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

[NARSES2]

It will be a very pale pink 

I have memory in the back of my brain that some FAA Hellcat's were converted to the PR role by the fitting of the camera gear in an under belly drop tank ? So a couple of painted on camera ports should sort that.

I'd have thought the Hellcat fuselage was large enough to take 5-6 cameras inside it! If they could get 3 inside a Spitfire.........

It was Kit, indeed there was a PR version, but I'm thinking of a quick and dirty fix done aboard the carrier for use at low levels during sunrise/sunset.

[NARSES2]

So I was thinking about a FAA P.R. Hellcat in all over pale pink for low level work with a smaller version of those roundels ? I have the kit, I have the paint and I have the roundels 

But I don't have the instructions  Shouldn't be to much of a problem, but in all honesty I'm wondering if this is the right kit to use anyway ? Revell have chosen to mould it in a very dark blue plastic which is going to be a pig to paint in Gloss Sea Blue let alone pale pink. However I find I also have the Eduard Weekend boxing of their kit, which incidentally is moulded in a olive brown shade of plastic, which whilst not the easiest colour to cover will be easier than Revell's blue. Just a little concerned about how the kit builds as some of the earlier Eduard tooling's could be fiddly. Still we shall see, the project is a definate, but not sure if it's the quick build I wanted over Christmas ?

When I realised I didn't have the instructions for the Hellcat I went to the box I keep all my used instruction sheets in. Yes I'm a hoarder and probably have a minimum of 95% of all the sheets I've used since I got back into the hobby in 1999. No Hellcat instructions but loads for models I'd no idea I'd even had in my possession let alone built, and they are all stored in boxes somewhere, that hoarding instinct again.

The one thing that was noticeable is how much instruction sheets have change over the intervening years. Mainly for the better it must be said.

[scooter]

So I was thinking about a FAA P.R. Hellcat in all over pale pink for low level work with a smaller version of those roundels ? I have the kit, I have the paint and I have the roundels 

But I don't have the instructions  Shouldn't be to much of a problem, but in all honesty I'm wondering if this is the right kit to use anyway ? Revell have chosen to mould it in a very dark blue plastic which is going to be a pig to paint in Gloss Sea Blue let alone pale pink.

Start with a neutral primer.  My preferred is  Krylon Ultra flat sand  in a rattlecan.  I've used it on everything from a black Army Combat Helmet to brightly colored Nerf, usually with good results.

[kitnut617]

Who's the manufacturer of the Hellcat kit Chris ? I've got a bunch of different ones in my stash ---

[jcf]

Revell Hellcat instructions:
https://stage.revell.de/fileadmin/import/images/bau/04140_%23BAU_GRUMMAN_F6_F5_HELLCAT.PDF

An old car modellers trick for covering dark plastic is to use silver
as the basecoat/primer, best to use a rattle can.

[NARSES2]

Who's the manufacturer of the Hellcat kit Chris ? I've got a bunch of different ones in my stash ---

The one I was thinking of using is the Revell/Italeri kit mate. I also have the Eduard kit in the stash.

Revell Hellcat instructions:
https://stage.revell.de/fileadmin/import/images/bau/04140_%23BAU_GRUMMAN_F6_F5_HELLCAT.PDF

An old car modellers trick for covering dark plastic is to use silver
as the basecoat/primer, best to use a rattle can.

Ah, thanks for both of those Jon 

[NARSES2]

Well both the 132 and the PZL have had some liaisons with a paintbrush, so some progress is being made.

[TheChronicOne]

Co-signing on the pink Hellcat. I'd love to see it! I've always like them fat lil planes.

[The Wooksta!]

Chris, mix your own PRU Pink.  One bottle Xtracrylic White with 5-6 DROPS of Red Arrows Red.  And that bottle should do you for quite a while.

That's the recipe I've followed for the last the years.

[NARSES2]

Cheers Lee 

Made some progress.

I've had to make some painting notes for the 132 as this small airframe is going to get 7 different colours of paint and I was getting a little confused. I still am even after making the notes 

The PZL has slowed however as I need to order some transfers for her. The kit comes with markings for the prototype and I only have the old Heller PZL 23 markings in the spares box. Still I've found a Techmod sheet with some nice 23 markings on it and I've ordered this together with a PZL 37 sheet as I fancy some Romanian markings for my 37A kit. This two sheets can go with my Techmod Polish Parasol fighters sheet 

Meanwhile the Christmas kit has been chosen. It will be an Airfix rag wing Hurricane MkI which will get a pair of Freightdog 20mm cannon pods that it was tested with and then go into Battle of Britain markings. I'll probably leave a pair of 0.303" mg's in each wing as well.

As for the Hellcat ? She is on hold until I can get down to Halfords post Christmas to get some "silver" spray cans.

[NARSES2]

Painting continues on both the 132 and the PZL.

The 132 has had her undersides and the engine pod painted. The two different manufacturer's versions of RLM 76 I've used do look very slightly different, but that may just be down to the fact that one is a gloss finish and the other a matt. We shall see.

[zenrat]

...The one thing that was noticeable is how much instruction sheets have change over the intervening years. Mainly for the better it must be said.

Very noticeable with the re-popped AMT car kits i've been buying as they have retained the original instruction sheets which are of the "exploding diagram" type.

As an old car modeller myself I do nothing different to cover dark plastic than I do to white - light grey primer followed by white undercoat if it is a light top colour followed by the top colour.  My primer and undercoat of choice are opaque enough to allow this.

[NARSES2]

Some progress with the painting of both the Hs and the PZL, plus the 20mm gun Hurricane Mk I is just about ready for painting  Not as much progress as I'd expect over the break, but I was a tad busier than expected.

[TheChronicOne]

Well that's a good thing, brotha!!!!! I've kind of had it the same lately and it's good , in my case, because other than work and chores, about ALL i've been doing is building so it's good to get some other stuff in there too. Diversify!! 

Well, I assume it's a good thing...   filled with things you enjoyed doing.  Me, I'm glad we're out of the holidays..   one left, but it's not the type where we're forced into awkward family gatherings.       (just speaking for myself on that one... )

[NARSES2]

Well, I assume it's a good thing...   filled with things you enjoyed doing. 

Yup, it was thanks