The Ardennes 1945

[NARSES2]

I have a Czechmaster one somewhere that is largely the entire aircraft moulded as one piece with a few smaller parts on a wafer or three of resin.

It's quite a sensible way of moulding it, think I've seen the boxing.

Tap your old workmates up for some tungsten powder, or failing that, spent uranium... 

Always liked the moonbat, it's got a very pleasing shape.

Indeed it has Mossie. The fuselage it'self is very "stealth like". I wonder what its radar signature was like ?

As for sanding ? Anigrand resin sands very easily, sometimes to easily  the only problem is that I have to wear a special pair of old jeans because of the amount of sanding slurry

[NARSES2]

But that's the way they did things and TBH, weren't they so much better because of it?

Some of those old CMR kits were really nice, as were, and still are the Planet ones.

One day I will get around to building my CMR Wyvern TF.1

[NARSES2]

Some progress.

Fit so far has been very good and I've only found one nasty, awkward air bubble. I like these Anigrand kits, yes they are a little "chunky" some would even say "clunky", but they tend to fit ok and clean up fine and easily and if you want more detail then add it. Only possible problem is that you only get one vacform canopy so care is needed. I have a really good pair of small nail scissors for that, much more controllable, for me anyway, than a scalpel.

Basic Assembly



The Men in Grey Arrive



Apologies for quality of photos but I'm experimenting with my phone for in-progress shots and I'm obviously still at the bottom of the learning curve 

[PR19_Kit]

But spare Anigrand canopies are very cheap, or they were when I built my Martin Monterey anyway. He sent me two Seamaster canopy mouldings for £5, and there were TWO canopies on each moulding!

[NARSES2]

But spare Anigrand canopies are very cheap, or they were when I built my Martin Monterey anyway. He sent me two Seamaster canopy mouldings for £5, and there were TWO canopies on each moulding!

I've never thought of getting in touch with him if I botch it. Good to know, thanks Kit 

[The Wooksta!]

One day I will get around to building my CMR Wyvern TF.1

It's a fairly straightforward build with little or nothing to trip up the unwary.

[NARSES2]

One day I will get around to building my CMR Wyvern TF.1

It's a fairly straightforward build with little or nothing to trip up the unwary.

Looks nice in it's packaging 

Meanwhile as far as the Moonbat is concerned and to the tune of "'ere we go, 'ere we go" - "PSR, PSR,PSR" 

Mainly on the outer wing to nacelle joints and the nacelles themselves where they are split horizontally. Discovered I'm running out of my favourite grade of sanding pads and have run out of Greenstuff, both of which I would have replenished at Telford.

[The Wooksta!]

Go to ebay for sanding pads.  Offcuts are exceedingly cheap and a tenner will likely get you a lifetime supply.

[NARSES2]

Cheers Lee 

Slightly to my surprise the outer wing to nacelle joints only needed one round of psr, although the nacelle joints themselves will need another round mainly because of their odd shape. With the wings, whilst there was a gap that needed filling at least both sides had the same thickness therefore there was no blending in to be done 

I've done some work on adding a little extra detail to the cockpit tub. Seatbelts, some spare instrument panel transfers cut up for the panel and a bit of plastic added to the rear shelf for a "radio". You won't be able to see much under the heavily framed canopy but I know I've made a modicum of effort.

[NARSES2]

Just about got the nacelle joints sorted, one more round of psr should do it, fingers crossed. Unfortunately I've lost a couple of the small air intakes at the very front of the nacelles however. The nacelles have one on each side and of course on one side I've lost the outer and the other the inner  Anyway dug a couple of drop tanks out from the depth of the odds and sods boxes and will cut the very tip of them off and use them as replacement intakes.

The nacelles also have their exhausts buried in very rear of them so I'm assuming they may have been seen as some sort of thrust augmentation ? I've read somewhere that the idea was toyed with, with a couple of WWII exhaust designs, so as the exhausts themselves are not a great fit I've been toying with the idea of replacing them with a couple of F5 exhausts I've found (in the same box as above) and which are almost a perfect fit.

So maybe a simple exhaust augmentation to give an extra 5 mph or so ? I know nothing about engines so assume that circa 1943/1944 there wouldn't have been a small enough turbojet or similar to stick in the back of the nacelle for "emergency boost" ?

[NARSES2]

Go to ebay for sanding pads.  Offcuts are exceedingly cheap and a tenner will likely get you a lifetime supply.

Just ordered some, thanks again for the nod Lee 

[NARSES2]

Go to ebay for sanding pads.  Offcuts are exceedingly cheap and a tenner will likely get you a lifetime supply.

Just ordered some, thanks again for the nod Lee 

Literally just arrived and I can't believe how big the package is  It's about the size of a well padded lounge chair cushion. £9.99 for the lot and the postage was £4.55 of that. Will last for ever.

Great steer Lee, thank you 

[NARSES2]

Meanwhile progress and then a  moment.

I got the small air intakes either side of the nacelles sorted and my idea to use drop tank end's worked well. Then I decided to fit the wings to fuselage. Test fits had been fine, but I checked again and it was fine. So applied glue and guess what ? Would it fit ? Would it heck. Now at this stage I should have stepped back for a bit, but no. I was slightly annoyed as something had wound me up so I gave it a good old "shove". Pegs went into the wing root holes but the outer wing panel broke off  My fault and if I'd realised how much psr the engine nacelles needed I would have used epoxy on the outer to inner wing joint.

So stepped back, had a mug of tea, calmed down, swore at what had wound me up and returned to the modelling room. Made the repair and this morning attached wings to fuselage and guess what ? They went in like a dream  Roots will need some psr as will that rejoin, but I think that just needs some Mr Surfacer 500.

So I now have what's looking like an airframe. Photos tomorrow maybe.

[NARSES2]

Go to ebay for sanding pads.  Offcuts are exceedingly cheap and a tenner will likely get you a lifetime supply.

Just ordered some, thanks again for the nod Lee 

Literally just arrived and I can't believe how big the package is  It's about the size of a well padded lounge chair cushion. £9.99 for the lot and the postage was £4.55 of that. Will last for ever.

Great steer Lee, thank you 

Here's the package

[The Wooksta!]

Looks one I got last year.