Eye In The Sky GB - January 2010 - October 2010

Looking good B-17Pilot.

I've made a lot of progress on the Arado.  This kit is pretty simplistic yet has enough detail to be satisfactory OOB.  It also has seemed to have put itself together.

Got a lot of work done on my Mosquito today. Got the CP all finished and the fuselodge glued together.

The fuselodge before joining

The CP all painted and ready to be put in the fuselodge

I'm going for an OOB build, so the seatbelts are decals provided in the kit.

And finally, the cameras that make it an "Eye in the Sky"

Aggie thanks for the update on the Arado, think I will seriously consider getting that one. Have always like the way it looked. I have the 1/72 Airfix kit and hope I can do half as well as this OOB entrant at last years ModelExpo did here in Oz!

Alrighty then I dug out the TBF last night washed and did some dry fitting to see what problems this old kit has in store for me. There are the normal Monogram fit issues, not much trouble, and a slightly warpped wing that will need some attention.  What I did find suprising was the canopy and turret ball crystals. They are surprisingly clear and,  fit very well, seems strange on one of these kits. I should be able to get rolling on it midweek next week. Here are some pictures including box art.

I have finished up the pit and closed up the fuselage on the Arado.  I should have some photos posted by tomorrow night (I'd do them tonight but it is my daughter's birthday so it is unlikely I'll have the time).  My impression of the Arado kit is that while it may not be up to Tamiya/Hasegawa/Accurate Miniatures detail standards, it's a good kit.  Fit has been extremely good although I do have one seam line along the fuselage that is going to need some extra attention.  The cockpit shell fit together perfectly and the tolerances of the mating pins seemed to be quite snug.

stikpusher

Wow there is some great work coming along in this GB! I hope I can keep pace!

But, the model building muse seems to have escaped me for much of the past three days (not to mention a full schedule of family business). After getting my fuselage glued together and then sanded once dry I could not find the motivation to do the scribing. Perhaps during the upcoming week on my next days off.

So here is what she looks like so far.

Carlos, you going to do the armed version ?  I was stumped for some 1/32 sidewinders but Hawkeye is very kindly sending me some !

Vance the Storch is really coming to life now with the decals!!!! Yes, alchohol and Future don't mix!!! It will desolve it. Not as fast as ammonia will but still will desolve it all the same. Best of luck!!!

Jeremy she's looking great mate!!!

Vance The Storch is really looking sweet. Those decals really brought the paint job to life.

Jmabx everytime I see your fine build I cant help but think of James Garner and Donald Pleasance flying one in The great Escape.

Guys I have used 70% alcohol to clean Tamiya acrylic paint off of clear parts with no problems, it does tend to remove the future though, or cloud it a bit. I just brush on more and it clears the future right up. I do make it a habit to try it on an unused clear part though just to make sure it wont attack the plastic, course I build mostly Monogram and Revell kits.

The Storch is looking great Vance. I like your idea for lining up the swastika.

I'll be watching how you clean up the windows because I have a bit of an overspray problem on the Taifun. As I feared, the problems I had with the Eduard masks lifting led to paint finding it's way underneath them.   All of them!

Other than that, she's lookin' good.

Aggieman

Liking the Storch, Vance!  Not sure what alcohol will do with Future but I'm thinking those two don't play well together.  I am not a chemist and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Select last night, though.

Now that I'm thinking about it, the Germans were pretty strict about not allowing alcohol in the cockpit, I probably should follow their lead!! Maybe I'll try scrubbing with a wet (water) q-tip first, see if that does anything.

Of course, the Storch did come with 3 different sets of upper glass, I could Future & alcohol one of those & see what happens.

Liking the Storch, Vance!  Not sure what alcohol will do with Future but I'm thinking those two don't play well together.  I am not a chemist and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Select last night, though.

The Storch is looking sweet, Vance. Great looking build.

Art

jmabx

B17 - Which Mosquito kit are you building? Cockpit looks great so far.

I'm doing the 1/48 Tamiya PR Mk IV version.  The kit also gives to the choice to do a fighter bomber if you want, but I think the PRU Blue PR version will look cool.

Out of town the past weekend, so no progress has been made.

Well I would have gotten more done this weekend if it hadn't been so gorgeous on Saturday. First softball practice of the year on March 13 & it was outdoors!

I used the decal for the tail stripe because I didn't want to get into masking that close to the vert. stabiliser, good colour density though, and it lined up perfectly. After all these years, I tried a new method for aligning the swastikas, other that "eyeball"! I drew some guidelines on my decal guide to see where the angles intersected with something, and laid tape on to give me a guide. Perfekt!!

Underside ID numbers look reeeeeally far apart, but that's what the references are showing me...

Masks removed from the cockpit glass & all looks good. There is one spot that I need to touch up (misaligned) but the masks did perform well, despite having to cut them out myself... I did however find that a little of the underside colour worked its way through the cabin door & hit (of course) a piece of the roof glazing. Trying to decide if I leave it & call it "frost", or try to get it out with some rubbing alcohol & a q-tip. Interior is mostly done in enamels so it should be safe enough to try - anyone know what alcohol does to future-dipped canopies?

And the underside from the front.

And thanks for the positive comments gang, this is my first group build project, and I'm really enjoying it. Talk to you all later,

Vance

Stikpusher - the Phantom is shaping up well, one of the few non-prop planes I'm interested in. Can't wait to see it finished up. I don't recall which manufacturer your kit is from... best of luck with the re-scribe.

B17 - loving the Mosquito, I'm ashamed to say I have yet to add one to the collection, although I built a Beaufighter a few years back, both amazing machines.

Aggieman - "The family that models together, uhh, always has paint under their finger nails! I have a 12-year old girl who occasionally looks at what I have built & a wife who patiently tolerates - but there is always hope right!!

Good to see you getting the whole family involved!!!! Hopefully the bait will get them hooked!!!

Everyone's work is looking good.

I had thought I'd get some work done on my Arado this weekend (and since the weekend is not over yet, I just might be able to squeeze in some), but other builds got in the way.  I had bought some cheap Hobby Boss kits to do as a family group build, and with the weather so pleasant here yesterday, it was a great time to get the wife and daughter out to the bench.  My wife built a Hurricane, my daughter built a Typhoon with a lot of help from me, and I built a Thunderjet.  Just have to put decals on and these builds will be done.

Vance Your camo is looking fantastic and the fading you have done is right on there buddy. Keep up the great work as I can't wait to see more of it.

Stikpusher man I know how much work those Testers kits can be having just finished their F-104 kit. Your Phantom is looking really good so far, looking forward to see more from you as I am thinking of building an F-4 maybe this summer. I made many parts for that bird.

I gotta get a move on and get started on my Avenger for this group.

I havent done the wings yet JM. I am gonna try to tackle those this week on my days off. I also have to fill in the Sparrow bays since it is a common lower wing piece for all the Testors F-4 kits. (RF-4/F-4G/F-4S)  We shall see...

Vance - I really like the way your paint looks on the Storch. Well done.

B17 - Which Mosquito kit are you building? Cockpit looks great so far.

Stik - I fell outta the modeling groove also. Haven't worked on anything all week. At least I don't have any scribing to do. The Phantom is looking good. Did you already scribe the wings?

Looking good stik!!!! In due time my friend you will get it done.

Wow there is some great work coming along in this GB! I hope I can keep pace!

But, the model building muse seems to have escaped me for much of the past three days (not to mention a full schedule of family business). After getting my fuselage glued together and then sanded once dry I could not find the motivation to do the scribing. Perhaps during the upcoming week on my next days off.

So here is what she looks like so far.

Vance the paint is looking great mate!!! Looking forward to the weathering you mentioned. Just do it!!!

B17 You PR Mossie is off to a good start!!!

to both!!

Got some work done on my PR Mosquito.  Mostly the cockpit for now, but I did get the wings together.

The wings are together and waiting for the engines

The CP floor minus the nose section

Fuselodge halves have also been started, but still need to have the detail added and painted.  More later.

OK, I'm overdue with my updatpics, but I decided to get set up on Photobucket. (My company is moving webservers, which I think may destroy my previously posted links. I guess I could go back & edit them to the new links? There really aren't that many to deal with.) Anyway, three more progress pics. Hoping to get her flipped over tonight or tomorrow for the underside blue, followed by a coat of future & decals...

As stated before, there were a couple of touchups needed (actually done last night), specifically the spot where my thumb & fingers "masked" the paint coverage... hey, I had to hold the thing somehow

All the support pieces for the landing gear struts have to be added after decalling, so they are being painted off the airframe & added, very carefully, afterwards! What do you think about weathering guys? My main goal at this point is to have the contrast of the splinter pattern showing through the final colour. I'm leaning towards highlighting only a few main panel lines prior to adding the whitewash, then doing most of the weathering once the whitewash is finished.

I've also picked up one of the Tamiya weathering powder kits that includes white, making me think I want to airbush only a base coat & then do as much as I can with the weathering powders to give it a more field-applied look.

Let the discussion begin!!

Vance

Art-You're welcome.  And I'm glad that you found a solution that involved adding another kit to the stash!

bobbaily

Art-check out the 'roo on this old AMTech P-40E sheet.  There is only one on the sheet but if you want, I have another sheet and can mail you both 'roos if you would like.

PM me if you are interested.

 

Bob,

 I thank you for your kind offer but, after thinking about it, I'll probably go with the Sea Fury decals that I spoke of in my earlier post. The 'roos ought to be about the right size, and there are 6 on the sheet, which is the amount that I'll be needing.

My decision also has an ulterior motive. It'll give me an excuse to pick up a Fury kit. The Hawker Fury has always been a favorite of mine, and now I'll have an excuse to build one.

 Ah, the devious mind of the modeler.

Stikpusher,

Thanks for the thoughts. Can't wait to see the RF-4 when it's finished. Back in the 1980's I lived in the flight path of Bergstrom AF Base in Austin, Tx. At that time the 67th Tactical Recon Wing was stationed there. I had my windows, and just about everything else, rattled by countless RF-4's on afterburner. Great aircraft.

Art

Art, I'd offer you the ones off my Huey, since I used some Superscale 1st Air Cav markings on mine. But, the kit decals were in horrible shape and pretty much worthless due to getting moist on the box prior to being built.

I got the fuselage halves glued together on my RF-4 today and the seams sanded smooth this evening. What a beast. My fuselage was moderately warped and the fit of th camera station window was bad. after I get the panel lines on top of the fuselage rescribed I will get more pics posted. Then I need to scribe and sand the wings and stabiliators and the major build will be complete.

Art-check out the 'roo on this old AMTech P-40E sheet.  There is only one on the sheet but if you want, I have another sheet and can mail you both 'roos if you would like.

PM me if you are interested.

Art, might I suggest if someone has those decals in question, to scan them and send you a copy of the scan so you can print them out and make a stencil so they can be painted on??!! Seems to be the best bet if you can't find the right decals. HTH