Falklands/Malvinas War 30th Anniversary GB

I didn't notice the scale when you first posted. Now this should be interesting.

I have a few 72nd Flightpath sets, including Diorama and detail sets. they are rather nice.

Nice to see Dragon marking the event. I assume the Colnel Jones VC figure is one of those action figures rather than a kit.

I've never seen so much brass! There are sheets and sheets of the stuff in this Flightpath set. Instructions could be a lot better though. Half of it is diagrams, the other half is written instructions. it's complicated stuff let alone having to visualise it yourself.

Anyways, here is the IP with brass pieces and some pieces for the side consoles.

Cheers

Casper the Chihuahua

Well, it's not everyday you have a 1/24 scale kit in the stash (or under the bed) so I decided to bump the 1/72 Super Sabre and start the Harrier now. This kit will be in 3 builds, Airfix, Harrier and Falklands.

A lot of pieces, a lot not on sprues and not very well organised or numbered. I'm going to have to work out a filing system to keep track of the pieces.

I'm also adding this Flightpath upgrade set which includes resin wheels and ordinance and heaps of photo etch and white metal parts for the cockpits and engine and ladder etc.

This kit is a gift pack and has supplied some small pots of Humbrol paints so first things first some cataloguing and converting into Tamiya and Gunze from my collection.

I think I'll have to fill up the tub for this one as well to bath the parts

Cheers

i just say wow

bsyamato - we could hide our 1/72 Harriers inside Casper's 1/24 Harrier!!!

LOL and probaly adding my wasp as nose weight

I know what you mean about those flightpath instrustions. I messed up a 72nd MiG 23 ladder because they confused me. But that was cheap to replace. For what you have, i think i would sudy them more than a few times.

I reckon you could stick a carrier inside that harrier.

As you can see the cockpit on this kit is pretty sparse.

There are two not-very-fitting-at-well plastic bits for the side wall that I just threw away.

I cut off the window sills and replaced them with the FP brass offerings. As you can see on the port side, just a plastic ridge.

So while the Flightpath set spices up the IP and some of the side consoles considerably, it completely fails to add anything else to the cockpit. So scratch time. As always with my approach to scratch, I like to simulate not replicate. I tried to do something that looked good to the eye and not worry too much about what was really inside this pit for real.

It's amazing how much of this will be seen on the final kit. Airfix could have done a little more perhaps. But it's amazing what can be done with some left over PE, resin, styrene cockpit shapes and wire.

Cheers

Some more work on the brass...The ejection seat lower half

The coaming above the IP, the HUD assembly and the headrest of the ejection seat.

Cheers

Here's the IP, just a bit of touching up to do on the paint job but essentially it's there. It will look better once it's under the coaming with the HUD attached.

Cheers

Some lovely looking work there. I really like the look of the ejection seat. Are you soldering these items or just glueing.

Time to get out the mini saw.

Need to remove the cockpit. I think this kit was originally a GR.3. The instructions ask to hack this front section off and replace it with the FRS.1 version.

The tape help remove a clean area

Not quite a clean fit for the new piece but putty will help that

Cheers

So that's how the cheapskates at Airfix avoided retooling the fuselage... or charging $200 for it!

M/TB379

PS: It was a GR1 when it was first tooled!

So more on the Airfix puzzle. Flashing galore on this kit, also ejector pin marks on almost every piece! We get spoilt building Tamiya, Dragon, Eduard and Trumpeter kits a lot of the time!

I decided to finish the engine parts off in Alclad lacquers. The black undercoat helps with creating depth in the detail of the parts.

Some more work done on the cockpit. Far from finished, possibly the most detailed office I've ever worked on.

Front view;

Front view with coaming;

Rear view and starboard sidewall;

Nearly finished the ejection seat just waiting for the harnesses to dry.

Cheers

Really nice work there. I like what you have done with the engine, and the cockpit looks stunning.

Heres a quick update on my chinook. These are the pics i should have put up last weekend. These photos show the kit prior to painting, after all the antenna's and the undercarrage had been fitted.

I've since painted the black underside and the grey on top. I will be adding the green this coming week. So hopefully another update next weekend.

Great updates Casper! the engine and cockpit looks awesome

Bish i was expect some poor detailed kit as a matchbox kit but actually the chinook relly detailed!

quite a bit of that is PE. The kit itself itsn't that bad. Just that the PE antennas are better were supplied. Generally this kit would look pretty good OOB.

Casper / Bish - good to see the GB progressing, and great results from both. I should be back in with my Pucara before too much longer, really looking forward to that one!

I've started to add some extra piping and wiring to the engine but at this scale it's going to need a lot more.

Cheers

Condor decals to inspire anyone still on the fence!

http://www.condordecals.com.ar/condordecals/cp_producto_detalles.php?rubroID=11&subrubroID=10&prod=33#

http://www.condordecals.com.ar/condordecals/cp_producto_detalles.php?rubroID=11&subrubroID=10&prod=35

Droolworthy, Vance! I would love a lineup of Argentine Skyhawks!

Quick update -- my Airfix Sea Harrier is still on the shelf, I just couldn't get my head around the trench-like panel lines. So I found and bought the older Fujimi Sea Harrier in its Testors incarnation, and though the older kit may have other inaccuracies the panel lines are fine and sharp. This one I can build! Could that change be made on page 1?

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Cockpit almost done. I think it must be the most work I've done on an office so far. I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Cheers

Progress is being mad. Here's the Chinook with your colours on., The undewrside was painted Humbrol gloss black. While on top i used xtracolour Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green, all enamels. I removed the little antennas from the left side as they were getting damaged, and they will be painted black anyway.

So next job the decals. I need to get a base sorted for this, so i will be slowing down on the model for a bit. And i don't want to finish it to soon.

Bish -- that paint looks remarkably smooth! Good work!

M/TB379

Xtraclolour enamels are gloss, so they come ready for decals. Its my paint of choice for aircraft and armour. But not many others seem to use it.

I've  not seen them in many years in Australia...Pity, I've heard good thing about them. One day I'll have a spray booth and be able to use solvent based paints again...

M/TB379

I wasn't even certaiun if you could get them outside the UK. I'm a big fan of Hannants, so they are easy for me to get hold of. The only shop i have ever seen them in is the LKHS in my local town, but then we are only 45mins drive from Hannants warhouse, so that's sort of understandable.

I am a but naughty when it comes to painting. I don't have a spray booth yet, or even a seperate painting area. I just used a respirator, then when i am done, i just leave the bench for a bit. Not very good i know, but i have little choice at the moment.