What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

Thursday 12th May 2022

Milliput is great when the consistency works. The 1/72 Shorts Stirling AEW.7 with the wings,landing gear and engines from the Frog Avro Shackleton. The inner engines will get the Rolls-Royce Nene conversion set treatment whilst the two outer ones retain the Griffins .The Lancaster nose and a scratch built tail cone. I'm tempted to use a can of silver paint for the finished article and a bit of weathering.
The  Convair EB-61 Peacehaven AEW, continues to take shape. If there's a next time I now know what engines to use for the B-36C, maybe in 1/144 scale.
It's now got four for turning  and four for burning!
The BAe Black Crow has rearwheel steering landing gear as the nose wheel landing gear broke off.

[McColm]

Friday 13th May 2022

The fleet update.

Bottom right; started life as the Shorts Stirling. Has had a few changes but the Frog Avro Shackleton MR.3 parts, Airfix Superfreighter vertical tail fin and Grumman E-1 radome seems to fit rather well.
Bottom left; BAe Black Crow. Six Rolls-Royce Griffins and a pair of turbo jets.The underbelly radome has been removed. PSR is needed.
Top left; the air-cushion-landing-system AEW Argosy. Just haven't got around to finishing this build.
Top right; the Avro-Grumman AP-5 Charlton. I just keep adding bits to it. Needs a new paint scheme.

[McColm]

Saturday 14th May 2022

I have been working on the 1/72 Arrows.

The Avro Golden Arrow now has a pair of canarda,PSR to follow and landing gear to be added.
The Tonka Delta, landing gear, canopy and painting.
The F-111B tandem layout, a bit more PSR needed.

So I have used up another pack of Milliput on my ongoing builds, all queuing up for a paint job. I may have to get some racking in to build some shelves and form the base off my 00 gauge train set layout.

[McColm]

Sunday 15th May 2022
I spent most of the day in bed, I just felt so tired. I did a little bit of PSR on the YF-23B, which is really taking shape. Unlike the tandem seater F-111B which isn't quite symmetric in the cockpit area.
The canards keep falling off the Avro Golden Arrow, I might leave them off and put them elsewhere. I'll need to rewrite the backstories as I have made a lot of changes
This time last year I was still on oxygen in the ICU of Catherine Brown ward, King's College Hospital. I do have the urge to return, so they can see my progress and catch up with the team that looked after me. That will probably be in June.

[Pellson]

This time last year I was still on oxygen in the ICU of Catherine Brown ward, King's College Hospital. I do have the urge to return, so they can see my progress and catch up with the team that looked after me.

Interesting. I drive miles around the hospital if I'm in the vicinity. I know I'm likely to have to go back sooner or later, but I'll be damned if I go there a minute earlier than I absolutely have to.

I like your fleet but love the fact that you're feeling so much better than last year. Take care, Stephen.

[McColm]

This time last year I was still on oxygen in the ICU of Catherine Brown ward, King's College Hospital. I do have the urge to return, so they can see my progress and catch up with the team that looked after me.

Interesting. I drive miles around the hospital if I'm in the vicinity. I know I'm likely to have to go back sooner or later, but I'll be damned if I go there a minute earlier than I absolutely have to.

I like your fleet but love the fact that you're feeling so much better than last year. Take care, Stephen.

I had a great team of doctors and nurses, the matron was a real stunner,she gave me my first shave after I came off oxygen (a tube stuck up my nose to help me breathe).I  went back a few times last June/July to give blood and have my eyes tested. Got a free pair of reading glasses. Still can't make a decent cup of tea but their hot chocolate is really good.
Thanks for your kind words, I still have a long way to go until I am fully recovered. 

[McColm]

Wednesday 18th May 2022

I have successfully managed to fill in the Emergency Support Scheme without any rejections,  my doctor filled in one back in February on my behalf but the 'we will get back to you in 14 days time with a decision ' has lasped and the 'leave it with me and I will chase it up ' is wearing a bit thin.
I have a referral to the Weight Management course ' which starts in August.
Good news my doctor says that I can travel by train or coach but I must be able to stretch my legs from time to time.
I have run out of putty/filler, so it's sanding sessions with plenty of tea/coffee breaks until I run out of papers. I should be able to start painting soon.

[McColm]

Tuesday 24th May 2022

More rummaging in the stash has turned up the glazed parts for the Airfix HP Victor BS kit, the cockpit that I have on the Victor AEW.4 has been fitted to the Martin Majestic MR.2P flying boat. I have repositioned the retractable M.A.D. boom in the rear T-tail.
Spare parts from various 1/72 Harrier kits will be used on the Mig-29 V/STOL build. I have found the Matchbox Tornado F.3 landing gear which will complete the Tonka-Delta and I will use the Su-47 landing gear on the Avro Golden Arrow.
I haven't found any parts of the Jaguar XJS, so either a future purchase of a complete model at a later date or if I can get hold of any spares.

[McColm]

Wednesday 25th May 2022

I slept in for most of the day, I felt exhausted although I hadn't done a great deal on Tuesday. I managed to watch the Seaside Garage on YouTube. It's a Danish guy who restores cars. The debate that I was having with another viewer was the Leyland Princess 1800D, the limited run of 50 cars back in 1977 mainly for the private-hire-taxi-market. He/she didn't believe me when I said that there was a diesel engined Princess available as well as the 1800 and 2200 petrol engines. Good for Aroline.co.uk for clearing this up.
Another 'I can't believe it's not in plastic ' is the Ford Cortina. The Mark IV coupe in particular as there's a concept of a Sports Coupe which never made it into production.
Another rummage and the 1/24 Ford / Mercury Capri. I think that I have enough parts to build two examples. One will be the Mark I using the resin bodyshell and Matchbox parts the other well I did find a modern Ford Mustang. So old mixed with the new.
These will have to wait a while whilst I clear so space as the workbench is a bit cluttered at the moment.
Yes the Ford Cortina is in plastic and resin kits, yippee!

[PR19_Kit]

Who does that resin Cortina please? And do they do an Estate version too?

[zenrat]

Wish I had a grey Cortina
Whiplash aerial, racing trim
Cortina owner, no one meaner
Wish that I could be like him

Twin exhaust and rusty bumper
Chewing gum at traffic light
Stop at red but leave on amber
Grey Cortina outa sight

Furlined seats and lettered windscreen
Elbow on the windowsill
Eight track blazing Brucie Springsteen
Bomber jacket, dressed to kill

Never cop a parking ticket
Never seem to show its age
Speed police too slow to nick it
Grey Cortina got it made

Wish I had a grey Cortina
Whiplash aerial, racing trim
Cortina owner, no one meaner
Wish that I could be like him

Tom Robinson Band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n77yEvuFDsg

[McColm]

Who does that resin Cortina please? And do they do an Estate version too?

Hi PR19_ Kit, I came across this list on the Internet.


There's Pendle Slot Racing  who does the 1/32 scale resin kit priced at £25.
pendleslotracing.co.uk
Which looks like this.



I didn't see any resin estate versions.

[McColm]

Wish I had a grey Cortina
Whiplash aerial, racing trim
Cortina owner, no one meaner
Wish that I could be like him

Twin exhaust and rusty bumper
Chewing gum at traffic light
Stop at red but leave on amber
Grey Cortina outa sight

Furlined seats and lettered windscreen
Elbow on the windowsill
Eight track blazing Brucie Springsteen
Bomber jacket, dressed to kill

Never cop a parking ticket
Never seem to show its age
Speed police too slow to nick it
Grey Cortina got it made

Wish I had a grey Cortina
Whiplash aerial, racing trim
Cortina owner, no one meaner
Wish that I could be like him

Tom Robinson Band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n77yEvuFDsg

Nice 

[McColm]

Monday 30th May 2022

The weekend seems like a blur, I know now why I don't eat spicy food. Plenty of ginger tea eventually rectified the situation of my stomach. So no whiffing.
If the 30 inch wingspan of the 1/72 Me-321b is big then the Revell/Monogram Convair RB-36H is bigger and so too is the B-52, plus B-2 stealth bomber.
I'm hoping that my plan to kitbash the Airfix Rockwell B-1B Lancer with what's left of the Airfix BAC Concorde. So it's a case of chopping all the upper infrastructure of the B-1B and sliding the fuselage of the Concorde on top. Not quite the Boeing SST but something along those lines as for the rest of the wings and engines, I have parts from a B-52G that makes up the fuselage and the leftovers from the Lancer.  Then there's the Revell ATB kit.
Plus the cars and boats, so no new kits until next year.
I hope that everyone enjoys the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations this week, if it's anything like the Golden Jubilee which unless you are very young or a Royalist you're not going to miss out on much and you can always watch the highlights. Great if you are a tourist.
I still remember the Silver Jubilee,  my mum has kept the mug and coins that were issued at school. I can remember the street party and the planes flying overhead.
Epilogue.
One thing is for sure, I have my sense of humour back. Whilst it may appear dry or dark to my fellow whiffers it is not meant to offend.My facts may have been misinterpreted, this being a side effect of having a pulmonary embolism which is still in my left leg below the knee. Another is crying without any reason or having a panic attack.
I have been following an online program with a Physiatrist into sleeping disorders but I have yet to have a Physiatrist take a look at what's going on inside my head as a result of spending four days in an induced coma. Although the census of their professional opinion is that I have been through a traumatic experience.
I'm still not 100%, although I have made a great improvement since leaving hospital in June 2021. Without your support and good wishes I feel humbled and blessed.

[McColm]

Saturday 4th June 2022

I'm off out to a free food bank in Welling Kent, before this two parcels arrived. One has a pack of flyscreens to which I have fixed two windows; one in my bedroom and the other in the kitchen.
The other parcel contained the R777 Hornby Junior Clockwork Train Set, playworn with parts missing. I now have a complete circuit of track 31 x 31 inches or 79 x 79 cms .Three wagons and now three  0-4-0 clockwork locomotives. Two of them will be getting new bodies and the level crossing will get a makeover. Fish plates /track connectors  Iextra track (better track!) I still need a table as a base  but that will have to wait until July as I might be getting some shelves/racking.