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

[PR19_Kit]

A friend of mine masks in two stages; she masks and paints the vertical bars first, then removes the masking and masks and paints the horizontal (or vice versa would work, too).
I don't know how much existing paint is removed when removing the masking in the second stage, but if it's only a little touching up, that's better than freehanding the whole thing.

I quite like that idea, you only need to apply strips of tape instead of actually cutting squares and rectangles out of the stuff. 

I may give that a go when I get back to aircraft modelling. 

[Rick Lowe]

A friend of mine masks in two stages; she masks and paints the vertical bars first, then removes the masking and masks and paints the horizontal (or vice versa would work, too).
I don't know how much existing paint is removed when removing the masking in the second stage, but if it's only a little touching up, that's better than freehanding the whole thing.

I quite like that idea, you only need to apply strips of tape instead of actually cutting squares and rectangles out of the stuff. 

I may give that a go when I get back to aircraft modelling.

Happy to add to the pool of knowledge, hope it works for you. 
One day I'll remember it in time to try it myself... 

[NARSES2]

A friend of mine masks in two stages; she masks and paints the vertical bars first, then removes the masking and masks and paints the horizontal (or vice versa would work, too).

I've tried something similar in the past and it can work well, but really depends on how much framing there is on the canopy and more importantly how well defined the frames are. Some of the Japanese WWII canopies are absolute 

[jcf]

A friend of mine masks in two stages; she masks and paints the vertical bars first, then removes the masking and masks and paints the horizontal (or vice versa would work, too).

I've tried something similar in the past and it can work well, but really depends on how much framing there is on the canopy and more importantly how well defined the frames are. Some of the Japanese WWII canopies are absolute 

I guess you'll just have to build nothing but Nakajima fighters. 

[NARSES2]

I guess you'll just have to build nothing but Nakajima fighters. 

Certainly easier then Zero's 

[NARSES2]

Right here's an update :-

Both the Hurricane and the PZL 42 are finished  No photos yet as I'm waiting to finish the B&V before doing all 3 at the same time.

Talking of the B&V, she is on her legs and has her markings, despite her wings constantly getting in the way of things  , indeed she is on the final straight. However she won't get finished this week as I'm off on a "boys trip to the seaside" with 4 old school mates during the week so no modelling.

No progress on the Breda or the Whitley.

The next 3 prospective builds have been drawn from the stash, 1 real world and 2 Wif's, but I want to get the B&V done first. The Whitley and Breda are going to be "fill in gaps" builds.

[NARSES2]

You occasionally get those "what the heck" moments. Well I had one yesterday afternoon.

At the recent Southern Expo I bought Airfix's re-boxing of their rather splendid Hawker Typhoon. I intend doing this as the post War 245 Squadron aircraft with it's rather subdued sharks mouth and chequered tail band. Now looking at the instructions yesterday it turns out that the aircraft also had the inside of the undercarriage doors painted blue with a white trim. The INSIDE of the doors ! What the heck must the poor old ground crew have thought when asked to do this ?

[PR19_Kit]

There must have been an AOC's Inspection due that day! 

When Dad was i/c the MT section at Benson I recall some frantic re-painting of fire tenders and fuel bowsers prior to such an occasion. Mum's face when Dad showed up for our evening meal with his hands a mixture of RAF Blue and Post Office Red, as well as him stinking of white spirit, was a picture! 

[NARSES2]

The B&V 155 is almost there. I just need to finish and then attach its camera pod.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this kit. It's Special Hobby at their best I think. An unusual subject, well tooled with good fitting parts making for a pleasurable build  They have now issued a "What If" boxing in the form of the proposed fighter version https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH72372, the version I have is the prototype although it includes the necessary bits for the fighter, I think.

I'm tempted by this, although I was wondering if the heavily framed canopy is there because of the pressures it would be subject to, or if it's just an example of a heavily framed Luftwaffe canopy ? They did seem to like their framing. Another idea was to assume the prototype was captured by the Soviets rather than the British and taken back to Mother Russia to be put into production to defend against possible B-29 raids ?

[PR19_Kit]

That 155 looks a lot better job than the Pegasus version, no matter how finely engraved the latter was.

[The Wooksta!]

The Pegasus kit was a copy of a CMK resin - I have both and can see who copied who.  The Special Hobby kit released some 10-15? years back used the CMK as a master - there's an odd scar inside the wing that looks like a join line.  I think that the current release is a retool using the same masters.

[NARSES2]

I think that the current release is a retool using the same masters.

I'm no expert on these matters, but I would say it's certainly a fairly recent tooling. If it has used the older masters, and I can see the benefits of doing that, then someone did a good job on them back in the day and it also goes to show how far SH have come in their ability to tool subjects up.

[NARSES2]

B&V has its "camera" pod, all I need to do now is grab some passing dignitary to preside over the "fitting of the propeller ceremony" and she is done.

Hopefully photos of this and my other two recent finishes this weekend.

[PR19_Kit]

Where's the 'camera' pod go then?

[NARSES2]

Where's the 'camera' pod go then?

Well the real prototype had a camera mounted behind the pilots seat, which I've left but as this is the specialist recce version of the aircraft it has a pod made from an old drop tank fitted under the port wing. A nice asymmetric fit 

It's a rather large tank made from one fitted to a Do 217 I think ? Possibly a Me 110 ?