What's on the workbench!

[zenrat]

...Their prices for ancient singe engined WWII aircraft are quite ridiculous!

Not if you buy the oldest version of the current tooling you can find.
The decals almost definitely won't work but then we won't be using the kit ones anyway will we...

[NARSES2]

That's been Hasegawa's method of 'marketing' for years, or possibly their UK importers.

Having seen the same kits on sale elsewhere in the world (a couple in very remote spots) at what I'd consider reasonable prices my feelings are that it's the UK importers/agents Kit.

[PR19_Kit]

That's been Hasegawa's method of 'marketing' for years, or possibly their UK importers.

Having seen the same kits on sale elsewhere in the world (a couple in very remote spots) at what I'd consider reasonable prices my feelings are that it's the UK importers/agents Kit.

Corporate Greed Rules OK.............

[McColm]

Sunday 28th October 2018

Surprise, yes I've changed the role of the Convair Peacemaker to Goalkeeper AEW. I've used the large radome from the Heller EC-121 kit on the upper fuselage to fill a hole. The resin engines from the Anigrand Martin SeaMaster are a good fit on top of the XB-35 wing. Two more B-52G engines will be fitted on the vertical tail fin. The vacform engines from the Airmodel Martin SeaMaster when placed on the fuselage side make a similar cheek bulge of the SLAR radar fitted to the RC-135V/W Joint Rivet.

I've decided to use the EC-97 Stratofreighter as a testbed for the Boeing E-3:AWACS as the Hawkeye rotodome will be used on another whiff. I will change the tail layout to twin fins. I have used some of the resin engine conversion parts for the Tu-4 Bull on the mismatch set and come up with a powerplant of my own. It's not pretty but it works
I think 2019 will be the year of my finished builds, followed by some 1!144 whiffery .

[McColm]

Saturday 3rd November 2018
One more week of jumbled shifts. I wake up when it's dark and go home in the dark.
However with this sleep deficiency I'm finding more model kits that I never knew I had.
The Roden 1/72 An-12 Cub and the Sanger vacform kits..
I'm not too sure if anyone from this forum has built this kit
I'm surprised that is a lot smaller than the Lockheed C-130.
The kit that I have gives you the option of rear gun turret, removed or retained. I've also got aftermarket tyres.
It liooks over engineered with the fuselage instead of just two halves, it's in four parts. Seats, roof details and a rear loading ramp is also provided .
I'm thinking of a AEW & C platform, if I keep the loading ramp open I can add extra details inside.
Another whiff for 2019.

[McColm]

Wednesday 7th November 2018

As I keep telling myself no more kits until I have built what's in my stash .
Well when you see bargains you've just got to buy them and at those prices, I won't see them again.
In the goodie bag;
Revell 1/200 Boeing SST with Pan Am decals.
This is my third set, my first I had to sell, the second was damaged and no decals. I used parts from a Revell 1/144 BAC Concorde and it's a case of adding bits to make something decent.
As to the 1/72 Academy C-97,this will a AEW &C carrying the same rotodome as the Boeing E-3 Sentry but with a different stand.
1/72 Airfix Avro Shackleton MR2, this will become a passenger airliner with Dan Air decals. The square windows replaced with round ones. Two engines instead of the usual four.
Another attempt at the Sea Victor. If my calculations are correct by removing the bomb bay and trimming the side fuselage parts, the Victor should slot over the  Wiking flying boat which is also a 1/72 vacform kit.
As to the Air Ferry made from the 1/72 Revell kit, I have four hybrid engines that should fit.
Been after a BAe 146 for ages, I flew on a British Airways one to Jersey in the Channel Islands and I was well impressed, as for the Viscount , straight out of the box.

[McColm]

Thursday 8th November 2018

A few months ago I started work on the 1/72 Monogram Rockwell B-1B Lancer converting it into a VG flying boat.
I have to admit that I thought this was a whiff. Not so, research shows that the Russians were experimenting with something very similar but in a fixed wing layout. Although no prototype was built, drawings suggest that the engines were mounted on the vertical tail fin.
I'll see if I can prise the engines free and use them on the Convair B-36 Peacekeeper..

[McColm]

Friday 9th November 2018

It's a bit nasty outside with the rain and cold wind down in Erith tonight .

I found my 1/72 Mach2 Martin PBM Mariner. The twin tail fins have snapped off and the teardrop radome is also bit damage but I will change this to the Spin top of the Grumman E-2A Hawkeye.
I have also found a replacement set of twin fins from another model.
I did look on eBay to check prices between the Mach2 and Academy kits. They are almost the same price. Although you can get them a bit cheaper in the USA .
Hasegawa used to sell the Martin Marlin, which you can still get secondhand, there are differences between the the two models but if you were to add the twin fins and remove the vertical tail fin, you can make the prototype.
Although still a bit pricey is the Mach2 Convair PB2-Y Coronado. It makes a reasonable model and has great whiffing presence, after the parts are cleaned up.
Well that's next years resolution gone out the window .

I think the Airfix Shackleton will be a better donor  kit for the Welsh Dragon.

[McColm]

Saturday 17th November 2018

Just been on line to some research on the Boeing SST 2707.
There's a life sized mock up at the Hiller Aviation Museum, USA. This would be worth a visit.
Whilst checking out the images there's what appears to be the Lockheed version in a dessert boneyard, I'm not too sure what the fate of this aircraft.
Which gives me an idea, I now have one unbuilt set, one built but slightly damaged pair and one swept wing minus the vertical tail fin and engines.
I might be able to kitbash this with 1/144 Concorde parts and restore the damaged pair which are painted in Pan Am livery.
The spare decals could be used on a 1/144 Concorde .

[McColm]

Wednesday 21st November 2018

The urge was too great on Tuesday, so work has started on the Airfix Avro Shackleton MR.2 conversion into a Gunship using the guns from the
AC-130U kit not as per instructions.
In the nose a howitzer which fits where the bomb aimer's window used to be. The nose has been flattened.
Down the left side is the mini-guns and the other howitzer with the housing. On the right side where the crew entrance door used to be is the 40mm gun. The plastic on the fuselage is very soft and easy to pierce with a craft knife.
I glued the port side fuselage with the floor and lower wing. The interior will be painted matt black along with the undersides of the wings and fuselage.

Whilst this was drying I found a pair of Revell Shackleton AEW.2 tail fins and glued them to the Martin Mariana. This build still appears to be on the rough side, battle worn.
The interior parts from the Airfix Shackleton might fit the Revell DC-4.
Although this was a real world proposal for the RAF in the maritime role, I haven't found any reference to a AEW version.
Perhaps the Southern Star with Griffon engines.
Another possibility is using the Pan Am decals for the 1/72 Boeing 707 on the Avro Celestial (Atlanta ). Sprayed gloss white all over.

[McColm]

Saturday 24th November 2018

I started cutting out the 1/72 Sanger vacform Beriev Be-12 and got as far as the wings. I don't know why the lower half is straight whilst the top half is kinked.
The instructions are on the vague side but you do get 1/72 plans as a reference
I'm going for a Westernized version.
As for the An-12 , I think a flying boat version, although it's crude a  vacform kitbash can be achieved.

[McColm]

Sunday 25th November 2018

It looks like I will be buying a few more Mach2 Martin SeaMaster kits. In the what happened next category.
Two large turbofans positioned behind the fuselage wing box section should fill the gap between the Beriev Be-200 and the Be-A40/42.
Whilst a pair of turboprop engines positioned further along the rear fuselage would be similar in appearance of the proposed A-42 PE.
I think an airliner interior can be achieved with large fuselage windows and a fire fighter version.
I would still go down the RR Spey route, as that turned out well. Maybe next time I will use the B-47 main undercarriage layout

[McColm]

Tuesday 27th November 2018

Whilst doing some laundry I have added another two engines to the Revell Boeing SST airliner so the swept wing  now has 6 engines. It's already been painted by the previous owner in Pan Am colours, just needs a gentle wash on the upper surfaces.
The other one is a kitbash with 1/144 Concorde engines.
As for my 1/72 Convair Peacemaker I am considering using the Speys from the Airfix BAe Nimrod kit.
Got a few days off next week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday to play catch up and quality time for myself.

The Boeing SST Pan Am Clipper Flying Cloud  6 engined beastie now has twin moveable tail fins. I need to replace the tail fin decals as the masking tape I used whilst gluing removed some details. Lucky I have a spare set.
Well a few hours have passed and from the angle I'm looking at the two swept wing versions the kitbash with 1/144 Concorde engines looks smaller and the wings curl upwards, compared to the Flying Cloud. Both are on the stand that comes with the kit but they are not glued in place.

[McColm]

Tuesday 29th November 2018

I've painted the inside of the Avro Maverick AP-45 in mat black. Just need to find a piece of scrap plastic for the flat nose so I can plug the recess with some filler, when I glue the two fuselage halves together.
I've also painted the cockpit seats.
On a different subject I have noticed that there is a pop up book in the form of Harry Potter Hogwarts castle and the grounds. I have tried using preprinted card model kits of castles to create my own Hogwarts but they are toys.
Although the idea of using them as templates stuck onto thick card might work.

[McColm]

Friday 30th November 2018

This morning after assembling the cockpit interior both fuselage halves were glued together and both wings attached.
The flat nose dose add a bit of character to the Shackleton. Got a slight issue with the left side of the fuselage where the wing fits. It bulges other than that it's a good fit.