The Meteor does actually look really good with P-38 wings.  Less of a big flying slab and probably faster, though likely less maneuverable.

Great stuff ! You'd never know looking at her now !? The use of Marrettes is a new one. Somehow, the whole beast looks like a Wellington to me lol

Quote from: NARSES2 on January 04, 2025, 05:19:42 AMWell that green/brown camouflage took me by surprise I must say. Looking forward to this 

I looked up what camo the RAF had on their P-38s, and that's what came up.  I prefer the brown & green to the grey & green, anyway.  Since there's absolutely nothing historically accurate about the model anyway, I just thought - go with what I like. 

Also, it's going to be delayed a bit more - until the weather warms enough to spray the Dullcote outside, since there's no ventilation in my basement Man Cave other than fans.  When I sprayed the Gloss, I heard about it all day long from Mrs. Scotaidh - who needs that kinda grief! 

I've blacked the radome - makes it look a lot better, IMHO - more purposeful, less like just a long snoot. 

Quote from: Scotaidh on January 07, 2025, 01:50:56 PMI prefer the brown & green to the grey & green, anyway. 

As do I    Especially with SEAC roundels 

Sounds like you need to switch to acrylics. Much less smell. I finally built a spray booth out of the largest plastic storage container I could find and exhausted it outside. Container, furnace filter, bathroom exhaust fan and dryer duct.

Quote from: kerick on January 08, 2025, 06:56:16 AMSounds like you need to switch to acrylics. Much less smell. I finally built a spray booth out of the largest plastic storage container I could find and exhausted it outside. Container, furnace filter, bathroom exhaust fan and dryer duct.

I have tried acrylics but I had adhesion problems with those - they just weren't sticking.  I also had problems when I'd get confused as to which brush had what kind of paint on them ... Enamels into water, not so bad; Acrylics into thinner - terrible! 

I know that's on me, but still - the complication arose because I didn't have all the colours I needed in both types of paint, so a certain amount of cross-over was inevitable.

Alright - the weather finally got higher than freezing long enough that I could do my outside spraying! 









Working on a back-story - should have that soon. 

That's looking very cool 😎 👍
It's got great lines matey 😀

Surprisingly elegant! 

Shiny!! 

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on January 12, 2025, 11:40:26 PMSurprisingly elegant! 

Indeed. 

Quote from: kerick on January 13, 2025, 10:59:23 AMShiny!! 

And yes, in both senses. 

OK - here's the backstory.  I had a bit of fun with this - I hope you enjoy it. 

Once the aim of the Luftwaffe's Operation Adler had been realized by RAF high command, fallback sites, known as satellite airfields, were set up for all major RAF air stations.  RAF Little Sodbury was initially one of those, but once the Battle of Britain was over, that role mostly ceased to exist.  The airfield languished for some time, as no-one in the RAF seemed to know where it was, other than lost training flights desperately looking for fuel.  This bothered no-one at the airfield, who mostly just got on with enjoying the perks of pay and uniform, and the effects of both on the local ladies.

All that changed with the arrival of a new commander, Captain Winston Hillchurch.  Appalled at the lack of direction and laissé faire attitude of his command, he managed to wangle the role of 'Aircraft Repair & Re-Utilization Depot' from the old boy network at the Air Ministry.  Consequently, trucks and low-loaders stuffed to the gills with damaged or abandoned bits and pieces of aircraft began to arrive. 

Repair parts also began to trickle in, but never met demand. Rather than put up with 'hangar queens' waiting about for months, the engineers and mechanics at Little Sodbury got into the habit of using whatever parts were available, even from enemy wrecks. 

         Captain Hillchurch wanted to acquire one of the new Meteor fighters as a training piece for his maintenance staff.  His tireless efforts seemed to have paid off, but when it arrived, the main wing was missing and the engines (sent separately), were of no known type.  (The shipping documents were damaged, and the point of origin was indecipherable.) When he complained, he was essentially told to "Be quiet and do your best."

   Incensed, and determined to "show them!" he asked his engineers to have a bash at it anyway – see what bits and pieces they could find that might fit with a bit of bodging and blind-eying. 

   One of the pieces they found was a complete wing for an RAF Lightning, sent to see if perchance Merlins or Griffons could be used instead of the low-powered non-turbocharged Allisons. The project had stalled due to the very short supply of both British engines,  but the wing was all there and, wonder of wonders – it fit! 

With a bit of creative engineering (and a lot of swearing), the two engines were made to fit and actually worked well.  Captain Hillchurch was very impressed with his work crews; less so was the Air Ministry, who couldn't seem to fathom it at all - "But, dash it all -  where did you get those engines?  What do you mean, 'from us'?"; "An American wing on a British fighter?  My dear chap – what were you thinking?"; "No, no – it won't do at all."; "Can't imagine what you were thinking, old boy – do run along and take that nonsense with you."

Hillchurch returned to Little Sodbury with a flea in his ear, determined that his lads' work would not be in vain.  With a bit of deft book-keeping the aircraft officially vanished – in it's stead arose the "LSA* Massai experimental fighter" which became the station commander's hack until the end of the war, when it was (officially) written off "after a collision with a hangar door."

* Little Sodbury Aircraft company

Nice back story, and an all too believable Ministry attitude...

I'm now visulising that as the scenario for a classic British late 1940's film (movie to our US cousins  ) which will probably be shown on the Talking Pictures channel at regular imtervals      

Terrific backstory   

Quote from: NARSES2 on January 19, 2025, 01:10:14 AMI'm now visulising that as the scenario for a classic British late 1940's film (movie to our US cousins  ) which will probably be shown on the Talking Pictures channel at regular imtervals      

Terrific backstory   

Thank-you, gents.