I would like to join in with my 1/24 Hawker Typhoon if I may. I would post progress both here and in the aircraft section where I have already started a thread.

James

James, the GB has now ended. Those last builds were ones that had started before the end date, sorry buddy. How about Matt's Ground Attack GB.

Thanks, Gamera.  I'll look forward to it.  As for the hull, I'm building her as a waterline kit, so no concerns about being in the mud.

Glad to hear about MicroScale's longevity.  It might make life easier!

Finished painting the new stabilizers this afternoon.  Not going to post photos since they look like my previous effort--except these are right-side-up.

I'll need to clear coat them later today; hope to apply decals tomorrow and get them installed a day or so after that, after they've dried out.

can you say gaudy? 

Well I forgot about putting an ID stripe on the underside of the wing. After I unmasked everything.. Breaking out the tape again.

Sounds like its going to be colourful for sure.

Those fuselage stripes do seem to cause the most problems. I think a couple of guys had white stripes that were not the same width as the black.

The upper surface stripes look good.  When it sits on it's landing gear, who'll even see the bottom ones?  

AJD: Wing stripes look good! I know what you mean about trying to mask around something with a complex curve like a fuselage.

I'm glad theres armor….too many curves for me. They complain about too many wheels, I'd complain theres too much taping and sanding?

I got the group letter applied to the stabilizers, using some spares from the decal stash.  This time, the MicroScale liquid decal potion worked flawlessly.

I tried a couple of different things that might be helpful to anyone running into the same problem.

First, I applied the potion to the whole decal and let it dry fifteen minutes.  Then I used a very small brush and sparingly applied a second coat just around the outside of the image area, since the edge of the image is where the shattering was still taking place last time.

No shattering this time.  In fact, things went so well, I decided just to bite the bullet and order a new sheet of the Kits'World decals, since the serial and aircraft letter are superior to what I could cobble together.

Ordered them from Hannants and they shipped already on Saturday.  Should have them and finish up the fixing up this week sometime--I hope.

Nice work check. If those decals arrive within the week, I will be well impressed. Surprised you couldn't find them closer  to home.

Ah, they were cheaper than here in the US, plus Hannants had the new mold 1/72 Hurricanes!

Not often that happens, especially with the exchange rate how it is. I usually find I can get most things cheaper from your side of the pond, especially from Sprue Brothers.

But I do like Hannants, I usually put in an order with them every other month.

I like them too.  The decals were about $2 cheaper from Hannants.  I haven't seen the new Hurricanes turn up in the US yet.  Anxious to see them!

Is that the new Airfix one. If its anything like I have read about there other new tooled kits, you should be ok with that one. They really seem to have upped there game. I even bought two of their new kits last year, and I used to avoid Airfix like the plague.

Yeah, I shoulda said it was Airfix.  Seems they released an early bird with the two blade prop and a later version with the three blades.

I know what you mean, though.  Some of their earlier kits are a chore to build.  I still have the Handley Page and the Blenheim from the Airfix VC Icons boxing.  I look at them with a sort of fear and trembling.  

Ye, I saw both those kits on Hannants, though I can't work out why the 2 bladed kit is £2 cheaper than the 3 bladed.

I still have their SM 79 kit in the stash, and I am determined not to replace it with anything else. But I shouldn't be to harsh on them, its nice to see a British company doing well and without Airfix I might not be building models now. And I don't know how it is over there, but here, if you tell people you build plastic models, the first thing they think of is Airfix.

Check - that second go at the rudders seems to look much improved, or is just better photos?

------------------------------------------------

off topic here, but about Airfix's new tooled 1/72 Hurricane.  The cheaper of the two boxings has one less sprue set and only one decal option.  The other has two decal options, and allows the building of the prewar version.  Both though are rag-wings, which makes them pre BoB time frame.  There is hope Airfix will release a metal wing version for the 2015 anniversary.

regards,

Jack

Bish

Ye, I saw both those kits on Hannants, though I can't work out why the 2 bladed kit is £2 cheaper than the 3 bladed.

I still have their SM 79 kit in the stash, and I am determined not to replace it with anything else. But I shouldn't be to harsh on them, its nice to see a British company doing well and without Airfix I might not be building models now. And I don't know how it is over there, but here, if you tell people you build plastic models, the first thing they think of is Airfix.

Thanks, Jack.  I don't know what it is--except maybe because they're right-side up this time?

Thanks also for the information on the Hurricanes.  I haven't seen enough information on them to know what's included with them.

Have you built either of them?

hi Check - haven't built it yet, but I do have the initial boxing of the new tool Hurricane in the stash.  The decal options is either for a Belgian machine during the attack on the Low Countries, or a prewar RAF unit.  

regards,

Jack

Thanks, Jack; that's helpful to know.  That would fit the time frame for the 193/40 GB I'm attempting to get going for the anniversary of WWII.

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/29/t/161378.aspx

If you're not overloaded with GB, I'd be glad to have you join this one.  It'll start up on 1 Sept, and run through 31 Dec 2015, commemorating the first 16 months of the war.

Check, that looks a good idea for a GB and I have plenty of options. But I am holding off joining any new ones for now until I have cleared some of those I am committed to. I am trying to narrow it down to only being committed to two at any one time. But by the end of the year I should have cleared up at least 4 more and should be able to jump on board then. I just don't like committing to GB's I can't be sure I can build for and I don't like doing cross overs either, but hopefully this one will get off the ground.

Models over here were only really sold in toy stores, hobby stores and maybe a few in newsagents and the like, at least that was my experience. Funnily enough, the one I used as a kid, which is a large toy store but always had a good models selection, is still up and running, but a large chain of hobby shops has largely gone. The smaller model shops here do seem to be clinging on.

Check - OMG!   You are right about putting up a 39/40 GB, it's a great idea.

Like Bish I too am committed to the end of the year, and already have a couple more that will extend to the following year.  I'm definitely interested, but it would be some time next year that the bench would be cleared up.

regards,

Jack

I'm glad to see you are both interested.  You both do excellent work.

I figured there might not be enough events/kits available/interest in just 1 '39 build; September is already late in the year.  Combining with '40 would give more options.

I'd hoped someone else would come up with the GB, since i haven't hosted any before this.  But 1 August rolled around and no indications, so I couldn't in good conscience let the 75th anniversary pass by without notice of some kind.

Plenty of time to get involved, and hopefully interest will develop.

Bish, the city where I grew up (20-25,000 people back then) had one hobby shop, so the rest of our models were sourced from Woolworths (which was pretty good), drug stores and department stores.  Still, there always seemed something exciting out to buy!

And, some of those same kits are still available!

Check, I had actually been tossing around the idea of a Battle of Britain GB for next year, so yours actually covors that. Which I am fine with, as the BoB is a realitivly small subject matter. I am also interested, but like the others, probably wouldnt be able to start anything until closer to new years.