What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

If I can get hold of a pink panther figure, I don't have to change the steering wheel to the correct side.

[McColm]

According to The Air Staff and AEW, a study of using the Breguet Atlantique as a basis for an AEW was considered back in May 1971.
One drawing showed the Atlantiqe fitted with FASS antenna powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Spey 512 turbofans.
Whilst the other is fitted with the AN/APS 120 (E-2 Hawkeye rotodome) and retained the Rolls-Royce Tyne engines.
I have tried the second option but when I tried fitting the rotodome stand I couldn't get it to stay in place. So I opted for the vertical tail fin instead.
I know that the Cammett resin BAe Nimrod AEW3 fore and aft radomes fit the Br1150 Revell Atlantic as I used them in my Mystic build. Instead of the Spey engines I was thinking of using the engines from the Revell Airbus A4000M Grizzly/Atlas kit.
I always thought that the Atlantiqe should have been fitted with four engines instead of two, the European equivalent to the Lockheed P-3 Orion.
I did have a go at trying to fit the resin Cammett Nimrod AEW3 parts to the Hasegawa Lockheed P-3 Orion. This didn't work but if another Cammett set was bought the two aft radomes would fit. It's a good job that there is the minimum of details in the cockpit..
With the Mach2 Sud Caravelle, I just might be able to fit this.

[McColm]

The photos look great and the feedback is encouraging, so I might get a few finished this year.
I still have a box full of the other started builds, so some of those will also get finished.
Inbetween I hope to start a few car builds. I'm not too sure what happened to the Triumph Lynx that I was building, I have the Triumph TR7 which is almost finished, just needs a new paint job.
With the 20th anniversary of the Philosophers' Stone, something on the Harry Potter theme. The Batmobile could be converted into something dragon like with snake hub caps or dragon wings attached to the sides sort of a modern Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

[McColm]

Been reading the reviews of the 1/72 Mach2 Super Frelon on line, seems as if there's a lot of work to make a decent model.
So there's scope for a Whiff or an updated version similar to the Chinese AEW.
I think that I have enough parts in the spares boxes. I'll check my decal sheets as well.

[NARSES2]

Been reading the reviews of the 1/72 Mach2 Super Frelon on line, seems as if there's a lot of work to make a decent model.

It's Mach2, those two phrases tend to follow one another automatically. 

[McColm]

Handley Page drew up many designs for a civil airliner using the wings from the H.P. Victor bomber, none made it past the drawing board.
So I have used the Revell 1/144 Boeing 747 from the Space Shuttle kit and added the wings from a 1/97 H.P. Victor. The model was already built but was missing the T-tail and landing gear.
The wings fit without any problems, but gluing up the Revell 747 has issues. It doesn't line up, so it's a question of gluing stage by stage.
I will be adding extra windows and using the landing gear provided by the kit.
I might have a look at the S+M Models accessories or aftermarket kits in 1/144.
As I haven't decided on a tanker, transport or AEW &C.

[McColm]

I wish that Revell would mirror all the Mach2 kits so there's a plastic alternative.
Some such as the Atlantic is already in plastic although there is a big difference in size between the two.
There are some vacform kits, but these are becoming rare.
Well that's my rant over with.
Got the last two weeks of July booked as holiday so I will be spending one week trying to finish off my current builds.
Going down to Falmouth in Cornwall, there's no model shops in Falmouth since the one in the high street closed down about five years ago. The nearest is Truro. It's either a bus ride or take the ferry.
I'll be visiting Hogwarts on my birthday and going into the forbidden forest. It's about time that Horny did an anniversary train set. They could even use the Hall Class loco and the booking hall from the current stock.
That reminds me I must get around to building my 00 gauge tribute layout.

[McColm]

I collected two more kits off a mate at work;
1/72 Airfix  A03019 D.H. Mosquito Mk II/VI/XVIII. He wants the Mk.II 23 Sqn RAF.
&
1/48 Airfix A05120 Messerschmitt Bf109E-1/E-3/E-4.
He has favored the Bf109E-4/N colour scheme
I have an idea how to get the effect on the sides of the fuselage without using an airbrush. Kitchen towel dabbed all over.

[TheChronicOne]

Kitchen towel...  that's flippin' brilliant!  Probably slightly or moderately worn would be better in some cases than new I'd surmise. Now I want to raid the "crappy rags" drawer. 

[McColm]

I used that method before on plastic card to get the stone effect, when used on buildings for my 00 gauge train layout, but that was ages ago.

[McColm]

Just had an idea; the Avro Shackodyne.
A vertical take off and landing version of the Avro Shackleton with the stack and tail fins from the Fairey Rotodyne.
You could use the windows along the fuselage, they would come in handy for my civil airliner idea.
The Revell kit might be a better donor.
  Having watched a couple of videos on YouTube about Railcars and  panama end carriages. I've got a few ideas that I could build in 00 gauge.

[McColm]

I think another trip to RAF Hendon is due paying attention to the Bristol Belverdere.
I'll have to scratch build the interior with the cargo door in the open position, I might have one of Freightdog AEW deflated bins. Probably get the Avro Shackleton photo-etched set for the Airfix kit.
Which reminds me I must finish the Heliplane and Fokker Rotodyne.
Got the urge to buy a clockwork 00gauge train set, something that just fits under the bed. I'll replace the loco she'll with something from the Airfix range or a second hand wreck.

[McColm]

Commission build part1
1/72 Airfix D.H. Mosquito NF Mk II.
The kit comes with options for the bomber or night fighter in grey moulded parts. There's a lot of cleaning up to do due to the heavy mould lines. One thing that I don't get is that the two crew hid all the detailing when seated.
Which is why I painted the inside of the fuselage halves aircraft green and smudged the raised dails with black mat paint. Next came the seats and the crew. The control column was glued afterwards.
The wings fit into groves along the fuselage. This was Superglued in place.

[McColm]

In order to build the 1/72 Boeing B-52 flying boat parts from the Mighty Thor will be used.
The B-52 will get a pair of wings from the Airfix Avro Vulcan. The engines were going to be from the Anigrand Martin SeaMaster but the engines from the X/YB-35 flying wing seem to be a better fit when attached to the upper wings.
The Hasegawa PS-1/ SS-2 flying boat's hull fits neatly into the lower fuselage of the B-52. I'll utilize the landing gear.

[McColm]

So the 1/72 Mach2 Sud Caravelle isn't compatible with the Airfix HS/BAe Nimrod, but when kitbashed they do.
I have chopped off the pannier from the Nimrod and glued the cockpit and tail section to the Caravelle. The wings and engines are from a1/144 Revell Boeing 747-100 series. Engines mounted on top of the wings. Just have to remove the ECM antenna.