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

[NARSES2]

Well there's another one for the "That didn't work" collection 

Whilst looking for something else the other day I discovered a sheet of Bare Metal Foil that I'd completely forgotten about so I decided I'd use it for masking the Dornier transparencies. Well took it off this morning and 

It's not the foils fault (mostly) as I did find it highlighted the frames much more clearly then tape and it was far easier to cut in situ. However my eyesight, especially given the added problem in the right eye still caused me to not be able to cut the stuff away accurately  So whilst not a complete failure I still have some touching up to do. Even when touching up I still have problems in that I can't judge when the brush is on the surface of the object being painted when it's as fine as a cockpit frame. Shows how much you need both eyes to be working properly to judge distance.. So after trying the more conventional approaches to masking canopies recently I think for ones with a moderate to lot of framing I will return to my painted masking tape method. I may well use the BMF for larger bubble types until it runs out but won't get more as it's a tad pricey.

I said mostly above. Well the one problem I noticed with BMF for masking is the residue that remains on the canopy when you take it off. All it bit messy and spoils the clarity a tad ! Hopefully a wash in warm water and good old Fairy Liquid will give me a nice shiny canopy again.

[The Wooksta!]

Brigand is so much better looking than the Invader!

[kitbasher]

Brigand is so much better looking than the Invader!

Each to their own, I say.  I concede the Brigand is not unattractive when in flight.  I think it's the twin fins and taildragger undercarriage that date it.  Whether a tricycle undercarriage would improve its looks (to my eye) I don't know. A Centaurus Beaufighter with a Brigand canopy (or more specifically a Brigand forward fuselage) and cut-down rear fuselage (with the TF.X's dorsal fin) I imagine would be a good-looker.  Whether it would be any good in reality is of course another matter!

[NARSES2]

Right the Do 17 is finished (I'll post a couple of pics when I next have the camera out). In the end I ended up scrubbing the framing off the nose glazing and painting the frames. Worked suprisingly well, I think it's the way Airfix configured the frames they are very condusive to hand painting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this kit and I even put an aireal wire on her ! First time I've done this since I was probably 7 or 8 when I would have used knitting in elastic  Used some Uschi VDR thread and it worked very well and surprisingly easily. Just enough elasticity. Was it worth it however ? I struggle to see it and I know it's there, doubt very much if it would survive a trip by public transport to a show and doubtful it would survive the show it'self. heck though it looks good when I look closely enough to see it  This one is real world, part of my mini BoB collection but the next will be wiffed.

Now I have to work on my Comet for the current GB, find where the Caproni is cowering (I blame Zenrat  ) and get her finished. The next kits pulled from stash are Airfix Hurricane and Defiant, Vallom Brigand and my Eduard Avia B.534. The latter will be real world the others wiffed.

[kitbasher]

Thought you'd like the Bearcat at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol2MLi-S1Wk

[NARSES2]

Now that Bearcat looks just right 

Anyway some progress on the Comet - see report in the Group Build thread.

Got some work done on the Caproni as well and more importantly came to a decision regarding her :

Now in all honesty I've made a right pigs ear of this model, probably the worst I've produced in a very, very long time. However it is the first model on which I've made structural alterations in many, many a year. Nearly all, if not all, my models are purely a change of markings/colours but with this one I have changed the airframe. Now these changes are not the reason I've managed to screw it up, they are many and varied, indeed the changes have given me the confidence to make some changes to the airframe of my G.B. Comet. Without these changes I would almost certainly have binned her.

So despite all her flaws I will post some pics of her here in my Blog when I've finished, a) because I think she will be the first pigs ear ever posted on site  and b) because despite being an almighty cock-up she has served her purpose and I've learnt a fair few things whilst building her, some of which I will be following up on and others I will be discarding.

[The Wooksta!]

The Valom Brigand is a pig to build, which much detail that is either wrong or downright fictional - the u/c bay wing structure is from the Special Hobby Ju 388, there's German seats in there (one suspiciously similar to a Revell 190 seat), there's a radio bulkhead inside the rear fuselage which as never there and is equipped with Ju 88 radio gear!  The fit is bloody awful too!  one of mine is part built and got abandoned 5 years back.

[NARSES2]

Ah well, we shall see. To be honest Lee I wouldn't know if those things you mention are accurate or not so it doesn't bother me that much. If I surrender and give up then I think I have a Magna one in the stash.

Anyway progress on the Caproni. Got the transfers on today so all she needs now is some varnish and her nav lights etc and I'll call it a day

[NARSES2]

Gentle progress on the 2 current builds. I'm enjoying the Comet, takes me back to when days were far, far simpler 

Not starting anything new until these two are finished but here's a couple of shots of my real world Do 17 as promised. New tool Airfix 1/72





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[PR19_Kit]

Pretty darned impressive that, Chris. 

[rickshaw]

Looks very nice indeed!   

[zenrat]

Looking good Chris.

[NARSES2]

Thanks gents, as said it's a very enjoyable kit. If the Beaufighter is as good then I'll be in pig heaven 

Anyway I got the wings on the Comet and was pleasantly surprised. They are a pretty good fit  Just need a little putty on the wing root/fuselage join and will probably need another after that inevitably shrinks.

[DogfighterZen]

The Do 17 looks great! 
That's the canopy you used the bare metal foil on for masking? Doesn't look bad, i would've messed it up much more than that and my eyes are ok...

[NARSES2]

Yup it is the one I used BMF on. The one problem I found with it is that it left some residue on the canopy which was a bit of a bugger to remove