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

[NARSES2]

Skyrockets are finished and the builds are here http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,37014.msg597882.html#msg597882

A couple of teaser pics




Enjoyable builds  

The Moonbat, Spitfire and Typhoon have had more paint added.

The Airabonita is going together very well and is now basically built. The interior is the best fitting I have ever seen on a limited run kit. There are some engraved lines and small ledges etc to add fitting and guess what ? They do as advertised. Interior went in beautifully, no struggle and the fuselage fitted snugly and easily around it   The interior fit is a lot better then some major manufacturers kits I could mention. Very, Very nice kit.

Finally I came up with an idea for my Wyvren slow build. Just need to source the transfers now. Hopefully at Hendon

[Radish]

Looking good 

[NARSES2]

Been puttying, sanding, priming and painting over the last couple of days.

The Spitfire, Typhoon and Moonbat will start getting their markings this weekend. Putting the transfers on always brings a model to life for me. Even some I've nearly binned have been saved at this stage and I've thought "actually that's not to bad".

Airabonita will stat getting it's paintwork - nice easy scheme 

[NARSES2]

Some progress with markings but the Spitfire is giving me a few problems. The wing roundels just won't settle. I'm using markings from Kits at War which I've used before with no problem. Applied to my normal finish which is Xtracrylic coated with Klear/Future but they just won't lie down properly. It's going to have to be a sharp blade and touch ups I'm afraid. 

Conversely the Typhoon's transfers have gone on beautifully on the same finish. These are the Airfix ones and there's none of this fiddling around with the inner roundel colour either (not that I've ever really minded that). Nice colour density on them as well 

[Radish]

MMmm....touch ups

[NARSES2]

Typhoon and Spitfire have their markings on now. The Typhoon's were very good and even the wing leading edge yellow stripes worked well  

It was interesting comparing the Spitfire and Typhoon transfers. The Airfix ones I used from the Spitfire were much more matt then the Typhoon's and took longer to release from the backing paper. All things considered Airfix have made a leap forward with the Typhoon's. Must admit I didn't use all (read many) of the stencils on either. Airfix don't go silly with the number but life is still to short, especially when you are 61   Anyway I feel that 1/72 scale models can be overpowered by stencils. Personal view but some Japanese Phantoms look like billboards ?

The Airacuda also has it's transfers on. The RS ones are very good, with good colour density except the US Stars and Bars I wanted to use had the red outline in an almost orange colour. Shame but I had some decent ones in the stash (from a USAAF Spitfire) so all was well in the end.

[NARSES2]

The Moonbat build continues and has turned into a bit of a saga. I'm not sure how old the kit is and I got it second hand but anyway over time the canopy has got a little yellow and brittle. When I cut it out the front right corner shattered  Anyway I fixed it to the fuselage and waited to see what it looked like and what I could salvage after it had set overnight. From the side it looked as though it could be repaired with Clearfix  From the front it looked distinctly lopsided 

Anyway I thought about it for a bit and even considered sending her to the box of doom but then thought "what the heck" So with the front end of a drop tank and some thin tubing I've constructed a "gribble" on the right corner of the nose/canopy which hides the lopsided effect very effectively even if I do say so myself.

Now I was going to call this the Acme Oooojamaflip Mk IIIc and say that Japanese and German scientists wasted vast amounts of time trying to work out what it was when they downed a couple of aircraft and the Japanese even went so far as to copy it. In reality it would have been an Allied spoof intended to waste the oppositions time and resources. The Japanese then sold this to gullable western car owners in the 70's and it became the latest must have car accessory as featured on Tomorrows World.

Anyway I thought that was a little to close to the truth when you read about the UK's "Bomb Detector" fraud trial  So instead it will be a very early low light device (my Moonbat is slated for dawn/dusk intruder operations) that was hastily scabbed on to a couple of aircraft. However the technology whilst working in the lab wasn't anywhere near finalised enough for the field and was soon done away with.

[The Wooksta!]

The Moonbat *may* have been one of the CMK kits reboxed by Airmodel in 1993/94, so is probably older than that. 

[Thorvic]

Can't you contact Arnold about a replacement ?

http://anigrand.com/AA2056_XP-67.htm

[Radish]

Becoming picky with the decals? Wrong colour?? Bonus!!

[NARSES2]

Can't you contact Arnold about a replacement ?

http://anigrand.com/AA2056_XP-67.htm

I've got that kit in the stash as well. Didn't think to e-mail Arnold. Still no problem as the modifications looks quite good even if I do say so myself.

[NARSES2]

Right Typhoon, Spitfire and Airacuda are on their undercarriage and await matting tomorrow and then just the final bits and bobs to do. Why does this stage take for ever ?

The Moonbat will start to get her transfers on tomorrow. I know the unit I'm using.. a USAAF Pacific Theatre P-38 Sqd seems appropriate and I have the markings. Won't have any flash markings just simple ones. Also cobbled a couple of bomb racks up from some old (Airfix I think by their silver colour) Hurricane or Beaufighter rocket rails fitted to the plate. Looks quite good even if I do say so myself and these will mount 2 x 500lb's and 2 x 250lbs.

Started to clean up another old CMR kit the IMAM Ro 57. This will be Hungarian, probably going to do at CA-15 at the same time.

[Radish]

You little tinker.....you're being far too productive.

[NARSES2]

You little tinker.....you're being far too productive.

Says he who not only has 1/2 a dozen models on the go at a time but an entire alternative wardrobe  

[NARSES2]

Just got the matting done today. The Humbrol rattle can behaved a little better this time (or I was better when using it) and I've only a couple of tiny white areas to touch up.