What's on the workbench!

[NARSES2]

On my return home I noticed that the seats have been covered with pvc on some of the buses, some of the passengers were wearing face masks which begs the question is Covid still a threat in the UK?

A mate of mine has just spent a couple of nights in hospital with it. Admittedly he's 72 now, same as me, and has some other health issues, so yes it is. Nowhere near as bad as previous, but nonetheless take any vaccination offered, same as Flu.

[scooter]

I'm in two 84 foot petri dishes, twice a day 3x a week, and I (and SWMBO) mask up and try to continue to socially distance when we're commuting.  Best to keep yourself safe, and keep N95 or KN94/95 masks with you when you do take public transportation

[McColm]

Thanks for the feedback 

[McColm]

Thursday 25th April 2024

I know that I said that I wouldn't buy anymore kits until I got my first pay packet after returning to work but I have seen some spare parts on eBay for the Matchbox Boeing Chinook. The boxed Revell equivalent is at a reasonable price and they also have the MH-47E which is slightly cheaper than the Italeri model which could be whiffed to look like the MH-47G or the RAF Mk.3/4. You could opt for a longer fuselage but I think a two window plug extension would be better.
Weirdly a single rotor stack using the Chinook fuselage could work, or the stack from a EH-101 Merlin. It worked fine on the Fairey Rotodyne Airfix model although the Italeri EH-101 Merlin kits fluctuate in price.
The twin stacks do fit on the Airfix Fairey Rotodyne which could have saved it from the scrapyard.. More whiffs to build. I  think 2025 is going to be a busy year.

[McColm]

Monday 29th April 2024

I had a fry-up of my leftovers for breakfast and got thinking about the FASS unbuilt projects.
The 1/72 Academy Boeing Stratoliner that I converted into an MPA with a refuelling pod could be the ideal candidate for this build.
Having already built the Revell Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic ATL1 and used the BAe Nimrod AEW.3 conversion set on it the C-97 is roughly the same size.
Not quite the C-97 AEW in 1/144 scale as the Freightdog kit but having the four turbofans from the previous owner really helps this idea.

As to the Mach2 Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic model this will get a pair of turbofans and some parts leftover from various Revell Br.1150 Atlantic kits.

The two Hornby A4 bodyshells have arrived today, one will be static using parts from the Dapol Kitmaster Battle of Britain model and the other a clockwork train with running gear from another locomotive kit.

Now that I have putty and glue this should keep me busy. I started watching videos about the SIA Door Supervisor Licence course and answered most of the mock questions with an average score of 98%.Making notes on the questions that I got wrong.
Most of the physical manoeuvres are purely defensive, 'you do not grab'.Or stick the boot in if things get out of hand. Run away!

The Dapol Kitmaster running gear does fit the A4 bodyshell  ,so another kit will be needed. This time I won't glue the wheels in place,  I'll probably buy the Evening Standard locomotive kit as well.

[McColm]

Tuesday 30th April 2024

It's the last day of April, its going to be dry and sunny with a top temperature of 19°C although I do have my balcony door ajar it feels a bit chilly. This morning I worked on PSR for the 1/144 Shorts Seal MR.1 amphibious flying boat and the 1/72 Westland White Hart HAS.2. I've used some of the leftover parts from the upgrade Airfix Westland Lynx set. It now has six torpedoes. The original rotor blades snapped off and the temporary one carried over from the Airfix Fairey Rotodyne does fit but looks a bit out of place. I'm building a contra-rotating design using the blades from the Lynx and Hormone B.

Another rummage and I don't know how I could have missed this the two fuselage halves of the 1/72 C-119 Flying Boxcar, I also found two rear door ends. They are the same. No twin booms or cockpit glazing, no wings either. Kitbash potential at a later date.
Ebay has informed me that I have won four spares or repairs 1/72 Fairchild-Republic A-10s,one has the cockpit canopy and the others have the landing gear stowed with no canopies. Two of the engines will be used on the Mach2 Br.1150 Atlantic. Plus having a few spare engines helps. One of the A-10s can be salvaged.

This afternoon I will double check my paperwork to see if its okay for the assessment tomorrow, I'll also check with TFL if the London Underground is working and the buses as I've heard that strike action is taking place.
The Cut is very close to a previous site that I was working on before I was admitted to hospital. So it's either a bus to North Greenwich Underground Station and catch the Jubilee line or walk to Charlton Village and catch the number 53 bus to North Lambeth Underground Station, then its a twenty minute walk.

[NARSES2]

The Cut is very close to a previous site that I was working on before I was admitted to hospital.

Well there's a name from the past. Used to drink in a few pubs around there back in the early 70's 

[McColm]

Wednesday 1st May 2024

I passed the Southwark assessment test for a place on the SIA Door Supervisor Licence course which starts on Tuesday 28th May and finishes on Friday 21st June. This includes the first aid and self defence/physical manoeuvres plus I get a free breakfast during the working week 09:30 to 4:30pm.
The English questions were more correction of spelling and grammar whilst the maths  fractions, conversions and percentages. There was an IT test as well. One of the candidates asked if they could use their mobile phone to answer the questions.  They were removed from the test.
As a celebration I'm having a Chinese takeaway.

[NARSES2]

Well done mate 

One of the candidates asked if they could use their mobile phone to answer the questions.  They were removed from the test.
As a celebration I'm having a Chinese takeaway.

Unlike the John-Lewis Partnership who are now issuing prospective employees (shop/sales staff) with the questions for the interview beforehand 

[zenrat]

Well done Mac.   

[McColm]

Well done Mac.   

Thanks it's appreciated.

[McColm]

Tuesday 7th May 2024

This would have been my stepfather's birthday but it's the same day as the one when I was admitted to King's College Hospital three years ago. One thing that he hated was flying and rats. Two things he hated.
Working on the builds is going slowly, Station Road is turning into Diagon Alley and the Mach2 Avro-Breguet Atlantic AEW & C twin turbofans is coming along without too many of the usual problems.
I've withdrawn two of my started builds for the 1960s GB as I know that they won't be finished in the allotted time as I need to buy decals and paint.
After a test flight of the Avro Gryphon MR.1 the aircraft was left idling, the engines overheated and a burst fuel pipe led to a fire, the twin tail fins, wings and landing gear were salvaged as to Big Bertha which was parked alongside and being dismantled for an upgrade, this too has suffered some damage. The plastic unfortunately is so brittle that it's now in the bin.
  I did promise myself that I wouldn't build anymore large kits but I keep finding Nova 1/72 vacform kits for ridiculously low prices. It's very hard to say no.
The 1/72 Convair B-36 Peacemaker, 1/72 Convair Tradewind and the 1/72 AW Argosy weren't all complete kits bought secondhand which led to a few problems but the Lockheed Constellation SuperG does seem to work with the wings from the C-97.
Besides I need to start a new stash.

[McColm]

Wednesday 8th May 2024

I have an appointment with my Universal Credit Work Coach this afternoon, the Royal Borough of Greenwich has been out with their strimmers so it's officially summer time. Ah the smell of two stroke engine oil and fresh cut grass sends my hay-fever into overdrive. I'm not too sure if there was a derailment last night but there was a lot of heavy equipment being moved about trackside. I usually get a leaflet posted if there's any work planned by Rail Track.
Well the parakeets are back in Charlton Southeast London, there's loads of them around the Erith area.
I 've started reading the book Nimrod's Genesis which offers an answer to the question about the retractable radar fitted to the Avro Shackleton MR.2 and MR.3. They found the radome fitted to the MR.1 was prone to bird strikes. The MR.2 and MR.3 were fitted with the ASV. 21 radar. The position two was used in conjunction with the Autolycus to detect submarine snorkels however with the rise of the nuclear powered submarines this made the Autolycus redundant as it could only sniff out diesel engines.
Further research has uncovered that my 1/72 Avro-Breguet Atlantic turbofaned whiff was actually a Real World proposal. The twin Rolls-Royce Spey engines when new could achieve 500kts or the 450kts required transit speed specified by the Air Ministry. This speed was lowered to 400kts to allow the Lockheed P-3 Orion to be a contender.
Having had a discussion with a Squadron Leader during my time in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force 1986-1997 the actual transit speed of the BAe Nimrod MR.2P was closer to 350kts with a cruising speed of 320kts and eight hours of fuel.
Personally changing the engines to those fitted to the Tornado F.3 and then later the Eurofighter Typhoon would have been a cheaper option along with the proposed Nimrod 2000 digital cockpit. Agreed all of the existing Nimrods would have been rebuilt as no two were the same as they used the Comet 4B and 4C parts. In some cases even the Comet 2 toilets and crew rest areas. This would have seen the Nimrod still in service for another thirty years. I agree a replacement would have been necessary but at least it would have been a straight forward handover.
Having flown on the Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion and the Canadian CP-140 which is in my opinion the better of the two, less clutter no knee banging or having to turn sideways whilst walking down the aisle. Having an all female ground crew is an added bonus. Or it was for me!
I would have gone for the secondhand refurbished Lockheed Orion as a stopgap when the last of the Nimrods were retired in May 2010. Which is another whiff build added to the list.

[McColm]

Thursday 9th May 2024

After my appointment with my Universal Credit Work Coach I will be receiving funds for a monthly travel card. There's still a backlog for those who have already applied for their SIA security licences taking upto three months even if you are in the system. Universal Credit will also pay for my first week of travel when I return to work.
Other news the council are sending surveyors out to their residents who rent properties from them. I had a phone call from one of research companies on behalf of Royal Greenwich Council asking about my opinions on the services that they offer and finally my two radiators will be looked at, plus a new thermostat installed. Hopefully before I start college.
I've been feeling a bit tired so I'm enjoying the sunshine and fly squatting. In between reading and listening to background music. So no whiffery today.

Having read a few of the kit reviews of the various Convair B-32 Dominator, it appears to me that there's a lot of work to be done to end up with something decent. The vacformed kits are beyond my skill range so a 'hunny I shrank the B-29' then raided the spare parts box might be better. This won't be accurate but something that looks right.
A civilian/troop transporter of the B-29 no not the Stratoliner or C-97 is a future build. Even Boeing thought about replacing the radial engines for jets. Just didn't get round to it.

[McColm]

Monday 13th May 2024

I thought my days of insomnia were over but try as I have sleep didn't come. Feeling sleepy today.
It's a lot cooler, it's a pity that the Northern lights didn't appear over Charlton Southeast London but parts of Cornwall and the Channel Islands got to see them.
There's plenty of bird activity outside of my bedroom window and the Parakeets are back they must have a nest close by.
Back to sleep.