Yeah, nice work there Nick on the landing gears and the buzz bombs. 

Coming along very nicely there Nick.

tempestjohnny smooth paint on that mosquito!

gamera nice tempest looks real good

brandonB nice prop and radiator!

well I have just some landing gear and a completed v1 and the v1 from the gloster kit.

BD: Wow! That 'wooden' prop and the rigging look amazing! 

And thanks guys. I went with that decal scheme mainly because I thought the lightning bolt and question mark were interesting. 

And thanks guys for the information on the V-1 and wing buffeting attack. I only knew the most basic of details, this is fascinating stuff. 

I like the look of the Tempest and the BrisFit. I have an Eduard 1/48 Nieuport - never considered doing a biplane in 1/48, nice to see how it works out. The Sunderland actually needs some rigging and I bought some Gaspatch white metal attachment points for turnbuckles and they look very good. You could make good buckles with those and some fine plastic fly fishing tubing. The Sunderland is so big that just handling it while doing fiddly stuff appears challenging. (Wingnut did a 1/32 Gotha: 29" wingspan and 430 parts. Yikes. Sunderland is about 21-2" wingspan. Sold out of course. We all could have made a killer investment if we'd bought every WNW kit as they came out - people will pay tons of money on EBay as only a handful are available from dealers. Of course nothing to stop a rebox I suppose.) Brisfit was an extremely good plane: performance near to a Spad VII and a gun in the rear. If you could tell what they were, Germans didn't attack them eagerly. Low loss rates - for a WWI combat plane.

Not sure how RAF training went, but early in the war pilots that got serious training in the three plane "Vic" formation learned to fly extremely close - often almost overlapping their wings. That was the problem - had to watch formation and nobody watched out for "the Hun in the Sun." On the other hand, a close Vic could turn 3 fighters MGs (that would have been 24 303 MGs firing at once in 1940) on a bomber: that's a lot of rounds and they worked like a buzz-saw. Even if bomber survived chances were excellent of wounding half the crew - very bad for LW morale. Late war 262s often used the Vic when only one pilot knew what he was doing: so what? 12 30mm cannon? Hats off to anyone that flew in a bomber - bad way to do your duty.

Really have to get my stupid article done and get to what's important.

Eric

Johnny, 5 yrs is quite a queue. I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

Gamera, looking better with each update. This one has me wanting to go redo my wing leading edges. Argghh.

John, that makes perfect sense. I never would have guessed had you not explained. Bet good 'ol Bernouilli woulda' been proud to see his principle in action tossing V1's about.

Brandon, that's some fine-looking work you have going there.

Very nice BD. I am always impressed when people do this old wooden props, and yours is right up there. Rigging comeing along nicley as well. Looking forward to seeing more of that.

Well, I got the prop mounted to the front of my Eduard 1/48 Bristol F.2B. I think I'll hit it with a satin coat to tone down the brightness.

The prop boss for the carved wood (which isn't perfect, but is more symmetrical than the photo angle makes it appear) is a PE piece from Part. I used a Flory Dark Dirt wash on it to pick out the details, and am really happy with what they supply.

Ideally, I would have recessed it about 0.5mm into the prop face, but I don't have a drill press and mill set, and didn't know how else to pull that off.

I also started to tackle the rigging, and actually am really enjoying it so far!

I used EZ line and extra-thin CA glue after drilling holes for all the mounting points. I used the GLue Looper to apply small amounts of the CA.

The only problem now is that I waited way too long to paint the cabane and interplane struts, and the oils I used to replicate the wood grain are still drying, so I can't proceed, and I just have an upper wing sitting on the jig with a bunch of whiskers hanging off of it.

I did get the rigging lines for the undercarriage (all two of them) installed, making them the first rigging lines I've ever done. Now for those struts to hurry up and dry so I can get going on attaching the upper wing!

My plan is to work from the center out of the wings. The elevator control wires are also external and run from the outside of the cckpit to the elevators, so I will add those actuator arms before I add the upper wing, and leave the rigging loose, since I don't want to horizontal stabilizers and tail installed before I'm done with the rigging, just to keep them out of the way.

It's getting close, and I can't wait to see it done.

-BD-

TempestJohnny - that Mossie is looking sweet. Love those birds.

Gamera - I like that scheme. The question mark on the cowl is an interesting touch.

-BD-

John, that how i understand it, the air between the aircrafts wing and the V-1 almost becomes a cushion so you don't actually make contanct.

G, that is looking great, really nice choice of markings with that lightning flash.

Gamera

Yeah, if you don't mind me expending on what you said Nick? The V-1 was fast but the Meteor as well as the Typhoon and Tempest were a little faster yet. So they'd be on standby to intercept V-1s as they flew across the Channel. 

The RAF pilots started out just shooting the things. My joking aside it didn't take much ammo, the V-1 carried a ton of high explosive and if hit a few times would detonate in the air. Sometimes the RAF planes would get hit by flying debris from the V-1 though. So later on they started just pulling up beside the flying bomb and sticking their wing under it's wing. Then they could jerk the wing up, slapping the V-1 and tipping it over. The V-1's had only a simple guidance system, you aimed it and the gyroscopes kept it flying straight and level. Flipped over the gyroscopes couldn't handle it and the drone would fall out of control into the Channel or the English countryside. It's some interesting stuff if you ever get the chance to look it up. 

 

I have read that it was not necessary to actually make contact with the V-1, just get close and the airflow over the fighter's wing would tip the V-1 and tumble the gyros.  Sort of the same thing as wake turbulence behind a large aircraft.  The old gyros were not like modern ones.  There was a caging knob which was used to lock them down when doing aerobatics.  The first gyro I had that you could do aerobatics with was a J-8 and it was post war.

TJ: Looks really good!!! Same here, I did a little work on my Tempest and then stalled out, stuck her back in the box for over five years and then pulled her out for this GB.

Anyway as I said the top, bottom, and starboard side are done, working on the port now. Then there's a little stenciling but not too much.

tempestjohnny

Well it's taken 5 years from the time the kit was put together to its first coat of paint

 

Well you know what they say, better late than never. God to see it covered up.

Quick remnder guys, theres 8 weeks left until the GB ends. But as always, please don't rush to meet a deadline. Please keep building and posting those pics if you have not done by then. As long as you keep posted finished builds, i'l keep adding them to the list.

And for those who have not had their fil of roundels, the Comonwealth GB wil now start on May 1st. Build thread will be up for that once this GB offically ends.

Well it's taken 5 years from the time the kit was put together to its first coat of paint

Bish

........and can you imagine the looks given to the guy who suggested it.

That's no kidding.

to your first GB, Steve. Looks like you have posting pics under control.

Knocking down V1s was no small matter. The "second blitz" in summer 1944 included V1s, V2s and renewed bomber raids directed mostly against London. I think about 1/3rd of the V1s hit something, but it was bad enough. Years back I had a long chat with a British visiting professor about the war. He was staff in 1944 and often in London. He said the German offensive was a serious blow to British morale - worse in a way than the larger attacks in 1940. Churchill's visits to damaged areas were often met with hostility. The war, the prof claimed, was simply getting old. In 1940 the sacrifices were undefined and in the future. In 1944 British blood and treasure had been flowing for five years and the population was getting weary. No talk of not finishing the war mind you, but the crusade was painful. No wonder Churchill was given the boot in the 1945 elections - the first he had ever stood for.- and Labor given power.

I want to see the Spit also. It's one of those new tool Airfix. Scalemates said the Spit I was based on the 2014 Spit V - so it's solidly in the new generation. Hoping to hear good news about the build quality - that's trump for a non-purist like me. Eric

I'll look forward to seeing it. I have been looking at getting the smaller MPC kit, i have seen a couple of the larger ones built up, really impressive. And that really brings back some memories, one of my favorite shows as a kid.

Bish

Good to see you up and running Steve and welcome to your first GB. I concur on those HGW belts, though i have only used them in 32nd.

And i hope you will post pics of that eagle when you have a moment, been thinking of getting one of those kits myself.

Thanks Bish! The Eagle is the very old Fundimensions kit built straight from the box. I have the new MPC 22" kit, but have a few of the 12" kits to practice on before I tackle it. I'll post a pic soon - I'm pretty happy how it turned out, considering its shortcomings.

Good to see you up and running Steve and welcome to your first GB. I concur on those HGW belts, though i have only used them in 32nd.

And i hope you will post pics of that eagle when you have a moment, been thinking of getting one of those kits myself.

I'm up and running. Just finished off a Space: 1999 Eagle and can now get started on my Spitfire. Not only is this my first group build on FSM, but also the first time I've posted pictures, so please bear with me if this goes south right off the bat.

Here's the contents:

I'm going to do the Battle of Britain version flown by Pilot Officer Osgood Villiers Hanbury No. 602 Squadron, RAF Westhampnett, Sussex, August 1940. This will be straight from the box with the exception of HGW seatbelts. I've used them before and as much as they're a kit in themselves, the results are great.

Greg

 

Bish

The first aircraft to topple a V-1 was a P-51.

 

 

The thought of the first pilot doing that is mind-boggling.

 

I know, and can you imagine the looks given to the guy who suggested it.

Bish

The first aircraft to topple a V-1 was a P-51.

The thought of the first pilot doing that is mind-boggling.

crown r n7

Greg the English developed the jet engine and incorporated it in the meteor. The meteor was the best opption to shoot down the V! at the time. hows that Bish.

 

Actually a number of aircraft were used against the V-1, speed was only 340mph but they flew quite low, so they needed an aircraft with good speed at low altitude. It was decided to use was the Tempest, but this had only just entered service. They also used P-51's, P-47's stripped down, Griffon engined Spits and Mosquitos. The first aircraft to topple a V-1 was a P-51.

The Meteor was brought into service early to counter the V-1 because of its speed. Of the 4,000+ V-1's destroyed by AA fireand aircraft, the meteors claimed about a dozen.

Gamera

It's some interesting stuff if you ever get the chance to look it up.

That's something about flipping the flying bombs over to confuse them.

Yeah, if you don't mind me expending on what you said Nick? The V-1 was fast but the Meteor as well as the Typhoon and Tempest were a little faster yet. So they'd be on standby to intercept V-1s as they flew across the Channel. 

The RAF pilots started out just shooting the things. My joking aside it didn't take much ammo, the V-1 carried a ton of high explosive and if hit a few times would detonate in the air. Sometimes the RAF planes would get hit by flying debris from the V-1 though. So later on they started just pulling up beside the flying bomb and sticking their wing under it's wing. Then they could jerk the wing up, slapping the V-1 and tipping it over. The V-1's had only a simple guidance system, you aimed it and the gyroscopes kept it flying straight and level. Flipped over the gyroscopes couldn't handle it and the drone would fall out of control into the Channel or the English countryside. It's some interesting stuff if you ever get the chance to look it up. 

I see. Interesting stuff. Thanks, Nick.

Greg the English developed the jet engine and incorporated it in the meteor. The meteor was the best opption to shoot down the V! at the time. hows that Bish.

Eric, thanks for the interesting backstories on formula racing. Interesting stuff.

I had to look up the Lotus Super 7. Wow! I even found one for sale.

Regarding the "Lotus Green", have you ever called something the wrong thing your entire life then found out? I think that's the case here. I'm not sure where I came up with "Lotus Green". I can't even find a reference to it online. So I'm all squared away with British Racing Green now, and thank you! (OTOH, whatever it is called, I still just love that color ).

Bish, if Mum still has that pic, I'd love to see it.

Nick, as said before, my WWII history is poor. What is a V1 doing with a Gloster Meteor? Hopeless minds want to know and all that.

I thought that was hilarious I wouldnt think the V1 would hold together for too long