some luck! (and a decent camera and a copy of Lightroom)

That is very nice JonEdwards

I’m on tracks at the moment. Wish me luck

That is very good!

Such an odd looking plane.

Tracks finished 🙂
Primer next

Once again my contribution to this thread is not a proper scale model, but a converted tank for a game of plastic toy soldiers. Specifically this is Gerti, an Imperial Guard armoured recovery vehicle that I converted from Warhammer 40,000 Chimera APC and Galvanic Servouhauler kits:

I have a Flickr album containing more photos, including WIP shots.

I think that I am less bothered about getting everything “right” when I paint gaming stuff than when it was taking me months to finish even the smallest scale model. It’s nice to actually be finishing things!

Progress.

I’m doing the Revel version but brush painting. Having trouble with the decals though. Soaked in DecalFix and brushed the paintwork first but on the engines they have bits round the edge that don’t stick and form ridges. Tips please!

Did you give it a coat of gloss before doing the decals?
That’s the only other thing I can think of

Yep. Gloss and and perhaps an application of diluted PVA.

Hmm. Sometimes you have to be very careful with a very sharp blade

No gloss, it’s a matt finish. Is there some clear varnish I should be using?

No gloss, it’s a matt finish. Is there some clear varnish I should be using?

Yes. The gloss coat gives the decals something to purchase onto that’ll prevent air bubbles from causing the silvering that you often get by applying decals onto a matt surface. I swear by ordinary Pledge floor polish, followed by a second coat of pledge to seal the decals in. After that you apply a matt varnish to get the finish that you’re after.

I use either Tamiya or Revell gloss clear acrylics as a base for decals & pin washes, then another coat on top, followed by a Matt or satin coat if it’s a military vehicle/aircraft/boat.

I’ve started using Ammo by MIG and Vallejo acrylics too. No gloss or Matt varnish from them yet.

Tamiya thinners tend to work with everything except Humbrol, for which you need their own brand. So I try to avoid

I use Alclad. It works for me.

Whilst on this subject… Does anyone use Pledge with an airbrush? If so, how do you clean the airbrush afterwards?

No, but if I did I’d first soak it in warm water , then clean it as normal with airbrush cleaner

Whilst on this subject… Does anyone use Pledge with an airbrush? If so, how do you clean the airbrush afterwards?

Yes. I usually thin with either Tamiya thinner or water, as Pledge will puddle and dry quickly. Afterwards, I disassemble my airbrush and soak in soapy water before reassembling and blasting it through with a tiny amount of Humbrol cellulose thinner.

If Pledge is approximately the same stuff as the Johnson’s Klear or Future everyone swore by a few years ago then ammonia is your full-on option for cleaning it up. Preferably in a form other than neat ammonia, unless you have a lot of filtering and ventilation on the go.

In an attempt to do something different during dark evenings, I’ve a kit on the way.

I’ve helped my kids do a few, I’ve done a few as a kid. We’ve got knife, paintbrushes, glue, some random spare colours from Warhammer and airfix kits…

However, top tips and sources of any extra items I need, without investing lots of money on case I’m a dufus at this.

Filler, sanding sticks, a tin of primer and reading glasses!

What kit did you get?

I’ve got in to the habit of reading books and making associated kits.

Tempest V and The Big Show
Lancaster BIII Special and Dambusters/Enemy Coast Ahead
Martin Maryland/Macchi 205/Spitfire Vb Trop’ and Fortress Malt/Warbutron’s War
Sea Harrier / GR3 and Hostile Skies

However I read faster than I build so my book about the Falklands is accompanied by a WWII Martin Maryland.

And an A10. And a Victor K2. And an SU35.

Playing catchup, sorry.

Harry the Spider I remember the cartoon but had to google what it was called though.

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman

It was Battle of the Planets in the UK (and US). And that model is awesome.

The original Gatchaman had some pretty dark themes. The reason BotP was bookended with those awful 7-Zark-7 segments in a clearly different (and terrible) animation style obvious even to 8-year old me was to backfill all the bits they had to crop out to make it child-friendly. Notably in the original story Jason had a brain tumour, in our sanitised version it closed with an ‘and then he had a nice cup of tea and a sit down and it was all OK’ sort of handwave.

However, top tips and sources of any extra items I need, without investing lots of money on case I’m a dufus at this.

And some Microsol decal setting solution.

What kit did you get?