Handley Page Harpy.

[Scotaidh]

I use the foam-cored emery boards that they sell in every supermarket as well as at beautician supply stores.  They come in a variety of grits, from "major erosion" to "high gloss".  They're not expensive, and they can be cut to fit any nook or cranny. 

However, because they're soft-centres, they're not the best for making something flat - or removing rivets.  For that I use Swiss files or even regular files - I have one that's 12" long by 2" wide, rough as sharkskin (it's used only rarely for removing vast amounts of material).  I have another that I use a lot - it's a double-mill cut 8"x 3/4".  It's good for, oh, rounding the square profile leading edge of an X-wing's wing to an airfoil-ish shape - which I'd complete the shaping of with the afore-mentioned foam-cores, in various grits. 

Just my tuppence ...

[PR19_Kit]

Yes, sometimes you need a SERIOUS file to get rid of some of lumps and bumps that are so common while building proper Whiffs.   

[zenrat]

No off cuts on Aussie evil-bay (that I could find anyway) but 40 pads of various grits was a reasonable price.
Should arrive first week of June.

No work on this today due to family duties.

[zenrat]

Awaiting more abrasives but I did smear more PPP on it.

[zenrat]

Sanding pads arrived.  40 in a bag.  Much smaller than I expected but then I went back and studied the e-bay page and found the single reference to their size (in a photo you only find when you scroll through all the others) and it turns out I have not been ripped off but was making an assumption (and we all know what assumption is the mother of don't we*).
Price is still acceptable, but not as acceptable as I thought.  I shall be mentioning it in the feedback which will be positive if and only if they stop nagging me to leave it.

However, they work and I think the Harpy may be ready for colour.

*it rhymes with "all muck up".

[Wardukw]

A mistake i think we have all made Fred and a bloody annoying one at that .
We where told in the army ..the moment you assume something your wrong ...bloody annoying 

[zenrat]

No colour yet (although I have decided on the scheme) as some ghosting had to be dealt with and I realised I had yet to glue the vertical tails on.

[Captain Canada]

That's a neat looking machine ! I like the idea of using the leftover parts as well.

[Wardukw]

Hmmmmm ghosting sounds like a good idea for my upcoming B58 wiffy..ghosting the colours with 3 different grays .

[zenrat]

Tails is on.  I went for an outboard position so as to increase turning moment from the rudders.

A few licks of putty, a check coat of primer, and this'll be ready for paint.

When did the RAF stop painting prototypes camo over yellow with the P in the circle?

Handley Page Harpy WIP 10-06-2022 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Old Wombat]

Oh, she is looking good!

[PR19_Kit]

When did the RAF stop painting prototypes camo over yellow with the P in the circle?

IIRC it was around the end of WWII, after that most of them seemed to be NMF, but many still carried the 'P'.

[NARSES2]

When did the RAF stop painting prototypes camo over yellow with the P in the circle?

Quickly scanning my copy of "British Experimental Turbojet Aircraft" the yellow undersides seems to end with the end of WWII, but the yellow P in a circle continues through to 1951 and the Fairey FD 1 although it had lost it by 1952.

[zenrat]

Thanks guys.  I'll be rethinking my paintjob then.  NMF is out of the question unless I rescribe it* but maybe anti-flash white with the pale roundels and P on the tails...


*no.

[Tophe]

very nice model, inventive, confirmed!