Martin Baker MB5B Monsoon PR3 build thread

[PR19_Kit]

Here's the Monsoon PR3 in all its wonderful PRU Blueness. 



I'm quite pleased with how it's come out now, but it'll be LOTS better with the decals on of course.

[kitnut617]

The longer wings just make the aircraft look better Kit --- nice one   

[PR19_Kit]

The longer wings just make the aircraft look better Kit --- nice one   

I'm glad you think so too Robert. 

I've always thought the MB5 looked under-spanned, even though I knew the reasons why it was like that. It was an obvious candidate for my 'standard treatment'. 

[TheChronicOne]

LURVLY!  I guess I'm a fan of PRU blue! What a nice color.  And naturally I like the long wings, too.

[The Wooksta!]

It's alreet, I s'pose...

Mike Eacock did all his own work.  John Adams was a contemporary and has acquired all of Mike's stuff following the latter sad death.  Sadly, he can't use any of the mouldings as they don't work with John's machines.

[PR19_Kit]

Ah, that was the connection between John and Mike.

When we used to go over to John's place from IPMS Trent he mentioned Mike once or twice. Their white metal work is very similar.

[The Wooksta!]

If anything, I think Eacock's white metal was actually better.  The Skybirds Hornet u/c is a thing of beauty which I think is yet to be matched in terms of quality.

[PR19_Kit]

I've got one of those, and I'm tempted to have a go at it now I've got the MB5 under my belt.

The Scimitar would seem to be a much more complex task though.............. 

[PR19_Kit]

I started doing the decals last night but it turned out to a bit of a PITA.

The wings and fin decals went on OK, but getting the fuselage ones on in the right place and still get the code letters to fit as well isn't easy. It seems the distance between the wing and tailplane on an MB5 isn't as long as on, say, a Spitfire PRXIX, so I'll have to do some juggling. 

[kitnut617]

The Skybirds Hornet u/c is a thing of beauty which I think is yet to be matched in terms of quality.

I'm using the set from the Skybird Hornet I have as an example to scratch-build the u/c on the DH101 I'm building (very long term), as it had a similar single leg undercarriage, only bigger because the DH101 main wheels are almost the same size as a B-25 wheel

[Martin H]

The Scimitar would seem to be a much more complex task though.............. 

It is, ive one part built on the bench at the moment. Its hard work, but so far its been an enjoyable build. Plus it looks like a Scimitar

[PR19_Kit]

The Scimitar would seem to be a much more complex task though.............. 

It is, ive one part built on the bench at the moment. Its hard work, but so far its been an enjoyable build. Plus it looks like a Scimitar

I'll leave mine for a bit then, I've got enough on my plate just now. 

The fuselage roundels and codes on the Monsoon have turned out to be a disaster. 

I don't have white RAF letter and number codes the same size, the '6' is maybe 1 mm taller than the 'C' and the 'M' that I want to use, goodness knows why, they're both from matching Modeldecal sets so I'll be digging into the Decal Bank later on.

Worse yet, because the spacing is so crucial I had to take the already applied roundels off, and that was TERRIBLE! It's as if they were molecularly welded to the paint, and by the time I'd got them off the paint finish was knackered, so I re-painted that area with another coat of Precision PRU Blue.

It's come out lighter than the original, even with a coat of Kleer on top of it!!!! 

I'm more than a tad frustrated now, especially after it looked so good with the second paint coat applied.

[Rheged]

Worse yet, because the spacing is so crucial I had to take the already applied roundels off, and that was TERRIBLE! It's as if they were molecularly welded to the paint, and by the time I'd got them off the paint finish was knackered, so I re-painted that area with another coat of Precision PRU Blue.

It's come out lighter than the original, even with a coat of Kleer on top of it!!!! 

I'm more than a tad frustrated now, especially after it looked so good with the second paint coat applied.

Write it into the backstory, Kit.  Having had a close encounter with a high flying member of the opposition, a battle damage repair party used a different batch of PRU blue to cover their work.   That might even get you out of the problem with differing sized letter/number codes

[PR19_Kit]

Worse yet, because the spacing is so crucial I had to take the already applied roundels off, and that was TERRIBLE! It's as if they were molecularly welded to the paint, and by the time I'd got them off the paint finish was knackered, so I re-painted that area with another coat of Precision PRU Blue.

It's come out lighter than the original, even with a coat of Kleer on top of it!!!! 

I'm more than a tad frustrated now, especially after it looked so good with the second paint coat applied.

Write it into the backstory, Kit.  Having had a close encounter with a high flying member of the opposition, a battle damage repair party used a different batch of PRU blue to cover their work.   That might even get you out of the problem with
differing sized letter/number codes

Now THERE'S an idea! I should have thought about that, thanks. 

[PR19_Kit]

SUCCESS!

I found another set of Modeldecal numbers that has some '6s' the correct size. Now all I have to do is find space to get the whole lot onto that stubby fuselage.

I compared it with a Spitfire PRXIX and there must be 2-3 FEET more space between the wings and tail of the XIX than on the MB5. I think the leading code letter will end up in front of the cockpit at this rate....