The Wooksta! - The Plan, a Spitfire Blog

[The Wooksta!]

"There's no pattern to it at all. It's nonsense!"

Well, the first stage of spraying is over.  All the single colour stuff is done and everything in multiple colours has the first colour on and ready for masking.  How I enjoy that... I don't think.  There's one still to have it's canopy sorted out before I spray it, a PR aircraft that's going either PRU Pink or Blue, still haven't decided that but I do want to get it done

As ever, plans are still fluid and some colours have changed - Dark Earth instead of Ocean Grey, Dark Sea Grey instead of Ocean.  In some cases it's due to the darker colour to hide flaws, others because I simply made a mistake.  As with previous years, ones that were not in the plan have been inserted, but at least this time they're already assembled and in some cases painted.  One just needs decalling, another needed a colour overpainted as it was the result of an experiment that didn't pan out.  All the other colours on so I simply brush painted it to save time.  Another was a bought in salvage job I had an idea for but then dropped to ease things.  However, it caught my eye when spraying earlier and as the ase colour was close to what I was spraying, I decided to give it a new coat.  I'll need to find a new u/c for it but I've a spare prop and it's a simple two colour scheme.  Speed is of the essence now. Finally, there's a couple that aren't in The Plan but are being built in parallel - they can be axed if need be and I won't feel guilty.

It's usually about now that I start thinking up new ideas, probably to think of something other than the monotony of spraying and masking.  There's plenty of them but largely for hacks and second line aircraft.  I really need to start writing them down as I'm just itching to start - construction is always my favourite part - so I've considered a fresh 2015 copy of The Plan, although I may get another one or two done post Telford, in amongst finishing off all the abandoned builds, of which there are a considerable number!

As for time... I seem to be on lates at work at the moment and partly at my own request (I *loathe* getting up early), so less time for spraying as I don't like running it too late at night, but it does mean that some of the smaller jobs can be done and I should be able to get a fair bit of the masking out of the way this week and possibly get further ahead with the spraying.  It's a more ambitious plan than last year but I'm sure I'll get the core of it that I want finished.

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[The Wooksta!]

"But that's not the plan anymore is it, Avon?"

Telford's been and gone and despite so many promises, I was working away to the last minute again, although only two main boxes and a shoebox went down.  Got the core done but several that I did want finished didn't make it.  Quite a few of those have been finished since but the rest are still to be piked up again.  However, being on lates at work has meant that I haven't had the energy to do it.

The spending spree on Plan items at Telford went well, although certain Czech traders were conspicuous by their absence and although I bought a lot, there was nothing really special.  Apart from an Airmodel reboxing of a CMR Spiteful which I suspect is the basis of the Pegasus original tooling.  There's certainly a tie up of the two somewhere, although the Czechs did copy a few Pegasus kits.  I'm still trying to figure this one out.  I did buy a few Luftwaffe items which may well fit into The Plan at some stage, these being a Ta 152H and an Fw190D-11.  I'll need them in RAF camo for an article planned around several unfinished PR19s, although the D-11 isn't essential.

Displaywise, a little muted but more thought out than last year, if that makes any sense, and everything was 100% new.  I did finish several of the holdovers from previous years and they made it in their regenerated forms. Some models escaped the Tyneside stand and invaded the What If? SIG table - a Swift, an extended wing PR19 (Kit liked that one especially) and an early mk I that had a lot of people asking what was whif about it.  Extremely subtle it was too, but I'm not saying much else until I have the article written.

So, where do I go from here?  Well, having had some ideas based around certain squadrons, I'd like to take that to their logical conclusions before going anywhere else.  One I'm tempted with is a 607 Sqn F22 in overall High Speed silver with the markings they had on their Vampires.  Plus possibly another F22 in the High Altidue Day Fighter scheme, although this time with slipper tanks (possibly the Firefly ones I use on the Spiteful) and maybe a contraprop.  There's definitely a contraprop 22 to do at some stage.  Plus I have to finish a Tempest II in desert camo.  Yep, you heard that right.  Although I'll have to find it first...

Two PR19s were actually started at Telford, the reason for the latter is that I'd forgotten to attach the wheels retracted option into the wings of the former.  D'oh!  The second will eventually be a Rhodesian one in the spurious camo worn by an F22 that was used as a gate guardian.  T'other will be a second SAAF bird but in a similar camo to that worn by their mk 16s.  I'm still tempted by a PR19 or two in navy camo proper, plus a Seafire 45 in the three tone scheme.

There is a kit of something decidedly leftfield and unexpected that's now underway which will fit into The Plan, as part of an article under the working title of "Swift Encounter". I'm saying nowt else.

All this being the case, I've started a new version of The Plan using the new ideas as a core.  I've also going to have an "odds and sods" version consisting of everything that's been abandoned, erm, "put on hold" because I'd actually like to know what I've actually got kicking about to finish off.

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[The Wooksta!]

"But it's a fake!"

Did some brief tidying and attempting to put boxes away a few weeks back.  Apart from finding things I'd forgotten I had (The Plan stash is LARGE and even I forget what's in there), I discovered I had a number of ye olde Hasegawa Spitfire mk I.  

Now this has long since been superceded, first by the Airfix 1970s tooling and more recently by Tamiya and Airfix, not to mention AZ.  Really, it's well out of date - rivetty, undercarriage track way out, fuselage an odd shape and no gull wing - but it always was useful for the early mk I bits and the 4 spoke wheels are really nice too.  The cheeky sods are still occasionally banging it out at top dollar hoping to con some gullible idiot into buying it.  Me?  No, because all of mine were bought as part of job lots on ebay.

So, what it's all about?  I got thinking, ye knaa, as ye do, and came up with a rather novel way of getting around it.  I also found another fuselage conversion which I'd chucked away for a rainy day, largely because it also has no gull wing but it's a solid resin one so with a bit of grouting, it may well be possible.  However, I'm not going to bother, because as it is, it'll fit nicely with what I have in mind although whether it'll take the Hasegawa wing is a moot point, so I may just have to try and get the Encore boxing of the Heller mk I (also as old and rivetty as the Hasegawa kit, but not nearly so nice) to get the wing.  Why that one?  Much nicer decals, a Portugese option on it IIRC.

Anyhoo, expect to see one or two of these later in the year.  Pretty sure I have about three of the Hasegawa kits knocking about, possibly 4.  One of which may end up wearing RAF captured markings...

On a totally unrelated note, the Airfix PR19 canopy, with a little work, will fit the Revell mk V fuselage.  I suspect the mk IX canopy will also, again with some judicious pruning.  The former means that I can finish the RAF Benson station flight PR.IV.  Just need to find a spare 4 blade prop and some 6 stack exhausts.

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[The Wooksta!]

"Doctor, can you see the object? What is it?"

Just a test.  Nothing to see here. Move along, these aren't the Spitfires you're looking for.

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[The Wooksta!]

"There has been another extraordinary development in the mystery of Mars Probe 7"

Does my drinking offend you?  What's gannin on?  The Wooksta is back from relegation and thanks to Wor Norman we now have pictures!  Aye, me mate Norman has a Facebook page and said I could hoy some pictures up there to share.

Reet.  Today, we'll answer the mystery of just how BIG the stash is.  









This is just the "Wall of Death".  It doesn't include The Bookcase or the smaller stash on t'other side of the room plus what I'm working on elsewhere.  There's a small stash of Spitfires in me Mam's loft too.  And those photos are pre-Telford, probably last August, so don't include any items bought since then.

More as and when...

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[The Wooksta!]

"More haste, less speed, Mr Cornish!"

Not quite speed, but Swifts nonetheless.

Currently building two - an Airfix and an Xtrakit.  I dislike them both, the former as it's fiddly and the latter because it's crap, largely because the back end looks well bloated.  The Airfix one is highly detailed but the internals are a pain, especially the cockpit tub which didn't fit properly and I had to saw off a mm or two.

The Xtrakit also has fit problems - the wing at the rear is a bit out and as the kit doesn't have a tank, I stole one from the Airfix kit to hide it.  in addition there's some MASSIVE gaps around the wing roots and these are taking a great deal of PSR to eliminate.  I had considered a PR scheme for this, similar to that worn by the Meteor PR10, but given all the sanding and the fact that I just want the thing finished, it's going FRADU and a late scheme similar to that worn by the Hunter GR11s.  Neither does it help that the canopy has been stolen to use on my Magna Swift F7. Thankfully, I procured a replacement vacform one.

I'll probably end up getting another two or maybe three Airfix Swifts, despite saying that I wasn't interested, because I've been getting ideas.  Nowt too far out, other than a ground attack one which is what the current Airfix one will be due to a set of practice bomb carriers and some Matchbox Hunter pylons and SNEB pods.  Probably 20 sqn in the far east.  I still want to do that PR one and there's also the PR6, but that will have to use Colin's F7 conversion for the wingtips and tailplanes.

The Swift was never part of The Plan, but it does bookend it as an Epilogue as such, and I suppose I'd better dig out the Maintrack Supermarine Type 545 to finish the lot off.  Know it's somewhere in me Mam's loft...

I did consider using an Xtrakit Swift to form the basis of the Tay/Avon powered Attacker but looking at the plans, the Novo one is probably a better place to start but utilising the back end of the Testors Swift which I know will fit.  

And then there's the possibility of a Type 510 in RAF or RN markings, and possibly even RAAF...

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[The Wooksta!]

"It's started..."

I've generally kept quiet on this year's Plan because I sort of lost interest for various reasons.  Getting old stuff finished and other types built had a higher priority until sometime in August.

So, trying to get something done and instead of the usual shotgun/blunderbuss approach I've gone for something more targeted and going for some already started themes - 6, 617, 618 Sqns and a few that just take my fancy.  It'll be a small quite subdued display as opposed to previous years but that's because I want them finished a week prior to Telford and not at 4am the day I travel down.  Been there, done that and had far too seriously enough of that by half, okay?  So it's just Spitfires and a pair of Swifts.  Plus a few that need their decals on from last year.  I know Kit will like one of them.

Where are we then?  Are we there yet?
Everything is now at the ready to decal stage.  The bulk of the wheels and exhausts are done (I do need to cast some also) but I've yet to do the props - they're assembled but just need painting, which I'll do one the decalling is done.  I'm hoping that'll be saturday night but expect it to run into Sunday. One of the last few holdovers from Telford 2011 still needs it's markings - an FR14 - but although the paint is one, I'm not going with the initial idea (SEAC) but going with a change of theatre entirely yet keeping the same colours.  Confused?  Good!  

I've other things apart from Spitfires to decal, one of which is this year's big build, an idea which I've mentioned before but assembled it this year and I'd like to keep it a surprise for Telford.  It is BIG but surprisingly, shouldn't take up too much space on the table.  Conversely, it's two stablemates might - IF I get them finished in time.

Anyhoo, back to work...

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[The Wooksta!]

"Nah, pet.  Aah'm just the gadgy wot does the graft.  DENNIS!!!"

Decalling.  God, I'm bored and with the finish line for this stage a little way off.  Most have the bulk of the decals on, some just national markings but the code letters are on.  I'm annoyed, more because I've had plenty of time to get much further but haven't had the drive or focus to just get stuck in.  Discovering the late great Christopher Hitchens and devouring anything featuring him on Youtube hasn't helped.

On reflection, I'm in a better position to complete much of what I want this year than in previous years, largely because I've kept in down.  Okay, a few extras have been co-opted into the programme but they can be discarded as they're none essential.  Getting them a bit further on isn't a bad thing.

Anyhoo, off to bed.  Want to try to get up that bit earlier to really crack on.

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[The Wooksta!]

It's been a year since I posted anything here, largely because whilst I've been building - but sadly not finishing - lots of things, including many Spitfires, I've rarely hard the urge to say anything about it.  In many ways that's a real shame, because those of you who have been following the long and winding road that is both this thread and The Plan have been denied their fix and also because I haven't been jotting down my ideas here.  And I could do with that right now as I start priming the assembled models in all their unpainted hordes and in many cases I cannot for the life of me remember what I was doing with quite a few of them!

I know quite a few of the Heller mk 16s and Airfix mk IXs were going to be a squadron line-up for an Alternate 607 Sqn, a few converted types with new engines or tails, plus there's some variations on a theme for export types but some of the others are complete blanks.  Why did I build them and what was I intending to do?  I know with some of the AZ kits it was to give them a bash and see what the problems were, but now they're assembled, I don't have a use in mind.  Not that it really matters, I'm sure I can come up with something later and if they're primed then they're not to far from the finish line.

Primer wise, I've done about half of the wing, but there's a great deal to do and my shifts aren't making it any easier.  I have tried the Halfords yellow filler primer, which looks to be a good base for RAF Mid Stone - I've yet to do an aircraft in a desert finish that I'm happy with, so this is an experiment in many ways.

I'm still getting ideas, although not just for Spitfires - the resin beer barrels in the Eduard Spitfire IX "Royal Combo" have had me thinking and so much so, I even dug out a Novo Oxford and thoughts are crystalizing around a Seafire, but whether it'll be a III or a 17 is another matter.

What will actually reach Telford is another matter, but I'll plug away and we'll see what happens.  Time is running short.

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[The Wooksta!]

"We're on our own, playing for time - and it's running out!"

A week left.  Actually, not even that.  I have 5 days left, plus perhaps some tinkering time.  The Plan has been pared to the bone as due to circumstances, space is very limited.  Is this stopping me?  Had away and bollards!

The usual vast fleet is all sprayed, some tidy has been performed and decalling is now underway.  I'll go with the method I've adopted over the past few years of putting on the national markings and leaving codes for later.  Five done, with one of those complete.  Decalling must be finished by late afternoon monday to allow for varnishing to be done on the night.

Too much to do.  Props need painting, as do wheels and exhausts.  Worryingly, I have to cast a whole slew for the number of Heller Spits that need replacement wheels - the kit wheels are an odd amalgam of wartime size with postwar hubs.  Thankfully, no vacform canopies to worry about this year though.

And yet again, I add another one into the spray queue, albeit a dead simple overall PRU Blue on a PR19.  I liked the idea of the spears too much and wanted another.  There was plenty of 19s primed, although I cannot remember what most of them were for.  Two I know about, but the other four?

Really not sure of whether to plug away with the whole carousel or cut me losses and concentrate on the quarter, especially the 607 Sqn aircraft as there's some schemes I really like.  But I'm rather fond of the 21 that's on the go even though I noticed something that I should have fixed earlier but didn't.  Can get around it in the backstory but it niggles somewhat, even though the other two that are now stalled can be fixed.

Wish me luck, as I'm really going to need it...

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[The Wooksta!]

"Your time is running out, Blake.  Your time and your luck."

Two days left.  Decals are on the bulk of what I'd like to do but reality has bitten with a vengeance. I've had to make some tough choices and be somewhat ruthless.  A quarter have been cut out of the builds and some that have been decalled partially have been deferred as I wasn't happy with them either. 2 of the 607 Sqn aircraft are examples, but several PR types are cut out, in addition to a pair of Swedish aircraft.

Fate has also stepped in with the discovery of the lack of a set of white codes in the appropriate sizes has meant 3 that I was rather pleased with are now on hold.  They just need the codes, so if they arrive tomorrow - I have two sets on order with different suppliers and they are in the post - then I *might* be able to finish them.  Whether I have the space to take all of those that I finish is another matter.  Depends just how many I can get into the new boxes as I'd bought a slightly large size for the RAAF Shackleton last year (incidentally larger and cheaper - work that out if you can!) and I'm curious to see if they'll take more than the ten or so I can get in the other boxes.  All down to packaging and that's something I was *very* good at.

So, tomorrow is varnishing, some small touch ups here and there, sorting out wheels, props and exhausts.  Not to mention all the canopies for the bubbletops, of which there are a good number.  The props are all assembled - the two contraprop jobs have already been cut from the programme - so it's just out with the paints.

Down to the wire yet again, but as the deadline has been moved forward to wednesday lunchtime, pressure is mounting.  A loooong day beckons...


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[The Wooksta!]

"We never did get to watch the video!"

I never did get round to adding the white codes to the three, although they just arrived in time.  They've been sitting somewhat neglected on the shelf.  Until now.  One has had it's codes applied, albeit in a different style to what I wanted due to not having the squared off codes.  It doesn't look too bad though.  The other two will have to wait a day or two - don't have time tonight for various reasons - but they will be finished this week.  I also got the upper wing roundels onto another that for some reason (probably rushing things) I forgot.  That, along with the FR16 I was talking about earlier, will get varnished tomorrow. I want to clear the decks of a fair bit of unfinished stuff so as to make a decent stab at this year's Plan items, whatever they may be.

Attackers.  Two have now had their coats of Ocean grey applied and await masking to apply the Dark Green.  One will be the prototype in a more prototypical scheme as it were, the other is a what if within a what if history, if that makes any sense.  Well, it does to me, so there.


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[The Wooksta!]

"You can't clean the toilet, Neil. It'll lose all its character!"


I've finally started to do something to find out just what I have in the way of Spitfires. I've spent an hour sorting out some kind of catalogue.  Manufacturer, kit, boxing, you get the picture.  Even with my sometimes encyclopedic memory, I wasn't quite sure how many boxings of a specific kit some manufacturers have done - Fujimi and AZ mainly, but also Ventura.  So despite me slagging it off in the past, I had a quick scan of Scalemates to give me rough idea. 

In the case of the Fujimi and Ventura kits, it was quite helpful and in the case of the latter, I found a boxing of their PR.XI I've never seen, so that's one I'll be looking out for. 

The AZ entry is considerably large as they've reboxed their kits with quite a few decals and schemes, with some AZ boxings being transferred to their KP label with different box art but identical decals.  I know I missed one or two of the AZ ones - the Vb Trop with Neville Duke shooting down some beastly Eyeties over Tunisia, for example - but got the same decals in the KP boxing.  Intellectually, I know it's not that important, but the collector in me screams "Find them you fool!"

The reason for the catalogue is twofold.  One, so I know exactly what I've got and two, with knowing that, I can have a look at some kind of rough pruning.  There's quite a few obsolete kits in the stash that realistically, I'll never use, so once identified, I can either just dump them in a bog box and flog them off as a job lot or strip them for anything useable and then bin what's left.  Or dump it in a box at a show at a bargain price.  Someone will be daft enough to buy it.

I've been thinking about Neville Duke's Spitfire.  May have a go at it but change it for a Vc instead.  Typical of me and my brand of subtle whif modelling...

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[The Wooksta!]

"This calls for a celebration! Vyv, throw another record player on the fire."

Yay!  Finally got the two Spitfires that were awaiting varnishing done.  Both look rather splendid, although the FR16 has got an interim prop until I can give it one with the correct spinner colour of either Black or PRU Blue.  I'll be looking to finish the decalling on a few more Spits over the next week or so - two 607 Sqn jobs need their serials and codes, plus there's a pair of Rhodesian PR19s that need serial codes.  Really would like them finished. 

There's also a couple that just need some final tinkering with canopies and they're done - a desert Vb and a Tr 21.  The latter I definitely want finished, although getting the pair done would be better as I can then shift a largeish box elsewhere.

Not looking to assemble anything else further at the minute - doing a tour on Tempests at present - but finishing a few off does help clear the decks somewhat and help keep my Spitfire itch at bay for a while.  It's not something you can get treatment for, just more Spitfires.



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[The Wooksta!]

"Oh, God. I think I'm going to be violently and copiously sick."

Got the Desert Vb done, and TBH, I'm not happy with it.  Okay, it's just a Hobbyboss kit and I'm never that happy about any of my desert aircraft, but this one was looking okay till I got to the canopy.  And nothing would fit.

Well, the Airfix Vb and IXc canopies will, but at the early stages where you can blend them in and I'd left it off.  The best I could do was use the Hobbyboss back end, a Falcon sliding section (slid back) and a Heller XVI screen, which is pretty ropey anyway.

Still, it's done and I may revisit it at some stage but with a better kit.  Possibly Tamiya, although that has serious flaws itself. Then again, I have a fair few AZ ones, one of which is the 3 in 1 Joypack, and they're the older tool.

Next one to finish is the Tr.21 and that's a different ballgame entirely.  Not looking forward to cleaning up that contraprop...  And yellow brush painted...

After that, a bit of decalling with a pair of 16s and a pair of 19s to finish them off, not to mention the contraprop VIIIe.  There's also a couple of PR birds to do.  Good job I have some time free.

I just would rather crack on with the Tempests!


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