avatar_The Wooksta!

The Wooksta: Not a Spitfire Blog

Started by The Wooksta!, May 01, 2012, 08:32:10 AM

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The Wooksta!

"Wait a minute, wait a minute...Who's this Mary?"

Cleaning up the Huntsman after some rebuild filling and had a thought - dangerous, I know.  Anyway, given that Hunter was proposed with AI23 and Firestreaks, would fitting said radar to the nose of a Huntsman and a pair of outboard missiles not be a rather jolly idea?  I mean, the aircraft was supposed to have roughly the same performance as  a Hunter and you could fit a few trainees and instructors in the cabin.  Has anyone else done this?

Then I extrapolated further, given that I have a set of 1083 wings geared to go with the Airfix Hunter (on which TsrJoe based the master on way back in the mists of time, when Long John Silver's parrot was just an egg) and the willingness to clone them.  A supersonic one?

I did cast a few fuselages a week or so back, and I have several sets of Hunter wings I can use, so this could well happen.

Right, off to tart up an Airfix Hunter bang seat.


I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#271
"No. The clock's broken. The hands keep whizzing round really fast. It's only really half past seven."

Further thoughts on a Huntsman whilst I was digging out the rest of the bits.  Graft it onto a P.1121 for the ultimate fast Biz-Jet.  I've offered up the two fuselages and it could work....

Yes, I know it's insane, but compared to something like the Swallow, a Vickers 559 or the Saro 187 or even the passenger Harrier (yes, there was one drawn up!), it looks relatively sane.  What would you use it for?  It really wouldn't have that much range, but it could be useful for training navigators of fast strike aircraft, and or as a fast transport for RAF bigwigs and Royalty.

Some thought on this ones is required, but it's a fantastic idea nonetheless.

I also had some mad idea of adding a smaller 1083 wing to a P.1081.  The latter was to have had a reheated Tay, so with a more swept wing?  Aerodynamic test shell for data?  Or posibly something else for the Navy. Could I graft on a Sea Venom nose for a cheap supersonic FAW?


I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#272
"No, there's only two seats."

An interesting day or so trying to salvage something from the gash P.8 bits that came with the test print last year.  Some considerable sanding and bending in hot water, before hacking off the wings (they were too far gone and I have Novo F6 ones spare) and sanding the fuselage flush.  It'll be a pain when the Novo wings go on, but not as much as the cockpit section.

I've removed the front end and spine from a dead Aeroclub T5 conversion and will try and graft it onto the P8, but the cross sections are somewhat interesting and some P38 may have to be deployed.

It will have to be deployed for the rear fuselage too, as the way the original test print was broken down was ditched when Alistair revised it. I have a new back end, but not a fuselage top deck. Plastic card cut roughly to shape and then smeared with P38 should do.

Undecided as to a final scheme, it depends on how good the surface finish is. Ideally, I'd like an overall Aluminium frame scheme with that BFO LTF lion on the tail, but that is definitely going in the second project.

Yes, a Matchbox Lightning T55. Just building it OOB, but added some basic side consoles. The overall aluminium scheme is easy enough and I've seen it on a T5.  Tempted with it on an F6 too, although it could be a bit obvious.  I've a few different schemes in mind for Lightnings. 60 MU markings on a T5A could be rather good too.

IIRC, there's a dead T5 somewhere that would be ressurected but a scheme eludes me for now.


I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#273
"Yeah. We've made some toast!"

Well, for a collection of vastly disseparate parts, the P.8 trainer is looking fairly decent.  I managed to fill the gaping chasm on the top of the fuselage with scrap plastic card and a chunk of quite substantial resin sprue, before smearing it liberally with P38.  Half an hour later, all sanded back and looking rather good.  Added some lead in the fuselage in front of the wheel well bay.  The vacform front end was reinforced with some plastic strip and then glued back together.  Bit of test fitting and it's looking good.  Glue it together tomorrow.

That was done after I returned from Uncle Frank's emporium, but sadly there was nothing new or shiny enough to tempt me to part with my dwindling collection of Great British Pounds.  It fitted a lot better than I thought it would so it got glued in place with a lot of superglue gel and then the P38 was deployed again to fill the gaps and to tie everything together.  A second coat was required on the starboard side and that will get sanded back tomorrow.  I would have done it earlier, but the delights of Scarfolk beckoned and have kept me entertained otherwise.

The wings may be the more difficult bit, largely because there's no attachment points for obvious reasons, and also because the amount of filling and sanding has removed any possible hint of their location.  Still, I have superglue, drills and pins.  What can possibly go wrong?

A Hunter got it's canopy, now that I finally located the Krystal Kleer, but I neglected to locate the Maskol.  I do have the Microsol equivalent, which I know has been sitting unopened, unloved and unused since 2007.  Surprisingly, it's still viable. Should know more tomorrow, as I'm hoping to do some spraying.

The DH117 will have to be disinterred from it's current resting place and I'll need to fit some sort of pylons under the wings before I can get some proper paint on it.  Med Sea Grey or Dark Camo Grey for the radome, Barley grey for the rest of the uppers and Light Aircraft grey for the undersides of the wings and tailplanes.  I have some rather spiffing and downright spectacular 43 sqn decals in mind for it and hopefully they'll fit.  The tail ones won't, but that's not such an issue.

Further thoughts on the FAC Tempest two seater.  Other than underwing tanks (in a different colour) and possibly a contraprop (from a Shattipuss), it'll not get much else.  33 Sqn markings and I'll decal it when I do the others that should be on the bench at the same time.

I'll try and get some priming done too, mainly a solitary Huntsman that's going in the late Black/White scheme, but it's going to get 607 Sqn markings as one based at RAF Acklington.

So, a fair bit going on, but others things could well cause disruption.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

"Mike, Mike, did we burn the sofa?"

Didn't get as far as I expected with the P8 T-Bird and in some repects, I've gone backwards.

The fuselage got sanded, but the spine looked off, so out with a scalpel to remove it.  Looks better and I've built up a nosegear bay and there's yet more filler to blend it all in.  I've done the first lot of sanding and a second skim is on now.  I'll leave the spine off until all the other sanding is done.  I'll probably fit the fin around the same time, although it may be better to leave it off until the wings are in place and filled.

Hunter.  Canopy is masked, so a black undercoat and then I can look at blending the front in a bit better.

The Huntsman got a first coat of white, which only revealed more areas to fill.  Really happy about that...



I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#275
"Okay, I want a pint of water in a straight glass, ah, a bag of roast ox crisps, and, uh, mine's a Babycham."

After a few days of heavy sanding, I've got the GSM 72nd Vickers Swallow almost to the point where it's together.  Everything is cleaned up, the wings are assembled, although one will need hot water treatment to sort out the warp.  I had to do some rebuild work on the join on that one, with a greatd deal of superglue and plastic card.  The lower rear and centre fuselage are together and the mid part of the upper fuselage is currently clamped in place whilst the superglue hardens.  Hopefully, I can get the nose on later so the whole fuselage is largely together.

With the wings spread, it's big, with the same footprint or greater than a Victor or Vulcan.  I know none of the boxes I use are big enough, so a wander through Poundstretcher or Home Bargains for something suitable may help.

I cleaned up one of the two P8s in the stash, but I'm torn as to what it'll be finished as, too many schemes I'd like to do and not enough kits.  There's a nice DSG over Aluminium scheme that was trialed in the 70s that I want to do, although I'm thinking of that with 60MU markings on it for a T5 Lightning.

The P8 T-bird still hasn't got any further as the wings are on the other side of the city (long story...), but it's ready to get them.  Once sanded, quick blast with the Stardust silver to find the flaws and then on with the aluminium.


I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#276
" Of course I'm beginning to regret it. That was nearly a full bottle of vodka! That's £7.99 you owe me, ploppy pants."

The Swallow now has the front fuselage in place and the filler is curing.  I'm trying to sort out the flaws getting the top rear to fit.  More sanding, which seems endless when trying to get that to fit, then the wings throw it out.  Sanded down the pins, which has helped somewhat, but plenty more to go.

I've accidentally glued in the nosegear whilst trying to see if it'll sit without being a tail sitter.  Possibly was the answer.  A wing got dropped, leading to it breaking in half along the join.  Clean break so it is fixable.  There is still an immense amount of sanding in this beast and I really am starting to think I've taken on something that I don't think I can finish.

It is impressive, looking like some fantastic SF ship without the wings.  Even reminiscent of a Star Destroyer from some angles.

Scheme.  For one moment, I did reconsider Antiflash white for ease, but then that would be too easy.  I still like the 1970s Vulcan scheme but masking could be a pain. DSG or MSG?  Personally, I'd like the former, just to be different, but it would have to be LAG underneath and that means later and the Tactical roundels rather than the glossy Type Ds.  If I go with Tactical roundels, I may go with Hemp/LAG for ease.  Whichever scheme I do go with, there's a lot of tricky masking.

And I hate masking...


I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#277
"I had to! I was drunk!"

Finally got the wings on the P8, all pinned in place but the rush to get it finished is being rethought. Surface finish needs to be a lot better for Aluminium.

Cleaned up a Huntsman fuselage. The mould is really getting on a bit now and I don't know how many more I can get out before it finally gives up the ghost.

Two more Lightnings have had some work done. Another Matchbox T55 will become either an LTF one in DSG over Aluminium or 4 FTS at Valley in white, red and Light aircraft grey, although it'll be a pain to mask. I've a hankering for that scheme on an F6.
The other one is an Airfix F3, but it'll get a replacement fin to become an F1A. Similar scheme to the LTF but with 60 MU markings as the early 70s hack instead of the F6 they had. I've a mind to do a T55 in their markings - they salvaged enough of an F2A being scrapped and did the upgrades to a T5 themselves? Sounds plausible to me.

Both have had a rudimentary cockpit in, upgrading what little passes for one in the Airfix kit and makes the Matchbox one marginally less bare.

I still have enough T55s tucked away to do more of the schemes I have in mind, although I could do with a few more. One at least has to put aside for an RAAF strike version.

So, lots going on but nothing to show for it.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#278
"There. I think that should do it!"


The Swallow is together!  The wings are on, the top rear fuselage is in place and the bulk of the pre-primer filling and sanding is done. 

It continued fighting back.  I've sanded and scarved out the wing retraction bays so they swing a bit better.  It's not so tight that it'll take off any paint, but is quite loose.  When I was trying to sort out the warping yesterday, the other wing snapped in the same place as the one I pinned on Wednesday.  Same treatment applied and more sanding.
Wings go into place - one does, apply rear fuselage and hold in place whilst wiggling the other wing through the gap - and I hear a nasty crack.  Part of the lower fuselage near the wing pivot had bwoken and I'd glued it back in place but clearly not enough and it broke off.  The wing was still in place, but I took it out and made sure the upper fuselage was secure with a lot of superglue.
Then the other wing was held in place and I carefully glue back the piece that had snapped off.  I'd also added some very tin plastic card to help when filling later.  Thankfully, the glue held and I quickly inverted it on some support and left it overnight.

The yawning chasm of doom between the rear fuselage top and the rest of the fuselage was filled with some resin off cuts from a P8, superglued in place..  Whilst that was curing, I fixed the other two bits of the lower fuselage, that had broken off in transit, into place near the u/c bays.  They're part of the fuselage.  The P38 got deployed, filling the big gaps and areas around the wheel bays. 

Given the amount of handling and iffy casting*, the whole area of the wheel well bays, both top and bottom, needed rebuilding with P38 to try and straighten it or at least make it look a bit less noticeable.  There are other methods, albeit more drastic and involve the use of power tools, but I'd really rather not.  I'm hoping that the disruptive camo with confuse the eye enough to overlook it.

It's currently sitting on it's wheels with the wings back, although the engines will probably be the last things to go on.  I want them to be able to swivel with the wings.  I still want to add a few lumps and bumps, probably some scoops and vents, plus the Red Drover aerial underneath, some other plate aerials and probably a refuelling probe (retracted).  Something to break up the surface and make it look more like an operational aircraft.

Schemewise, I'm wedded to a late 60s V bomber scheme, but I'll just use the Halfords primer as Med Sea Grey, even though it's a bit dark, to lessen the amount of masking.  I am not looking forward to spraying the white.

Markings, I'd like to use the SR recce ones from the Airfix Victor.  I regret passing that one up a while back now...

A name.  Swallow is a bit "meh" for a military aircraft but would work for an airliner.  Given it would have flown around the time of the Avro 730, and likely a follow on to the V bombers, something there could be be suitable.  Vengeance, Vindicator, Vanquish, Vitesse, Volante (although that may be better for an unknown Vickers saucer project...), several to choose from.  I'm minded with Vanquish, with the Avro 730 being named Vengeance.

Would Swallow have been any good?  Success or colossally expensive failure?  My money's on the latter.  The Gyron Junior was a thirsty piece of crap that blighted any aircraft that used it and the whole concept is too early, needing computers and fly by wire to make the engineering work.  Either way, it's an impressive design and an imposing model, sure to be conversation piece.  Mine is destined for the What If SIG table, so it'll be interesting to see what TsrJoe comes up with for his for Project Cancelled.

Also sanded down the Canberra P.12.  I'm thinking of using the bits left over with the standard PR9 to do a Blue Water equipped strike version.  There's also the need for a training aircraft for navigators of whatever won F.155 and either a goldfish bowl or fighter canopy B.8 would be ideal.  Another long range proposal to add to the list.


I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118

*Not a criticism.  Alistair has said that the 72nd Swallow is at the limit of what he can do with his printers.  I'm just happy to have a 72nd Swallow, faults and all.  Most of them are fixable.  I *really* want a 72nd Avro 730 to go with it!
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

"Get out of the way, Neil! Me and machinery have a very special understanding."

The Swallow went in to the club tonight and sparked some interest.  Willie seems to think that the areas I have issue with don't look too bad.  I shall defer to his judgement and carry on with what I've got rather than breaking out the drill and the hedgetrimmers (I ran out of bleach).

Next job before priming is adding the lumps and bumps.  I'm planning on using sellotape for the fuselage mounted Red Drover aerial (approx. 9in long) on the grounds that I can't find my really thin plastic card.  The plate aerials elsewhere can be a tad thicker.  I think it'll need an airbrake or two, so they'll get scribed in somewhere, plus I'll have to find a suitable refuelling probe.  Scoops/vents for the engines I'm thinking of using some Spitfire intakes as there's a lot of bits in the spares boxes that look right and I have lots of them.

I'm pleased with it so far and really looking forward to getting some paint on it.  Definitely sold on the name Vanquish for it and I *really* want an Avro 730 to go with it as a second generation V Force.

The 23 Sqn Lightning T55 (aka T5A) is *finally* finished.  Seats went in last night, canopy on and the u/c fixed.  The missing door was located this morning and the pitot was fitted.  No expense was spared, as I used a sewing needle which cost all of about 5p.  None of your expensive turned brass here.

At a bit of a loose end this afternoon, I picked up Alistair's Armstrong Whitworth VSTOL thing with the lift engines.  All I intended to do was the cleanup and some test fitting, but the fit was pretty decent and it sharp got stuck together.  Went together easily, part of the lower fuselage resisted a bit but some applied pressure soon fixed it.  Some strategic sanding got the engine intakes in place with few issues.  Not entirely sure which nose it's getting, but I'm doing the second prototype, sans lift engines (waste of time, taking up space and fuel for other things), Gyrons replaced by reheated Sapphires and a proper u/c.  I'm thinking of adding a navigator in a scratch cockpit where the lift engines went, the space behind him being utilised for fuel, black boxes or cameras.  May possibly add some stub wings outboard of the engines too.  What to use it for?  Recce, perhaps, or possibly just airfoil research.  Another in the Concord development programme?  Or something more secretive?


I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

"It's the middle of summer, big ears!"

Dave let slip yesterday that Telford is less than twelve weeks away, which made me look at the build list and immediately start pruning it downwards to stuff that's either at the primer stage - pause for sarcastic laughter - or at least half built.  More sarcastic laughter.  TBH, there's only one in the list that isn't, but the masters are done and I just need to mould and cast it.  Oh, there's the Flattening, but that wouldn't take too long to throw together.  More laughter.
Really want all the major assembly done by the end of the month, leaving September for painting and decalling, with Octorber to finish off. 

That's the plan anyway.  Unless Alistair tempts me with something new and shiny - like an EE P6 or a Hawker P.1103 - then the build list is set.

Swallow.  Hurrah!  My think plastic turned up and the airframe now has some lumps and bumps, plus some panels added.  The Red Drover aerial is underneath, along with the plate over the chaff dispenser and an entry hatch.  An airbrake either side of the spine, plus a panel over a retractable refuelling probe and a blister aft over the cockpit.  The back end got a scoop and a vent, plus I've added a large radom thing for the Orange Putter device.  I decided to give it the same ECM that the Vulcan had.  It's a bit bigger than the one on the Vulcan, but this isn't a Vulcan, so I can live with it.  The engines also got some vents, so overall it looks a bit more busy.

Part of me isn't quite convinced by the raised panels, even if they are quite thin.  I'll make a final decision once the primer is on, but a word with Willie may help give me some more perspective.  I can always go back to the idea of Sellotape.

I need some more Maskol before I can get any primer on and I'm sure I'll need some of that too.  I'm hoping to get some paint on over the weekend as I'm rather keyed up with this one.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#281
"You didn't know I was gonna do that, did you?"

Not done anything with Swallow since wed, but some prep work has been done on another Lightning T55.

Also moved forward on the Olympus P.6.  The fuselage is lengthened at the back end a bit with a Meteor cowling from the Matchbox kit (the flashbacks are starting...) and a lot of filler is applied to blend it in before I cut it down again to match the drawing. Also cut up a Lightning fuselage for the tailplanes mounts, although I think they'll need some tweaking. It was the spine donor anyway, so no virgin kits were sacrificed.
Annoyingly, I don't have my drill, so can't pin the wings in place. Being a later Olympus one, it's getting F6 wings and it's going in the Indian Thunderbirds scheme, albeit with a different sharkmouth.  Then again, it's not an Su-7 and may have been painted by a different artist. MFM!

I did have a look through the Lightnings in the loft to see if any are worth salvaging.   The T5 is, and possibly some of the F6s, but the assembly on several Airfix ones is all to cock, so they may well end up as donors for P6s.  Pretty sure I have enough spare Aeroclub undercarriage sets.

The P.1121 (RAF) got it's fin and one of the wings fitted on Wednesday, so that could be ready for primer soon.  Whilst I still want a Gulf War example, I'm thinking more ADV, but whethere that is in the 80s greys (which I'd like)or more usual 60s colours is yet to be decided.  If the latter, it's getting Type Ds.  I don't like the tactical roundels, although I'll use them at some point on a P8, probably a 5 Sqn one.  Having said that, there was a late 5 Sqn aircraft that got Type D's for their final airshow season in '88 and it looked spiffing.

Mention of P8s leads me to mention that I did start one a few days back and have finally broken out the power tools, to whit an orbital sander, to crunch the top of the wheel well insert.  Always hate cleaning that bit up.  Should have a fuselage assembled and filled by late sunday.  I'm toying with the experimental Dark Sea Grey over Aluminium scheme worn by some Lightnings in the mid 70s, but a unit has yet to be decided on.
Also did the wheel well module for the two seater, which I did do some clean up on also.  The thinking is greys for that one, but with 151 Sqn markings and a Roundel Blue fin.  Alternately, a rounded F1 fin and aluminium finish, but also with the blue fin.  Sure I have them somewhere...

Time to start redrawing the 2022 Plan.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#282
"That is the most completely brilliant thing I've ever seen! A flying shark!"

Oh, we've been redecorated. I don't like it. Neither does ORAC, so much so that it won't log me on now, so this is being keyed with a bingo dabber on a tablet. Vile thing...

Have spent the last few days getting various things to the stage where I can actually get some paint on them, although a lack of Maskol is going to slow things right down.

Swallow. It's been primed, filled, sanded and repeat about five times. The first coat of white went on yesterday, whilst the lower engines got a gloss coat. Masking them off to do the exhausts is a job for the weekend. I'm just going with Halfords primer as the upper grey, as it's close enough to Med Sea Grey anyway and saves me another paint job. I am really not looking forward to masking this thing. At the speed I'm rattling through it, that should be quite soon. 
Crap photo and somewhat small, this was the stage it was at about a week ago. That cutting mat is A2 size, so that should give an indication of just how big it is.  I'm looking at boxes for storage and transportation and none of the ones I have are right. Too small or too big.

Also got some Lightnings advanced, not in the plan, but getting some paint on them would be a good thing. 
The Vickers Type 559 is finally primed, after an annoying seamline was removed. I tried a good ten times to get it to go. Still unsure of a unit for that one.
Most of the stuff in the Plan V3.0 is assembled, barring one I have yet to mould and another yet to arrive. Two P.8s are mid assembly and should be together soon as the fuselages are about ready to go together. One is a two seater and will be going in 1980s greys with a nice colourful fin, in this case Roundel Blue of 151 Sqn. I've done some mods to the canopy so the crew have a better view. The other is going 1970s second line with a scheme trialed but not used on Lightnings. With a rounded fin.

So, as usual, lots going on but I do have something to show for it. And well ahead of where I normally am.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

"It wouldn't have worked anyway, Rik."

The two P8s have their fuselages together and filled, this time with several applications of superglue and a great deal of sanding. I've also got the wings ready to go on, after a great deal more sanding. One needs a bit of filler work on the trailing edge and a lt more sanding to remove some print artifacts, the other needs hot water treatment to set out some warping.
Both sets need some scribing to add the control surfaces, whilst I've yet to add the fins or belly tanks. I'm not planning on adding a tank to the single seater, definitely not an integral IFR probe, on the grounds that I want it to be an early machine late in it's career. Lightning F1s used as second line machines always carried the tanks, so I may well have to add one anyway. I do need to cast a few bits, but I'm waiting on both resin and rubber, so the P8s may be a bit delayed.

I also need the rubber to do the moulds for the Hawker P.1067 Demon.  The tailfin still needs some scribing, as do the wings (flaps) and the tailplane.  I also need to sort it an intake bullet/splitter plate, plus a cockpit tub, but they can wait  until I have a test shot.  Depending on how it comes out,  it's in the Plan.
I definitely have to do some work inside the fuselage, as the strengthening put in when it was going to be scratch bodge isn't going to help getting the master out of any mould, let alone any resulting cast. So it's out with the power tools again.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic

The Wooksta!

#284
"Yeah, I started that! Try to make Rick think I was hiding in his bedroom."

Vanquish now has all three camo colours on.  Took the masking off and it looks fab. One or two areas need a touch up with a brush, but it looks really smart. Alistair has a photo of progress so far.  Next is to give it a coat of varnish and then the decals can go on.

Lots of other things getting primed and painted. Some will get to Telford, others won't but I'll get the paintwork done nonetheless. Some of them have been kicking about for ages, including a TSR2.  The only Airfix one that ever got assembled.

I'm been having a lot of ideas regarding alternate schemes to what I had  planned. The P.8 T is needing more cleanup than I thought so a darker scheme may be in order. I do have one in mind, but I'd intended it for a T5A and I don't want any duplicate schemes on the Lightnings.
The WE177 equipped Lightning is now going wraparound, to ease masking. One of the P.1121s is going late 60s, with a three tone scheme rather than Gulf, largely to hide build issues due to the cack handed clean up of the vac bits back in 2004. Red Tops and CLBS carriers for a jolly outing at Otterburn.  I'm thinking of a black fin, a big Saint marking and a sharkmouth for 16 Sqn. The scheme would be zapped, 607 natch, and is for the RAF 50 celebrations in 1968.
There's a Hasegawa Lightning that was going Italian but as Gondor has started one, German or RAAF are current possible alternates. I just need to find the RAAF Sabre markings.  The other two camouflaged Lightning derivatives ave also got a coat of paint, one will be going AFDS. I also have some ideas for Lightnings in the 70s /80s trainer camo, but these are more long term.
There's a pair of Swifts that may be resurrected but I need to sort out the wing fences. Testors ones so they're decidedly basic and will be in flight ones on sticks.
And all this is before Alistair tempts me with something shiny and I have yet to look at the moulds for the P.1067 Demon.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=35118
"It's basically a cure -  for not being an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. The potential market's enormous!"

"Visit Scarfolk today!"
https://scarfolk.blogspot.com/

"Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!"

The Plan:
www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic