Hi Bish can I add my gloster meteor to this build ?

I started assembly tonight.  Man, as I expected, I have a challenge and this kit cannot be built using the instructions. My RC plane building experience kicked in. For everything to fit, such as the engine, wings, cowl covers, and the cockpit fuse section, I am forced to jig up the airframe, and then start building the engine after the fuselage is secured and aligned and making adjustments to the engine by test fitting and sanding various assemblies so that the cowl covers and radiator will fit.  There also needs to be some support added to the inside of the fuselage when attaching it to the wing or else it will be out of alignment. When I am all done, there will still be a 1/16" gap between the wing root and the fuselage that will need to be filled, other than that, it was just a lot of trial and error, sanding and fitting to get everything to line up.  This is where I left off last night. Just tacked glued everything and will let it dry, if everything looks aligned, then I will glue everything up. Not a lot to show since it took a lot a concentration to focus on keeping everything in alignment.  The plastic if very soft and flexible.  

Here is my contribution to the build. This kit looks beautiful.  I have a couple of the old Hasegawa kits in the stash which have now been put in the parts bin. No comparison.

What paint did you use to paint the inside of the narcells Toshi?

Gamera

Chris: Now that's a cool looking photo! Never thought of the Texan as a 'sexy' aircraft but that's just awesome. 

Toshi: Great job there on the engines and mounts, I wouldn't want to cover them up either. 

CMK02: I have no idea how accurate the yellow bombs are but they sure look cool. 

Steve: I know what you mean about that nagging feeling of forgetting something but she looks perfect to me. 

 

Toshi

modelcrazy

Then if you want, add some ignition wires to them. That would really make them pop. Some small solder wire would work well.

 

Toshi

Bish

don't see many kits in black plastic.

Thank the Lord for that. The black is very hard to work with in regard to the seems. You can't see them at all and it's just not good color to work with when trying to make sure everything is right before paint. I would much rather have this kit in grey, it would be much easier to prep for paint.

BK

Chris: Now that's a cool looking photo! Never thought of the Texan as a 'sexy' aircraft but that's just awesome. 

Toshi: Great job there on the engines and mounts, I wouldn't want to cover them up either. 

CMK02: I have no idea how accurate the yellow bombs are but they sure look cool. 

Steve: I know what you mean about that nagging feeling of forgetting something but she looks perfect to me. 

modelcrazy

I have a better picture of the Spit (shows the green) and I painted the bottom. After the pictures I sprayed Future so I can hopefully spray the interior green in the wheel wells (should have done that before) and start the decals tomorrow. I'm at the point were I feel like I'm missing something.

 

Nice work Steve. And yep,know that feeling. Always handy to have a second spare of eyes to spot what you missed.

Check, i know what you mean. I know theres a site with plenty of info on German bombs, but very little on British. I am surprised flightpath doesn'tinclude decals, they do a host of nice bomb trolley sets with bombs.

You notice also those yellow bombs in the Stirling photo look 'worn' with new looking tailfins. I have seen this sort of thing on green british bombs as well. And i don't think it is a training sorty, i doubtthey would carry that many.

Some good info and pics there check, and the strips look really nice on those.

That's it, thanks Jack!

modelcrazy

...

and start the decals tomorrow. I'm at the point were I feel like I'm missing something.

 

Only thing I see missing is perhaps the Sky coloured fuselange band?  Other than that, looks to be a fine laying of the camou colours.

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Killer stuff in here everyone, keep it up!

regards,

Jack

I have a better picture of the Spit (shows the green) and I painted the bottom. After the pictures I sprayed Future so I can hopefully spray the interior green in the wheel wells (should have done that before) and start the decals tomorrow. I'm at the point were I feel like I'm missing something.

And--after the bomb lecture:  great work going on, with everyone else.

Bish

Check, those yellow bombs, i can't remember if they were the colour for the RAF training ordanance or standard colour for pre/eary war live ammunition.

Bish:  I think they are early war live bombs.  I don't know when the color change came about, but by the end of the war, RAF bombs were a dark green.  

The Hampden kit carries markings for John Hannah's plane when he won the VC on 15 September, 1940; maybe early enough for yellow bombs.  At least that's what Airfix says!

Anyway, I researched RAF bombs previous to painting, but didn't come up with much.

Here's a photo of yellow bombs going out to a four-engine bomber.  It's a Short Stirling, I think, which didn't enter squadron service till early 1941.  Unless it's a photo of a training mission, yellow bombs were still in use.

I also found a photo of several types of bombs--some yellow, some green.  Looks like the picture may have been taken in a museum.

From other information on the web, it seems that the British Army and Navy started using a buff color to identify ordinance back in the mid-1800's, and aircraft bombs kept to this through WWI and into early WWII.  The color was changed to a bronze green to help camouflage them in outdoor bomb dumps.  

I wanted to dress up the bombs, but couldn't find any green decal stock.  I painted some ink jet white decal stock green then cut stripes.

The green stripe is said to indicate that the bomb used Amatol as an explosive.

A red stripe was added around the nose to indicate that the bomb was filled.

Tried the same thing with painted decal stock for the red band, but it defied my efforts and wouldn't cooperate.  Even though I coated the painted decal with Micro's decal saver, they still just fell apart and shattered.

Based on the first photo above, though, it appears that yellow bombs didn't always carry any striping.

Unfortunate that no one seems to make a decal sheet for marking RAF bombs.  I checked Hannant's, and the only things available were decals for USAAF bombs.

So much for what I could find on British bombs!

Then if you want, add some ignition wires to them. That would really make them pop. Some small solder wire would work well.

modelcrazy

Those look awsome Toshi. Are you going to leave the coweling open to see the engine(s)?

 

Toshi

Those look awsome Toshi. Are you going to leave the coweling open to see the engine(s)?

Bish

Now to catch up on the builds.

Toshi, great work on those engine mounts. You are putting some stunning effort into those.

Das, that is some very nice work there. How did you do the instrument dials. And i think those head phones don't lookto bad. Lovely scratch work.

Steve, i have given up on pre shading. I just end up covering it all no matter how thin i lay it down. The Spit is looking good.

castel, looking nice. Whats the scheme for this one.

 

Still great idea. Being in electronics I have springs that small that would work for that purpose. Thank you and Mike B for the idea.

BTW. The dark green on the Spit looks brown. I didn't notice that when I uploaded it last night.

modelcrazy

Is that a spring I see for electronic cableing? What a neat idea.

I sprayed the green on the Spit. I still need to fix some areas. I just havent been able to get pre-shading right. I'll give it another try on another build. I will spray the bottom tomorow night.