Zenrat's Flying Circus

[zenrat]

I posted to this thread last night.  No idea what happened to it but it's not here now.

Other than stuff reported in the GB threads the following has been taking place;

PSR on the Dagger continues.

Caproni is undercoated and awaiting a decision on paint job (blues, with stripes probably) and decals designed & printed (zenrat industries with some sort of Z logo).

I have accidentally started a Mitsubishi Babs which will be a single seater.  Either PR or bomber hunter.  Markings from the decal folder but not Japanese (Swedish? Czech? Polish? East German? Italian?).  Camo will be "interesting".

I've also been idly ruminating about a Hawker Typhoon in FAA colours with 4 AAMs under each wing.

[Weaver]

The weathered Jet-Rex looks great! 

[zenrat]

Thanks H.

[PR19_Kit]

I have accidentally started a Mitsubishi Babs which will be a single seater. 

Isn't it terrible how that happens sometimes? All of a sudden this open kit box appears before you, the parts leap out into the work bench and you JUST have start assembling them! I get it all the time.............

[zenrat]

I swear I was just looking at the parts thinking "I could do that, and that could go there, and I could cut that down, can I still get the cockpit floor in if I glue that?"...
It's an Arii kit which is moulded in thin, delicate plastic with nice engraved detail.  It was dirt cheap at Hobby Link Japan.

However, disaster has struck.  I've run out of putty.  What I thought was a spare tube turned out to be an empty box.
Looks like I have to take a trip to the LHS tomorrow.  Problem is there is a very real possibility I might accidentally buy another kit while i'm there...

[Gondor]

Looks like I have to take a trip to the LHS tomorrow.  Problem is there is a very real possibility I might accidentally buy another kit while i'm there...

That sound terrible 

Gondor

[zenrat]

My fears were realised.
I came home with Tamiya Polyester Putty and a Hasegawa 1/72 Schwimmwagen & Kettenkraftrad.

After some car modelling I smeared putty onto those builds that required it and put some paint onto the Caproni.

[zenrat]

Nothing but interruptions today so not much done.
It seems that "if your car won't start after standing for only 2 days then you need a new battery.  The one in there is 7 years old." translates as "I don't know what i'm talking about.  ignore me until you need rescuing from the dark supermarket car park and then look at me like i'm an an idiot when I say it won't start in the morning".   

[zenrat]

more interruptions yesterday (welcome ones I must admit - always good when friend drop in unexpectedly) but I got something done today.

Got the second cloud on the Caproni.


Got the engine mounted on the Hotspur (must figure out a different name).  This is one of my favourite type of builds - where I have no real plan and make it all up as I go.  Undercarriage next.

[NARSES2]

Your Caproni looks a lot neater then mine  I'll have to try installing the glazing after painting next time. Masking was not entirely successful 

[Captain Canada]

Wow...great stuff ! I really like that beaching trolley.

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.
Cap'n the trolley-jeep looks much better now it's painted Red.  I'm now gong through the slow process of painting tyres, seats, counterweights etc NotRed.
Chris - I have a high failure rate with masking windows.  I usually use too much force and push them into the fuselage.  It would be impossible to paint and then window with this kit if you didn't whiff it and if you followed the instructions.  I've re-engineered it to take a completely new floor and rear bulkhead which will slide in after the windows are fitted.  This would not work if I had kept the kit floor with bomb rack, dorsal turret and ventral gun position.  Of course this is only theory and despite working in trial runs with everything taped together I am expecting there is something i've missed which will get in the way causing an abject failure (I am by nature an optimistic pessimist - I expect the worst to happen so if it doesn't i'm pleased and if it does it's what I expected).

I've not done much to anything in the last couple of days as i've been running around packing and shifting stuff thats in the builders way.  Also they've repurposed the back yard into a storage facility which has rendered the mental map I use to navigate back to the house in the dark (night falls at 1730 here ATM) inaccurate due to stacks of bricks, reinforcing mesh and trenches.  Of course I could take a torch down there but that would be far too sensible.
I did manage to get a spot more PSR done on the Hotspur though.  No new name has suggested itself although given the Shakespearean connection i'm thinking GAL Malvolio or Oberon or...

[Librarian]

The 'soon-to-not-be' Hotspur has certainly caught my eye. I've wanted to create something like that for some time but just can't think of suitable donor parts....or how it would look. Carry on and I shall follow in thy wake .

[zenrat]

Well all the non Hotspur parts came from my parts box.  Prop is Vought Kingfisher and engine is Kawanishi N1K1 mounted on a 1/24 wheel with the end of a drop tank stuck on the back.   No planning.  Just a rummage until I found stuff that would do the job.
Undercarriage is next.  It'll be a tricycle job with the nose wheel semi recessed in the fuselage.  Main wheels will probably be Stuka although I do have a spare set of the big Heyford spats and wheels.  Ideal for unpaved strips...
This is going to be another Frankston Skycabs plane and so will be primrose yellow with green & white chequers.

[ericr]

   No planning.  Just a rummage until I found stuff that would do the job.

serendipity at its best