Glueing is just about finished!

[The Rat]

Unless I decide to go ahead with the construction of beaching gear, there is nothing left to go on the Calais but the props. Here you can see the results of at least half a dozen abortive attempts to get Tamiya neutral grey to work:



And in an extreme close-up you can see that I still need to do some very delicate smoothing around the nose. The probe is from a 1/72nd Esci A-4, and seems to be just about the right size according to the pics I've seen of Transalls. The tip is overscale, but if you think I'm going to carve it down to 1/220th scale you may kindly osculate the dermal covering of my gluteous maximus. And yes, the probe does extend all the way back to the leading edge of the wing on the genuine article:



I've got some Humbrol #27 now, that should be better than Tamiya's useless liquid, but being enamel and not easily stripped I'll now have to get it right the first time. Once it's done the windows will be done black with a fine tipped Sharpie marker. Probably the final thing will be to apply Future to the searchlight, then on with the decals.

Is the end finally in sight?  

[cthulhu77]

SWEET !!  That sucker should look great...proportions are fantastic !

            greg

[retro_seventies]

it's gonna be ok ratty....

just remember, if she doesn't look ok after you finish her, then drink until she does...

or is that the rule for girlfriends?

i forget...

it's the being married that does it....

[Patrick H]

She'll look fine once finished. And if she doesn't, just don't take close up pictures  

Works everytime for me



Patrick

[John Howling Mouse]

I think the light sanding of the Tamiya paint (which I'm assuming you brushed on by hand, not airbrush?) will actually enhance the realism of the weathering.

As everyone knows, sea-based aircraft really take a beating and seldom look like the museum re-paints us civvies get to see years after they've been retired from service and restored.

I'll be commiserating with you soon enough when I have to scratchbuild an ocean-going fuselage hull for my Matchbox 1:72 Privateer conversion to a seaplane.

[The Rat]

Thanks guys. When you're simply looking at the model in your hand that awful paint around the cockpit isn't really noticeable, but when you take an extreme close-up with harsh outdoor light accentuating the shadows it looks like absolute hell. Now, I hate to sound like a JMN, but I feel that if I can get it looking half-way decent under such conditions then it will certainly look better overall.

And you're right about the weathering Barry, even if they weren't flying they got lines on the sides from algae, water-borne dirt, and debris rubbing along them. I am seriously thinking of scuffing it up a bit, at one point I had the idea of actually letting it sit outside in a dish of pond water for a week or so! Maybe I'll do that and build a little jig out of Lego so that it sits level on the water line.  ^_^

And get working on that Privateer, why should I be the only one tearing my hair out?!    

[Davey B]

Mate, it'll be fine.  Worry not.  Given that you actually managed to graft the damn boat hull on, we have every confidence.

And if all else fails, get pissed and try to float it!