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

[NARSES2]

But we're all different thank goodness, it'd be VERY boring if we were all the same! 

True, but if all like me at least perfect 

[NARSES2]

Right progress 

Although "post Telford blues" was part of the reason for my recent lack of progress, concern over my eye was the other main reason. If I'm honest I was worried that I'd find I couldn't model because of the problem, but I bit the bullet and tried today. Not a great problem. a little trouble lining small bits up and squaring things up, but that's normal practice anyway, however nothing serious. The eye is getting better and I have the scan tomorrow.

Anyway the Black Hawk now has her gun pod added - from a Meteor belly tank and  tube for the guns - plus her wheel bays have been painted Zinc Chromate yellow, and they are huge things. Now need some slightly warmer weather so I can get on the balcony and spray her with the rattle can, all over gloss black.

The Spitfire is now on her legs after a little bit of phaffing around with the fit and can now be painted. Hopefully get stated Thursday on that.

[NARSES2]

Interesting day at hospital yesterday re my eye. My treatment was on time and didn't have to hang around much between the various stops on my trip round the eye dept  But some of the "customers" 

Got the Spitfire undersides masked up but that's about it. More progress this weekend in between writing Xmas cards out - all 95 of them 

[NARSES2]

Started on the Spitfire's top colours and given another coat of Zinc Chromate to the Black Hawk's wheel bays...it will need a fair few more me thinks.

Not going to start anything new before Christmas. Hopefully finish the current two and work on some shelf queens if the time. Once the season is over I have 6 or so lined up ready for the off. A few real builds of the new tool Airfix Hurricane and the rest wifs

[NARSES2]

Right the Black Hawk is, well black. All nice and shiny black thanks to a Humbrol spray can 

The Spitfire now has her top surfaces complete so both models can start having their transfers applied. Should have these finished in the next couple of weeks, well before Crimbo.

If I start attacikng my hangar queens before Crimbo decided it will be my Cierva autogyro that I'll have a crack at as it's nearest to completion. Same box has a partially built Airfix Vampire I didn't even know I had 

Decided my eye is effecting my modelling. Not to bad but focal length is a bit of a problem. Finding it easier to model with my reading glasses whereas before I used my standard ones. Hopefully the eye will get better, if not then the brain is a marvellous thing and normally manages to adapt to these things.

[Captain Canada]

A surprise Vampire ! How are you planning on finishing it ?

[NARSES2]

A surprise Vampire ! How are you planning on finishing it ?

After reading something this morning I was thinking Pakistan ?

[Mossie]

Not a bad idea, Sea Fury replacement or captured Indian aircraft?

[Captain Canada]

Doing what the Hunter could never do ? Beating up on Sabres ?

[NARSES2]

There's a build (or 4 of them) in the Dec SAMI of aircraft from the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 and I discovered the Vampire just after reading it. So brain went ding ! and I thought of ex RAF aircraft to replace the Attackers, or instead of ?

[NARSES2]

Progress with the markings on the Black Hawk and Spitfire.

Black Hawk has most of her markings on. Came from the spares box and boy did some of them take some soaking off the backing paper  Just needs her personal markings which are coming from a Aero Master P-61 sheet. She will be nice and clean and shiny as I'm doing her on her return from Korea and on public display before the squadron transitions to the F-89. Thinking of a couple of kill markings. Maybe 2 Po-2's ? One by gun fire the other by jet wash 

The Spitfire just needs her squadron codes sourcing from some generic sheets the rest have come from a Ventura Spitfire VIII kit which has had the serials cut and shut to give a suitably latter serial number.

[Captain Canada]

Looking forward to seeing these two come off the line ! Especially the Blackhawk.

[NARSES2]

A little progress in between domestic stuff.

I said some of the Black Hawk's markings took eons to come off the backing sheet. Well they came off the model quickly enough  Went to Future them today and one came off on my finger tip and others started to move ! Not sure of the original source but they weren't that old by the look of them. Found a replacement for the one that came off and then Futured the lot again. I now have a very, very shiny black aeroplane  I will start on the finish bits which always seem to take ten times longer then expected tomorrow.

Spitfire has squadron codes and is now on the finishing straight

Both should get done by Christmas

[NARSES2]

Spitfire now just need her matt coat and then the lights painting and canopy fitted. Hopefully get out on balcony to matt her over the weekend.

Black Hawk had a minor emergency. As I think I've mentioned she is one of the nicest Anigrand kits I've build, and I've built a few. Lots of parts are push fit, including one of the wings which needed no filler either  . However I pushed 3 of the engine burner cans in to their hidey holes snugly and then the 4th went straight into the nacelle  Now obviously given what I model there's a distinct dearth of burner cans in the spares collection, indeed the only 2 are from what I assume is a very old Phantom that's long gone to modeling heaven. With no tube of even approximately the right diameter I was beginning to think she might just have to survive on 3 engines until I got some. Then a final rummage and I find the pulse jet section of an old V! (Frog ?), guess what it's the right size, so cut down that's been inserted and now the model needs it's undercarriage, canopy and lights and she's there as well 

Also realised just how close to Crimbo we are  2 full weeks and I'm out every day next week including hospital for my eye. Now I think I've got Christmas sorted (cards, presents, wrapping, food etc) but it is a little scary

[Captain Canada]

It's always scary how fast Christmas comes.....once you hit the last week of November, it seems like it's pretty much there ( or here ) already !