Nicks Nautical Numbers

[Nick]

Last night I started on a pair of builds for GB. First on the blocks was the tiny Airfix HMS Victory with a stonking total of 19 parts. Tonight I'll spray it with primer and shake up the paints supplied in the kit. This one will be completely out of the box with glue, brush and paints included.

I know what changes I'm making, just need to find some suitable 1/700 scale parts...
https://www.whiteensignmodels.com/c/1700+Scale/28/32/  There's a clue here

The other build (right now) is a Gnat. I wanted to do the F3H Demon in FAA or RCN but a lack of suitable markings has put that on hold.

[Captain Canada]

So I'm guessing its not a naval Gnat ? The boat sounds interesting tho.

[Mossie]

Got to admit when I read about Victory's restoration, it mentioned fire control measures and my warped mind read systems....

A different one Nick, looking forward to it.

[Nick]

The Victory is a crude kit. I know it's 50 years old but still, it could be better. Last night I got the priming done, tonight will see a final round of Putty-Sand-Prime and then it'll be on with the final painting.
Oh, I see you think I'm putting more plastic on board?    Here's a second clue for you all.... http://www.goldmm.com/ships/gmsdflag.htm


The Gnat is fully assembled, tonight will also be the first round of Primer. This means spray paint but I've already painted the cockpit interior so I've got a tricky job of masking the canopy and securing it so as not to overpaint anything.
For some reason the fit wasn't as good as my previous build or maybe my memory is playing tricks. The back plate of the cockpit sits too high so that you can't put the wing on top without some surgery. Love the modern plastic though, it melts with the glue and sets very well.

I have a set of markings for this already and the correct paints so it should be easy 

There is a possibility of a third build thanks to some decals I found in the stash. It's only a 1/144 Tornado but I'll hold off on that for now to concentrate on the other two.

[Caveman]

A French ensign would be treason...

[kitbasher]

I remember building the teeny weeny Victory as a kid (yes, during the war, etc, etc,  Hovis, blah, blah).  Recently forced my Mum into building an Airfix teeny weeny Cutty Sark (she was down in the dumps, needed something creative) - aged 86 built her first model!  We all had a laff and to be fair she didn't do too badly!

[Nick]

Anyone considering the use of Airfix Acrylic Flourescent Fire Orange is strongly advised to think again. I might just have a duff pot of it but it is awful. Lumpy, does not stick to the surface, dries on the brush (and I'm not that slow a painter!) and will probably require several thin coats.

I was advised at the time to get Games Workshop paint and I regret not doing so now.

[Nick]

Nearly done, made simpler by throwing the Victory in the bin. Clunky kit and too much work to paint and get the result I want. 


The Gnat is OK but near ruined by the godawful Airfix paint. I've got something like the result I was hoping for but I might do this idea again when I find suitable red/orange paint from Xtracrylix or Vallejo that doesn't dry up leaving the model looking like a Matchbox toy car.




Just waiting for the decals to set and then I may do a coat of varnish.

[Nick]

Irish Gnats

In the early 1970s the Irish Air Corps started looking to replace the now elderly De Havilland Vampire trainers they'd been flying since 1956. Several contenders were available ranging from the US-built F-5/T-38, the French Fouga Magister, the Dornier Alpha Jet and the HS Hawk. They'd rejected the possibility of having the Vampires rebuilt and zero-hour rated as not being a suitable long-term solution.
The Hawk and Alpha Jet were still undergoing trials and would not be available soon enough plus the costs were deemed too high. The US option was just too much for Irish needs and even with the offer of a low cost loan the price was too high.

The Gnat was an outside runner in this race but ironically the Troubles in Northern Ireland gave it a winning chance. The British wanted to keep the Irish Government on side following several unfortunate shooting incidents across the border and elsewhere. The RAF were phasing the HS Gnat out of service in readiness for the new Hawk and had many surplus well-looked after machines. So, the deal was made. Ireland would receive 10 ex-RAF Gnats fully rebuilt to zero-hour standard and a huge pile of spare parts.

In 1974 four pilots from the Irish Air Corps attended the Gnat training course at RAF Central Flying School, four more would do the same in 1975. After the end of each course they each flew home in a new Gnat painted with the Irish tricolour.
Given that the Gnat was the star of the RAF's Aerobatic Display Team it didn't take long to create an airshow display with 4 Gnats under the banner of The Silver Swallows 

[kitbasher]

And I thought it was going to be a Gnat flying boat using the Victory's hull!😁

[Captain Canada]

Nice little Gnat Nick ! Looks really good in those colours eh ?

[NARSES2]

Come out well Nick

Shame about the Victory. She doesn't look that bad ? Mind you I'd forgotten the sails came like that

[kitbasher]

Irish Gnat - very nice, very plausible. 

Don't forget to pop pics of the finished item in the completed models thread, Nick.

[Weaver]

Nice idea and makes perfect sense since they ended up with Magisters IRL.