Chronic's Research and Aeronautics Project (C.R.A.P.)

[NARSES2]

I've always thought of transfers being the English word and decal being the American word, although I might be wrong.

Over here transfer now seems to be used for those sticky things that small kids use to put "pictures" on their bodies in lieu of tatoo's.

[TheChronicOne]

That could well be!   You know how we love to butcher the English language over here.   

[zenrat]

My Dad always called them transfers and I really know too many other people who made models while I was making them between the ages of 7 and 18.
And then when I came back to the fold in my thirties there was the interweb and I could talk to everyone and they all called them decals.

[TheChronicOne]

Got a lot done on the XP-79B Flying Ram so go check that out in the one week GB forum.

Otherwise, I have managed to work on the rest of the stuff I have going as well. Aside from a couple things in the "deep freeze" (talking about stuff like projects started 25 years ago) I only have two on going builds. One stalled A-4 Liberty (replacement "what if" for the Skyhawk.... what if Northrop blah blah blah)  and the real-world (ish) BAC-111.

So the BAC-111 was tidied up then I primed it.



Not bad!! Not the best, though.... but uhhh.... it'll work.     It does look pretty nice in this picture but there are some issues with the doors. I have half a mind to to just fill in all the windows, door gaps, and make it a smoothie. That said, I had always figured that when I go to fill in a bunch of windows on an airliner that I'd but some sort of strips behind them for backing then fill in. As it sits now I'd just be slathering in filler from the outside and hoping it doesn't cave-in/shrink later on. So I dunno... I'm still on board with trying PVA windows so maybe I'll just sand smooth the doors then leave the windows alone.


Other news.... I have finished the transfers on the Liberty. I went ahead with some NAVY transfers I had that I thought wouldn't work and simply moved them. SCORE! Works great! A-4s typically had these on the fins but I moved them to the fuselage kind of like on Phantoms. It works just fine and they fit well.

ALSO... I've turned this into a CAG bird... meaning... special markings and paint!! If unfamiliar with this.... by all means, Google it up and check it out. CAG birds always have fancy stuff on them so this is right at home. We have some stripes, fancy numbers, and a couple decorative things. 

Sorry, no pics as that would ruin the big reveal but it looks pretty neat.

[TheChronicOne]

Changing other things as well.

I've decided to dispense with the relatively easy livery of Aer Lingues for the masking nightmare that is Pacific Express:



BUT!!! The nifty ATP decals take care of the bulk of it with glorious cheatlines transfers ready to go right off the sheet! The best part is the stuff was $3.25 shipping, tax, and all! I got some others from the ol' boy, too. More windows and cockpit glass transfers and some Northeast stuff that I don't even think I need, period, but oh well. I've already decided when I use those to definitely make them as a "what if" because I don't even like the livery they're for. 

But anyway . . ..


I'm finished with the stupid Liberty!!!!  The thing that will not die! Well, stick a fork in it now because it's DOA and all I need to do is take some pictures. I guess I can do that right now.

Also, work is moving on the Flying Ram for the one week GB. I'm going to start painting it here in a few minutes and I'll be done with it by this evening.

Two builds done in one day, how 'bout that!!! That just leaves me with the BAC 111 so now I get to have some fun choosing and planning for the next build. I have half a mind to see if I can find some super simple throw-together jobber and try to cram it into the final few days of the one week GB. I might have something that will work. If not, I'll just do something else. I just bought a Spitfire Mk. 1 that I would like to build Real World because RAF 100 so I'll be starting that soon but there needs to be another build or two alongside it. Another airliner probably and something military in 1/72.

[PR19_Kit]

Yeeeeeaaaah! 

Love that Pacific Express scheme, I have that same ATP decal sheet and it's very good. Best of luck with it Brad.

[TheChronicOne]

Yeeeeeaaaah! 

Love that Pacific Express scheme, I have that same ATP decal sheet and it's very good. Best of luck with it Brad.

Thanks!!  Hopefully I don't muck it up. lol   

I saw it and couldn't refuse.  The beauty of the British Caledonia and Aer Lingus transfers that came with the kit is that they can be used on other things because they aren't with windows (the one time no windows on cheatlines is a GOOD thing)  so this is a win/win. I won't be "wasting" the transfers I have already and at the same time I think the Pacific Express is more special and looks really neat.

[TheChronicOne]

What if the A-4 Skyhawk never existed and Norhtrop filled the gap with an F-5 derivative?    "A-4 Liberty, U.S.S. Kittyhawk, CAG bird."












Nice and sunny out, but that means I could just barely see the screen!  Not bad pics, though. I even brought out the big F-15N to put aside it since they're both Navy and look similar with the paint and all:








And a few more of this one by itself:








I know which one I like better, but, this is about the little one that I just finished. . . ..    Shame about the cockpit glass, but, eh??  Whatever. 

[zenrat]

Good job Brad C.

Shows what a big ol bird the F-15 is.

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks!! I like the little feller! It fought me the entire way and aside from making a cool shape the silly thing just didn't want to be born. Even at the end things like the cruciform tail dictated how I had to decorate it and then I busted that fuel probe off about 4 times knowing damn well I should leave stuff like that off until the end. 

I STILL feel like it "won" though.       I'm going to have to re-visit this idea in the future and see if I can manage it better but so help me God I need to start with something 10x better than that 1988 Airfix kit which is the worst kit I've ever seen.    Still, I think it turned out really nice and looks great sitting on the shelf. 




OH MAN... so now what?! With just the BAC 111 on the table and it ready to move into paint....  what to do next? I won't count the Flying Ram as it will be done tomorrow.  I still haven't made up my mind but I'm thinking maybe a propliner since I just bought a bunch of them. As with the jetliners, let's start small and work our way up, yeah??  So, with this in mind.... an.... American Airlines DC-3?  Old Old School livery American Airlines. This one has the distinction of matching my Convair CV 990  (off I go to find free use images....  . .. ..  . ..




So, that's two builds if I count the Spitfire. Also time to start thinking about the next GB before I get too carried away.

[TheChronicOne]

Pushin the boundaries of sanity today and got up at 1:30 AM. I'll leave for work no later than 4:30. Should beat the heat! I have one lawn today (that I could put off a few more days if I really want to) that I might not get to because my back is in really bad shape. I wrenched it yesterday just before I laid down and it got worse over night. It keeps wanting to go out completely and I feel like I'm being stabbed through the spine with screwdrivers. Not fun....    I hope by time I'm done picking up garbage it's better but it could go the other way. If I skip that lawn.. I'll be home to work on the two builds I have going nice and early and will definitely get the Flying Ram done today. If I don't skip the lawn, I should still be home by 8:30 or 9.    Call me crazy, but I'm a morning person. 

So that's sort of the plan. I also have other things to work on like finally getting my taxes filed. I'm going to start all over again and do a little research first to make sure I wind up at the right website to get this done. If all this fails I'll have no choice but to hire a CPA and have them do it all. I'd love to get this done so I can send the IRS the money I owe Uncle Sam and avoid accumulating late fees. I can't believe this is so damn difficult to do. As hard as it is to get things filed, you'd think the IRS doesn't want our money. So tired of this BS.

Re-visiting ideas of what build to start next. I almost had myself convinced to do a Lockheed L-100 for Delta Airlines but that one sort of violates me "start small and work my way up" rule so I'll likely be sticking with the DC-3. I'll probably change my mind again 5-6 times but at least I sort-of know what I want to do. 

[NARSES2]

Hope the backs o.k. mate. Touching wood I've never suffered from one, but have known a few who really have 

[TheChronicOne]

It's a mess. It's a terrible malady. I made it home before 7:30, though. (WOW!) So anyway... I was feeling pretty decent. Managed picking up garbage and felt alright.. went and looked at properties...   came home and took my back brace off so I could re-tuck all my clothing the proper way and not look like a tool and it was like the bottom fell out. You don't realize just how much a good back brace helps out until you take it off!!  It's back on now but I'm still feeling the after effects. Good thing no lawns today. I'm not going to do much else, either. Maybe some light chores but that's it. I'm going to remain stationary as much as possible.

Here's the odd thing... my actual back bone has been getting worse and hurting a lot more (and going out) but the SCIATICA has diminished!! The next odd thing.. as much as this hurts and causes problems... it's better than the sciatica so I'll take it. Seems like a trade-off occured at some point. I guess something realigned or disaligned and some of the pressure is off that nerver but in doing so the back pain itself has gone way up. Can't win for losing, but like I said, I'll take this over the sciatica. I'm actually getting work done these days whereas for about 8 months and most of last years growing season after 15 minutes of weedeating I was in excruciating pain and could barely walk.

So anyway! Now that I'm on light duty and recooperation that means I can get rolling on me builds!     I sanded some on Flying Ram this morning around 3:30 (lol) so I'm a bit ahead of the game on that one. I need to check it over some more and see about places where paint was pooling up but I might be able to mask for the last time and paint the uppers. I might break a little bit from the box scheme and put some color on the top of the fins or maybe paint the intake rings red or something... I dunno...   I know next to nothing about how the RAE would paint things and I've already changed the color of the wheel wells and such so I suppose I could paint whatever the hell I want on it. 


Last bit of news is that I'm feeling a touch burned out on brush painting and at the same time have learned a bunch about how to get better results from rattle cans so I'm going to paint the BAC-111 with rattle cans. To that end, I had to pick up a can of white this morning. I went with the $0.96 can stuff (matches the black I already have) and I've had nice results with it before barely knowing what I was doing but since then I warm up the cans nice and (almost) hot and also shake them more. It's helped out with clear and primer so I want to see how much better colors work. What would be nice is if the transfers for it show up today! If that happens, I could potentially be done with it. I'm not entirely sure what all needs to be done but I have to paint the gear and gear doors and the plane itself but that's about it... I think. 

Still ruminating on what to start next. 

[TheChronicOne]

Oi!! I have to make a couple trips. I forgot about that. I need to find some beer to swill on later and also stop by Aldi. I mention this because I keep seeing people mention that they find model kits at Aldi. I'm like, "Huh? Model kits at a grocery store?!"  I've never seen any there but I'm going to look again. I suspect American Aldi and Europe Aldi may be ran by the same company but are two different type of places or something....

Anyway, I'm going to see if they have house brand Sriracha sauce, buy something to eat for lunch, and see if there are any kits in there. I'll report back when I get home. 

[TheChronicOne]

Well, I sort of forgot to look for models! They had an aisle with non food items and I think some of it was even non-household-goods type stuff too...  not cleaning junk or wastebaskets but krimskrams and the like. It hit me that I was looking at what I should check out but for some reason it didn't register. I'm not thinking straight... a combination of waking up at an oddball hour and all this pain. I left the house with all the stuff I was going to take with me sitting there as well. I had no water and no telephone or anything. 

Back went out at the store and I could barely stay upright. Sciatica flared up big time, too. I've really messed my back up bad this time.     The worst part was carrying the beer. I never had so much trouble trying to tote beer.       Thing of beer (bigass cube-like box of 30) weighs about 22 pounds so needless to say this is not good that I can't even barely manage 20 pounds of lifting. 

OH WELL!!! I'm home now, have copious beer, lil chcolate candies and some weird Indian food. Aldi is so cool. The cashier was even speaking German to another German lady behind me in line. I'm like...... YEAH BUDDY, THIS IS WHAT I WANT FROM ALDI!! 


So now that I'm through with all "work" of the day I can settle in and build me kits!!!!!! I Already painted some green on the Flying Ram so it's progressing nicely and the white paint is outside warming up for the BAC 111.