Falklands/Malvinas War 30th Anniversary GB

John,

You've got the most interesting collection of bulldog clips that I've ever seen.  Good job on the Chinook. I've used PVA glue for the same purpose as No More Gaps, didn't think of it. In fact I can see this happening on the under side of the wing roots on my Sea Harrier.

Cheers

Tony

Blue tac, why didn't i think of that. And you done a great job on the chinook canopy. That no more gaps looks handy as well. I just used filler and CA glue on mine, but means a bit of sanding. I'll get some pics up later today.

I'll have to see if I can track down that May issue of Model Builder , thank's for the tip Tony .

The Chinook canopy is nicely fitted in place . There are some quite large gaps top and bottom and after applying blobs of Micro Kristal Kleer into the gaps and letting it dry , I finished off sealing all round the canopy with a product called Selleys No More Gaps

It's a water clean up sealant , not silicon . I find it's great for wing root joins like on F-4 Phantoms and A-4 Skyhawk aircraft builds and also around canopies if there are larger than usual gaps . You need to mask any clear parts to avoid any smearing and I just wipe it on with dry cotton tip and wipe off with a wet cotton tip

I'll let it dry over night and I can finally start masking the Chinook . Bish I thought about leaving the round fuselage windows out to save me time masking them but I'll just use little balls of Blu-Tack (poster tack) and mask them that way .

I've also made a start on the Sikorsky S-58ET Helicopteros Marinos

I have airbrushed the interior pieces medium gray and found some stretchers to add to the cabin section

I drilled and filed out for an extra forward window on both fuselage halves and I borrowed a fuselage cabin door from a HU-5 Wessex kit and added an extra window in the door as well

My build will be standing on her legs with rotors intact , unlike the reference pic I'm using showing the S-58ET in the most undignified position on her belly on the back of a truck ....

John .

No problem, I have you switched up on the builders' list.

Guys, I'm changing my next build from a Harrie GR3 to an FRS1. Due to the miracles of mold sharing between releases, I can do so and only not use a small part of the work I've done so far.

The reason for the change is that I've spent 30 years believing that the FRS1 was THE version of Harrier in the Falklands, and only learned about the GR3 recently, due to this GB.

Since I've now got an FRS1 kit, I can make it come alive.

I've got a resin Martin Baker bang seat and photoetched instrument panel to tart it up a bit.

Cheers

Tony

I've just picked up a couple of mags, The May edition of 'Model Aircraft' has four articles relevant to this GB.

Airwars in the South Atlantic

Watch Out there's a Humphrey about (John !)

Malvinas Deltas

Is this a Dagger...

Cheers

Tony

PS: The other one was FSM, er, of course.

John, that chinook canopy is a real bithc isn't it. But at least i know it wasn't something i did wrong. That gap at the top is rather big as well isn't it. I left my side windows out so i don't have to mask, just put some tissue inside so paint didn't get on the seats.

Tony, i hadn't heard of that EZ line. I managed to find some in the UK. Nice one mate, its even black so doesn't need painting. Thanks for that.

They even tell you which one is best for certain scales.

Thank's guy's , as alway's I enjoy building any type of Sikorsky/Westland S-58 helo .

Tony , thank's for the tip on the EZ line from Red Roo models . I just ordered some and it should arrive by the middle of next week . With lot's of other on-going Wessex builds , I am definitly going to need something better for my antenna cables .

Bondoman , great info on the HU-5 Wessex , I had no idea she had started out as a HAS bird .

Back on the Chinook , I filed down the back of the cockpit instrument panel and rounded the corners a little as well

I  pushed it in as far as it would go to make sure it wouldn't hit the inside of the canopy

As Bish mentioned before , I also used quite a bit of masking tape to pull the canopy into place

The round fuselage windows are glued in place as well . So first thing in the morning I'll deal with the small gap at the top of the canopy and hopfully the Chinook will be not far off from masking and painting .

I've still been thinking about a HAS-3 Wessex build but I've had no luck so far trying to find something similar in 1/72 to make those depth charges . I did see a WIP post on another web site where a modeller scratch built some along with the brackets , here's a link ...

http://hyperscale.com/2007/features/wessexhas372ap_1.htm

It's an awesome build and gets me feel all 'brave and crazy' about having a go at a Humphrey HAS-3 Wessex . Making the brackets seems straight forward enough , I just wish I could find something to use as the depth charges . I guess I'll keep searching .

John .

John,

The Wessex is outstanding. You've put one on my build list. Hope to see many more

Cheers

Tony

Hi John

I have no affiliation with the company whatsoever, by I bought some black EZ-line from Red Roo models. It is the best stuff for any rigging on aircraft.  It has some elasticity, so cut it a little shorter than needed, anchor one end with CA gel then stretch slightly for a taut, easy to use, effective looking piece of rigging. I love the stuff, as you can tell. I don't want to sound like an advertisement so I'll leave you to google it rather than paste the link.

Cheers

Tony

Very nice build helo. Great job on this

I'm guessing that if this landed at Stanley, it was used after the campaign. Not sure on the broken sub marking either. The only argentin sub that was damaged was at South Georgia i believe.

Helo H-34

So I'm not sure of the significance of the broken submarine marking ?

John .

And like so much of the conflict, there's a lot of detail.

My understanding is that Westland XS518 was an HAS.3 at the time of the conflict, and was involved in the recapture of South Georgia Island. THAT in itself has enough data to keep you sling wings interested for a while. The ARA captured SGI on April 3rd, aided by two airlifts of marines in a Puma, which was destroyed at it's second landing.

On April 25th, the UK retook SGI in part because the submarine ARA S-21 Santa Fe was detected in a resupply mission and depth charged by an HAS.3 (XS518 ?) off HMS Antrim. Santa Fe was an ex-USN Balao, SS-339 Catfish, later converted to a Guppy and then sold to Argentina.

The SAS lost two Wessex 5's on the Fortuna Glacier, without loss of life.

The submarine battle also involved a Lynx and at least three Wasps, some armed with AS-12 missiles.

Santa Fe made it to port but later sank at the dock.

After the war the XS518 was converted to a HU-5, ala the model, and later to an HC5C, as such she was lost at Akrotiri in 1986.

I guess as a veteran of the war, and apparently a Navy helo at the time, she later became a symbol of the retaking of SGI.

I'm calling the Westland Wessex HU-5 , XS518 /XP , No.847 NAS Falklands 1982 ; finished .

I struggled with the fishing line for the antenna as my line wasn't fine enough , along with the crappy super glue I was trying to use , I just couldn't get the antenna line taut enough . So I decided to go with the black thread .

The antenna line looks okay , perhaps a little overscale somewhat but given how thin the wire is on the real bird I think anything would probably look slightly over-size .

Anyway I'm happy with the build and I just wanted to get her finished and off the bench .

There's a broken submarine kill marking decal on the nose ...

My two reference books only have a small section devoted to the Falklands conflict and describes most HU-5's of 847 NAS , were landed at Port Stanley and thereafter in various locations in the Falklands , giving support to land forces in carrying troops , weapons , freight as well as casevac purposes .

So I'm not sure of the significance of the broken submarine marking ?

John .

Gotcha Tony,

Hi Bish and Vance,

I've moved on to my Harrier GR3, Italeri, 1/72. Can you chalk me in please.

Just did some light work tonight, cleaned up the seams on some of the stores.

Cheers

Tony

Yep, was a right *** to fit. Had the same trouble again on this one. I had to thin the back of the IP. Also, i used PE which replaced the bits that come off the bottom of the IP. I had to trim this as well. Even then i had to force the canopy on and there were still some gaps. The biggest one was at the top centre of the canopy, i had to use putty for that. Also gaps around the bottom.

The canopy is the main and probably only let down on this kit.

P.S. Wessex is looking sweet.

The RAF alphabet decal sheets arrived and I placed the X and P letters in position on the HU-5 Wessex

I'll have a go with the "fishing line" antenna cable next and she will then be finished .

Bish , I'm having trouble getting the Chinook canopy to fit . Did you file the ends of your Chinook instrument panel ? . It seems to hit the inside of the canopy .

John .

Thank you kindly for posting that image Azorean .

I went onto Aztec Models web site and just ordered the 1/72 scale sheet .

I like the look of the Argentine camouflage Sea King and that Westland Scout looks interesting as well , I have two Airfix Scout kits in the stash .

Tony , Your HMS Sheffield is amazing , Excellent work buddy .

I'm not a Store owner , I just have a ridiculously large stash of model kits ; Probably enough kit's that I could well open a store but I don't wan't to sell any of them . Bish was too kind when he mentioned it might be a bit of a fetish ...... It's more of an obsession , mostly with 1/72 scale military helicopters .

John .

Amazing water effect, taxtp!

I have one bottle of gloss gel to use on my SUE diorama also. Is a great stuff.

WOW Tony that looks stunning. I've never done a waterline ship, but if i do i will keep that stuff in mind. It really helps to bring the Sheffield back to life. Great work

Not sure about being a shareholder, i just think John has a bit of a fetish

Well done Tony!! i like the water effect you did 

Vance

"John - you must have a corner on the helicopter kit market! Are you a shareholder yet??"

i suspect Jjohn is a store owner  great updates there 

Nice job Tony! Great work with the water, that gel really does the trick doesn't it!?

I'm going to call the Sheffield done. Tonight I've completed the weathering, added the final bits, and completed the ocean. Note in the pictures that the software I use to remove the yellow tint from the artifical lighting also modifies the colour of the ocean. In reality there is more green in it than these photos show, and it's a little darker. It's difficult to see the subtle weathering on the side of the hull and superstructure until the last two shots. The first shot shows the gel medium that is nearly dry. It's completely clear when fully dry.

Cheers

Tony

John - you must have a corner on the helicopter kit market! Are you a shareholder yet??

Nice work on the water base for the Sheffield Tony . Even with the water process at the early stage it still looks great .

Well , I better get cracking with some of my builds as four more kits just arrived at the front door ;

Two Hobbyboss HAS-2 Lynx helicopters along with Xtradecal RN and Argentine decals

Looking at the Xtradecal sheet 72-108 there's decals for a Oxford Blue and Dark Sea Grey Royal Navy Lynx helicopter , I'm thinking of using the decals that go with the Dark Sea Grey scheme , I hope that's accurate for the Falklands War .

Also the two Airfix Sea King kits arrived as well

Obviously I'll leave off the sand filter box's and use the 5 blade tail rotor on the Argentine Navy Sea king ; I had forgotten about Airfix's main rotors being quite thin and can bow and kink easierly , so I'll trim both sets from the sprues and place them between a couple of thick books for a week or so to flatten them out .

I think I have some Airwaves PE sets for the Airfix Sea King in one of the storage box's and I might dig them out and think about using the cockpit seatbelts and a few other bits .

Gonna have to get the canopy and fuselage windows glued in place on the Chinook this afternoon and get things moving along .

John .

You can buy gel medium in art supply stores. It's usually close to the tubes of oil paint and acrylics. I think artists use it when they want more 'body' in their paintings. This is the only modelling application for it that I am aware of. There is a good article on it's use on the Steelnavy website.

http://steelnavy.com/water.htm

That tub cost me 15 bucks and there is enough in it to do at least 5 or 6 of these. My last tub expired after about 10 years.

I'll post a pic later today of how it looks when dry.

Cheers

Tony

Tony, ye, i think they are new molds. Xtrakit also does one that came out about the same time. I opted for that aircraft, looks very nice and has some great reviews. But i think the airfix kit is also very good.

Whats that Gel Medium you are useing, never seen that before.

Some interesting info there John. I only found out about the RAF Canberra's when i was researching for this GB. Curious that they were painted in Chilean markings. That could have caused some issues, but i guess no more than the RAF operating from there in the first place. I guess you are going to have to trust the markings for the Chilean aircraft as i would be very surprised if there were any photos of the RAF aircraft.