What's on the workbench!

McColm · August 14, 2017, 12:14:43 PM

Been working on the 1/48 Airfix Messerschmitt BF109, painting the pieces before I glue them together. Started a few assembly lines. The acrylic paints might not be the right colours but they are very close.
Between painting just tinkering with a few of my started builds.

TheChronicOne · August 14, 2017, 05:45:36 PM

Ahhhh... a nice single engine mono-plane build... I find those to be relaxing, especially after working on bigger things.

I don't "do" 1/48 but I have a small collection of kits in the scale that I love. Coincidentally, they're the Hobbycraft kits of the 109! So, when the day comes when I do build a 1/48 again, it will be a 109.

It all started decades ago when my mama gave me one for my birthday. It was the 199 "Mule" Israeli knife version. A damn fine kit. Anyway... when I got back to the hobby again last year I bought some of its cousins so now I have 5 (I think) of them and while I want to get rid of all my other 1/48 stuff I'm going to always keep these. (and my T-38s

)

I have to say, it's strange to see you working on something so... "little."

McColm · August 14, 2017, 11:30:47 PM

Went food shopping last night and picked up the last copy Scale Aircraft Modelling August 2017, it's got the Eduard's Friedrich BF109F-2 profipack.
It's also got a detailed build of the 1/72 Airfix Westland Sea King HC.4 which I can adapt to the Mach 2 Super Frelon kit that I have got.
There's a look at High Planes Canberra in 1/72 scale, plus photos of the real aircraft.
Aircraft in profile is the Westland Scout and Wasp helicopters.
Plus loads of goodies.

McColm · August 15, 2017, 01:29:57 PM

Quote from: TheChronicOne on August 14, 2017, 05:45:36 PM
Ahhhh... a nice single engine mono-plane build... I find those to be relaxing, especially after working on bigger things.

I don't "do" 1/48 but I have a small collection of kits in the scale that I love. Coincidentally, they're the Hobbycraft kits of the 109! So, when the day comes when I do build a 1/48 again, it will be a 109.

It all started decades ago when my mama gave me one for my birthday. It was the 199 "Mule" Israeli knife version. A damn fine kit. Anyway... when I got back to the hobby again last year I bought some of its cousins so now I have 5 (I think) of them and while I want to get rid of all my other 1/48 stuff I'm going to always keep these. (and my T-38s )

I have to say, it's strange to see you working on something so... "little."

My first was a restoration job on a 1/48 P-51 Mustang A. The Hornet is roughly the same size as a 1/72 Lockheed Neptune.
The Messerschmitt BF109E just means a bit more detailing in the cockpit, engine if exposed and on the landing gear.

McColm · August 16, 2017, 01:40:33 PM

Quote from: Captain Canada on July 23, 2017, 12:40:15 PM
A closer view of 'Eric the Viking'.

'Eric the Viking' head on view.

In the publication Aviation Archive- Flying boats of WWII there is a photo of a BV222 on some sort of beaching cradle that has tracks either side to raise or lower the Wiking into the sea.
I've bought the Airfix 1/76 Buffalo IV and Willy's Jeep set.
The tracked side of the Buffalo works well with 'Eric the Viking' which I will assemble tomorrow. Another addition has been the ventral radome from the Revell Avro Shackleton AEW.2 this has been glued to the upper fuselage behind the cockpit. As it helps blend the Vulcan wing into the fuselage.

McColm · August 17, 2017, 08:24:19 AM

The Buffalo tracks work and have been glued on to the fuselage, there's a lot of ballast need to prevent this from becoming a tale sitter, but I have a cunning plan.

McColm · August 18, 2017, 08:28:24 AM

A second set of tracks will be needed at the rear end and I will add an entry door to the lower fuselage with a ladder or portable stairs from the Mach2 Caravelle kit.

McColm · August 18, 2017, 10:50:46 AM

Just had an idea for the 1/72 B-29 which I bought off eBay already made.
I'm thinking of using the radomes from the Heller C-121 Warning Star. To get the clearance I could use the Constellation landing gear. I know SAC do a while metal set.
This conversion will be called' Daddy Long Legs.'

TheChronicOne · August 18, 2017, 01:02:45 PM

Up on "stilts!" Sounds like a pretty good plan.

And man, .... uhhhh.... is it weird that this whole time I never knew the big radome on the bottom of the EC 121 was even there?! I have the kit sitting RIGHT HERE on top of the top part of my desk within arms reach and still had no idea!

I just thought it had the top part.

McColm · August 18, 2017, 02:46:35 PM

The top part was the height radar, earlier examples carried the AN/APS-20 as used on the Avro Shackleton AEW.2, the larger radome housed the AN/APS-95.
You could try fitting the Hawkeye rotodome to the upper fuselage.
I'm converting mine into a bomber using spare parts from the Academy B-29 and have ordered another one for the KC-121 tanker.

TheChronicOne · August 18, 2017, 03:46:37 PM

A bomber... hell yeah!

It may be heretical (around here!

) but I'm building mine OOB. I really like the thing as it is! So cool. Nothing stopping me from getting more kits in the future though and the sky is the limit.

McColm · August 18, 2017, 05:14:51 PM

Quote from: TheChronicOne on August 18, 2017, 03:46:37 PM
A bomber... hell yeah!

It may be heretical (around here! ) but I'm building mine OOB. I really like the thing as it is! So cool. Nothing stopping me from getting more kits in the future though and the sky is the limit.

You might need a bit of puty/filer around the gap between the wing and the fuselage.

TheChronicOne · August 18, 2017, 06:02:49 PM

Quote from: McColm on August 18, 2017, 05:14:51 PM
Quote from: TheChronicOne on August 18, 2017, 03:46:37 PM
A bomber... hell yeah!

It may be heretical (around here! ) but I'm building mine OOB. I really like the thing as it is! So cool. Nothing stopping me from getting more kits in the future though and the sky is the limit.
You might need a bit of puty/filer around the gap between the wing and the fuselage.

Thanks for the tip!

Speaking of, and I'm not one to wish ill-fitting kits upon myself, but it just so happens I recently bought a tube of Bondo red glazing putty. I read around and a lot of folks were saying that it works great on airplane kits so I'm kind of eager to try it.

McColm · August 20, 2017, 12:09:16 PM

Update on the Martin Majestic, the resin Cammett BAe Nimrod AEW3 rear radome has been cut to fit the front of the Mach2 Martin SeaMaster. It's a good fit.
I did a dry fit of the main landing gear from a Italeri AC-130A and that also fits.
The build still needs a lot of work to get it to the paint stage.
The Mystic on the other hand looks good on a sheet of polystyrene which needs painting blue, with filler to represent waves/ ripples.

McColm · August 21, 2017, 08:21:54 AM

I was looking for the resin parts for the Connie and stumbled across a 1/72 Starfix
HH-3 Jolly Green Giant, which I will turn into a AEW helicopter with inflatable bin from Freightdog.
I also found another Revell 1/72 Blohm and Voss BV222 Wiking this hasn't been opened. This will be the Mighty Thor.