What's on the workbench!

[NARSES2]

The WWI part is my favourite part of the museum

[McColm]

Having been to RAF Hendon and stood underneath the weapons bay of the mighty Vulcan bomber an idea came to mind. Why not build an AEW version. As the bomb bay is cylindrical the theory to use the 1/72 Cammett resin BAe Nimrod AEW 3 conversion kit. Two rear radom cones would fit either end of the fuselage. The cockpit would be chopped off the Airfix kit. The glazing fits (tried and tested on a previous kitbash). The vertical tail fin kept and reshaped to fit the rear cone.
  I've found a donor kit on eBay- spares and repairs. I'll have to get the landing from an aftermarket supplier.
Windows could be added to the fuselage and an experimental hemp paint scheme.

This frees up the Matchbox Victor, using parts from the vacform kit to create a deeper weapons bay. Either ASW or transport version.

[McColm]

Hi Guys,
I keep getting " Certificate not valid " when I try to access the Airfix page. Not too sure whether it's just my mobile phone provider but I will visit my local Internet café to make sure.
I know that there is the HP Victor to be released next year.

November is a bit manic at work. Got to finish some of the started builds or kitbash the 'Spares and Repairs*.Hopefully the first week of December is booked as a
leave, but I can sense this will be cut short.

[McColm]

Both builds have undergone updates.
  The Mad Hatter is based on the 1/72 HS/BAe Nimrod MR.1/MR.2P. It also has the inflight refueling pods from the Matchbox HP Victor K2.
The vertical tail has been cut down and the twin fins from a Fujimi Grumman E-2A Hawkeye added as two large tail stabilizers. The spin top stand and roto-dome to be added. The undercarriage legs will be added after painting along with their doors.

Proteus has had it's main engines replaced with two resin Pratt & Whitney PT-6A turboprop engines from the Heritage Aviation Models ' Turbo-Dak'. The exhaust pipes will be added and different propellers. The resin radar dome from the AeroClub Shackleton AEW.2 has had liquid weight glued inside and glued in place. Just needs tidying up. Definitely some sort of ELINT aircraft with two under fuselage radar domes with a third at the rear. Retains the twin boom - twin fin with a double- mamba engine in the nose, contra-rotating propellers. Rear wheel landing gear. Found a suitable ladder for crew access and with some scrap plastic design a hatch.

Two down eight to complete.

[McColm]

There are pics on my Facebook and Flickr pages, but I'll be adding a few more now that I've sorted out the landing gear. I used the Fujimi Grumman E-2A Hawkeye 1/72 model kit.
The moulding seems thicker than the Heller kit. Also looks squared at the moment as I haven't put the wheels on.
I'll use the propellers as a guide as they have grooves in them for painting. Just need to sort out the cockpit..

[McColm]

The Airfix 1/72 Shorts Stirling can still be bought for less than a twenty pound note. With a few after market kits can be turned into a decent model.
I've got the resin MkV conversion in the stash along with parts left over. from the AeroClub Shackleton AEW, which makes sense to build an AEW Stirling.
Perhaps the metal Shackleton landing gear could be fitted to lower the height. Four Griffon engines.

[McColm]

The Mil-26 Halo is a large kit in 1/72 scale which got me thinking what if it had a similar cockpit layout as the Mil-24E Hind?
It would make a rather large gunship. Could also have missile racks and possible wings left over from the Mil-10.

Got one in the stash and looking for a second for the kitbash.

[McColm]

Gone back to the original plan of building an AEW version of the HP Victor. Using a Matchbox kit with the rear resin radome. It's a good fit, glued up the fuselage. Minimum of filler around the the under fairing where the hose & drogue reel would have been fitted..
Will leave the cockpit alone as the forward radome doesn't fit too well.
Will strengthen the wing joints.

[Captain Canada]

The Victor sounds promising

[McColm]

I don't have anything ready for the Islington Show in December but I hope to finish all my started builds early next year as I still have 18 days leave to take before March 2016.
With the arrival of some acrylic paints from Vallejo plus the some days booked as holiday I can eventually complete a few.
Now I can practice putting up pictures on this site.

[Captain Canada]

Sounds like a plan

[McColm]

My leave in December has been cancelled, the good thing is I'll have 23 days to take before April 2016.

The second " spares & repairs " 1/72 Airfix HS/BAe Nimrod arrived yesterday. This has been shorten by me forward of the wing and the cockpit glued back in place. I removed the ECM pod on top of the vertical tail, the ESM pods on the wingtips and the forward section of the fuel tank. The searchlight fell off.
  The fuel tank has been added to the other *spares & repairs " Airfix HS/BAe Nimrod tanker & AEW. The fuselage has been lengthened.
Both models will need the undercarriage fitted although I'm thinking of turning the smaller of the two into a civilian airliner and fit it to a stand. Sprayed gloss white. Queen's Flight colours or unofficial Harry Potter transfers.

The two tone grey paint scheme of 51 Squadron RAF Waddington , UK 2007 would work well on the HP Victor AEW3. Either the Nimrod or C-130 inflight refueling probe added and underwing stores.

[McColm]

The story so far,
With the lengthened fuselage which was almost a perfect fit on one side. Filler/putty used to plug the gaps, sanding until a smooth finish.
Under wing hose & drogue pods are from the Matchbox Victor K2, tail hose & drogue is from the Airfix Valiant accessories kit.
Vertical tail is from the resin Nimrod AEW 3 conversion set.
Exhaust pipes have round 2-D swivel taken from the Airfix Sea Harrier kit.
Detailing over the fuselage doors and under the fuselage.
As most of the aerials are missing I shall have to source through the spares box. Cooling and heat exchanges will be scratched built.

As to the civilian Nimrod, the paint is water based so this can easily be cut back. Working on the vertical tail to make it "Comet like".

No work on the Victor AEW 3.
Reduced the undercarriage on the Lockheed Proteus by changing with the metal legs in the AeroClub Avro Shackleton MR2/AEW conversion. The resin wheels certainty look the part just need to add the rear wheels. Will also add the radar cooling system.

[McColm]

Raiding my spares bin, I've been able to come up with a pair of Super Freighter doors to be fitted at the rear of the fuselage before the vertical tail fin. The wings, twin boom and twin tails are from a C-119 Flying Boxcar.
This project won't be started until the new year.

[McColm]

The Sea Moose and Proteus have had their first coats of paint. I didn't use any primer this time.
For the Sea Moose Humbrol Matt 28.
For Proteus Revell RLM 65 blue mixed with Humbrol Matt 64.
Of the two, Proteus looks the better. The skyblue has that eggshell finish, just needs the dark sea grey to finish.
Although the Royal Navy painted the radomes the same colour as the fuselage, I thought as the prototype that they should be painted Matt black . I'll need to use a little filler/puty in a few places.

As for the Sea Moose the Ghost Grey looks weathered in places, may need rubbing down and another coat applied.
In some photos the Grumman E-1B has black or white on the radome. I'm thinking of black as the white will just be lost.