Quote from: zenrat on July 20, 2024, 04:04:22 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on July 19, 2024, 07:02:55 AMAnother mecha purchase, yet only a body donor for a vague kitbashing project, based on a (probably whiffy, because I haven't found any reference in official sources) Illustration I came across while googling. In this case it was/is an affordable (because it's ugly) chromed Macross 1:100 destroid Spartan from Arii. I hope I can "clean" the parts with oven cleaner or brake fluid from the chrome coating. We'll see... 

Caustic soda solution dissolves "chrome" very quickly and will also remove the underlying lacquer eventually.  Oven cleaner which contains caustic soda will do the same.

Thank you. I'll try the oven cleaner first - might be slow(er), but not such a mess as brake fluid, and I haven't found a better local product here in Germany, too.

Quote from: kerick on July 19, 2024, 12:25:47 PM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on July 19, 2024, 07:02:55 AMAnother mecha purchase, yet only a body donor for a vague kitbashing project, based on a (probably whiffy, because I haven't found any reference in official sources) Illustration I came across while googling. In this case it was/is an affordable (because it's ugly) chromed Macross 1:100 destroid Spartan from Arii. I hope I can "clean" the parts with oven cleaner or brake fluid from the chrome coating. We'll see... 

Its electro plated aluminium and muratic acid will take it off in a couple of minutes. Use the usual safety precautions. You could probably water it down some and still work and be a little less hazardous.

Thank you, too. Might be hard to procure for non-commercial use here, though. 

Quote from: Weaver on July 21, 2024, 12:48:15 AMEDIT - just realised something: the RAF Mariners were PBM-3 pure flying boats, but the Academy kit is a PBM-5A amphibian, so putting that in RAF cammo-over-white would be a whiff, and quite a subtle, sneaky one too...

The two extra engines and the much longer wings might give viewers a bit of a hint though. 

It's not mentioned in the instructions but you can build the Academy kit as an early pure flying boat as they provide blanking plats for the main wheel wells, and you can just leave the nosewheel doors shut.

For some reason they give you a blanking plate for the tail turret too. And there's a neat map table for the Nav. that they tell you not to use, but I glued it in place anyway. 

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on July 21, 2024, 01:38:14 AM

Quote from: kerick on July 19, 2024, 12:25:47 PM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on July 19, 2024, 07:02:55 AMAnother mecha purchase, yet only a body donor for a vague kitbashing project, based on a (probably whiffy, because I haven't found any reference in official sources) Illustration I came across while googling. In this case it was/is an affordable (because it's ugly) chromed Macross 1:100 destroid Spartan from Arii. I hope I can "clean" the parts with oven cleaner or brake fluid from the chrome coating. We'll see... 

Its electro plated aluminium and muratic acid will take it off in a couple of minutes. Use the usual safety precautions. You could probably water it down some and still work and be a little less hazardous.

Thank you, too. Might be hard to procure for non-commercial use here, though. 

In that case I'm sure the oven cleaner will work just be sure it has the lye/caustic soda/sodium hydroxide in it. Ah, more chemistry!!

A model contest wouldn't be a model contest without a vendor area where models and model supplies are sold and bought. You'd probably think that I bought a bunch of stuff at the IPMS/USA Nationals Model Convention the past few days. NOT! I didn't buy a single model kit.       I couldn't for various reasons:
a) Had to save a portion of my money to pay my share of the hotel bill when staying with a friend,
b) Had to save money because I had a large medical bill that is due later this week,
c) What I really wanted in the vendor area the most was just accessories to finish some current model projects I am building,
d) Just about every model kit I had on my wish list that I asked vendors about was not in stock on their website or not in their warehouse location or the vendor didn't bring any with them to the Nationals or if the vendor did have any at the Nations, they were snatched up by other people pretty quick.
So, my shopping experience in the vendor area was dismal to say the least.   
About the only things I came away with either in the vendor area or in the goody bag I got at registration is in the picture below.

1 x free small package of WWII airman and ground crew.
4 x packages of 1/350 scale photoetch doors and hatches.
1 x package of photoetch parts for a 1/350 scale USS Arizona.
1 x package with 2 PE frets inside of 1/350 scale ladders & stairs.
1 x package of 2024 IPMS Nationals "All American Red, White, & Blue" decal sheet.
1 x magazine book on secret SR-71 Blackbird aircraft concepts.
2 x small boxes of 1/350 scale Veteran Models resin accessories.
2 x boxes of pre-painted US Navy aircraft carrier figures.
1 x package of US Navy carrier decals.
1 x package of 2006 IPMS Nationals decals

Won a Monogram 1/48th F-19 Stealth Figther on trademe this morning for the princely sum of 20 notes😀😀😀
This will be the forth one now and it's been so long since the third one I can't remember when that was.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 21, 2024, 09:11:54 AM

Quote from: Weaver on July 21, 2024, 12:48:15 AMEDIT - just realised something: the RAF Mariners were PBM-3 pure flying boats, but the Academy kit is a PBM-5A amphibian, so putting that in RAF cammo-over-white would be a whiff, and quite a subtle, sneaky one too...

The two extra engines and the much longer wings might give viewers a bit of a hint though. 

It's not mentioned in the instructions but you can build the Academy kit as an early pure flying boat as they provide blanking plats for the main wheel wells, and you can just leave the nosewheel doors shut.

For some reason they give you a blanking plate for the tail turret too. And there's a neat map table for the Nav. that they tell you not to use, but I glued it in place anyway. 

You can only go back as far as the PBM-3 with that, because the -3 was stretched by three feet compared to the -1 and -2. However this isn't much of a problem since the -3 was the first to be mass-produced.

Early versions had a single gun rather than a turret in the tail position, and there was an unarmed transport version too, so the blanking plate might be related to either of those.

Quote from: Beermonster58 on July 21, 2024, 01:23:15 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 20, 2024, 12:10:43 AM

Quote from: Beermonster58 on July 20, 2024, 12:06:54 AMA & A Models 1/144 Antonov AN-22.Not cheap and, I'm not a 1/144 fan but, one needs to be practical. It's big even in that scale and, I think it will look gorgeous in RAF Sand/Stone/Black finish.

Would look neat parked next to a Beverly in a similar scheme 

Not a bad idea actually. Mikro Mir does a decent Beverly  in 1/144. Think I might need to acquire a couple.     

I shall claim my commission from them 

Quote from: Weaver on July 21, 2024, 10:18:24 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 21, 2024, 09:11:54 AM

Quote from: Weaver on July 21, 2024, 12:48:15 AMEDIT - just realised something: the RAF Mariners were PBM-3 pure flying boats, but the Academy kit is a PBM-5A amphibian, so putting that in RAF cammo-over-white would be a whiff, and quite a subtle, sneaky one too...

The two extra engines and the much longer wings might give viewers a bit of a hint though. 

It's not mentioned in the instructions but you can build the Academy kit as an early pure flying boat as they provide blanking plats for the main wheel wells, and you can just leave the nosewheel doors shut.

For some reason they give you a blanking plate for the tail turret too. And there's a neat map table for the Nav. that they tell you not to use, but I glued it in place anyway. 

You can only go back as far as the PBM-3 with that, because the -3 was stretched by three feet compared to the -1 and -2. However this isn't much of a problem since the -3 was the first to be mass-produced.

Early versions had a single gun rather than a turret in the tail position, and there was an unarmed transport version too, so the blanking plate might be related to either of those.

The engines are also different, the PBM-3 has Wright 14-cylinder R-2600 versus the Pratt & Whitney 18-cylinder R-2800 of the PBM-5.

While strolling the streets of Lowestoft I came across a model shop I'd never heard of before, Parrs. Thinking that Hannants is the ONLY model shop there tends to blank your mind to other possibilities..............

The lady behind the counter told me she'd just had a shipment from Airfix that morning '.....including their new Boeing Chinook.....' but she only had one of them.

Now she hasn't......................

I hadn't noticed before but the box art has 'Bravo November' plastered right across the lid of course, but way down in the corner is a small, but accurate rendering of the 'Atlantic Conveyor'. 

Received today

1 x 1/35 AFV Club AF35348 Centurion Mk.5/1 - 4.RTR Berlin Infantry Brigade BAOR

Gondor

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 22, 2024, 10:29:45 AMWhile strolling the streets of Lowestoft I came across a model shop I'd never heard of before, Parrs. Thinking that Hannants is the ONLY model shop there tends to blank your mind to other possibilities..............

The lady behind the counter told me she'd just had a shipment from Airfix that morning '.....including their new Boeing Chinook.....' but she only had one of them.

Now she hasn't......................

I hadn't noticed before but the box art has 'Bravo November' plastered right across the lid of course, but way down in the corner is a small, but accurate rendering of the 'Atlantic Conveyor'. 

Note that quite a few people have badly warped rear cockpit and fwd cargo bay bulkheads in their kit. The problem hasn't been in every example, but it has been an issue in many. It seems likely that it's probably a QC issue rather than mould design.

One oddity is they've left some of the mould sprues and ejector pads still attached to the parts, and they show you how to cut them off in the instructions! 

And they provide templates for you drill holes for various other items to be attached too. It gives you a vague feeling of incompleteness somehow...........

Procured a cheap Mistercraft (Intech) 1:72 P-51B via ev!lbay, primarily because of the decal sheet for a currently developing project. The hardware will go into the donor bank.

From Airfix, because they had a double points offer on:

1/72nd Boulton-Paul Defiant
1/72nd Hurricane Mk.1
1/76th Buffalo & Jeep