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

[NARSES2]

Some progress even though I'm knackered. Struggled to sleep last night, don't know why and then when I drop off the birds start up at about 4:30 and wake me up again  Ah Spring, don't you just love it ?

Anyway the Spearfish has been "Kleared/Futured" so can start getting her markings at some point in the next day or two.

The Super Corsair has had the masking removed from the cockpit and it's not as bad as I feared. She has also had her wheels fitted and a coat of satin varnish. Forgot to mention that I'd clipped her wings earlier as, as far as I know all FAA Corsairs had reduced wingtips ? So I carried it on through to the "Super".

The Barracuda has had her insides fitted and painted up. Just needs seat belts and the fuselage can be closed up. It's a nice kit. Good hard plastic that is very easy to work with, especially file/sand. Fit of the internals is excellent and positive and a trial fit of the fuselage halves shows no obvious problem even where the internal bulkheads fit.

Not sure how much more I will get done with these 3 before I go up North but we will see.

[NARSES2]

Final bit of work for a while.

I got the Barracuda's innards fitted and they went into the fuselage very well. Fusalage halves fit was also very good with no fiddling around the innards necessary at all, just a small gap to fill with some thin plastic strip and that's it. So far this has been a very well fitting kit and enjoyable 

Must admit though you can't actually see a fair bit of the interior detail that I've painted as it's a bit of a coal hole back where the two crew members sit. Pilots perch is fairly easy to view however.

[NARSES2]

No modelling recently what with visiting family up North and then hospital trips back home. One more to do on Tuesday (annual diabetic review) and then can get down to some modelling. Haven't got to go back to eye bloke at Moorfields until Sept 

Going to finish the Corsair and Spearfish whilst working on the Barracuda before I start on anything else but have been thinking of some future builds. Got a Fairey Battle for the Silver Wings Hendon 1940 theme. See Mike McEvoys Grumpy Old Modeller site for more info http://www.grumpyoldmodeller.com/bench.html. Thorvic pointed me at a transfer sheet on Hannants which helps this build and has inspired some more thoughts one of which involves a Defiant.

Some Airfix Hurricanes, Spitfires and Ar 196's also remain staring at me on the "build me next pile" plus added yesterday for no better reason then seeing a photo of some under construction in a magazine a Czech Master Westland Welkin---elegant aeroplane in my view.

Chris

[NARSES2]

Progress at last.

Very warm in the model room and got uncomfortable after an hour but made some progress 

Got the transfers on the Spearfish which didn't take long as BPF markings were to say the least minimalist. Combination of Xtradecal for the national markings and DP Caster for the individual markings. She's got the Sqd codes and serials of an Avenger off HMS Illustrious during the raids on Palembang. The DP Casper transfers are very good and great value but they come off the backing sheet almost at the site of water. Seriously, I picked up the serials with the tweezers, dipped them in water still on the tweezers for a second (literally) and applied them to the model. I've mentioned this before but they could take the unwary by surprise especially if you've just been using some older Hasegawa transfers !

Also started painting my Super Corsair's armament. Rockets and napalm tanks. The Humbrol alumium almost dried on the brush but has given me a nice worn, dirty look which suits what in my world would have been old long rang tanks converted for one last trip.

[NARSES2]

More progress. The Barracuda has had it's wings attached. Butt joint but fits quite well if care taken. I fitted the top of the wings to the shoulder with spots of medium superglue then flooded the joint with normal plastic glue. After letting that dry for a few hours I used a cocktail stick to "prise" the lower wing down a few mil (around the undercarriage aperture) and then glued that to the lower part of the shoulder. Worked well and I now have a good fitting wing  Probably commence psr on this one at the weekend.

The Super Corsair continues with the fiddly bits. I've added the canon barrels (she has 4 x 20mm rather then 6 x 0.5"), arrestor hook and the 8 individual resin exhausts  . Also attached the napalm tanks and she's getting there. Should get done this weekend or early next week.

Realised that once the Corsair is finished my bench will be a branch of Fairey aviation with a Battle, Barracuda and Spearfish on the go

[Radish]

Bunch of Fairey's???

Must be one of my parties

[Mossie]

Think you need to add a Fulmar.  RAF, as a production P.4/34? 

[The Wooksta!]

I've had one of those as a long term project for some years now.  Part assembled and the canopy framing has been polished off. 

Also an RAF Barracuda for close support - it was put forward for an RAF contract in 1940. Stalled as one of the dive brakes/flaps is missing.

[Howard of Effingham]

Also an RAF Barracuda for close support - it was put forward for an RAF contract in 1940. Stalled as one of the dive brakes/flaps is missing.

i've heard of this one too. i am sure that there is an illustration of something very similar in one of tony buttlers
british secret projects books.

it very much caught my eye for the only barracuda [the ancient frog kit] i'll ever build. aeroclub did a w/m upgrade
set for it years back and i've one of those too! finish it as something in a med' theater of operations scheme and i
think i'll work for me.

[PR19_Kit]

Someone, ED  Models maybe, did an etched brass wing-fold kit for the 'cuda. I've got it filed away somewhere, goodness knows where though.

[Gondor]

Someone, ED  Models maybe, did an etched brass wing-fold kit for the 'cuda. I've got it filed away somewhere, goodness knows where though.

Airwaves did a Wing Fold set SC72-131 for the MPM kit

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

Someone, ED  Models maybe, did an etched brass wing-fold kit for the 'cuda. I've got it filed away somewhere, goodness knows where though.

Airwaves did a Wing Fold set SC72-131 for the MPM kit

Gondor

Ahah, and Airwaves WERE ED Models effectively! Maybe they updated original FROG based etch to suit the MPM kit?

[NARSES2]

The Super Corsair is finished, we had the Ceremony of the Propeller this morning  Pictures and backstory tomorrow.

Got the Battle out of it's box for a look over so the Fairey factory is now in place on my desk - Spearfish, Barracuda and Battle. Could add a Fulmar and Swordfish but I don't think so 

[Thorvic]

The Super Corsair is finished, we had the Ceremony of the Propeller this morning  Pictures and backstory tomorrow.

Got the Battle out of it's box for a look over so the Fairey factory is now in place on my desk - Spearfish, Barracuda and Battle. Could add a Fulmar and Swordfish but I don't think so 

Firefly 

[NARSES2]

The Super Corsair is finished, we had the Ceremony of the Propeller this morning  Pictures and backstory tomorrow.

Got the Battle out of it's box for a look over so the Fairey factory is now in place on my desk - Spearfish, Barracuda and Battle. Could add a Fulmar and Swordfish but I don't think so 

Firefly 

I'll see your Firefly with an Albacore