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

[NARSES2]

Defiant is almost ready for her transfers, XP-54 is due for second meeting with the Miliput tube and the XP-42 is going to get a coat of primer. I'm really not sure re the resin to plastic join ? It looks a little odd but I think it might be the fact I didn't mix the Miliput thoroughly (I really do find the stuff a tad annoying at times) but a coat of primer will show one way or another.

[NARSES2]

2 steps forward, one back 

Defiant has had most of her transfers but I obviously managed to move one whilst it was drying  So had to paint over the individual aircraft numbers and will need to find a couple of others. Teach me not to rush things.

[Captain Canada]

That's a drag ! Worst rush job I ever did was soldering copper pipe for a bathroom reno. Complex piece that I worked on in the garage, ran in the house, up the stairs to check it, and it was completely wrong ! I was baffled until I realised the whole thing turned as I ran carried it, still hot ! 

[NARSES2]

The Defiant now has her numbers and some stencils. I'm working on the basis most would have been painted over by the Poles so there are only a couple of the more "important" ones.

XP-54 has had her second date with filler and I think it could become a regular occurrence. The booms in particular are going to be fun.

Must be Autumn as I booked my Telford train tickets yesterday afternoon and they arrived this morning. So all ready to go now, only a couple of months to go 

[NARSES2]

Defiant can now have her matt coat and then the zillion final things that need doing when you think you are are done, like canopy framing and nav lights etc. So she's a couple of days away from a date with the camera

[NARSES2]

Well the Defiant is finished, see here http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,42697.new.html#new



Now need to pick out a couple of other kits to work on whilst the longer term while the 42 and 54 progress. I'm going to work on a real world Tamiya Zero as the relaxing build in the group and I also want to do a Sea Defiant (from the MPM kit) which will serve in the FAA instead of the Roc. However I also have a couple of stalled projects from my Imperial Austrian scenario involving an Arado 196 and another Karas.

[NARSES2]

Started on the Tamiya Zero yesterday and this has to be one of Tamiya's best 1/72 scale kits, if not the best ? It's obviously a work of love on their part and the level of detail is stunning whilst the fit is exemplary.

One "issue" I have is that I will be using mainly White Ensign enamels for the detail parts (they are the "accurate" Japanese colours I have in the paint collection) so I needed to remind myself of the great enamel/acrylic - acrylic/enamel debate. Result is that I'm even more confused then when I started. Think I'll just stick to using enamels throughout the innards and only use acrylics for things like the engine where I can do it all in that type. Not a problem as White Ensign is ok for a second coat in an hour or so, and normally only needs two. This one will be real world.

One plus point on opening the box was to find I had two copies of the kit in there  What to do with the second one though ? Mongolian ? Manchuko ?

[PR19_Kit]

One plus point on opening the box was to find I had to copies of the kit in there  What to do with the second one though ? Mongolian ? Manchuko ?

Cuban.

Now try and write a backstory around THAT! 

[NARSES2]

One plus point on opening the box was to find I had to copies of the kit in there  What to do with the second one though ? Mongolian ? Manchuko ?

Cuban.

Now try and write a backstory around THAT! 

OK. For starters you have some US entrepreneur picking up a job lot of ex Japanese aircraft in the late 40's - possibly after French use in Indo-China - and they then pass through various hands, including a Hollywood producer, before being bought by a Batista Cuba in a rather nefarious deal involving casino rights. The film stars Robert de Nero.

How's that ?

[PR19_Kit]

One plus point on opening the box was to find I had to copies of the kit in there  What to do with the second one though ? Mongolian ? Manchuko ?

Cuban.

Now try and write a backstory around THAT! 

OK. For starters you have some US entrepreneur picking up a job lot of ex Japanese aircraft in the late 40's - possibly after French use in Indo-China - and they then pass through various hands, including a Hollywood producer, before being bought by a Batista Cuba in a rather nefarious deal involving casino rights. The film stars Robert de Nero.

How's that ?

Hehehehe, LOVE it! Right up my street. 

[Captain Canada]

That would be a good flick ! I can see all sorts of old warbirds rumbling around in the jungle. Maybe we can get Pachino on board as well.

[NARSES2]

Progress report :

The XP-42 and XP-54 have had a coat of primer and are now slated for more p.s.r. Not as much as I thought would be necessary on the 42 but as much on the 54. I think these two can be classed as medium range projects. If they are done before the normal post Telford fugue I will be happy.

The Zero. Well what can I say ? This is quite probably the best kit I have ever built, note I haven't built a Wingnut Wings kit so can't compare. The fit is immaculate, many parts go together without glue and most of the numerous inserts (to cater for different versions, some of which I have incredible trouble seeing the difference between the two parts in the kit) slip in so easily that when you come back to run some glue in the join you can't see the join ! After a fair bit of time spent on the innards she is now together and the main painting can begin. Really enjoyable project.

Progress is also going well on the navalised Defiant. Not sure if she will be a B.P. Sea Defiant or if I'll give her a separate name and say that B.P. tendered the design for the contract the Roc won and that the RAF's Defiant was developed from that.

This is the MPM kit and  has really surprised me and coming so soon after building the Airfix one comparisons are inevitable. Firstly I was stunned that according to the instructions she was first tooled in 2003. Plastic is a little softer then that which Airfix use, but the sprue attachment points are probably finer and whence there is not as much cleaning up. The boxing is all injection, so no resin, brass or vacform, all the small details are injected and therefore not as well detailed as resin, but most hide in the cockpit anyway. The parts are numbered sequentially on the sprue which helps a lot. Detail ? Airfix probably win overall but the MPM turret interior is better. Fit so far is excellent, there are even small pin and holes along the fuselage and wings to aid joining. The main parts are assembled and will need very little, if any p.s.r.

So very good so far and as I have the Mk II in the stash I will probably now build that as a N.F. rather than offload it. So if you want a Defiant I'd go for Airfix first but if you spot a cheaper MPM version you won't lose much.

[NARSES2]

Flipping Humbrol Matt varnish 

Used it on the interior of the Naval Defiant (why I've no idea, but thought I'd give it another go) and the stuff has left a white, smeary surface and collected in the engraved and raised detail as white deposits 

Had to repaint areas. 

Now I shook the bottle for a count of 200, so it was well mixed. My only thought is that it requires thinning, a lot of. So I'm going to knock up some test pieces from some old kit parts in the spares box, thin it and give it a try after that. I'll also be having a chat with the Humbrol people at Telford.

For now it's back to the Windsor and Newton Galleria.

[zenrat]

I keep notes on each build I complete.  For the FW189 Tilt Fan I wrote something along the lines of "canopy framing looks a different colour to the rest of the plane but used same paint - shaking is no substitute for a good stir".

I use these

Stainless steel so easy to wipe clean and with a tiny spoon on one end for adding hints of colour (or eating yogurt very very slowly).

[Old Wombat]

I may need to get a set of them!