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

NARSES2 · March 05, 2016, 05:44:15 AM

Well the 406 just needs her matt coat and nav lights and she's done. The Hasegawa boxing I have has the option of a Polish manned French AF squadron, so I've just done it as if it had been exported in 38 I suppose

Not much else done, in all honesty the model room is a bit cold in this weather and I can really only get about 30/40 mins done at a stint brfore my building suffers a bit. So what with that and the dodgy eye progress is slow.

NARSES2 · March 06, 2016, 06:22:48 AM

Well I had a bit of a

with the varnish. Managed to recover the situation so hopefully she will get finished early in the week. It's obviously me doing something wrong with the varnish so I've asked for advice in the tips, tools and techniques of the site http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,41944.new.html#new

NARSES2 · March 08, 2016, 12:30:59 AM

Well I'm calling the 406 done. I'll get some photos up in the next day or so and then she goes in the "box of shame" $:-\$

It's a nice kit, typical Hasegawa of the period, but after assembly and painting it just went down hill. Transfers totally misbehaved and I've had to touch one or two of them up where they just "crumbled" and dried out. Then we had the whole varnish issue which I've just about solved but there are still some traces in hard to reach areas

Anyway "onwards and upwards" as they say

NARSES2 · March 09, 2016, 06:29:29 AM

Made some progress with the A.W.52. Now A&V kits tend to have quite good resin castings, usable white metal parts, a small etch sheet and one vacform canopy but the instructions ??

They are hand drawn and poorly at that and in all honesty are just a single picture of the aircraft with loads of arrows attempting to show where everything goes

Thankfully most of it is self explanatory and the one area which could be a problem, the cockpit, turns out to not really be a problem. Like a lot of British aircraft of the period it has an offset canopy and was constructed with the belief that the navigator had no need to see the outside world in order to do his job

So once it's been given a coat of black/dark grey the only thing that will be visible will be the seat so that plus the control handle is all I'm going to add.

The main body of the kit is basically 3 large and heavy resin parts. The central fuselage/wing section and the 2 outer wing sections. I'll join this once the main body is complete. Holes have been drilled and brass rod glued in place to try and add some strength to the assembly and a test fit shows them as a good fit. The end plates/rudders at the wing tips have been pinned and glued and putty applied so progress has started.

NARSES2 · March 09, 2016, 06:56:58 AM

Here's the finished 406

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,41959.new.html#new

DogfighterZen · March 09, 2016, 05:28:04 PM

Looks good, i really like the tail, nice work!

Captain Canada · March 10, 2016, 04:32:23 AM

Doing some WWI tanks sounds like a plan Chris ! I'd love to see those. And the ship tribute sounds like a great idea.

NARSES2 · March 13, 2016, 08:45:05 AM

Progress

The A.W. has got to the stage where some fairly serious p.s.r. begins. Once that's done I can mate the outer wings to the inner wing/body which will result in more p.s.r. and a fairly large and heavy assembly that will be awkward to handle I think ?

Also got a fair few sub-assemblies built and painted on my second Airfix F4-F

NARSES2 · March 14, 2016, 07:56:03 AM

Well the A.W. has had it's initial p.s.r. and is now waiting for the spot primer to dry before the inevitable repeat although it's not as bad as I thought it would be.

Started to bring the F4-F sub-assemblies together and I realised I'd forgotten how close the tolerances on this kit are. In all honestly the dry fit is to good ! The mere wif of paint and the things need fettling. It mainly involves the interior assembly, the cockpit is lovely but probably needs to be assembled and then painted which is not the way I normally proceed. Anyway I've sorted it now and hopefully will remember when the Martlet comes out.

It will be interesting to see what the tolerances on the Beaufighter and Stuka which are up next are like.

NARSES2 · March 15, 2016, 07:37:27 AM

Right the F4-F is now standing there awaiting a little P.P.P. (clumsy removal of sprue gates, that and the eye playing tricks at certain angles) Once I got the undercarriage fitted it's a breeze especially as she hasn't got folded wings, although they are easy to do. The way I planned to deviate from the instructions when assembling the undercarriage definitely made life a little easier

When I build the to be released Martlet I shall try one other little change out.

Once the undercarriage was on the close tolerances that had caused problems with the small parts came into their own. The larger parts just "click" into place and almost need no glue to stay there. However a paint brush loaded with your favourite liquid glue + capillary action and they are fixed. Joy to build once you are past that undercarriage.

Now trying to remember the colours I've used in the past for Finnish aircraft ? I'm not into mixing paints for major painting as I never get the same shade when mixing a second batch

I know, mix enough first time round, but it's never been my thing for some reason. I thought I knew what Finnish colours were until I looked on-line, I'm now totally confused. To me they always have light blue undersides but it appears some/a lot ? had light grey ? Anyway might get the Lifecolor set if I see it Saturday.

Talking of paints. This kit is the set with paints, brushes, glue etc. I've always sniffed at the paints, but they are very good. No reason why they shouldn't be but I suppose I've always thought of them as aimed at kids. Mind you opening them is fun and I bet a fair few carpets have been ruined

Gondor · March 15, 2016, 01:22:18 PM

Quote from: NARSES2 on March 15, 2016, 07:37:27 AM

Now trying to remember the colours I've used in the past for Finnish aircraft ? I'm not into mixing paints for major painting as I never get the same shade when mixing a second batch I know, mix enough first time round, but it's never been my thing for some reason. I thought I knew what Finnish colours were until I looked on-line, I'm now totally confused. To me they always have light blue undersides but it appears some/a lot ? had light grey ? Anyway might get the Lifecolor set if I see it Saturday.

I have a Finnish aircraft to try and get done by the time of the Scottish Nationals and I have set aside to paint it the following....

Tamiya XF-1; Tamiya XF-61 & Xtracolor X127 mind you though, I am painting a bomber so the colours might be different for a fighter.

Gondor

NARSES2 · March 16, 2016, 07:07:13 AM

Cheers mate.

Anyway the F4-F is now sitting drying out whilst the A.W. has had 1 wing fitted. Overall she will have a 14"/35mm wingspan and be very heavy. I'm going to deal with this wing before tackling the next.

Meanwhile instead of starting the Beaufighter I remembered I'd started a real world build of the Airfix Kate so got on with that. I'm taking the interior (which has to be almost half the build ?) very slowly and fitting bits, painting bits and then moving on. It's very crowded in there and I think slow and easy is the best way to go.

NARSES2 · March 17, 2016, 07:24:30 AM

Some progress on the Kate. I've got the engine and cowling assembly sorted It's separate as Airfix are brining out the earlier version which had a different engine and cowl. You get the choice of open or closed cowl flaps btw.

I've got some more of the innards done as well. By the time I finish this I reckon I will have spent longer on the cockpit by a fair margin then on any other build. I'm enjoying it however and that's the point isn't it.

NARSES2 · March 20, 2016, 07:27:53 AM

Spent a couple of enjoyable hours at Southern yesterday and caught up with a couple of people.

On the modelling front I got some work done this morning. The Kate's fuselage just needs a dark wash to bring some of the detail out and then she can be closed up. I'll then be 3/4 way through the build I think. Also got some more of the sub-assemblies painted.

Started p.s.r. work on the first of the AW's wing and got some pink paint on the F4-F as an undercoat for the yellow theatre bands.

NARSES2 · March 23, 2016, 07:08:54 AM

Here's some update photos.

First the Kate innards before they disappear.

She is now buttoned up and as thought once you get passed the innards than the build moves on quickly. All nice, neat, positive fits

Here's the F4F looking as though it would make Radish swoon

And finally here's 2/3rds of the AW - possibly to be called Auckland, possibly not