Gondor's Ramblings

Gondor · March 21, 2012, 03:58:20 PM

Thought it may be a good idea and follow the trend for starting a Blog.

So hear goes....

The current status of my "active" builds.

Lancaster XL has stalled due to my biting off more than I can chew to get it finished in time for Cosford. At the moment it is more likely to make it to Glasgow which is in October!. I do realise its a long time away but with the colour scheme of white upper surfaces and black undersides any flaw in the build will be very noticeable and as usual I am setting my standards higher that I can probably achieve.

I have a new build that will appear at cosford, even if I have to stay awake for a couple of days to get it finished in time. Should prove to be a bit of a head turner and bit of a talking point for the punters at shows. Decaleing is progressing very slowly so not all the fiddly and small decals may actually get put onto the aircraft. Photographs and history at the weekend.

Another new build should be ready for Perth this year (Scottish Nationals) but the marking will depend on a package arriving from Japan in time to apply them. Photographs when its completed.

Parts gathering for a Civilian whiff are waiting pay day and a couple of items to be near the end of their time on eBay. Another civil build could be resurrected in the future seeing that I went to all the trouble to get the plans enlarged to 1/72, may as well use them.

More entries to come, at least this weekend.

Gondor

Gondor · March 23, 2012, 03:53:07 PM

I have not felt this tired for a looooong time. Decaleing is proceding well though so I should have a new model on show at cosford which should have several heads scratching on the part of the JMN's. Everything else apart from my brain is at a halt modeling wise although once this weekend is over I shall be working on several for Perth and the Scottish Nationals on the last weekend of April! I am looking forward to meeting up with everyone again there as well as making several purchases from the various traders.

Gondor

Gondor · March 24, 2012, 11:56:47 AM

Yaaaahhhh Decaling finished on the current build. Touch up on some paint later today then final varnish and assembly and pictures tomorrow!

Gondor

Gondor · March 24, 2012, 04:32:55 PM

Just a tease of the current project which will get its first outing at Cosford....

more and better pictures tomorrow when it is finally finished.

Gondor

Gondor · March 26, 2012, 02:42:17 PM

Started work on the twin for the Lockheed-Mitsubishi F-16-2A doing the conversion the other way around. Mitsubishi F-2 fuselage and nose with an F-16 cockpit and canopy. Hasegawa F-2 and a combination of Revell Nose section and Hasegawa canopy and other odd parts.
Thinking it will be a CJ version armed with 4 HARM missiles from Academy kits as I have two that will not need them.

Gondor

Gondor · April 02, 2012, 11:10:08 AM

Only got to the stage of painting the white parts twice, the intake will need at least a third coat of white to ensure that it is all white and there are no streaks at all.

I find that the white is the hardest colour to get an even coat of which is why I have started with the undercarriage and intake first, also its a bit different from starting with the cockpit as that's been done before, countless times.

Received in the post an old Airfix DC-10 that's going to be whiffed, not going to say much about it other than its My first civil whiff and I play to make it as confusing as the F-16J I recently finished or even the Sea Harrier F/A3 if mine.

More later....

Gondor

Gondor · April 07, 2012, 03:22:47 AM

Slow slow and even slower is how the builds I have are progressing. Been making a mess of painting undercarriage parts as I have been unable to make up my mind as to which of two colours to paint one of my current builds. On top of that my gloss white doesn't appear to mix evenly

which results in the paint not wanting to stay on the brush when dipped into the tin from time to time

so that's one item added to my shopping list for the Scottish Nationals this year.
Talking about the Scottish Nationals, trying to build three aircraft for the show. The first is a reverse build of the Lockheed-Mitsubishi F-16J-2A where the kit has an F2 fuselage with an F-16 cockpit. Second build is a Gnat which the third is a Kawasaki T-4 which should be quite good as its not a particularly well known aircraft so should fool a lot of people when its finished.

Gondor · April 12, 2012, 02:13:28 PM

Actually surprised how far I have gotten with one of my builds, hence the questions about French Air Force paints elsewhere although not quite far enough to actually use the good old hairy sticks just yet.

My Gnat is stalled, the nose leg is broken which may be contributing to the lack of progress even though I don't need it yet and I may be able to make the two parts work ok. Need to work on the Ejector seats and decide if its worth adding a wash and highlighting the side detail in the Gnat or if its too small for anyone to really notice.

The F-2/F-16 needs an interior for its cockpit and for Me to pain the inside of the rear of the fuselage before I split open that area so I can put the rear of the engine inside, it should have been put inside before the fuselage was stuck together, this means its going to be a real pain in the proverbial if it goes wrong

All in all its looking as if I should have at least one and at best three new models for the Scottish Nationals this year

Gondor

Gondor · April 14, 2012, 10:41:10 AM

Been making some progress with the F-2/F-16 build and thought I would do a little more when I suddenly realized that I had not glued into place the parts that make up the main undercarriage bays

After all the pushing and shoving I went through to place the rear of the engine into the rear of the fuselage because the upper part of the fuselage was glued onto the lower fuselage half I had to "de bond" nearly all that I had stuck together

So, one step forward and at least two steps backwards. Now where did those little rubber grommets go that were there to hold the tail plains in place go

Gondor

Gondor · April 15, 2012, 02:24:21 AM

Perhaps this needs to be elsewhere. Could a Moderator more this thread to the Current Builds area please.

Gondor

NARSES2 · April 16, 2012, 07:19:04 AM

Moved as per request

Gondor · April 16, 2012, 11:23:16 AM

I decided that just simply rambling on and not getting feedback felt a little one sided so I asked for the thread to be moved so that others can give feedback and I will post all builds here and like others simply post completed builds separately.

Gondor

Gondor · April 16, 2012, 02:21:01 PM

Managed a little more on the trio of kits for the Scottish Nationals. Decals in the cockpit of the F2-F16

Progress, small but progress none the less

Gondor

NARSES2 · April 17, 2012, 01:12:19 AM

Quote from: Gondor on April 16, 2012, 02:21:01 PM

Progress, small but progress none the less

Gondor

Which is more then I'm achieving at the mo

Gondor · April 19, 2012, 02:16:01 PM

Picture !!!

This is going way too well for me. Three builds, two effectively straight out of the box while the third has not much needed to be done to it, well that's the plan.

Left to right, Gnat, F-2-16C and T-4. Not going to say what the outer will be just yet but the F-2-16C will be USAF thought not made up my mind if it will be 35th Fighter Wing or not.

Regardless I am still hopeing ti get them finished for the Scottish Nationals in just over a weeks time !!

Gondor