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

[Mossie]

Cheers Mossie.

Must admit I like the idea of an Austrian Gladiator. Swiss with the large areas of red/white would look good as well, almost like a WWI ace's aircraft 

Maybe I'll get a second one.   I must admit, the Austrian one is appealing more and more, silver dope with large O5 resistance titles?

The Swiss one will probably get some large red and white crosses, the Full Monty neutrality stripes are a little late for the biplanes.

[The Wooksta!]

Chris, I've a feeling that the number is wrong on the Firebrand.  I did something similar and got pulled about it.  Apparently the first number refers to the number of crew - I take it you took it from an Avenger or Barracuda?

They are from a Barracuda so you may be right Lee. Must admit I thought the first No was something to do with the squadron and the 2nd/3rd were flight/aircraft in flight sort of thing.

Right having had a quick flick through my Putnam's the evidence would back you up Lee if only for BPF and Eastern Fleet aircraft. Aircraft used in the Atlantic, Med and Home waters don't appear to have adhered to it but there's obviously a limit to the number of pics I've looked at.

Need more research and if necessary it's easily corrected - thanks for the heads up 

IIRC, when I did the first Magna abortion, I lifted Barracuda decals straight.

[NARSES2]

Maybe I'll get a second one.   I must admit, the Austrian one is appealing more and more, silver dope with large O5 resistance titles?

The Swiss one will probably get some large red and white crosses, the Full Monty neutrality stripes are a little late for the biplanes.

Pegasus do some interesting national markings for Austro Hungarian aircraft. Standard Maltese crosses but with this nice "shield" design http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pegasus-Decals-1-72-AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN-NAVAL-INSIGNIA-WWI-Aircraft-/400405804235?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item5d3a0bb4cb

I've got the sheet so if you needed a couple 

[NARSES2]

The 110 is as finished as she will ever be and has been put in a box in the cupboard, I'm just not happy with her 

The SR 177 is getting her markings so should be finished this coming week. Have to do the canopy framing yet and in this weather that's a bind.

Meanwhile the tidy up makes progress. Finding a lot of stuff I didn't know I had and some of it I actually want  Been sorting the spare transfers out and there's some interesting ones in there. As far as the spares box goes I have an awful lot of modern missiles, bombs and drop tanks so must have made some modern stuff when I first got back into the hobby or more likely they are from my mid teens  Found a great lump of Blue Tack the size of my fist which is handy 

Probably the most interesting finds were the scores of pilot/crew figures. All in 1/72 and the size differential between some of them is enormous ! Took me back to the old days when I wargammed and the differences between different manufacturers figures in the same scale 

[NARSES2]

Right the SR 177 is almost finished. The canopy is framed * and she just needs her rockets and drop tanks added, then satin varnish and she's finished.

* I've gone for the Phase 2 canopy  In the real world I could see FAA pilots mutinying over the landing view from the original incredibly heavy framed canopy so I'm certain Saunders Roe would have soon brought a modification in. I've just pre-empted them. Same canopy but not so heavily framed, in reality it was a lot easier to do that way and I think looks better.

I like this kit even though I screwed it by being a bit to cocky whilst building her. I had a few kits I mucked up for this reason during this particular build period, some can be saved, some not. No idea why I got that way but it will teach me to treat every kit with respect

I've another 177 in the stash so RAF for that one 

Managed to prime a Wyvren that's been sitting waiting for it for ages, so hopefully start paint next week sometime.

The next 5 kits are decided 

Tamiya Mosquito - real world

Hasegawa Beaufighter - real world but with an unusual not often seen scheme.

Kora Miles M20/4, the proposed FAA version. - Cam ship aircraft instead of the Hurricane

LF Hawker Tornado - Not sure yet whether I can legitimately squeeze this into the back end of the Battle of Britain, but she will be around that date.

Matchbox Vickers Wellesley - Suddenly thought of her as a maritime recce aircraft using that long range. Not sure if she will be pre-war or early war yet

[NARSES2]

As an aside whilst getting the SR 177's transfers out of the box I noticed that along with the boxes product number and size was the name "RAJA".

I immediately thought of Dell Boy and Raja computers - they've obviously gone back to their original production line 

[Thorvic]

Hang on a sec whats this Narses modelling during an Ashes Test !!!!

[NARSES2]

Hang on a sec whats this Narses modelling during an Ashes Test !!!!

I don't have Sky so I listen to Radio 5 live while I model and watch the highlights on CH5 on an evening. I'll be at the Oval however 

[NARSES2]

Well here's the finished SR 177 or Storm Petrell. Which after all the self inflicted travails I actually like. Definitely going to build my other kit 

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,37390.new.html#new

[Dizzyfugu]

Cheers Mossie.

Must admit I like the idea of an Austrian Gladiator. Swiss with the large areas of red/white would look good as well, almost like a WWI ace's aircraft 

Maybe I'll get a second one.   I must admit, the Austrian one is appealing more and more, silver dope with large O5 resistance titles?

The Swiss one will probably get some large red and white crosses, the Full Monty neutrality stripes are a little late for the biplanes.

That Austrian Air Force idea spawned something here, too. Got the idea, got the parts, it might soon turn into hardware... 

[PR19_Kit]

Matchbox Vickers Wellesley - Suddenly thought of her as a maritime recce aircraft using that long range. Not sure if she will be pre-war or early war yet

47 Sqdn. really did use their Wellesleys for maritime recce over the Med after the Italians in Abassynia had surrendered. I've yet to discover how good they were though.

[NARSES2]

Matchbox Vickers Wellesley - Suddenly thought of her as a maritime recce aircraft using that long range. Not sure if she will be pre-war or early war yet

47 Sqdn. really did use their Wellesleys for maritime recce over the Med after the Italians in Abassynia had surrendered. I've yet to discover how good they were though.

Yup from what I've read Kit they were operated in the role from Aden out over the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

Mine will be in home waters. Patrolling out towards the Faroes/Iceland Passage. Been thinking of a FAA style scheme so maybe she will be FAA rather then RAF ?

[NARSES2]

As I've mentioned I'm in the process of sorting stuff out and apart from putting my old Humbrol enamels in numeric order (used to work in stats, that's my excuse  ) I came across a largish box at the top of some shelves.

Delving in revealed a stash of Aeroclub, Paragon, Aries, Pavla, SAMI TSR2 etc resin and etch goodies 

Some I will keep, some I will offload - what do I need with a load of white metal ejection seats

Pick of the bunch was some Paragon Mosquito bits I'd forgotten I had. Including the two stage engine set - oh Tamiya kit here they come  I'll get the one I'm building out of the way first and then look to use these Paragon sets 

[NARSES2]

Still to muggy to make much progress but some work has been done on the Wyvren.

I'm not sure what to finish this as. Initially she was going to be real world but then I thought what about New Zealand ?

75 Sqd RNZAF (I think) leased Canberras from the RAF so I thought what if they leased refurbished FAA Wyvrens instead. My scenario was that they would be based in Singapore and used during the Confrontation in Borneo for ground support. One problem with that is that I could have sworn I had some Fern Leaf roundels, but if I have I don't know where they are 

So can I squeeze them into the early 70's during New Zealand's Vietnam operations ? I have Kiwi roundels (which came in in 1970) and I was thinking of retaining full FAA colours and serials but with Kiwi roundels and personal markings. Or do I leave them in Singapore in 1970/71 ?

What do people think ?

[Thorvic]

There are some Silver Fern RNZAF roundels in the Airfix Canberra BI-8 kit if you have it as they are normal size rather than the silly large wing ones, otherwise the Venture Set might do the trick ?

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/VA7280