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

[Captain Canada]

Used to get poison ivy all the time. As a kid ont he army base, and as an adult working on he golf course. Itch itch itch. Used to open the scabs and dab them with gasoline. Dried them up and killed them !

Now it's allergies. I get a deep skin itch that drive me nuts for years, feet, or legs, or hands. So FLA when I found out what it was and how to mask it !

[NARSES2]

Still getting the odd new blister (as the doc calls them) so still quarantined   Haven't felt like modelling for some reason but I have been catching up with my reading. Hopefully I can get some modelling in this weekend. Looks like I'll miss the MK show   but Dr is being very strict.

My Doctor has been very good but she is taking this very seriously. I can normally negotiate with her over my ailments and we can have a bit of a laugh (I've been with the practice since I was 4, 59 years ago !), however there is no going anywhere but where she says with this. I've never seen her so strict. Apparently she is slightly concerned over how it reacts with my diabetes. The latter is under control (touch wood) but she doesn't want to take risks and I'm gratefull for that in the end. Have to be thankfull we have the NHS  

One thing I should say is that my young Polish neighbour has been brilliant  I haven't needed to much, thank you Ocado, but she's been great for the odd thing like papers and checking I'm ok. Her small daughter even baked me some Polish biscuits which were absolutely  . Big bunch of flowers due when I'm better I think 

[kerick]

Good doctors and good neighbors are priceless! Sounds like you'll better soon.

[kitbasher]

Good to know you've got folk looking out for you, Chris.

[McColm]

I hope that you get well soon.

[Captain Canada]

Glad to hear you have nice neighbours Chris ! Sure makes things easy and enjoyable !

[NARSES2]

Right for the first time since I came down with CP I actually felt like modelling, not as good as going to the MK show but nearly so 

Firstly I got some work done on the Invader. Now this kit is really vexing me. I got it new when it came out and to be honest it's a bit of a pig. Nothing drastic or that can't be fixed but you just shouldn't have to do the work on a new tool. Part of the problem is the way you need to construct it. The bombs have to be fitted into the bomb bay prior to closing the fuselage and the main gear legs need fitting in the nacelles prior to fitting wings to fuselage. You might be able to fit the legs latter if you modify them but not as they are (or I can't see how but then I am not an engineer of any description). The big problem is the wings to fuselage fit. The wing tabs are fouled by the bomb racks and you have to take a fair chunk off them and they are not that big in the first place. Now given I'm building the glass nosed version and thus the nose weight is in the nacelles this meant that getting the wings to attach and stay attached with anything like the correct dihedral was a p.i.a. I got it done in the end but........  On top of that the wing/fuselage joint will need a fair bit of p.s.r. as will all of the separate panels that attach to the fuselage. I'm not enjoying this kit but I will finish it. I have the Revell boxing in the stash but I think it will stay there.

Now the Caproni is at least 40 years older then the Invader ? but goes together far, far better  Sure she's a little clunky but a little bit of filler on the wing roots and some gentle sanding of the fuselage join is all that was required. I've made a few changes to this airframe to bring her more into line with what she will be being used for and she's looking quite good, touching wood. Hopefully prime her tomorrow.

The Invader was getting to me so I had a look at the stash and pulled out a Hasegawa Polikarpov I.16. Typical Hasegawa of her time, absolutely no fuss and goes together like a dream. Given the size of the cockpit you can't see anything once she's sealed up so I just painted her silver inside with a couple of dabs of colour on some switches, leather seat head rest and stick handle and a couple of my pre-prepared switch blocks to liven her up. Tape lap belts and the instrument panel transfer and that was it. Did that this morning and sealed her up and fitted the wings/tailplanes this afternoon. Great little build  She will get primed at the same time as the Caproni and will also be a kind of "Dogfight Double" for that model.

[PR19_Kit]

Which manufacturer is the awful A-26 kit please Chris? Sounds like one to avoid!

[NARSES2]

It's the Italeri/Revell boxing Kit. Italeri do the glass nose, Revell the solid. They obviously shared the tooling.

It's not awful in all fairness, it's just darned hard work. It really is poorly designed especially as it's not that old. It builds but with far more work then it should take and that takes the enjoyment away. You can actually enjoy Unicraft   because you know what you are walking into. This is just not fun.

Just realised this is the 1,000th entry in my blog !!

[TallEng]

Congratulations on the 1000th
Always interesting to see what you're up to even if I don't always comment.
I've got a couple of the Revell Invaders but only got as far as building the interior of one
I think it was going to join the RAF... or was it a fire bomber?
You've piqued my interest now, I'll have to dig it out and see if I have the same difficulties

Regards
Keith

[PR19_Kit]

I've still got an untouched Airfix one somewhere, no doubt complete with rivets..........

[Thorvic]

Right for the first time since I came down with CP I actually felt like modelling, not as good as going to the MK show but nearly so 

Firstly I got some work done on the Invader. Now this kit is really vexing me. I got it new when it came out and to be honest it's a bit of a pig. Nothing drastic or that can't be fixed but you just shouldn't have to do the work on a new tool. Part of the problem is the way you need to construct it. The bombs have to be fitted into the bomb bay prior to closing the fuselage and the main gear legs need fitting in the nacelles prior to fitting wings to fuselage. You might be able to fit the legs latter if you modify them but not as they are (or I can't see how but then I am not an engineer of any description). The big problem is the wings to fuselage fit. The wing tabs are fouled by the bomb racks and you have to take a fair chunk off them and they are not that big in the first place. Now given I'm building the glass nosed version and thus the nose weight is in the nacelles this meant that getting the wings to attach and stay attached with anything like the correct dihedral was a p.i.a. I got it done in the end but........  On top of that the wing/fuselage joint will need a fair bit of p.s.r. as will all of the separate panels that attach to the fuselage. I'm not enjoying this kit but I will finish it. I have the Revell boxing in the stash but I think it will stay there.

Now the Caproni is at least 40 years older then the Invader ? but goes together far, far better  Sure she's a little clunky but a little bit of filler on the wing roots and some gentle sanding of the fuselage join is all that was required. I've made a few changes to this airframe to bring her more into line with what she will be being used for and she's looking quite good, touching wood. Hopefully prime her tomorrow.

The Invader was getting to me so I had a look at the stash and pulled out a Hasegawa Polikarpov I.16. Typical Hasegawa of her time, absolutely no fuss and goes together like a dream. Given the size of the cockpit you can't see anything once she's sealed up so I just painted her silver inside with a couple of dabs of colour on some switches, leather seat head rest and stick handle and a couple of my pre-prepared switch blocks to liven her up. Tape lap belts and the instrument panel transfer and that was it. Did that this morning and sealed her up and fitted the wings/tailplanes this afternoon. Great little build  She will get primed at the same time as the Caproni and will also be a kind of "Dogfight Double" for that model.

Italeri's tool making really went down hill in the 90's & 00's, they looked great on the sprue, lots of fine detail but their fit was less than perfect. Their Jaguar has similar issues, and I recall others having similar issues with other kits of the period. Things have improved again with their recent releases, but as a consequence their capacity to create and produce new kits has fallen slightly whilst the prices have increased.

[NARSES2]

I've got a couple of the Revell Invaders but only got as far as building the interior of one
I think it was going to join the RAF... or was it a fire bomber?
You've piqued my interest now, I'll have to dig it out and see if I have the same difficulties

Regards
Keith

It would be interesting to hear your views Keith. Maybe it's just me and I've done something daft ?

Mine is going to be RAF SEAC when she gets finished.

Geoff. Interesting to hear that it's more generic with Italeri. Absolutely right about them looking good on the sprues even though there is a little flash on a new tool ! I've got the Sunderland but not started it yet so it will be interesting to compare.

I know that a lot of the Revel new tools of that period deteriorated quite quickly. If you had an early example they were great but the latter issues started showing signs of flash

[Radish]

Glad you're feeling better.
Thanks for the tip on the A-26 Invader...might leave the bomb bay out if it causes a problem.....nobody will see underneath anyway.
Is the SEAC one for Biggles??

[NARSES2]

Glad you're feeling better.
Thanks for the tip on the A-26 Invader...might leave the bomb bay out if it causes a problem.....nobody will see underneath anyway.
Is the SEAC one for Biggles??

Cheers mate 

Leaving the bomb bay out will alleviate a lot of the problems Rad and it wont affect anything else. Biggles it is  My What If SIG models will both be Airfix