What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

1)  Martin Mariner Mach2- the engine nacelles have been replaced by two TF-33s and the rear exhaust pipes are from a B-47. The radome is from the AMT EC-135N part so are the two engines.

2) Anigrand Martin SeaMaster AEW.
Filler applied to the nose cone and gaps between the fuselage and Vulcan wing.

3) Mach2 Martin SeaMaster. Fuselage, cockpit and wings as per kit instructions. Engines sourced from an old AMT EC-135N glued but not fitted to fuselage.

4) Breguet Br1250A jet powered flying boat. Hull from a Hasegawa Martin Marlin,fuselage is from the Revell Dassault Breguet Br1150 Atlantic, wings and main landing gear are from the Airfix Vickers Valiant, rotodome is from a1/72 Grumman E-2 Hawkeye sitting on top of the vertical tail of the Atlantic.Filler applied to the gaps.

Update part A1
Boston all purpose clear glue works on plastic.
I swapped over the engines from the heliplane and Mach2 SeaMaster. Cut the pylons to match the contours of the SeaMaster on the upper fuselage wingbox section and glued them in place. The SeaMaster is beginning to look like the Beriev A40..

[McColm]

Started life as a 1/72 Heller Boeing E-3A Sentry. Has the drooping nose and conformal side cheeks associated with the IAI Condor flown in the real world by Chile and Israel in the ESM/ELINT/AEW &C roles.There's are based on the Boeing 707-320C models and doesn't have 360 degree coverage but 260 instead.
However this is were my build differs from the norm. By removing the vertical tail and forming a V/ butterfly tail . Using the over wing engines from the Anigrand Martin SeaMaster and ESM wingtip pods from the Airfix BAe Nimrod MR2P.
I've used the fuselage tail to create a rear radome thus giving the impression of the Fore and Aft layout as used on the Nimrod AEW.3.
This could be a multi-purpose aircraft proving battlefield intelligence as well as  a AEW platform or an alternative to the E-3 Sentry..
Just needs a little filler and a suitable paint job.

[McColm]

Got a few days off and I am slowly getting around to finish some of the started builds. They might have changed a little since you last saw them but nothing too radical. I know that it's really frustrating without pictures. I should be stocked up with snacks and drinks to keep me going for a few hours a day.
The Rat -Rod taxi has had its first cut and will look similar to the 1937 Ford Coupe Street Rod. The taxi cab has lost the middle windows, which makes a large boot /trunk. Could be turned into a Ute with a double cab!

[McColm]

Found the Heritage Aviation resin and white metal set HACK 72001 BAC TSR 2 on eBay.Two sets were advertised one complete and the other without the cockpit section which I bought;
resin wing
resin rear fuselage
resin tail parts
vacform canopy
metal landing gear and jet air intakes
etch detailing set
I have both Revell 1/72 Tornado GR1 and F3 in the stash .
First thought is to use the F3 with the TSR 2 wing. There's a good fit with the minimum amount of work to trim the upper fuselage. Although a gap does appear where the VG wing mechanism would have been.
I haven't started this yet as I've been painting the underside of the AW Argos gunship and the Lockheed Wraith.
I also received the Red Star volume 17 "Early Soviet Jet Bombers 1940-1950".
It's got lots of designs for me to experiment with the Mach2  North American B-45 Tornado. With the IL-22 looking like a B-29 with four turbojet engines. The tail is slightly different in the layout and the main landing gear is attached to the fuselage. This too will have to wait.
Got to decide on a paint scheme for the Avro Shackateer before adding the to radome support legs to the twin boom-twin tail.
The larger builds will get a spray can finish.
Posted a pic of the HS Condor AEW.1 on Captain Canada's Facebook page, seems to of got a few admirers.

[TheChronicOne]

Sounds like you have all kinds of awesome stuff going on!   

[McColm]

Sounds like you have all kinds of awesome stuff going on!   

Thanks, getting the started builds to the paint stage is my main priority. So far I've been using a paint brush and you don't need a primer on resin parts. On some builds I've painted over the filler without using the fine wet & dry paper, adds a bit of character!

[TheChronicOne]

Sounds like you have all kinds of awesome stuff going on!   

Thanks, getting the started builds to the paint stage is my main priority. So far I've been using a paint brush and you don't need a primer on resin parts. On some builds I've painted over the filler without using the fine wet & dry paper, adds a bit of character!

Hey, that's cool!  Truth be told, I've seen pictures of actual craft that have that type of thing going on anyway where mechanics or whomever would seal up stuff or do repairs, etc....

I'm doing a build right now where I'm doing a fair bit of sanding, but , I'm not going to take it all the way. There's still going to be a bit of "stuff" apparent after paint goes down and I'm completely OK with that... I don't mind because in this instance, as you said, it adds character.

Anyway,.....   Looking forward to more from your projects.  Shackateer seems especially insteresting to me..   

[McColm]

I came across one of the Falcon Triple Conversion vacform 1/72;
Front half two seater F-100 & canopy
Front and wing section of RF-8
Fuselage of TA-7C and canopy, & seats.
I choose the TA-7C and added the Freightdog FDR72094 BAC Lightning VG project conversion set. The vacform fuselage doesn't quite line up and the canopy is lacking the front piece, a raid in my spares box might come up with something suitable as well as an engine jet pie, landing gear.

[McColm]

The 1/72 Anigrand Martin SeaMaster has changed it's appearance, although the hull is still visible the Airfix Avro Vulcan wing  sits like a saddle across the fuselage, the fore and aft resin nose and rear cones from the Cammett BAe Nimrod AEW.3 fit ( cut down to size on a few builds before this one), and the V-tail made from the Anigrand and Mach2 kits. It's a heavy build, I' ve blacked out the windows on the cockpit canopy which is glued in place at the front.
Just needs some filler to blend in the new pieces.

[TheChronicOne]

That's going to be sweet...     

[McColm]

Thanks for the encouragement, 
Steven

[McColm]

Yes folks,
I was at a lose end this afternoon and started on the Italeri 1/72 AC-119K Gunship. Knowing that I had the fuselage halves from a previous build, I started preparing the Airfix Bristol Superfreighter to become a twin-boom twin fin gunship.
The box section, twin booms and tail have been glued up. The machine guns cut to size but not yet fitted.. strips of plastic card will be glued inside the fuselage to fill the gaps and windows not needed.

[McColm]

I've had this set for quite some time, but
reading through the reviews it has a reputation of being a pain in the bum. Yes there are gap issues, but surprisingly the fuselage halves and the wings do line up.There are blemishes on the fuselage and wings both upper & lower that can be sanded off.
I haven't decided on which version to build owning to the shape of the nose. I've found a few parts from the Italeri B-57G Night Hawk and changed the two seater cockpit well over.
I'm going to dry fit various nose cones from my spares box, possible parts from the Grumman Prowler or even an AEW platform.
Looks like a long build ahead. I can see daylight through the gaps between the wings and the fuselage.

[McColm]

Updates and changes to the builds
A) The Sky Guardian has now got the tail from the Airfix Valiant kit and the AN/APS.120 radar as used by the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye but has the stand legs from the Heller Boeing E-3A to support the rotodome. It has still got the flying boom, but this has the drogue attachment. Metal main landing gear, nose leg damaged. Rustic white and grey paint scheme.

B)  Lockheed Wraith, looks great in the Matt black paint scheme. Add 7 bladed propellers and wheel well doors.

C) AW Argos Gunship, been touching up USAF South Asia camouflage paint scheme.

D) Avro Shackateer, grey paint with black on upper nose. Given the Grumman E-1B radome the stand from the Hawkeye. Still filling in gaps.

E)  Grumman Albatross also painted grey, just touching up and adding details.

F) Lockheed Heliplane not quite barley grey, although looks different shades of grey at different angles.

G)  Martin SP-5T Marina jet powered flying boat. Gained the two sponsors from the Italeri MH-53E Sea Dragon .On going project.

H) Bristol type 170 twin-fin twin-boom turboprop gunship. Once again I have used the Italeri AC-119K parts on the Airfix Bristol Superfreighter.

I) Something slightly different. Using an old Airfix Fokker Friendship, with parts from the spares box it is copying the Rotodyne layout.

J) Using parts from the RVHP Grumman C-2 Greyhound resin conversion set, along with parts from the Fujimi Grumman E-2A Hawkeye to produce the EC-2A Greyhound AEW & C.

K) Mach2 RB-57F, most of the gaps have been filled in. Sporting an EF-111A style tail fin. A slow process.

L) the Condor and ex-SeaMasters no work carried out.

[McColm]

As you know I'm easily distracted, I should be finishing builds before starting new ones and yet I've started three new builds.
The first is based on the Grumman Greyhound C-2. Which uses a secondhand RVHP resin fuselage; loading ramp and tail. I think that I have lost the glazed canopy, so I used the cockpit section from a Hawkeye E-2 along with the wings and engines. The landing gear comes from an A-10 as this has been used on the Rotodyne build. Which is next.
The second build is an old F-27 Friendship painted in Air Lingus colours. The wings have been chopped and the tail cut off. Parts from both kits of the Fairey Rotodyne have been kitbashed with two engines from a C-130, landing legs are from a E-2 Hawkeye and the tail  fins from the A-10.
The third build has parts from the Mach2 Valiant mixed with the wings from the Anigrand Martin SeaMaster. As the fuselage looks to me seaplane-ish. To cover the gap in ill-fitting fuselage the RVHP Lockheed WV-2 Warning Star rotodome and stand  is glued in place. (The rotodome isn't). I've still got the beaching gear from the Mach2 SeaMaster. The Valiant landing gear has been used on the Avro Sentinel ( Anigrand Martin SeaMaster with Avro Vulcan wings, V -tail and FASS radomes.)
Everything else is slowly coming together, including the Mach2 EB-57K AEW. Just have to see if I can make the fuselage deeper!