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

[Mossie]

Glad you got the Black Hawk done Chris, looks good.  Looking forward to the Karas, always liked the fugly chunk of iron. I've often wondered if it'd make a good torpedo bomber.

Built in Galicia, you manage to sneak a kit in while your dining out Chris???

[NARSES2]

Built in Galicia, you manage to sneak a kit in while your dining out Chris???

Doh  And we have a Galicia restaurant here as well  The Karas will have been built in Galicia in my scenario - Lemburg/Lvov

Had my final Christmas/New Year orientated bash today so that's all done and dusted for another year 

[NARSES2]

Right some work on the Karas. Internals just about done, just need some small dots of varying colours to liven it up a little then varnish. Most of the smaller bits and bobs are painted as well. Wings are glued together and pegged. If the boiler man comes early tomorrow I can probably start to assemble  it.

Most of this internal work will not be seen but I enjoy it. Find it quite relaxing. Takes me back to when I was painting wargames figures, and that's a lifetime away. Fell out of that for various reasons the main one being it became to bloody competitive. Wargames figures now are painted far better then most collectors 54mm stuff was when I was a kid 

[PR19_Kit]

You have greater strength of character than I have Chris. 

The Karas is SO ugly, one of the leading canidates for 'The Ugliest Aeroplane in the World' IMHO, that I sold both of my kits as I'd never have been able to build them without throwing up!

[kitbasher]

The Karas is SO ugly, one of the leading canidates for 'The Ugliest Aeroplane in the World' IMHO, that I sold both of my kits as I'd never have been able to build them without throwing up!

Granted it's no looker (ugly? not quite; misguided? probably) but has bags of whif potential.

Cut away the ventral gunner's position and it looks like a Stuka designed by Marcel Bloch (well, at least to me)

[NARSES2]

The Karas is SO ugly, one of the leading canidates for 'The Ugliest Aeroplane in the World' IMHO, that I sold both of my kits as I'd never have been able to build them without throwing up!

Granted it's no looker (ugly? not quite; misguided? probably) but has bags of whif potential.

Cut away the ventral gunner's position and it looks like a Stuka designed by Marcel Bloch (well, at least to me)

Yup exactly. It's very evocative of the period to me and is no where near as ugly as some of those French bombers - which I love incidentally  I've another 3 in the stash and have been thinking of a latter one with a 3 bladed prop and perhaps a turret ?  Definitely a 2 seater dive bomber is on as mentioned

[NARSES2]

Well the boiler man came at the very end of his allotted time slot, but at least he came (I've decided 2014 is the year of optimism  ) So no modelling done, but I did start to draft my alternative Austro Hungarian timeline. It's not an alternative history just a framework around which I can build some models for the 2014 GB. Reminded me of revising for my O and A Level history. Sat there with an exercise book and my massive Dictionary of World History. It's 4" thick and printed on the thinnest paper you have ever seen. Nostalgic and fun as well 

[Captain Canada]

We had encyclopedias like that as kids....weighed a tonne, and the pages were so thin....but there were so many of them !

[NARSES2]

Right progress on the Karas. The fuselage is together. Little bit fiddly to get together as there isn't much contact area on the top side what with that large space for the canopy. Still she's together now and filler has been applied. Other bits and bobs like the wheel's and spats have been assembled.

I think I have a bit of a rogue with this boxing. I checked my other ones and they are definitely sharper and there's no way the amount of flash as on this one. It's also got some mould scars/bumps. Not your usual scars but it's as though the inside of the mould had some holes and plastic has "bumped" on the surface. No problem and easier to clean up then scars and pit marks that's for sure. It's an old kit so it doesn't bother me at all to have to clean things up.

While the putty is drying I dug one of my new tool Airfix Hurricanes out. Now first thing to be said is I just wonder what would happen if you went back to when Airfix issued their very first Hurricane kit and gave this new one to an experienced modeller who had just finished that one ? He would be absolutely gob-smacked 

Looks tremendous in the box but I have a little problem with her. Now I know from experience that with these new tool Airfix kits you have to be very careful removing parts from sprues and cleaning any burr marks up or they will cause problems latter on in the build as the fit is that concise. Now in closing the top/bottom wing I have a small gap in the leading edge where it meets the fuselage. Now must admit this is probably me. The eye problem I currently have is  causing problems with alignment etc. However the issue that isn't me is that the top wing is a tad shorter then the bottom wing ! Now I don't think this is me as the overhang is equal on both sides. It's not much and will take no time to sort out, but is it me or the kit ? Anyone else noticed this ?

[PR19_Kit]

I've noticed a small difference in the upper and lower wings Chris, but not the gap that you mention. Having said that my Hurricane is 'slightly' Whiffed and the gap may have been affected by my mods.

[NARSES2]

I've noticed a small difference in the upper and lower wings Chris, but not the gap that you mention. Having said that my Hurricane is 'slightly' Whiffed and the gap may have been affected by my mods.

The "gap" is me Kit. I had a very small problem when fixing the walls to the wheel wells caused by my eye ailment. This caused a very slight gap in the leading edge which clamps and Revell Contacta sorted over night.

Glad the slight miss match on the wing halves wasn't me though. Since sorted with a couple of swipes of an emery board  Rest of the kit is cracking along 

PSR commenced on the Karas. I'm not sure what to call this in German ? It's just "Crucian Carp" doesn't sound very Germanic ? She will have been built by the Phoenix company however and powered by an Austro-Daimler licensed built Bristol whatever.

[Thorvic]

Just give it a company product number Pheonix Ph-37 or something similar the names tended to be allocated by the users or their foes 

[NARSES2]

The Karas has had some primer on the seams and just needs a little bit more psr and then she can be painted.

Decided I will take Geoff's suggestion re designation but will also name her "Rabe" which I think is German for raven ?

Going to build a second Karas latter in the year. 2 seater torpedo bomber. Remove the underside gondola and give her a bigger engine.

Work continues on the Hurricane. I've slightly, very slightly enlarged the holes for the pins. Found on the last couple of new tool Airfix kits this helps a lot with fit 

[NARSES2]

The Karas is now on her legs and ready for her paintwork to start.

The Hurricane has had her insides completed and the fuselage is closed up and attached to the wing. Lovely fit but most of my work on the interior won't be seen again. Talk about a coal hole !

Had planed to get more done today but gave up. I have a streaming cold and streaming is the right word. Buy shares in Kleenex  Impossible to model when you need to wipe your nose every 15/30 secs - not easy to type either 

[Captain Canada]

Get well soon ! Looking forward to seeing the Karas...built one way back when in a sand colour with the Polish kit decals.