Narses2's Blog - or what I'm slowly making progress on

[zenrat]

Sounds like Airfix are ruining the hobby by making it possible for "ordinary people" to put together a decent looking model.
What is the world coming to...

[NARSES2]

Well here's the finished I-16



More pics and back story here http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,40797.msg689673.html#new

[NARSES2]

Not modelling related but TV.

I'm into another Scandinavian min-series after 6 weeks of 1864. This is the Norwegian production of the Saboteurs shown on More 4 Friday's at 9.00pm. It's about the Norwegian heavy water plant and the attempts to destroy it. I must admit I was a little doubtful about this as I thought it might have been a US mini series (apologies to our US comrades but some are truly  and even more so from a European viewpoint) but the first episode was excellent.

I hadn't realised it was a Norwegian production I must admit but the soundtrack is in the appropriate language for the scene, thus Norwegian, German and English, with sub-titles which have never bothered me. You also get the bonus of a very attractive, perhaps to mush so for the time  , Anna Freil playing a Capt in the SOE.

Recommended.

[zenrat]

Sounds good.  I'll keep an eye out.

[NARSES2]

Some progress on the Do 17 but not as much as I'd like. Sorted out the one seam issue I've had and that was me. A couple applications of Mr Surfacer 500 and sorted.

The reason for lack of progress is that I've had an incredibly runny nose for 2/3 weeks  Some days it's as though there's a running tap ! Now I've never suffered from hay fever but wonder if I've developed the allergy ? Anyway if this carries on I will go to the doctors next week. I don't like wasting their time but this is getting daft.

On a modelling note I got my July SAM today (much better under Gary Hatcher IMHO) and there's a really interesting article on British chemical weapons and the aircraft that might/could have used them in the event of an invasion in 1940. We will never know  if they would have been used as it would have sparked inevitable retaliation. I have my own views however. Some of these ideas would make interesting models and I do have 2 Lysanders in the stash and only one is allocated to a project 

[NARSES2]

Well the Dornier has now been put together and indeed the undersides have had 2 coats of Xtracrylic RLM 65  Top side splinter can start on Monday.

When adding the engines and their associated cowlings I came across my first fit issue with the kit. Getting the cowlings over the engines is a little more then tight. I had to gently sand the top of the cylinder heads before I could get the cowls on. Now with some of these recent Airfix toolings the fit is so good that even a couple of coats of paint can make it to tight. This is a little more then that though I think. When I build my next one I'm going to dry fit the engine parts (they all push fit into each other) and try it in the cowl to see what the fit is like unpainted. I'll also tape the cowling halves and see if there is an issue with my putting them together although I don't think so.

Talking of my other Do 17, I've been wondering what to do with it ? Initially I thought of Italian in the Western desert, but now I'm thinking Vichy French. Perhaps after the French raid on Gibraltar or more likely after the fight they put up in Syria the Germans start to look on them as a possible ally and tentatively start to send them some Luftwaffe hand me downs ? So French Do 17 in Algeria in full French 4 colour camouflage and candy stripes ? Certainly colourfull.

[Rheged]

Talking of my other Do 17, I've been wondering what to do with it ?

Yugoslav Chetnik,  or Roumanian,  or even Free French with a cross of Lorraine daubed inexpertly over the previous owners markings?

[NARSES2]

Must admit I had thought of Romanian

[Captain Canada]

The more I read through this thread the more afraid of the -17 I get lol. If it ever gets to Canada that is 

[NARSES2]

Dornier has had her RLM 70 painted (2 coats of Xtracrylic) and now needs to be masked for the RLM 70 splinter but it's to hot for modelling today and likely tomorrow as well.

Had a  moment when I thought the carpet monster was laying in some grub for a hard winter. I lost the Comet's fuselage pieces  searched high and low and could I find them ? Could I heck. Eventually after searching all over the place again I discovered them at the bottom of the tray with the other bits of the model...which was where I looked in the first place  My only excuse is that a) they are small and b) they are a very neat camouflage grey 

The Invader will stat getting her transfers in the next day or so when it cools down a tad

[NARSES2]

I got the wings masked for the RLM 70 splinter last night and got 2 coats on today before it got to hot. I only did the wings as I can get very confused with splinter and it wasn't helped by the fact I'd given the whole topsides a coat of RLM 71 and therefore it was difficult to see if I'd got a thorough coat on or not  Mt fault, next time I'll only paint the RLM 71 splinter areas in the rough pattern so I can see what I'm doing. Must admit it stated to get way to hot to paint and at the end the Xtracrylic was almost drying on the brush 

[NARSES2]

Got the painting finished on the Do 17 and the masking came off last night. Quite pleased as not to many runs and for once I didn't used Klear on the tape edges but "burnished" them with a dry cotton bud. Pleased with the result so maybe this old dog can learn new tricks  I need to touch up these areas and then the transfers can go on. Doing the Battle of Britain option to go with my other and future (He 111) Airfix BoB aircraft.

Got some more work done on the Invader, mainly got her transfers on. The SEAC roundels are from an Almark sheet and are over 50 years old, older then many on the Forum.  Took a while to come off the backing sheet and they had to be carefully cut from said sheet as they are not individual, but heck who worries about that ? They would of been bought at BMW's in Wimbledon back in the day. The rest of the markings came from the spares box. Must admit I chickened on the serial. I know the actual serials of the two that were delivered and could have found out the serial range allocated from one of my big books but I just couldn't be bothered and used some Mosquito serials. Can move on with this after they've settled down.

[JayBee]

AH! BMW Models. Great shop but a He11 of a walk from the tube station as I remember.

[NARSES2]

AH! BMW Models. Great shop but a He11 of a walk from the tube station as I remember.

I used to go by train from West Croydon and then yes it was a 20min walk or so. Not bad. There was a nearer station - Haydon's Road - but it meant changing and in all honesty you only saved 5 mins or so.

But what a great shop. Introduced me to the delights of after market transfers and opened my eyes to modelling other then out of the box  They always had the back page advert in SAM as well, rather like the big H now

[PR19_Kit]

Oddly enough many of my test driving routes south of London seemed to pass VERY close to BMW Models, I can't imagine why that should have been so...........