Multi Prop GB 17 March to May '17

mawright20 , I am sorry to hear about the hassles you had with the canopy:(

As for fixing it, I have no idea, maybe dipping it in future might bring some of the clarity back?

I do like your mottling, looks very cool :-)

I will update the pix page, feel free to collect a badge if you like.

Thanx

Theuns

Tanker 74 entered the paint shop today.  Before I could paint, I had to fill a couple of pinholes where the gunports used to be.  I tried putting them​ over, but they kept reappearing.  I was about to say the heck with it and live with them, but I checked my super glue first.  Seeing that it was still liquid, I applied it over the holes, the hit it with the accelerator.  Let it set for about 10 minutes, then it with the sanding stick.  Problem solved, no more holes.  I normally use Tamiya's gloss white out of the rattle can, to skip a step.  However, since the red I'm using is Testor's flat red out of the square bottle, I wasn't sure what the reaction to Testors Gloss would be.  So I went with Model Master flat white instead.  Here she is still the moment.

Tanker 74 is now two tone.  Will let her dry overnight, then start with the gloss.

Very niue, love the colours :-)

Theuns

MA - Nice work finishing her up man, and great job on the mottling.

Lew - The two tone is looking nice - very striking.  Appropriate for a fire-bomber.

With the white ring cleared up and a slight bit of decal silvering painted over, I was able to apply some dullcoat today.  I think she needs a bit more weathering - but at least it looks like I might make the three month GB deadline with this one.

The scheme is one that came in the box.  It is for an Aicraft that was piloted by 28 yr old squadron leader Arthur Scarf.  Posthumously, Scarf was awarded the Victoria Cross as a result of his brave action in a daylight raid on Japanese forces, flying from a base in Malaysia on Dec 9th, 1941.  The account of his actions can be found here:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Scarf

A brave man indeed.

Chris

Have been making slow progress on the O2.  Have pics in the camera and more tonight.  Ready for paint (gray), then the white stripe on top.  Going to letter either "THE FAC" or "DON'T SHOOT" in black transfer lettering on the white.  Should be able to finish her up over the long w/e.

Will get the progress pics up tomorrow night.

I'm finally over the hump.  The canopy is in place after some trim work.  After my second Airfix Blenheim - I still haven't gotten this tricky part to go together the way I'd like it to.  The kit is really wonderful aside from this one issue, and I'm not entirely sure that this issue is the kit's fault.

So here's a bad, low-light photo from the end of my work session this evening.  

Really getting close to being done - and there's nothing difficult left to do.  Before the end of the Memorial Day holiday weekend I should have some nice daylight pictures of the completion to show y'all.

Chris

Looking good Chris!  Will have to get one for my BoB collection.

Got the O2 painted and glossed, ready for decals yesterday.  Decals today, and dullcoat tomorrow. Catching up on some progress pics as well.   The copper wire is for the two whip antennas.

Goldhammer, the O2 is looking great!

Gloss coated and ready for decals!  It doesn't show in the pic, but I really like how a single layer of gloss brightened up the red.

With the exception of the decals that go on the nose gear doors, the decals are done. Will let them dry for a day or two, then seal them up.  The decals are thin, and one of them folded up on me as I tried to get it in position. All that's left is to finish the engines, paint the cowlings, props, install the nose gear and wheels.  She won't make the deadline, but she should be done by the end of next week.

lewbud-  Thanks, and you tanker looks great.

Finished up my bird today.  Gray, white and black is all paint, kit decals otherwise.  Left off the gun pods and willy-petes for a little cleaner look.  Fun little build of one of my favorite aircraft, at least in civvy form.

My thanks to theuns for hosting the GB.

How about using the last pic for the front page, Thanks.

Great work guys.

Lew - the Invader/fire-bomber is looking great.  I'm assuming that all of its fire bombing capacity is within the bomb bay  . . .  there are no external tanks (?)   I've never seen an Invader in action as a fire bomber.  

GH - Excellent Skymaster.  Really nice job on the glass parts.  It looks like a nicely detailed kit and your extra detail work really adds to it.  Very Nice !

I didn't make as much progress as I thought on the Blenheim this weekend.  But it was a good Memorial Day.  I'll "git 'er done" in time I think.  Better get back to the bench though. 

Chris

Thanks Gold Hammer and Chris.

In answer to your​ question Chris, the tankage is carried in the bomb bay.  On most air tankers, the tanks protrude from the bottom of the aircraft somewhat but I couldn't see that in the pics and videos of the A-26 I was able to find.  To see what got me hooked, find a copy of Always starring Richard Dreyfus, John Goodman, and Holly Hunter.  If you have a movie night with your significant other, it's a win-win.  You get airplanes, they get a rom-com.

lewbud

it's a win-win.  You get airplanes, they get a rom-com.

Thanks for the tip Wingman Lew !   

Allrighty - I made it !   I'm stickin' a fork in this one and calling it done !

The base was a rather quick attempt at something resembling a treetop level pass.  I'll probably re-do this and extend the "pole" a little higher. 

_{A message from my Gunner:  If I could move my new arms I would wave !  Instead I'll just say "Thanks Theuns for hosting this GB.  And Thanks everyone else !  I had fun, learned some stuff, tried some new things, bent my elbows into a new position and got to see some most excellent building going on.}

Here is the "problem shot".  I did alot of sanding, filling, shimming, and general finagling to try and get the canopy to fit right.  This was where all the cumulative errors decided to hang out - in the gap above the pilot's head and in the misallignment in the lower back corner where the canopy joins the fuselage.  Looks pretty coarse.

In some shots I think the prop blurr looks OK.  In others, I don't like it so much.

In all, this kit just missed coming together the way I wanted it to.   But - Now I have a flying Blenheim in my display.  Not all bad.

I'll try to get a better glamour shot tomorrow in daylight if I can.  I didn't finish in time tonight.

. . . Now on to my 100 years of the RAF group build !   Hope to see ya there.

Chris

Bossman, I really like the propblur, gives a feeling of "life" well done.

GH that is one very cool 337 you built there, looke the "biz"

Lewbud, dont worry about the deadline to much, just complete it in the next couple of weeks and grab yourself a badge ;-)

Thanx to all you for taking part.

I will update the front page with pix.

Theuns

Thanks for the overly kind words guys.

Thanks for hosting Theuns,  and thanks for the encouragement.  This was fun.

Here are some daylight shots:

Chris

Bossman that really came together well. The canopy masking looks really crisp! I also think the work on the bombs paid off because thick tails sections wouldn't have looked right in that little bomb bay.

Thanks Mongoose,

But no masks were sacrificed in the building of this model - the canopy was brush painted with a fine brush.  This degree of raised detail is pretty easy to work with.

Chris

Nice work everyone! 

Hi MA,

The Prop blurr was pretty easy.

Measure the diameter of the prop blades, cut out a disk of clear styrene the same diam. On a piece of paper, Draw out three lines angled 120 degrees apart and place the clear disk on the paper with the lines centered properly.  This will be your guide for the separation between the dark blurred areas.  Mix up some diluted acrylic grey paint and just paint a squiggle roughly over the line at a width of about 3/8 to 1/4 inch wide(or whatever looks good) - with your brush strokes going mostly in the direction of rotation.

(I use acrylics - but I think enamels would probably work as well.  If you thin the paint well - you should be able to get kindof a semi-transparent look.  That's what I was shooting for.  If they're too thin - you can always just put on another layer.  If they're too thick - then its just a mess)

 Then do the same thing with a diluted black paint - but make the width of the squiggle narrower.  On the outer rim, lay down a line of diluted yellow.  Voila ! 

A more convincing job could probably be done with an airbrush - that will give you a more "feathered" edge.  But others would have to give you tips on that - I'm not an airbrush guy.

Chris

mawright20

How do we get a badge for the group?

 

 I saved the badge pic to pictures on the computer, then moved it over to my pic host site.  Then add it to the signature line as you would plug any pic to a post.

Hi Mike,

A few months ago I saw someone do an in-flight ME-109 in the aircraft forum.  They simply clipped the blades off, filled the holes in the spinner, and then dry brushed some chalk powders (I think) around the outside of the spinner.  They didn't use a clear disk at all.  I thought it looked great.

I couldn't really do that on this one though - because there is nothing to the spinner on the Blenheim - It would just look like a stick coming out of the engine.

Chris