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

[NARSES2]

I'll have a look at the Tamiya varnish range next time I'm at a model show. Thank you Zen 

Anyway here's some progress shots of the AW which has now had it's first coat of primer and it's second dose of putty which is still to be sanded. Large aeroplane, especially for me.



Here's the Beaufighter which is now almost ready for priming. Just a few little bits to add first. I must admit I was a little bit wary of the 3 part cowlings and how they would go together but I needn't have worried. They went together very well, and easily. 2 of the 3 seams are then covered by other parts and the third just needed a little P.P.P. All told this has gone together quickly and well. My only slight moan is that the plastic Airfix have used is a little on the soft side. I've slightly changed my usual method of removing parts from their sprue gates and with a new blad it's worked fine.




Finally here's the finished real world Kate which is slightly spoiled by the problems I had with the varnish.

[NARSES2]

The F4-F is also finished as a Finnish Wildcat instead of their Buffalos. Here's the link to the build pics.

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,42089.0.html



Next 3 builds have been pulled out of the stash. 1 real world, 1 wif and 1 I'm not sure about. I don't think it carried the camo scheme I want to use in the timescale she will be in, but I'm not sure. Need to do some digging.

[DogfighterZen]

I'll have a look at the Tamiya varnish range next time I'm at a model show. Thank you Zen 

I think you'll like it, when i used it with the hand brush, no thinner was used, straight from the jar, really easy to work with. 10 seconds shaking and it's good to go.

The Kate looks good anyway, i'd say it looks faded from the sun!

[zenrat]

They all look great Chris.
I was PSRing an old Airfix Beau today and your pic has just hammered it home to me how much better the new one is.

[NARSES2]

I was PSRing an old Airfix Beau today and your pic has just hammered it home to me how much better the new one is.

It really is a nice kit, recommended  Unlike the Kate where they have gone to town on loads of lovely interior detail which can't really be seen when finished, they have just done what can be seen, done it well but not gone over the top. The only slight downside as mentioned previously is the slightly soft plastic. My other small criticism of Airfix is that I'd wish they would list the unused parts. Just spent 10 mins or so checking I hadn't missed 8 parts left on the sprues in the instructions  As it happened I had missed 2  I cut the optional parts I'm not using from the sprue at the time of making up my preferred option so was surprised at the 8 left. Obviously for the next version out.

Anyway both the Beau and A.W. are now ready for priming. Probably tomorrow.

[NARSES2]

Beau and A.W. are primed and the A.W. needs some more p.s.r. ; not much but I knew where the outer wings joined the body would be a problem so I was prepared for it. Painting can start on the Beau over the next few days although the diary is a little busy.

The only slight downside as mentioned previously is the slightly soft plastic.

Just started to prepare an Eduard Avia 534 and it's the complete opposite. The plastic is very, very hard.

[zenrat]

...It really is a nice kit, recommended  ..

I have one in the stash (along with a second old one).  I just don't know what to do with it yet - waiting for inspiration to strike.
The second oldie may well get a third engine.

[NARSES2]

My second Beau will be French in Indo China instead of Mosquitos. I've a transfer sheet somewhere with some really interesting French Indo China based aircraft

[Gondor]

My second Beau will be French in Indo China instead of Mosquitos. I've a transfer sheet somewhere with some really interesting French Indo China based aircraft

Gondor

[NARSES2]

Some progress over what was a busy weekend socially and I've got a busy week ahead. Getting to a phase in my life when Golden Wedding invites come along more often than wedding invites 

Beaufighter has had her underside painted so can now be masked for the uppers.

AW has had, what I hope is her final psr session. Need to get her primed again and see.

Also managed to get most of the insides done on the Avia 534. The fit so far has been absolutely superb and the detail on the insides is excellent. The only problem is that most of it will disappear once the fuselage is closed up. Hope to start painting it tomorrow.

[NARSES2]

A small amount of progress on the 3 kits in build. The Avia has had her first coat of aluminium on the innards, the A.W. has had her first coat of Halfords Appliance White and the Beaufighter has been masked so she can have her upper colours painted.

In the meantime I've had a think about what I'll be doing for the one week build. I think I've settled on a kit, just need to check if I have the transfers I need for it first. If not I'm at MK on Sunday so will look there. In looking at the stash for a suitable candidate I came across my LF Models YP 37 and XP 42 kits. Interesting in that they use someone else's P36 or P40 (more likely ?) kit for the main parts and give you the nose and detail parts in resin. No cutting required as the fuselage has been pre-truncated. Purely as a matter of interest does anyone know who's plastic is used ?

I did think of these for the GB but although I can just about think of a couple of scenarios I'm not sure I have the transfers. So they have been put back into the "coming next" pile.

[NARSES2]

The Beaufighter is turning into one of those models I don't feel I'm doing justice to  Every now and then I get a kit I just seem to get a bit clumsy and cack handed with, and this is one of them. Strange feeling and will probably pass but at the moment I don't think it will be one of my better efforts, which is a shame as it's such a nice kit.

[NARSES2]

Well the Beaufighter has had her camouflage and masking tape removed and I'm feeling a lot more cheerfull about her. There's a little bit of touching up to be done and there's one small spot of red paint revealed by the removal of the tape which I have no idea about I haven't had the red paint jar open since well before she was masked and even then she wouldn't have been near it and I would have noticed as I masked her ? 

The AW has had the Appliance White complete, the Avia's inside is done and fuselage closed up. Most of the detail has now disapeared but some is visible, lovely fit b.t.w. Finally started on the Airfix Stuka. Some really nice interior detail on this which will repay painting.

[NARSES2]

Should have mentioned the fit on the Eduard Avia. It is probably the best fitting kit I have ever had the pleasure to build, and I've built a fair few Tamiya kits and they are good enough. So  to Eduard. The major parts fit is simply superb with nary a sign of a join to cover up. However with everything there's always a slight downside. With the Avia the wing struts are probably scale thickness which means they are not that robust. Couple that with the fact that parts fit is not pin into hole as in major producer's kits but is a very small potrusion into a dimple, which is still far better than a butt joint however. Now whilst these all line up magnificently, they are not that secure especially for things like wing struts. However the plastic used responds well to thin liquid glue and the struts bottom and top edges are thin enough that you can adjust them as the glue sets in order that they set at the right angle on the bottom wing to meet the top wing dimples perfectly. So not a problem just a bit weak in the long run ? It would be a problem to add pins to the struts because they are so thin.

All I can say is that if the Fw 190 I have in the stash is as good as this then look out for their forthcoming Spitfires 

[The Wooksta!]

The spitfires are very likely to bankrupt me...