The Mule

[Gondor]

Well nothing happened over the weekend to the model, however things could well be improved by the fact that Lee pestered me about the eduard S-199 haveing multiple options for the canopy and my mind had got stuck with the fact that the dual combo kit gives you two kits but the cooling systems for only one of each type and I was carrying that over to the canopies as well. So result! The two options I plan to build use one of each type so there are enough spare parts, or I should say was as they are in a separate bag next to the kit. This gives me the option to do the canopy open which means I only need to get the windscreen to fit, the rest just needs glued in place. Nothing else will happen today, but the rest of the week I hope to make some progress.

Gondor

[The Wooksta!]

If you need the spare oil coolers for the Erla option, I'll stick them in with the Swedish decals. Away from home at the moment so can't sort them out.

[Gondor]

Thanks but no need Lee

Gondor

[Rheged]

Irrelevant and facetious  thought.......does the Czech "Mezek"  translate  as "Muffin"  in  BBC children's English?   







 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muffin_the_Mule

[Gondor]

Irrelevant and facetious  thought.......does the Czech "Mezek"  translate  as "Muffin"  in  BBC children's English?   







 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muffin_the_Mule

I thought that was illegal in most parts of the world 

[NARSES2]

I thought that was illegal in most parts of the world 

That was the standard question back in the 60's 

[Gondor]

Just had another idea for this build. Since Lee convinced me that there were space canopies in the eduard boxing that I have, I could do this aircraft with the blown hood that the Czechs used on their aircraft. Also means that I will have the Erla canopy to use on something else and it saves me from removeing the canopy rails from the fuselage that I have recently realised I had not removed. Must be providence 

Gondor

[Gondor]

Dam eduard and their dual combo kit 

They do two sprues, E for the version with the bulged canopy hood, and F with the late Bf 109 hood. There are no common parts on these two sprues' so I can't pinch bits for the blown canopy for my Mule but the KP kit does have a lot of parts included for either version so I'm pinching the bits from that for the build.

It looks as if things might come out ok in the end, if I can shift the aerial loop on the rear fuselage futher back towards the fin.

Gondor

[The Wooksta!]

You just aren't quite clued in with Eduard and their way of doing multiple versions from the same tools. It's annoying but quite logical.

For example, their Spitfires in 72 have several generic spruces with everything needed for any mk 8, 9 or 16, which means lots of spares and a boxing specific sprue, say a post war 9e high back. Means I can't do a mk9c early, but that doesn't matter, as they have a boxing for that version.  Tamiya do the same thing with the Mosquito, several standard sprue and one boxing specific.

The other problem is you're looking at the combo as one kit, whereas it's really just the two profipack boxings in one box with different decals and released early to earn more money. 

The Erla sprue is specific to that aircraft, they won't tool bits not needed there as they just push up the cost, especially when they've got the blown hood on a separate sprue in a specific release.

[Gondor]

Lee, it took me a little while to get my head around the Dual Combo boxing but managed that a day or two ago.

Anyway, the various lumps and bumps have been installed on the kit, the Loop Aerial decided to come away cleanly so I was able to move it to it's correct place and the blade aeial has also been fitted. I did take the mass balances from my H-1 kit as they are not used and then found one of the original ones and they are now both fitted although they will undoubtedly get lost at some point in time. Almost ready for paint!

Gondor

[Gondor]

So this happened 





It's now sitting in another room as it dries so that the fumes don't get to me as I used Xtracolour X201 which was the nearest I had in stock to the Humbrol 240 asked for on the box.



Clearly the above picture is of the canopy    If you have dificulty seeing it, that would be because it's camouflaged 

I brush painted both the airframe and the canopy frame. There is a small area on the top of the windscreen that I will have to sort out but that is it 

Gondor

[Gondor]

The windscreen is on now and it's looking really nice. Just enough time befor bed to touch up some of the exterior paintwork then I can touch up the interior and then decals. 

Gondor

[NARSES2]

Coming together 

[Gondor]

Wheels are on, they need the tyres touched up where they had been attached to the spre, the tail wheel also needs its rubber painted, will have to check what colour to paint the garter between the tail wheel and fuselage.

Gondor

[Wardukw]

That's starting to look good mate 👍