A little work in progress

[Martin H]

March build number 12.


The Budd RB1 Conestoga. As they may have appeared had the type entered U.S.Navy service.



The Budd RB1 / C-93 was found to be underpowered and some what of a gas guzzler. Which dropped its intended range down to 700 miles with a full load. By the time most of the bugs bar the lack of grunt from the engines had been ironed out the war had moved on and there were plenty of C-46 & C-47's to go round causing all orders (200 US Navy, 600 USAAC) to be cancelled. Leaving a grand total of 20 aircraft built. But It helped pave the way towards what is now the standard lay out for military transports. Most found use post war with what became the Flying Tiger Line. Some ending their days in central and south America.


The Anigrand kit Built OOB bar the paint job. Gunze for the paint work and decals are a mix from the kit and a set of old Matchbox Privateer decals.
And yes it would be a tail sitter with out the two "Jacks" you can see just in front of the rear ramp.



And here it is with build number 13. The Mikro Mir Kalinin K-12 Bomber.


I'm cheating here, this is a 100% OOB build. so isn't a whif. But could be considered a Cancelled project as the type fell out of favor while being test flown when its designer (Kalinin) was purged.

[PR19_Kit]

Woweee, LOVE the Conestoga! 

I didn't know anyone did a kit of it, and it looks terrific in USN colours.

[Tophe]

The Kalinin is great too, so unusual to see.

[Mossie]

Love both.  The Conestoga looks even more odd in Navy blue.   

[NARSES2]

Woweee, LOVE the Conestoga! 

I didn't know anyone did a kit of it, and it looks terrific in USN colours.

Yup really suits the scheme 

Kalinin looks really neat Martin  What's the kit like to build ?

[Martin H]

Kalinin looks really neat Martin  What's the kit like to build ?

Not bad for the most part. The engine cowlings are a bugger thou. There are 4 parts to each one, the inner wall parts make the internal diameter to small to fit the engine thou.
With hindsight I would have left them out, I ended up increasing the diameter with scraps and putty. I would have also held off fitting the control surface mounting brackets until after the decals were on. I was going to use the big sheet of "feathers" that come with the kit for the stylized bird paint job the machine wore for its first public outing. having the brackets in place would have made the job a nightmare trying to get those decals to sit right. hence leaving em be.

[NARSES2]

Thanks Martin

[Martin H]

OK Although builds 14 and 15 are real world I'm going to show them here anyway.

First up is the new ish Airfix Victor. In the SR-2 configuration with 543 sqn around 1971.


Built 100% OOB. Paint job is a mix of Halfords white primer and gunze for the medium Sea grey and dark Green. Decals are the third option in the K-2/SR-2 boxing of the kit.

The open bomb bay with the extra fuel tanks and recci pod the Victor SR-2 carried.


Now why did I do an SR-2? The answer is simple.

Its in honor of this guy. His name was Dave Stephens, a long time friend and some times mentor over the last 20-25 years. Unfortunately he lost his fight against Covid on November 14th last year.
He spent his last six months in the RAF in 1969 on 543 sqn as an air wireless tech corporal.
He joined as a 15 year old boy entrant in the 1950's and worked on Anson's, Varsity's and Sycamores in the UK. On Air sea rescue boats in Northern Germany and Andovers & Hastings on the far east comms flight out of Singapore before being posted to Wyton. originally vetted to go on 51 sqn, they refused to take him on when it became clear he only had six months service left. So he wound up on 543 instead.

I started the build back in the Summer of 2019, with the intention it would be given to Dave to sit on the desk in his study. AS sometimes happens, these things keep getting moved to the back of the list, and work on it was very on-off, and very nearly ended up in the bin once I heard of his passing. It will now do the rounds of the shows once they restart on the Coventry & Warwickshire or Bedford and district club stands.
Those on here who know me, know all to well that I choose my friends very carefully. Its fair to say Dave was at the top of the list. It was a privilege to be his friend.

And lastly another Harrier (the 7th in the last 15 months)


An Esci kit (again!) Built as a GR-1. Marked up as a civi registered demo bird used by Hawker Siddly to demonstrate the type to the Swiss in 1971.
Gunze all the way for the paint job, Decals from the Vingtor demo harrier set.

[Pellson]

Always so nice builds. 

I am so very sorry for your loss. Covid is such a cruel and unnecessary way to go and too many of us have lost friends and family during this last dog of a year. Your Victor is excellent and touring it is a very nice way of honouring a good friend, and to remember him by.

[PR19_Kit]

I think you should show the Victor on the Whiff SIG stand OGL. Then we can all watch the JMNs trying to figure out what's Whiffy about it, and snigger to our hearts content. 

Sad to hear about Dave, you've mentioned him in the past a few times, but I didn't realise he'd been struck down by Covid.

[NARSES2]

Victors a really nice build Martin and a fitting tribute to another victim of this horrible disease. 

[Martin H]

I think you should show the Victor on the Whiff SIG stand OGL. Then we can all watch the JMNs trying to figure out what's Whiffy about it, and snigger to our hearts content. 

The thought has crossed my mind. It would fit Daves sence of humour as well.
Ive done it once before at a Tyneside showwith an Airfix Swift when they were just about out.......

[PR19_Kit]

The thought has crossed my mind. It would fit Daves sence of humour as well.
Ive done it once before at a Tyneside showwith an Airfix Swift when they were just about out.......

When you showed one of your 'All lightning' displays I plonked my RW F2A in there as well, and it had EXACTLY the desired effect. 

[Martin H]

Builds 16 & 17 coming right up. Tonight's offering falls into the Little & large group.

First up Little


This is the Stout Aerocar II light aircraft.
Avis kit built 100% oob. with an over all dose of Halfords Audi Aluminium.
This has got to be one of the smallest builds I've done in years, aircraft wise. This thing is tiny!

Here's a photo of it with one of the Cessna's I did last year just to give an idea of how small this thing is.


Next. Large.




To follow on from the Budd Conestoga build, I have also tackled the competing aircraft from Curtiss.
The C-76 Caravan. This time in USAAF markings for a certain event that occurred in June 1944. Although not quite.
It hardly shows in the photos but there is a small U.S. Civilian registration under the tail planes. This is a preserved warbird. Apart from the serial number, it is in the markings worn by the C-47 "D Day doll"operated by the Commemorative Air Force.

Compared to the Budd, this thing wasnt a ground breaker. Wooden construction rather than the Budd's Stainless steel. No ramp for loading this time either, the nose on this thing swung up to load/unload.

Anigrand Kit built OOB with a tweaked version of the kit paint job. (You cant miss the invasion stripes!) Gunze for the paint work. Markings robbed from a Kits at War C-47/AC-47 set. The serial number was the only kit decal used.
Unlike the Conestoga build this isnt a tail sitter. I went well over board with lead on this one. It weighs a ton!. I'm gussing theres around half a pound of lead in the nose of this monster. Drop it on you foot and you will certainly know about it!.

[Tophe]

Lovely Stout twin-boomer!