The Wooksta: Not a Spitfire Blog

[The Wooksta!]

Got some of the priming done but gave up as me hands starting to freeze in the cold.  I'll try to finish it off later in the week and I'll do the other Beau at the same time.

I'm going to rethink the EDSG/DSG/Night Blenheim - on the grounds that I've already done it once, although that was more in the normal bomber scheme.  Then again, I may do it anyway as it's a nice combination of colours.

I've had a rethink on the He 162 and I'm leaning towards Czech, possibly in the colours of one of their S199 units.  I've a feeling I have another one or two of those Hobbyboss Volksjagers tucked away, so the captured one is still on the cards for a future build.

Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

Posting in the Martin Baker MB5 thread on widening the scope of an MB5 theme build to include other MB aircraft and projects led me to doing some digging to find my unfinished MB3 and the 12 gun fighter that was gifted to me by TsrJoe.

The latter is really just a shape and Narses2 has said he has the Unicraft kit (pause for sarcastic response....) so I've a feeling I may just add some props, a tailfin (all MB projects inevitably ended up with larger fins) and just spray it black as an Observer Corps model.  Cheating?  No, just some lateral thinking.

I did find my box of MB5 kits and found that I had quite a few - 2 Pegasus, a Falcon vacform, 3 Magna and the remains of a French resin kit.  I've a feeling that the vacform was going to get the wings from the resin kit, but I've slept since then.  I know there's at least one more Pegasus MB5 kicking about that I can lay my hands on, quite possibly there's another which I'm sure I got at Telford 2015, but I'm not going to go digging for the latter right now.

The Magna kit is probably his best, with nice fit, some superb surface detail and the radiator intake is extremely fine.  I'm almost tempted to make a start on one, but really, I've enough for now.  Wish I knew where the MB3 is - it's not where I last remember it and I know it's in a Heller Spitfire 16 box.  Obviously, given the VAST number of Spitfires I have, and quite a few are the Heller 16, it's like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.

One good thing is that I found a spare set of Pegasus instructions - if you can call them that - which give templates for the wheel doors, which is handy as I'd like to get one of the stalled builds finished sometime soon, possibly in time for 'uddersfield.

And finally, the MB2.  Many years ago, I got a Merlin kit of this beastie an it was actually one of his more buildable kits, so much so that it actually got built, primed, painted and decalled.  And then stalled, as the canopy wouldn't fit.  Neither would the magna one, as the Magna one is a lot wider and the Merlin one rather slim.  So I'm considering sawing the canopy in half and posing it open.  Given that I'd put some detail in the cockpit, it's a worthy idea. I just have to find it...

I did pick up another Merlin one at Telford last year, although I'll try widening the fuselage with some plastic card to try and get it closer to the correct width.  I'm rather curious now as to quite where my Magna MB2 is - I've seen a drawing of a late variant with a retractable u/c and I'm tempted to do one.

Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

Found the MB2 in about five minutes, although it wasn't in the box I expected it to be in - it was full of bits for various Hawker projects, including 1083 wings and a 1130 "Huntsman" fuselage so I made a mental note in case I want to resurrect these at some point.

I test fitted the canopy and found that it does sort of fit but is so thick and unclear that opening it is a good idea.  Well, until I'd actually sawed through it and found that it's 3mm thick in some places.  The model itself needs a coat of varnish before I do anything, but I think that attaching the canopy and doing any requisite filler work now is probably better, so that the varnish can settle and hide any repaint work better.

Also found the 12 gun twin engined fighter.  Not sure what to use for the blister canopy but I'm thinking Beaufighter observer's blister.  Then again, a proper hood would have been demanded by Boscombe Down and as I'm giving it the MB3 fin spare from the AZ MB5 - or possibly an MB5 fin that I discovered was spare in the MB5 box of bits - I could get away with a more normal canopy.

On to other thoughts.  Skuas.  What can you do with them?  Well, not a lot.  What I am considering is an early batch actually getting the Mercury that it was intended to get until the RAF coughed and said that they needed more for Blenheims and Gladiators and could the Navy find a different engine please?  I have a cheap Revell boxed Frog kit that has the Magna resin wings and little planned for it.  Alternatively, I could just give it a better resin Perseus (I have a mould somewhere) and do it as a land based one against the Italians operating from Malta in that fetching EDSG/Dark Slate Grey and Night scheme.  Or even from Illustrious in a second attack on Tarranto.  I've a feeling I may have a built up kit somewhere that was going to get a Taurus.  Wonder where that is?  Actually, I have a horrible idea that I know where it is and it'd be a reet arseache to get to. 

Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

I've been thinking on more alternate schemes for Blenheim Is. Largely because I have quite a few of the old Frog/Novo kit to use up.

Desert scheme with the fighter gunpack and the small bombs.  Habbanya during the Iraqi revolt.  Strafe them then drop the small bombs.  The second would be a similar scheme but with the turret replaced with a blister (probably Beaufighter as I have quite a few!)  South African roundels and in use as a training machine.

I'd also been thinking about early Mosquitos.  The Navy wanted 200 for use as target tugs but had they actually got them, they might have been reconfigured for the bomber or PR role. Tamiya kit with the SAM resin early nacelles and an EDSG/Dark Slate Grey and Sky scheme.  Plenty of Mosquito kits in the stash and a spare set of those nacelles somewhere.


Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

Quick update.

The two new Blenheim ideas are being translated into plastic - I stated a pair last night plus found another part started (wings) so that got added to the pile.  Still need a scheme for the latter but I'm tempted with an RAAF evaluation aircraft.

The MB2 now has it's windscreen on and all faired in.  Most of the little detail parts on it have been painted so it'll be off to the paint sop later for a coat of varnish.  That'll be ready for 'uddersfield.  With that out of the way, I'll try to finish the MB5 that's just needing u/c doors to finish off.

That is all.  So far...



Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

Got some paint on the Blenheims last night.  The nightfighter scheme one looks quite different in Medium Sea Grey - and this is before I put the disruptive colour on it!  The other two are resplendent in EDSG and look quite natty, although I'll reed to respray the wing of one.  The late war Beaufighter also has a coat of med sea grey on it's uppers, so that's off to be masked later.

Wings are on the part started Blenheim.  That's going to be a trainer in South Africa but sans turret.  still need to do some work there.



Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

The three Blenheims are now masked and ready for a second colour.  Actually found them a lot easier and quicker to mask than Spitfires, far more straightforward despite the size differential.  Props and wheels are also mounted to be sprayed up too.

Whilst I had the EDSG in the airbrush - and there wasn't much of it left! - I decided to use it up on a pair of stalled RN builds, this time a Tempest II as a Royal Navy training machine and another Sea Fury torpedo fighter.  This one is going to have the high demarcation scheme and quite probably type D roundels with markings for Eagle.  I did toy with Canadian for a few moments but the FAA won out in the end.  Doubt these will be advanced much whilst I'm on a twins kick - at least until the three Blenheims and a similar number of Beaufighters are finished. 

The latter will be providing the torpedo and the launch gear for the Sea Fury TF and I'm starting to think about where the Eagle P.1027 Tempest went - that had been sprayed with EDSG for use in a similar role and it may be wise to try and find it to finish it off at the same time.  More archaeology beckons!

Back to the Blenheims.  I was thinking about putting Hercules engines on a Blenheim some years back but never did and I remembered that I have an MPM Blenheim V part built somewhere.  It was a horrid kit to build and I'm considering some surgery to use Matchbox Beaufighter u/c nacelles, gear and doors on the kit and add the Hercules engines.  Now I'd read that it was unlikely that the Blenheim could take the weight but also in the same book there was comment that Bristol had built in a great deal of structural strength and if anything they'd overbuilt the aircraft so the possibility that it may indeed have had the strength to carry Hercules may well be there.  So I get thinking about a Blenheim V with Hercules engines and Beaufighter outer wing panels (actually, they'd the same base wing) with either rockets or machine guns.  May be worth thinking a bit more but it's a decent enough whiffed light bomber for use in the far east.  And it gets rid of another part started project!


Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

Right - where am I?

Got the MB2 finished yesterday so it could be shown off at the club.  It actually looks a lot better than I think it deserves and it'll be down at 'uddersfield on Sunday, along with a few other MB5s if I can dig them out.  I will be finishing off another MB5 later in the week as I just have to get the u/c doors all sorted out.  Finally, whilst I'm waffling on about MB stuff, I did have another look at the twin engined MB thing and I may just tack on a few bits and bring it down in case someone wants to have a quick gander.

Blenheims.  The second colour is on, tidied and the masking now on for the underneath to go on, along with the late war night strike Beau.  I'll get them sprayed tomorrow when I get in and possibly decalled but I doubt that they'll be ready for the weekend.  One perhaps, but not all three.  I did mask of the RN Tempest but the Sea Fury TF will need another coat of EDSG and I can't get that until saturday.  Still, it wasn't important anyway, I just sprayed it cos it was there and I needed to finish off the paint.  I still want to find the Eagle engined one.

An Attacker and the He 162 finally got primed.  The former being a Plan item doesn't fit here, but it will get a coat of Ocean Grey along with a Pegasus MB5 later in the week.  The Attacker will be the first prototype but in camo as opposed to the overall NMF.  Still undecided with the He 162 whether it'll be RAF captured or a Czech one.  Either is quick to do.

There is one other project that I fully intend to finish off for the weekend that's been in the making for about four years.  Not saying anything else about this as I want it as a reall shocker.

Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

Another older project that'll be ready for Huddersfield is a single seat Defiant fighter.  Just got to find a few bits and I'll be done.  There's a similar vintage MB5 that'll be finished at the same time also.  I hope!

The Eagle Tempest turned up - in a box I'd not remembered putting it in.  Did find a primed Hallamvac Brigand, so I'll be having a look at that soon too.  The Tempest will need another coat of paint afore I can mask her, so that's more long term, along with the Sea Fury torpedo strike fighter.

And - whilst I'm not actively looking them out - unfinished projects are popping up and screaming "Complete me!", the latest being a Banff Mosquito torpedo fighter.  That had stalled due to a lack of a suitable torpedo, but now with 10+ Airfix ones kicking about, I've no excuse to leave it lying about.  It's a Hasegawa one I was given, so getting it done and out of the way is quite tempting.


Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

Well, the Defiant is all done and ready to go and the Martin Baker just needs a tailwheel and the canopy and she's good to go.  I'm not that happy with either - both the build and paint finish could be better - so Martin may well get a couple of donations to the SIG reserve collection, although the MB5 may remain with me until Telford.  I really should dig out the two or three that are built and finished.

One idea that is starting to look more and more tempting is a Ju 52/3m re-engined with Bristol Mercuries.  IIRC, there's a wreck of a Heller one  - which is the best of the 72nd Ju 52/3ms available - up in the loft at me Mam's (I do know there's an Italeri one there too), so I may have a look for that and rebuild it using Blenheim engines (Frog/Novo) and RAF desert camo.  A Do 17Z may well get similar treatment and both aircraft would be used as hacks.  Basically, both are trying to do something different with Luftwaffe aircraft that may/may not be in the stash.  I'm not sure what happened to the Do 17Z I did have.  I just had a flash of a desert camo Ar 96B as an RAF communications hack.  A Bf 108 in similar camo would look nice too.

Whilst I'm looking for that, I'll dig out the Airfix HP Hampden, as I rather like the idea of a Coastal Command one re-engined with Bristol Hercules, package guns either side of the nose and rockets under the wings.  They'd be used for anti-U-Boat operations in the Atlantic rather than the Beaufighters, and given that the aircraft could carry a bomb load too (alternatively depth charges, mines or torpedo), the RAF would have a more useful ASW aircraft and the Beau's could be used for night intruder work or ASW work over the North Sea or Bay of Biscay where the Hampden would be at risk more from the Luftwaffe's fighters.


Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

The Martin Baker is all done, although the canopy caused issues, largely because it's vacform and intended for a different MB5 kit entirely.  Still, it looks like what it's meant to be.

The other project, which has been some years in the making on and mainly off, is now off again due to issues with the nose glazing.  I'm not going to rush it and due to sheer frustration, have shelved it for the foreseeable.  It should be at Telford, but what year that'll be is open to debate.

Have everything I'm taking with me sorted - the full box of Spits from Telford and a few others that have been finished since, plus the three models for the SIG stand.  There's a Blenheim somewhere that I'd like to bring but like so many things here, it's currently in hiding.



Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

You know, I'm starting to get tired of seeing MB5s. 

Don't get me wrong - it's fantastic that there's a semi-mainstream kit available and that people are able to go wild with imagination - but I think that given the numbers that we'll see both on here and elsewhere on t'interweb plus on the tables at various shows, we could well be feeling overkill by the end of the year. 

Yes, perhaps that's maybe a bit rich considering I have a few on the go, but by and large these were ones that were started years ago, certainly pre-2007, and two of the three have been radically re-engined and changed so they look drastically different.  I just want to get them out of boxes and finished, as I'm sick and tired of seeing too many unfinished projects so cutting any number of these down has got to be a good thing.  Perhaps that's why I've looked at the other MB aircraft projects that I have littering the place to try and break it all up.

Perhaps I've been doing this too long.  Perhaps I'm seeing people doing stuff now that I did perhaps 15 years ago and I'm looking at it with too cynical an eye. 



Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply, probably to shoot me down in flames - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

NO! Before that, Michael! Oh God, I've got to stop sniffing this Ajax!

Yes.  Blenheims.  The Malta Courier and the night intruder are both finished.  Rather pleased with both, although the latter has some dust inside the canopy which is impossible to remove.  I've just stuck with the base kits, so the odd intakes within the engines aren't there. The other Blenheim I'll leave for another day, largely because I've had enough of the Frog kit for now but also because I'm looking more towards finishing the Mosquito FBVI torpedo bomber.

The MB5 now has a coat of Ocean Grey on it.  I did consider having the entire engine cowl in green, similar to the so called Firewall scheme worn by Mustangs in Italy but decided against it.  Going for a straight day fighter scheme, possibly ADGB and possibly 607 Sqn codes as a "what if?" within a what if history, if that makes any sense to anyone but me. Perhaps I'm going too subtle these days, but I am enjoying myself and that's all that matters in the end, really.  Although out of the scope of this blog, two Attackers also got a coat of Ocean Grey too.

The Yugoslav Beaufighter  TF.X is ready for a coat of primer, probably aluminium as that'll be it's in service scheme.  I may start digging out a Mosquito or two for something else I have in mind that I alluded to in another thread.

Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply, probably to shoot me down in flames - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

"Ah, Vyvyan, beginning to regret it now, are you?"

The Yugoslav Beaufighter will have to have a rethink, largely due to the kit's limitations - small intakes on the engine rather than the big tropical filters.  So I'm now thinking Norwegian instead and I may use a Hasegawa Beau for a Yugoslav one.

Dug out a Tamiya Mosquito B.IV for my planned early Navy one and I'm thinking of opening out the camera ports - I doubt the Navy would have had use for a bomber but a spotter or PR bird makes a bit more sense.  I did have a look at a Matchbox Mosquito for a late war different scheme job but it needs so much work to get it to look like anything halfway decent I just chucked it back in the box.

Blenheims.  The three that are part started are now a little further - two fuselages are closed up so I can get the nose glazing on over the weekend.  I rather like the idea of one with rockets with a Beaufighter OTU as a weaponary trainer.  That takes care of the third one - SAAF trainer, Iraq '41 with guns and light bombs strafing Rashid Ali's collaborationist scum and now the rocket trainer.  Although I'm still rather enamoured of an RAAF one in overall aluminium.

MB5.  The Centaurus one is going to get a coat of primer tomorrow, although I've yet to decide what scheme it'll end up in, whilst the other one is going to get masked so I can spray the green.

Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html

[The Wooksta!]

If anyone else asks that question, I'm going to stick their head through the window!


The Nowegian Beaufighter has now been primed, along with the Centaurus MB5.  I also dug out a pair of assembled Matchbox Tempests and gave them a quick coat too.  I'm planning 2 with 2TAF, one as a fighter with tanks, t'other with rockets for tank busting.  Probably with a Typhoon unit's markings and kill symbols.

I'm also planning a pair with 607 Sqn, as part of my whif within a whif, plus I never did finish my 6 Sqn Tempest fleet.  The two seat trainer looks like it could do with a coat of primer too, so that may get dusted later and sprayed tomorrow, weather permitting.

There's a fair few Tempests that are part started and I'd like to cut the numbers down somewhat, and although I really do want to get back to Spitfires at some point soon - I'm missing gluing bits together - trying to eliminate all the part started projects littering the place has got to be a good idea.  Blenheims, Beaufighters, there's a few Hurricanes in a box, Tempests, Mosquitos, not forgetting the box of DH Hornets that I'd really like to go back to (2TAF markings and some middle east colours would be different) - all need to be finished off.  And I really want to do a Ta 152H recce version in PRU Blue with the Photographic development unit.


Comments on this thread - that is if anyone is actually reading it and can be arsed to reply - go here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35118.0.html