The Wooksta: Not a Spitfire Blog

[The Wooksta!]

"Look! Look, when they get back, tell them I'm incredibly sorry!"

I've made a start on finishing other stuff, getting a pair of Xtrakit Swifts over the finish line. Stalled due to the fact the the cockpit floor is too high, consequently the Aeroclub bang seats were to high and the canopies wouldn't fit. Went back to the kit resin seats and used those after dressing them up with some tape belts. They still didn't quite fit, so out with the sanding sticks.

Also got the two seat Tempest FAC done, but due to extreme dissatisfaction with the decals and finish, it'll get stripped and reworked after I've taken some photos.

Next up for finishing off are a pair of Hunters, one being one from last year that stalled.  Then either a Buccaneer or the RAF Vixen.  I'd rather the former but either is fine.

There are so many other projects that have been abandoned that it's hard to choose any particular one to push further.  Talk elsewhere about the Boeing XF8 has made me think about resurrecting mine and I then thought about others. I've already mentioned that I got the decals I wanted for the XP47H, so that'll be dusted off, and I also want to dig out the Martin Mauler.  I remembered the Kingcobra that's lurking in a drawer and that's a candidate for the RAF or possibly the RAAF in the far east.  May go for the latter as there's no pesky theatre bands.

Yes, all American stuff and not my usual fare, but I really want them done. That pair of Venturas that were intended for the transport scheme need a coat of primer, but I'm toying with one being used for anti sub work in the Middle East replacing the Wellesleys and Blenheims. May well have to use the Martin turret and add some YAGI aerials. The other would definitely be a transport, so a look through the books for some obscure unit or MU in the med after the war is in order.  There was at least one in NMF with Type D roundels, but as attractive as it is, it's real and I don't do that kind of thing right now.  Although there's a Highball Oxtail Mosquito that s ready for paint.

But none of this scratches the surface - and this is before I think about the BIG stuff that's lurking in boxes, such as the many Vulcans and Victors. I have made a start on one of the latter, but there's a Vulcan I bought off eBay that had been started as a wraparound one but with the Blue Steel weapon bay fit and retaining all the later mods ie terrain following radar and the fin mounted warning radar. Not really a problem if it's a late one toting the Viper engined Blue Steel. May rename it the Green Grass.  Resurrecting the anti-flash Skybolt Vulcan could also be on the cards.

Choices choices.

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[The Wooksta!]

"Doesn't it? Well maybe that's what's going wrong!"

During lockdown, I built quite a few Hunters and got most of them to the primer stage. Indeed, one even got finished, but I didn't get much further with a PJ F6 other than gluing the fuselage together.

Anyway, pulled it out for another look.  What had put me off was all the brass etch for the flaps - they're meant to be displayed open, but that never happened in reality and pilots were fined in the mess if they did that.  So I'd tried to have them closed only to find the brass didn't fit.  So back in the box.
Cue yesterday. I tried the brass again to see why it wasn't fitting. Turns out that one end wasn't bent to match the curve of the wing at the root. Bit of determined pressure and it sits happily.

Then I noticed that the exhaust is wrong. Well, no, not for the F1-F5 as it has the correct upsweep for those but not the F6 with the big bore engine. 
I did offer the idea a few months back of an armed version of the Navy's Hunter GA11, using a Revell Hunter FGA9 but with the F1 jetpipe.  Turns out I've had one all along.
I just need the decals...


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[The Wooksta!]

"God, I'm bored. Term only finished four hours ago and already I'm bored."

Telford has only been finished for just over a week and already I'm thinking about next year. Dave - Kitbasher - has pointed out that next year marks the 70th anniversary of the Hunter, and thus a mini theme. As I'm already up to my neck in 50s types, I can wholeheartedly agree and he has my full support.

Made a start on cleaning up a P.1083 I got as a salvage. It was one of Mike's that was on the give a kit a new home. He'd done it as a FR, wth a new nose so who am I to change anything?  I've stripped the paint back and given it a sanding, but I'll have to mould a set of tailplanes as one is missing. I need a set for other things too.
It may not end up in exactly the same markings or quite the same layout but the restoration will be a sympathetic one.

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[The Wooksta!]

"What do you mean? It was your idea to play 'Hide and Seek'!"

Hunters.  An aircraft I've always liked and it's had so many users and roles that one may think it's not possible to whiff it.  I'd disagree. Look hard enough in any history and you can find cracks, gaps, opportunities not taken, roads not travelled and customers unwilling to buy. True, that needs research and not everyone enjoys reading nor has access to the relevant information. Plus not everyone has an active imagination.

And you need both. I've always argued that if you have a good enough imagination, backed by enough information, then nothing is unwhiffable. You just need to have conviction in your voice, either in person or on the printed page, enough knowledge plus some bravado, and anything is possible. So it proves wth the Hunter.

I found a few Matchbox ones in various states of disrepair yesterday and immediately thought how could I salvage these?  One was a T12 that went with the TSR2 invasion of 2003. That's easy enough. New jetpipe, a lack of paint and some new markings. The other, a T7 I'd received as a salvage, looked very sorry. I've decided on a gear up inflight one.

So, what was I going do with it?  For some reason, I thought Swedish. I knew they had Hunters, mainly export F4s, but did they have any trainers? Quick check with Mason Hunter Bible. No, they didn't, so a viable what if there. The RAF T-birds were mainly rebuilt F4s with the smaller jetpipe, whilst most exports were rebuilt with the big bore Avon. Perhaps Sweden was an early customer and wanted a trainer with the same standard as their fighters?
That settled, we need a user. Either a fighter squadron, which means buying decals, or just be a bit more creative yet stingy. I have a lot of redundant Swedish markings for Spitfire PR19s, so after Sweden started retiring Hunters with the indigenous Draken, they reworked them with the help of HSA into the fighter reconnaissance role. The units would have a T-bird on hand. It would seem like a solid plan.
A sideways glance means I can salvage an abandoned Airfix FGA9, giving it an FR nose. Okay, it's got the later jetpipe and parachute fairing but perhaps the Swedes asked for a few extra upgrades?
There was also my usual 607 sqn standby, but as I already have a converted Revell on with the big bore engine that it would be a duplication. Then again, it could be two models of the same aircraft at different points in it's carreer.  Type D and then Tactical roundels. Another option and I have a boxful of Matchbox Hunter bits to use up.

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:
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For more information, please reread.

Edited to add extra text. T'interweb went down. Sodding technology...

[The Wooksta!]

"Well, I've got a couple of seats in my car."

Hunters. Part two. Sticking with two seaters, or rather sticking them together.  There's a few on the go.

First is the Xtrakit one. Everyone who has attempted this kit has said it's a horror,. That includes me, if one can recall or find my comments after I got it. Anyway, I dug it out last week determined to do something with it. Have I been successful?  Well, yes, but it's been a struggle.

Convention holds that one starts wth the cockpit.  Now, I've never held with convention, largely believing that whatever method the individual modeller uses is right for them.  As long as you get to Rome, it doesn't matter the route travelled. And so that was the case here. I started with the wings.
I started there because knowing from the abortive test fits that they would be a problem. If they didn't fit, I had the option to use spare Revell ones after some surgery.  Clamps, sanding, test fitting, scraping, more test fitting, swearing, and they finally fit.
Cockpit is nice, and is an easy assembly but the etch is fiddly. Resin seats look a bit small but under the canopy they should be okay.  And the the problems really began.
 Took the resin exhaust off the pouring lug and fitted in the fuselage. Doesn't fit, so more sanding.  Once it fits in, gets glued in place  but the fuselage doesn't close. More sanding and it finally closes.
Now for the cockpit. Test fit says more fettling required. It didn't say that I needed the drill, the hedge trimmers and the claw hammer. There was a nigh on 2mm gap at the front. Sanded the sides of the cockpit tub. Still a gap, so I carve out a trench either side. Getting there, so a bit more sanding and it closes enough not to look off when the canopy goes on.
On with some elastic bands and as tight as possible. Back end goes together okay, but the front needed judicious use of plasticweld and superglue.
And other than some filling and sanding, that's as far as it's got for now. As for an end user, I'm going with 16 Sqn, alongside their P.1121 Hurricane II, in an overall Camouflage grey.

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[The Wooksta!]

"No, no, Neil. 'Cause if you so much as touch my car, I'm going to kill you. Remember?"

The Matchbox Hunter has been sanded back and is looking a good deal better. Just need to add the doors, canopy an a set of inner pylons and I can get the first primer coat on.

Would that the other Matchbox one was that easy. It has a Renegade Resins P.1101 front end and it's frankly not the best. Not the fault of that outfit, more the original master and Maintrack's hit and more usually miss quality. It frankly didn't want to fit, certainly wasn't straight and the nose gear bay is the wrong shape and in the wrong place.
If it's so bad, why build it?  Why do people climb mountains?  Because it was there and I'd started it during the Hunter phase of 2020. Like the other one, it's going gear up, in flight, but I don't really have much enthusiasm for it. I'm almost pining for the challenge of the Xtrakit one.

Thankfully not a challenge, the Odds N Ordnance Hunter T bird conversion is a breeze. Like the PJ one, simply cut off the cockpit off the Revell kit, tidy it up and glue the cockpit in place. Bit of fettling to get the spine in place and the rest is like the kit, although for RAF aircraft, you get a smaller jetpipe and you need to take off one of the cannons.
I'll be keeping those and I'm thinking 58 sqn with the tactical markings.

And finally, I've been cleaning up a PJ front end to also go on a Revell kit. This s going to be a long delayed plan to do a T.1083 Hunter. Really looking forward to doing this one.

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[The Wooksta!]

"But we had to change the rules because Monopoly is so boring!"

I lost the mojo at some point around Xmas. I think it was assembling so many Matchbox Hunters that did it, although given how horrid a fit the Xtrakit one is, I'd just as soon blame that.

And somehow I fell down a rather strange rabbithole involving late and post war Bf 109s, inspired in large part by Eduard's CS-199. I mean, I have a lot of part started and stashed 109s from my Luftwaffe 46 days and a fair few S-199s from various manufacturers.

Quite a few ideas, some subtle, some not and whilst a few will be going in Luftwaffe colours, they'll be captured. They lost.

Some are close to primer, some have only had the bits cleaned up. 

More as and when.


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[The Wooksta!]

Oh God, I've got to stop sniffing this Ajax!"

Managing to get somewhere, but progress is slow.  I mean, I assembled the Huma Me 309 (RAF captured, I think, possibly as a recce type), but didn't paint the cockpit.  As it's overall v.dark grey, it's not that bad and I did add a spare Revell 109G-10 cockpit interior to tart it up a bit. Probably wrong, but 1. I don't care and 2. The Huma interior is even worse.
I've done something similar with the Huma 209A, although I did paint it this time. Not sure how this one will end up, possibly Czech, but again, another captured recce type is possible.

I found an oddity in some S199 drawings. It looks like a very early two seater,  like a Jumo engined G-12 with a K tail. Naturally, this needs investigating with plastic. The older KP single seater is an ideal...mule as it were. I have a spare G12 canopy to play with too.
Whilst on the subject of S199s, I was given some b built ones to play with ages ago. Two were barely fit for the bin, one *might* be salvageable after a lot of work, but the final one is definitely a go. Just needs some more sanding and then a primer coat.  Early version with the nose oil cooler. Isreali with over painted RAF markings.
A couple of others are together.
The old Zlinek G-10/S-99 is nicely detailed but is an ill fitting, flash ridden filler hound. It's got to be a dark scheme, so either Finnish, Swedish, or Czech if their engine factory hadn't burnt to the ground.
The other is the K based H. I cast a few fins, from a mould based on the fin of the Pegasus H fin, did the required cuts, and fitted the MPM H wing. There's a few more things it needs before it goes for primer.
But what happened to remainder of the MPM H?  A K wing and it becomes a G14 with a bigger rail. And that definitely is going in RAF markings.

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[The Wooksta!]

"Completely brilliant!"

Few more in progress shots. I have a new toy so more inbuild photos and it's easier now to take part in the GBs.

Huma Me 209A. Captured RAF markings, possibly a recce bird given the light armament.
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Toad Resins Me 209 A, this is the V6 with a Jumo 213. It's going Czech, but I'm still unsure of the scheme. RLM02 is favourite with a white cowl.
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Fuselage of the MPM 109H with a Heller K wing, as a rebuilt G14/U- something. Captured RAF.
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Amodel CASA 1109. An early one without the BFO cannons or wing fences. Leaning toward the Barrack Grey scheme but with over painted RAF markings for an aircraft that strayed into Gibraltar airspace and forced down.
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The Airmodel Bf 109TL. Horrible build but it's going Czech with the blown hood. Possibly dark green to hide the horribleness.
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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:
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Posted on the new toy but easier to edit on the tablet.

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[TsrJoe]

looking good, something different indeed (im looking forward to the 'captured' RAF. examples

[The Wooksta!]

"Then what were you looking in the cellar for?"

I found a near complete but unpainted Bf 109C in an unexpected place on Saturday - inside a Heller Bf109C box. I knew I had one somewhere, but I didn't expect to find it in the correct tin off the bat.  IIRC, it was intended as one of the Cs used as a night fighter but got lost and lands in the UK. Easy back story and an easy colour scheme. Primed but needs some minor filler and sanding.

But I was sure I had another. Sure enough, one part started sitting covered in dust.  Spanish, I think, in real world markings.  However, one author believes that Spain never got the C, by the expedient of examining the photos and finding a lack of specific C features. 

Doing some brief online research gives me some ideas for Gs in Spanish colours, either G6 or G14 variants as I have them assembled and ready to go. Well, almost.

I have a fair few AZ fuselages spare, plus the cockpit tubs, but need instrument panels/firewalls, so they'll get moulded at some point soon, as one of the fuselages is getting married to a modified T wing for a later development of the carrier type. May well give it a tall tail too as it would definitely need it. Captured markings, as it was discovered in a hangar at Blohm and Voss in Hamburg.

Other things on the go can be seen elsewhere.

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[The Wooksta!]

"Neil, we're not having broken crockery again? That's my recipe!"

Went into the loft to dig out some long assembled Me 262s to see if they could be resurrected and finished off.  Took a while to find the ones I wanted, but I did find a few other things, of which I'll come back to later.

Anyway, there's about six or seven.  A schnellbomber, with the cockpit in the nose, which is going Czech, and a mixture of Hasegawa and Revell two seaters, which will be either Czech or Yugoslav.  The Czechs did offer a production batch of 262s, or rather the Avia S-92, but with BMW 003 engines.
I do have a set of bits to do it (and likely to get moulded at some point), but these are virtually ready to go and who is going to tell me I'm wrong? More to the point, will I care? No. The whole thing is an exercise in using up something which might otherwise end up in the bin.

The only thing that may give me issues is a lack of Yugoslav markings, so a trawl of Hannants is in order.

Also located were a trio of Fw Flitzers (Sweden, given the Vampire similarity), a trio of Me P.1099s (Czech, given the 262 ancestry?), Several Bv P.194s (RAF captured, given we took the Blohm and Voss works) and an He 162C (RAF again, but probably not a usual Volksjager scheme).  Several even have an initial colour on, so a quick dust, on with some tape and I could have them done pretty sheepish. At least a Flitzers and one CS92.

Given my sudden volte-face around 1999, in which my Luftwaffe 46 period came to a sudden end, I have a lot of long abandoned Luftwaffe, so finishing them off isn't such a bad idea.

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:
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[The Wooksta!]

"You can't clean the toilet, Neil - it'll lose all it's character!"

Progress on various fronts, detailed elsewhere.

Few other things dragged out and primed - the Siga Martin Mauler that I'd battled together during lockdown, as well as a Planet Heinkel He 343A I'd discovered in a drawer a while back.  The former is going Royal Navy, but I'm unsure if I'm going for overall Midnight Blue and BPF markings or that immediate post war two colour scheme with the low demarcation. 
The latter is RAF captured, in two of the late greens and maybe either 76 underneath or that light green/Sky type colour oft described as RLM 84.  If I was really perverse, I may go for a night scheme, with black underneath and the chocolate/earth brown and dark green on top.  It would hide a few build anomalies.  Need to find the canopy and trust to luck that it isn't a fetching shade of gold...

The '09 Gallery (as part of this build programme is now to be dubbed) sees the second 109C getting the fuselage closed up and the salvage S199 getting some filler work sanded off. Assembled a pair of the Eduard S-199 cannons for underwing and I've decided on which Isreali aircraft is to be gifted to the RAF.
A part assembled Academy G6 is another one to be advanced further, and this is going to go in the desert scheme worn by some of Spain's 109Fs.
I did think about a desert scheme for the Isreali recce S-199, being Mid Stone with a high ish demarcation, Azure Blue underneath and a hard edge mottle of RAF Dark green over the top. Basically, that 1941 desert scheme worn by Luftwaffe 109Es but on an S-199 and in RAF colours. I think this could well mess with a few heads...

Not looked at the Me 262s yet, but did go looking for Yugoslav decals. Well, I did find some, but I have ethical concerns with regards to the sellers/producers and would rather do without than put a penny into their pockets. Some rethink may be required.

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:
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[The Wooksta!]

"Hey! That's my clause!"

Not done much, but a lot of the '09s are now much closer to seeing some primer over the weekend.  The salvage S199 got some underwing cannons, courtesy of an Eduard kit and I'm relatively happy with it.
The second 109C has now got it's wings on. Really like that kit, probably the best 109 that Heller did, although the later K is nearly as good (they originally released what purported to be a K but was closer to a late G-14) and IMO they both hold their own against more modern kits and, with some embellishments, ideal decal hangers.


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[The Wooksta!]

"Hey! Turn on the telly!"

I should have done more today, but lure of Ronnie O'Sullivan beating the crap out of a very arrogant Iranian player in the snooker was more interesting.

Just did more sanding and filling in a few of the '09 Gallery, trying and failing to get a few more nearer primer. It doesn't help when I throw together the old Hasegawa G as a G-2 to do as yet another Spanish one.  It's a basic kit but an enjoyable build and I'd sanded off the wing bulges at some point so it could only be done as an early G sans the beules on the cowling. Bit of filler and some rescribing and it's a G-2 when I give it spoked wheels. Scheme could well be grey over light blue for reasons I''ll come to later.

 The wings for the developed T now have their radiators on, whilst the AZ fuselage I'll be using for it has had some surgery to get the wing to fit.  I definitely need to do some moulding and casting to pirate a firewall and instrument panel for it.

One of the ideas that' been kicking about in my head is a re-engined 109H as a testbed. Many years back, I did a lot of reshape work on an S-199 wreck with the intention of doing it as an Me 155B. I never did finish the wing, but the 199 cowling with some modifications looked about right for the DB628 cowling of the 155.  Now I have a spare MPM H wing and one of the S199s acquired recently was decidedly cheap, so I may well try again, but with that H wing if it fits.

The Me 155 wing was, I am convinced, used as the basis of the wing for the Me 209A. I may try reworking one of the latter as a basis as an Me155B is something I've wanted for years, even if it goes in captured markings.

I did dig out my box of Luftwaffe markings to see if I can find some useful markings for various things. A few of the Bf 109 sheets look to be useful, nice colourful tailbands, but there were some Spanish and Finnish markings that could be useful.  The Black and Green scheme would help hide a lot of flaws in the Zlinek G-10.
I also found the markings from the Encore Heinkel He 112 which made me think. I have the RS Resins kit with a resin DB601 cowling and IIRC Spain was offered the later prototypes. Another possible.

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:
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For more information, please reread.