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

[NARSES2]

Just a little progress on the Hurricane before the cold got to much. She's now basically together and all the parts fitted beautifully as long as you make sure to remove all the last traces of any burr marks from cutting from the sprues, the new Airfix kits really are that well tooled I find.

[NARSES2]

Kara's has stated having her paintwork done. I'm having to paint the wing national markings as I don't want to use iron crosses. The fuselage/tail markings will come from a WWI Austro_Hungarian sheet I found a few years ago at SMW. She'll have a green fuselage band to denote a Hungarian squadron. (Red = Austrian, Blue = Bo-Mo and later in the 40's yellow = Polish)

Hurricane has been primed. earlier in the thread I queried the red pieces in the instructions. Well they come in useful whilst fitting the undercarriage. I couldn't work out how they fitted until I looked at the next step (where they are red). It's then obvious that they are threaded through a gap in the bay spars. Sounds complicated and parts look fragile but works out well and the parts fit like a dream. Very sturdy when fitted as well. Not sure she's a kit for a younger child but she is a beaut 

[NARSES2]

Thursday and Friday tend to be chores days so not much progress.

However the PZL has had a little more paint slapped on for the markings. I should have sanded the gloss white down, it's a bitch to cover with gloss red 

Hurricane has had her underside almost completed. One wing sprayed white, masked, centre sprayed aluminium, masked, other wing sprayed black. All from Humbrol rattle cans. Now I know why I've never taken the plunge and got an airbrush - I'm maskaphobic  I want to paint the fabric covered areas a slightly different "metal" shade to try and show it was doped fabric. Might use Humbrol "silver" No 11

Hopefully I won't get the lurgie this weekend so I'll have more progress to report.

[Captain Canada]

Maskaphobic ? Is that even a word ? 

But do you mean masking as in tape, or mask as in for the spray fumes ?

[JayBee]

I want to paint the fabric covered areas a slightly different "metal" shade to try and show it was doped fabric.

Chris,

try a little matt white in the silver for a doped look, it even works if you are brushing it.

Jim

[PR19_Kit]

I want to paint the fabric covered areas a slightly different "metal" shade to try and show it was doped fabric.

Chris,

try a little matt white in the silver for a doped look, it even works if you are brushing it.

Jim

That's a very useful tip JayBee, thanks so much.  It'll come in very handy for my Whiffed Hurricane I too.

[NARSES2]

I want to paint the fabric covered areas a slightly different "metal" shade to try and show it was doped fabric.

Chris,

try a little matt white in the silver for a doped look, it even works if you are brushing it.

Jim

Added a touch of white to Humbrol 11 and it's worked a treat. Just given the fabric areas the contrast I wanted . Thanks Jim 

[NARSES2]

Maskaphobic ? Is that even a word ? 

But do you mean masking as in tape, or mask as in for the spray fumes ?

As in tape Capt. There was just so much of it and a lot of tape was used. Normally with using a hairy stick I just tape the edges. However I must admit that if I wear a face mask I find my glasses steam up very quickly and no it's not the dvd's I watch 

[NARSES2]

Hopefully I won't get the lurgie this weekend so I'll have more progress to report.

Well the Lurgie spent the week re-grouping and launched another attack last night  Before it got to bad today however I got the undersides of the PZL (Phoenix Ph 63 Rabe) painted and the Hurricane has had the brown of the camouflage done.

[NARSES2]

Right both the Hurricane and Ph 63 have had their main paintwork done and are now gleaming under their coat of Future/Klear. Start getting the transfers on tomorrow and they will start to come alive. 

[NARSES2]

Started with the transfers. Hurricane went well as one would expect from the quality of the new Airfix transfers 

The Rabe (aka Karas) however was a case of one step forward 'tother back  Her markings are a mixture of painted and ones from the spares box/bought examples. Now the underwing numerals I'm using look as though they are either from a Lightning or RAF Phantom (possibly a Sea Vixen ?) and if so they are probably old Matchbox ones or of that era. Now by the time they came off the backing paper I could have decorated the front room and I know the fuselage numbers (old Hasegawa) will take nearly as long. The other markings are from an old Pegasus sheet I bought ages ago at Telford from Comet. Now they took a while to come off the backing paper and then I discovered the white isn't printed. The red/black/gold is beautifully printed if a little fragile, but no white. So I've had to go back and use some wide white strips to make a rectangle for the national marking to go on, not a problem just a little frustrating.

[NARSES2]

Right Hurricane and Rabe have had their transfers finished and bits and bobs added and are sitting there gleaming like brand new tinplate toys (for those of you old enough) awaiting a break in the weather so they can get their matt coats. Some bits of the Hurri - wheels and exhaust - are nice push fits with no glue needed whereas some others are such good fits that any paint means they don't. Really only affected the aerial pole but in future I may change my build method slightly with these newer tools. The Hurricane by the way has very few stencils - just the w/t markings - which to me in 1/72 is right 

Also started on the new tool Airfix Fw 190 F-8. Now this is an interesting comparison with the Hurricane. I read that Airfix have their products made in a couple of places and are bringing one lot back to the UK. Now whilst the 190 is a nicely tooled kit it lacks the finesse of the Hurricane. Detail wise probably it's not as sharp as the Hurricane but still nice. The sprue gates are thicker and perhaps not so well thought out. Hurricane has no flash, Fw has a little in one or two places but no problem to clean up. Instructions in the Hurricane are computer designed, very clear and with the initially confusing (to me anyway) red coloured previously fitted parts. The 190 is very much old style "hand" drawn Airfix instructions. So far the 190 has gone together well but no major construction work done yet. She will be Romanian in 1946 fighting the Anglo-French forces advancing from Turkkey 

[Captain Canada]

it's not the dvd's I watch 

LOL....good one !

[NARSES2]

Major construction started on the Fw and she's going together really well. The optional panels (you get A8/F8) are a superb fit. Once placed from the inside and glue run around the edge you really can't tell they are inserts, so well done Airfix.

Took advantage of the bright if chilly weather this morning to get out and matt the Hurricane and Rabe, so they are now on the finishing straight, however like Aintree it's probably a long one knowing me.

[NARSES2]

Came across my first problem area on the 190.

Now please bear in my that I'm not the greatest modeller in the world and my gippy eye is causing me problems lining things up etc but the armoured ring at the front of the cowling is a) attached to the sprue by some chunky gates and is difficult to detach cleanly. b) It's slightly to large for the cowling. Not a great problem as it's easy to sand down to size once attached. Construction is now basically complete and this is the only problem I've had.