Looks good with the tail boom on Stik.

SP: Nice work there on the scribing. And yeah I use the liquid cement too to smooth out any rough areas of the sanding. 

Stik, yep, that does look different with a tail. Kinda looks like an airplane now.

Thank you gentlemen... now is the fun of seam clean up...

Bish, 

I know I said I’d get the rest of my figures done and final pics posted this week, but unfortunately, real-life events have intruded.  My 14+years old Labrador has seen his health suffer a serious decline over the past week, to the point where we will visit the vet tomorrow for the last time.  So I have tried to spend a lot more time with him over the last few days to comfort him in his final days.  I will pick back up and finish in a few days; until then, if you have a four-legged best friend, be sure to hold them extra close, as you don’t know how much time you’ll have with them.  

https://pin.it/xcz6eguynrnet3

Sorry to hear that AA, we have several 4 legged friends, but of the feline and equine variety. The models can wait.

Sad news there AA, he's a lovely looking lab.

Stik, good work on those seams, coming along well.

Managed to get a bit more painting done, colours are on letting it set before the decalling. The blue could be deeper, although looking at photos Airfix's blue is too dark.

AA: I'm so sorry to hear that. They're more than a pet- they're a member of the family. 

LA: Love the Lightning, the blue tail looks fantastic and the different colours of NM show up well in your second photo. 

PS: Sorry to whine but I've been looking high and low for the missing gear well door and spinner for the past two weeks. I've pulled my work area apart, the area where I airbrush, and went though a bunch of other kit boxes thinking maybe they got tossed in there some how. I'm at the point now I'm not as much annoyed at the missing parts as just wondering where on earth they could have went off too. Too bad Leonard Nimoy passed away- I'd like to send him 'In Search Of' all these parts that just vanished.

I swear it's Gremlins or Leprechans or something stealing them...  

LA, looking good there. 

Going by the instruction's illustration and period photos, seems the blue should match the roundel colour?  Maybe just a thin red filter would bring it closer ...

regards,

Jack

LA, thats looking really nice.

G, i hate when that happens. Any ideas on how your going to proceed.

That's very frustrating Gam, it will turn up as soon as you get a replacement...

Jack, You are right, the blue should match the roundels. Some of the photos the blue is lighter, but so are the roundels. Frustration is, I put a splot of the colour I used on the instructions to see how it matched and it looks a lot darker than how it came out - maybe I didn't mix it enough.

How do you suggest I go about the filter? I've not tried one before. I will have a go but may end up repainting.

LA, if you have a proper roundel blue paint already, then yes just do a repaint.

If you want to try a filter, it would basically be a thinned down paint that you would spray over the current blue.  Just like mixing your own paint shade, do some tests on a scrap piece and see if you can get the proper results.  Maybe just try a thinned down red at first, if it's not dark enough, try a drop of black in it as well.

regards,

Jack

Thanks Jack,

Don't have the right colour, that was my darkest blue. To do the filter I would need to do a test piece, so instead I will try mixing the right shade. If that doesn't work, off to the LHS...

So this is the comparison. Got the Lightning decal sheet and the deeper blue on a test piece. Might have added a bit too much black, its gone a little murky. But I will do a test shot on the light blue sprue you see at the back left.

LA: Looks pretty darn close to me!

And thanks guys. I think I'm going to try to go ahead and add the landing gear etc even though she won't fit back in the box if I do. The missing parts HAVE to show up sometime.

LA: The kit's been out of prodution for years or I'd try to order replacement parts just to get the originals to show up. I could probably scratchbuild the missing door which might be enough...

Bish here is a .Update for the links for my builds

Cheers Johnny, front page updated.

TJ: I think I already commented on all of those but please let me say again, great job on all of them! 

Alright, I couldn’t mope around sad and depressed about losing my dog forever, so I finally got back to the bench and the RAF Battle of Britain diorama is now FINISHED!  Here then is the final reveal:

https://pin.it/oze56srjbss4r7

https://pin.it/3ukh6zmwcafvlj

https://pin.it/pvy5vub7sqmauv

https://pin.it/ix4vki32vxivnx

https://pin.it/iwjiltdbnxsioa

https://pin.it/2l3m4bc2blds3s

https://pin.it/22d7gt4gpwkvxu

https://pin.it/aontztrapmfxwv

https://pin.it/4big6fbhlcd5e3

Bish, many thanks to you for running this group build!  Thanks for your patience and all the work you put in organizing it, it was a lot of fun, and this latest project is the most elaborate I’ve done.  It was an inspiration seeing all the other fine works out there as well.  Now just a short time to catch my breath and start working on some of the other group build projects I’ve signed up for.  Cheers!

Gamera

TJ: I think I already commented on all of those but please let me say again, great job on all of them! 

 

AA, was great to have you on boards. I'll check those pics out tonight, i am at work atr the moment, and will update the front page. Thanks again.

Italeri 1/72 Short Sunderland MK1

Paints: Golden High Flow, Vallejo Model Color

Weathering: Salt Fading, Com.Art Acrylics, Wilder Oils

docked2 by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Fft-lft! by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

OK: it's time to call this a wrap. This was not my finest hour, but some things went okay.

Good News: Black basing works very nicely. Golden High Flow paints are the airbrush's best friend and the colors mix so well that I think I had very good matches - fading was intentional. Salt and oil fading is subtle - I just have had better before/after pics, but I think you can see on the detail pics that the surface is quite irregular but because so little paint is used the detail stands out nicely.

Fbelodet! by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Fwingdet2 by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Fwingdet by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Bad News: There's always driver error in my kits - we'll take that as a given. Three factors worked against a really good model. First, I got carried away writing an article about some particularly rotten island campaign in the Solomons during WWII. (I get paid for such things and buy models or necessities like static grass applicators.) I'm also leaving for the spring-summer migration to the Midwest. Anyway, there was time pressure and that never helps me. There were some extra weathering steps that would have helped the kit, but they didn't get done. I really wanted to do a water base for this model, but that was out of the question. The Sunderland isn't exactly graceful, but when it's on its temporary wheels and wheelbarrow apparatus, it's an ugly duck. The kit's also very large and very hard to handle. This meant I needed to put a lot of construction off to the end, making some complicated steps or doom them to ruin due to clumsiness. (I lost a bomb anyway.) And this kit is at best mediocre. For a new tool kit in this era, I was very disappointed. The engineering was odd - none of the flair you see from Tamiya. (I've done three straight Tamiya kits before this one - one from the 70s and it was better than the Sunderland.) The fit was simply poor - not terrible, no thoughts of jumping off a bridge, but I was always fighting the kit. That's not good for morale and doesn't encourage taking those extra steps. I admit I'm glad this is over. (I also sold new Italeri kits of the Hurricane I and Ju-87B in favor of the new Airfix versions. I don't regret it.)

But in retrospect, I have no idea where I would have put this monster if it had been put on a base. It's certainly a subject worthy of a kit. And forty years ago or so I would have said this model has very high "funk appeal." It actually looks ok from five feet.

Next UP: Kursk T-34

Sunderland Pics Below

Eric

Frt-r by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Frt-ft3 by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Frt-ft2 by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Fright by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Fbelow by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Fleft by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Eric, i like that a lot. I think your being very hard on yourself, i like it a lot. Thanks for taking part and being just a great member of the groiup. I'll update the front page later.

And for some reason i negl;ected to add this entry to the roster. Can you remind me which kit it is again please.

AA: Looks awesome to me. Love the extra figures, they really bring the scene to life. Kudos sir!!! 

Btw: If I may ask are you thinking about getting another dog or is this too soon? 

Eric B. (Just noticed both of you are named Eric): Love the Sunderland. Not something you see everything witch makes her cooler than a Spit or a Hurricane right there. Big and impressive too. And you did a great job on the camo and rigging. We are our own worst critics- you should be proud of her- great job!!! 

Eric Z, a job well done and fitting tribute to both fighters of the BoB era.

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

Eric B, for a kit that was fighting you all the way, the results on your Sunderland are quite eye catching.

regards,

Jack

Ok guys, front page updated.

AA, very nice job on the dio, really come out nicley. Thanks again for taking part.

Eric, i am guesing thats the Italeri Mk I kit, so have put that down. Thanks again.