@garage-dweller I have a cheapo compressor and brush set off eBay, but swapped the brush our for an Iwata Neo which is an order of magnitude better.
@Countzero Thanks. Tempest V. The Lanc fits by about 2mm.
Thanks @Harry_the_Spider
Been catching up on some basics on YouTube
Meanwhile I seem to have acquired three new kits. I only meant to buy one.
I've started on the P1127 but the real colour of it is clearly NOT silver all over (per the instructions). It's more of a milky grey with odd bits of (I assume) bare aluminium. This aircraft (XM831) is at the Science Museum but there's not many pictures online.
For a 1963 mould it dry fits pretty well. I'm still doing the basic internal painting needed before joining the fuselage but I think it'll be ready for its exterior paint by the end of the weekend. Then I might put it to one side while I scope air brushes.
The PR XIX is a cracking little kit.
@garage-dweller There is one at Cosford too.
but the real colour of it is clearly NOT silver all over (per the instructions).
Warning: Nerd Content. When it was the Kestrel demonstrator at Airshows it was painted High Speed Sliver overall. Most of the ones in museums are unpainted P1127s (with various wing version fitted) The evaluation sqn. was made up of RAF, USAF, USN and Luftwaffe pilots. most of whom were ex-WW2, Colonel Barkhorn a German pilot claimed a kestrel as his 302nd allied 'kill' when he crashed in 1965 while on a test flight.
Airbrushes: I bought a Fengda .2 on Amazon as a cheap thing for some fine/close work. Its a bit rough around the edges - threads aren't super tight and you can tell its made to a budget, but once you get around its quirks, it's not at all bad for the price.
Thanks @nickc
I'd assumed the Science Museum was as representative of service life as possible and the other quick pictures I found were definitely more grey than silver (although not many of those).
So maybe it is silver after all.
I think there were about a dozen or so Kestrel FGA1/ P1127 made in the end. Most were unpainted evaluation planes of either the TES, and then as the XV6 (US designation) when the were all eventually shipped to the states and used by NASA. I think the Airfix kit orignally came with the Airshow markings in the box, so it's probs overall silver, but it would be more fun to paint it bare metal fo'shure.
I have a Harder and Steenbeck Ultra airbrush, I think it was about £100. In true Singletrack forum style I've done a couple of mods to it just to make it even easier to clean than in already was. I also have a couple of no name Chinese ones that came with my compressor. The expensive one really is no better in how it sprays, it just feels nicer and its way easier to keep clean. It can also handle a much smaller amount of paint so in that respect its cheaper to run. Its got a 0.2mm needle and i think a 0.4mm one (which i have never used).
Interestingly Google suggests that the 2024 Ultra only comes with a 0.45 needle which i find a bit odd.
Just to be clear, I didn’t build this! Back in July, my tank obsessed mate said he was putting something together for me for my birthday, but then he said he was having a few issues, so it might be a bit delayed.
I forgot about it, then he brings a cardboard box to the pub last night, apologised for the delay and said the kit was more difficult to work with, because the body was actually close to scale thickness, and very thin and awkward to assemble, and he then decided to rather ‘embellish’ it a bit, as he had some time, and it’s now an additional Christmas present…
I can only dream of building something like this, with the level of detail - the wall the tank is lurking behind was built from individual bricks, and the rubble filling the cavity is actual stones from his garden, which he crushed using a cast iron mortar and pestle, for added realism!
As you might imagine, I’m chuffed to bits with it! Best Christmas present ever! [img] 
[/img]
Wow!
Wow!
Pretty much what I said, with some more colourful additions!
Yeah, he’s pretty good at fine detail work, he used to do incredible things with the original metal AD&D figures, which helped get him a job as a goldsmith, which he’s been doing for over thirty years or so now. He’s actually used silver for detail work on models, because it’s cheaper than copper.
Christmas day Airfix 🙂
Younger son has some new Airfix (the new B-24 kit and a dogfight duo) today as well as a 1:123,000 scale Star Destroyer, which needs a 20g nose weight. I mostly build natural tail sitters or gear up so...
Today's question is...
What do you use for nose weighting models?
I thought maybe some fishing weights or car wheel balancing weights but is there something model specific I'm missing?
What do you use for nose weighting models?
Liquid Gravity
Thank you both. Younger has been building at a rate of knots. I'll pop some pics up at the weekend. He's quite a neat little builder.
The Christmas Spitfire and BF109 combo is taking shape and the B24 box has been breached.
Finished!
Build thread https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235144610-italeri-ac-119k-stinger/
I've been making progress on the wheel for the 1/9 scale bikes I found in a local auction. See page 59 above. The kits were partly made, and the wheels are moulded, so not to scale. I've been working on a technique to make them using wire. Best so far is 0.15mm diameter silver coated copper. The rims and hubs are 3d printed, but now I have a method that works I need to reduce the hub thickness and flanges to make them a bit closer to scale. The tyres in the kit are rubber, and ok. Photo shows the kit wheel and my latest attempt, both with the kit wheel fitted. The spokes on mine 'work' in that they are under tension, unlike the plastic one.
Hasegawa RF4C "Tumbleweed" 11th TRS based at Udon RTAFB. Nice kit, showing it's age now though.
https://ibb.co/rxQ2jwh
https://ibb.co/pQT2Gjt
Very nice!
Did you free hand that camo or use masks?
Thanks it's freehand, although mostly as I couldn't be arse to mask a 3-paint scheme. At 1/72 it really could've done with being masked though. Next time. Which may or may not be a Polish Mig29 and one of the crazy Soviet era 5-paint GA schemes. Although I've a hankering to do a 1/48 diorama; because y'know, never done one, what could go wrong etc etc..?
Saw on BM that you'd finished the C119, looks ace, pleased with it?
@richmars - patient of a saint from the looks of it!
Impressive 3-D printed bits! Resin or FDM?
@nickc - that phantom looks good!
My Harrier that I started a couple of years ago (yes really) is languishing upside down, half-built with a couple of white coats on the under-belly but I've not had the chance to make any progress while our house extension is going on - not really in the right head-space to do it at the moment.
I thought this would be a hobby that I would really get into, but I just don't seem to have/find the time. Maybe I need to wait 20 years or so for retirement.
Saw on BM that you’d finished the C119, looks ace, pleased with it?
Yeah. Big bugger though, so I don't know what to do with it. Thought it would be the size of a Mitchell. It is bigger than a Lancaster.
Been doing the new Airfix Mossie over Christmas.
The new tooled Airfix Mosquito PR.XVI.
Got stuck into a Tamiya Jagdpanther.
Extra Thin for scale 😉
paint on the Jagdpather looking pretty good there @HtS, you must be pleased with that?
My latest, P51B- "Shangri-la" 334th FG Debden 1944, personal aircraft of Don Gentile who of was one of the original Eagle Sqn pilots who flew for the RAF as well as the USAAF. Along with his wingman was known as "The two man airforce" the aircraft was destroyed when Gentile was doing a fly-past for the press.
Nice ^.
Was reading up on Don Gentile. He had quite a (short) life.
I've started on a Tamiya Churchill Crocodile. Opposite end of the aesthetic spectrum to the Jagdpanther, but incredibly effective at getting people to surrender when used in conjunction with infantry.
Af'noon. Been a while...
Jagdpanther looks excellent and NickC's Mustang and Phantom are top notch. Very atmospheric photography on the Mossie - the first pic in particular is the 1:1 thing at first glance.
Its been a slow year. I finished the P-47 in '23 and its taken over 12 months, mostly of procrastination and prevarication to get the B-17 done. Been a bit of a chore to be honest.
Tamiya 1/72 P-47D Thunderbolt. Exactly as shake'n'bake as you'd expect from a Tamiya kit. Easy build, chose some slightly over-contrasty paint options for some of the panels to break up the colour a bit.
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Aifix 1/72 B-17G Mah Ideel.
This was a kit I picked up cheap a couple of years ago simply because it was cheap, and its been sitting there looking at me. Its about the biggest thing I've done, that much metal finish gave me The Fear, all the fragile sticky out, snappy off guns that have to be fitted before painting gave me The Fear, and I just kind of lost interest in the interior, most of which is now invisible. Ended up treating it as 3 kits - the fuselage and 2 wings and only joining them once painting was done. The joins are OK, but not perfect. Oh well... Aftermarket seatbelts, oxygen tanks and instrument panel (all invisible), resin 0.5" cals as the kit ones are mahoosively over scale.
Its come out better than I expected, but there's some real annoyances - not least the amount of crud that's got onto the inside of some of the transparencies. First attempt at using oil paint for weathering which I'm moderately satisfied with.
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..and the last 2...
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...and the big b*gg*r with "Little Friend" escort...
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Tamiya Churchill Crocodile.
Tamiya Churchill Crocodile.
Thnaks for kind comments @JonEdwards, the B-17 and P47 looking very impressive. Like the Crocodile HtS, that's the flame thrower, right? Just imagine; apparently it could fire (effectively napalm) over 100m, must've been utterly terrifying.
I've a Hobby2000 (Ex Hasegawa) P40-N5 in 1/48 sitting on the bench conspicuously not started, that I found a Chinese Nationalist Air Force scheme for. Now that it's pissing it down though, might be the push I need to get on with it.
Finished the 1/9 bike kit I found at a local auction (see above). I replaced the supplied wheels and bottle cage, and found some Tamiya 0.5mm diameter wire to replace that supplied for the cables, which would have scaled up to something like hosepipe. Just a bit delicate for the final assembly (the spokes are only 0.15mm diameter) so damaged them a bit.
I've got enough parts to make a second one, but I may try and improve parts such as the brakes and gear mechs.
That bike is lovely! I couldn't do anything that delicate.
Yes, it is the flame thrower. Apparently it was particularly effective at getting people to surrender.
The £15 Tamiya Panther!
Tooling is from 1968 and you have to scratch build a few bits. But £15!!!
Trumpeter Challenger 2 with Mini Art crew figures.
Looks really good HtS. I realised a while back, I can't paint figures for toss, and I want to do a coupe of diorama/vignettes, so I'd better get some practice in. Are the mini-art figures any better than Tamiya - which seem a bit long in the tooth now, and not as crisp as they could be
MiniArt figures were very sharply moulded.
I can't paint figures either. A black dot on each eye then hit it with a panel wash.
Harry have you considered a Theatre Entry Standard CR2, I think you'd do a fantastic job of it.
What is that?
To be honest... After this one I'd be happy not to touch one ever again!
There are 430 parts in it. Many too small to pick up without tweezers and most needing to have flash trimmed off.
Before the paint had even dried I broke open a Revell F111 Raven and got cracking. 63 parts total, all of which could be picked up with your fingers and found if they got dropped on the floor.
This monster.
No thanks.
Question: I have a kit missing its decals and a page of those decals. Any ideas for printing replacements?
I thought of just a print on paper, but it would look rough and fade I guess.
16Sqn Spitfire FRIXc. Normandy Aug 1944. Most PRU spitfires were hazy blue, but for low level stuff the RAF had what was called "camotint pink" about half a dozen mkIX were painted and used by 16sqn specifically for tactical recon for the Normandy campaign, most famously they were used to take photos of Op. Market Garden. 16 Sqn was a dedicated PR squadron and had a mix of unarmed PRU X and XI spits and these FRIX which were used in dawn/dusk low level sorties known as 'dicers'. Pilots were sceptical about the colour, but apparently it was very effective. There's precisely one colour photo of these planes, and in them they're very very pale, almost off-white, and the sources vary about exactly how pink they actually were, so it's almost certain the shade I settled on is wrongt. Eduard 1/48. which went together beautifully. I'll definitely do another
I had a go at printing decals and it was a pain in the arse. Special water slide paper, sealants etc and the faff of cutting them out. Also, if the decal is white you will need white paper (see cutting out faff) or you will need clear paper and a printer capable of doing white. What is the kit? There are loads of aftermarket decals about that cost less than a pack of printable decal paper.
@nickc That spitfire is gorgeous.
I'm doing a Revell F 111 Raven at the moment and the fit is questionable in places. Also, it has a gloss coat on prior to decaling, so it looks double shit. I've got it sat next to a F 14 to make me feel better as this too looked horrible before it had a matt finish applied.
Loving that pink spitfire! I've got a gun camera from a spitfire/hurricane with a film cartridge, I often wonder whats on the fim, maybe an epic dogfight or just some RAF oiks messy about in a hangar.................
I know that Revell EF1-11 really is a shabby bit of shit, (there are too many parts that fit 'where they touch' ) so to make it look that good is impressive work HtS, nicely done.
Big 'ole thing though
I can forgive it because the tooling is a) 40 years old and b) American.
On the Shitometer where the Italeri Rafale M scores a solid 10 this was a mere 4.
I can forgive it because the tooling is a) 40 years old and b) American.
https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235154696-revell-f-111-raven/#comment-5233123
On the Shitometer, where the Italeri Rafale M scores a solid 10, this was a mere 4.
Best fitting kit I've done so far was the Dragon Sea Vixen FAW2, which is now reboxed by Revell. I've just popped open the recent Airfix Mitchell and so far that is very nicely engineered too.
Airfix B25 Mitchell.
New tool. Nice kit. Used an Eduard mask set to preserve my sanity.
Everytime I think I might want to do something like B-25, I look at all the glazing and I lose the will to live. Nice work HtS, lots to work on a Mitchell, the wing angles are all over the place, it's almost guaranteed to be a tail sitter (and where do you put the weight?) and you have to make two of everything. Love the scheme. 🍻
Eduard mask sets are an absolute game changer! Well worth the money.
The Mitchell is a really nice kit. No fit issues and a couple of "oooh that's clever" bits.
The problem with all Mitchells is getting the nose weight in, as the glass front means there is no space. Got 15g of tungsten putty under the cockpit floor and another 15g in the engines, plus a 5g wheel weight in each nacelle too. And it only just avoids tail sitting.
I'd do another. The alternative livery is the Desert Warrior that was used on a war bonds tour, but by mixing the decals with the one that I did I think it could be done in the combat scheme.
