Weekend GB 2017-Closed for the season

Thanks Mopar. Very nice finish on your 190!  I will try to get mine wrapped up in the next few days. Before I left for work, I hit some of the decals with Solvaset. If that works, I can Matt coat in tomorrow before work.

GM, those sprue gates ought to be easily handled by your nippers. Airfix plastic usually runs a bit on the soft side.

Well, %$#@*!

Absurdly thick sprue gates throughout. Here's just a sample.

Thank you!  22 total build hours.  

That looks great! Especially in such a time frame. How many hours did it take?

Stik - Thats quite an involved project and you've made it look great.  No matter the time, it will look good on the shelf!

GM - I love that Airfix A4.  Im sure youll enjoy the build.

Lew - I love those marking on that Hellcat!

Well, here I am with 3 hours to spare.  In the field, the mottled spots were sprayed over the markings so I imitated that as best I could.  The antennae is a bit thin too. This was a great GB and a fun kit to make!  Thank you for letting me be included. 

Please use this one for the front page.

Thanks Lew. GM, Im looking forward to that Scooter...

As for me, I am now officially overdue. At 49 hours in I have the decals on and I’m waiting for the setting solutions to dry. No way I can get the flat coat on before work this afternoon. Not to mention the last bit of touch ups... this was the wrong project for this GB. I did too much...

And I'll call this started.

Stik,

The Mirage looks beautiful.  Looking forward to seeing her done.

Mopar,

The 190 is coming along nicely.  Keep it up.

Bob,

Sorry to hear about your troubles.  You'll get them sorted.

Bufflehead,

Sorry to hear about your car, we'll be here for a little while longer.

Bill,

Looking forward to the A-4.

Wayne,

Will add you to the front page, sorry I missed it earlier.  Welcome aboard.

Now for my misadventures.  When we last left our hero, I was waiting on paint to dry (could have been doing the thing I hate most, masking the canopy but noooooo).  I also had a dinner party and overnight shift at work to contend with.  Optimistically, I thought I could finish the model once I got home after being up for some 21 hours.  Wrong, my body gave up on me right after I finished breakfast.  I woke up about an hour and a half after the deadline.  So in a slow, but never say die spirit I continued to work on the Hellcat.  As I figured, the paint was totally dry by the time I got back to the table.  The first thing I did was get her up on her feet.

On the mains, finally.

The engine was hung by the mount with care, in the hopes that a cowling soon would be there.

And soon there was a cowling, and it was good.

It's the most wonderful time of the build, DECALS!  Most of the major ones are on, had a problem with the bureau number (or whatever the Brits call it) on the starboard side, it folded over on itself and became unusable.  Just have the underwing roundels, white stripes and stencils to apply.  Should be finished tomorrow. 

Still have some touch ups here and there, need to finish the prop and mask the canopy (Yuk!) and she'll be done.  I'm 0-2 so far, but there's always Round Three.

B_one and Lost, thanks.

Lost, the Aussies used pretty much the same colors on their Mirages as the French did for some of their European based Mirages, from the late 70’s or so. Although the French recon ones wore a camo scheme from their initial operation period. Unlike their air to air cousins.

well I got the Future coat on and I’m gonna call it a nite here. It’s almost midnite and I need some sleep. Well see if I can get this done in 48 hours. The additions to the kit and a few errands the past couple days have cut into my time... not to mention some time consuming goods in my part...

Looking pretty sharp Stik

Thanks Mopar. GM, I’ve been extra nice at work since the beginning of this year, so no worries for you if you happen to get way lost and end up in my work area... 

and yes, this will be Armee d la Aire... or however you spell it... I’m cobbling together decals from the spares box to do this Mirage

Nice camo man!

Thanks. I can't heel-toe walk so don't pull me over.

I dug the little A4 out of the stash and found that I have the Freightdog AM kit with 1000 lb bomb and P nose, which I'll save for another day. But I have another 'Hawk in the stash.

I may have missed it, but is your delta the Armee de L'air?

Thank you my friend. Sorry to hear about your health problems lately. I do hope they pass and you’re back to full speed soon.

I really do like his designs. They look mighty good!

And now the second topside color, Tamiya Dark Green XF-61

Marcel Dassault would be proud. A fine model of a superior shape.

Fine work, Stik.

I'm going to start tomorrow am with my little Delta; we'll see if I get done.

I get tired pretty quickly in the evenings now.

First topside color on. Tamiya Dark Gray XF-24 mixed with Field Blue XF-50 at a 5 to 1 ratio. Lower color masked off for a hard edge

Griffin and Bob,thanks for the encouragement... I certsinly need it... we'll see how this evening goes...

i was able to get the bottom painted. Tamiya Sky Gray XF-19 looks close enough to whatever the French actually use...

It’ll look great Bob.  But no matter what the final product looks like, you’ll have an interesting story to go with it.

Stik, Chad & Bud-great progress.  Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Bud-sorry to hear that you are having auto problems-you're doing a great job on the Hellcat.

I'm not having a good time with the Chaparral-mostly self induced.  First-for some reason, my camera did not save any of the progress pics....grrr

Started at 10:43pm Friday night-did some sanding/filing and shot a coat of Tamiya grey spray primer.....also put the chrome parts in a Simple Green bath to strip the plating.

Had overnight company-the in-laws-and then went out with them this morning/afternoon-hadn't planned on that.....Looked at the Chaparral when we got bak-not good-I did a terrible job of cleanup so I did some more sanding-then shot Tamiya acrylic white w/Tamiya Lacquer thinner.  Had tested using the Tamiya Lacquer thinner earlier with success but not today-the Chaparral went into a Purple Power Cleaner bath then given a tooth brush wash.  Letting it dry overnight and will prime with Tamiya White spray in the am.  Will stop by Michael's after chuch in the am and pickup some Krylon white and try to salavge this build.

Mopar and Stik that's an impressive job you guys are doing in such a small time frame. A 1/72 vehicle had me pulling my hair out. Doing planes in that scale no way in 48 hrs. Hellz no.

Thanks Tax... I’m definitely running behind the curve on this one. I just can’t leave well enough alone, and this one is fighting me in little ways. 

Mopar, you’re making great headway on that 190!

Last night before bed I glued the wings on. But then overnite, one of the rubber bands I was using to keep everything in place snapped. So that required attention this morning. Like I said, fighting me in little ways. The. Morning and early afternoon was seam clean up. Then getting most of the last bits glued in place...

one of which was the Doppler radar bulge to make this a Mirage III RD

Im just waiting for the canopy glue to dry so I can start painting...

I little over the halfway mark now and I have the RLM 76 on the bottom of the fuselage.  

Oh wow, the Mirage and Hellcat look great. We’re almost there!

Update...

Front office and landing gear are painted and weathered.

Round 2 is looking good guys, but I'm going to have to push mine back to Round 3.  Heater went out in the car and I have to fix it this weekend.  Getting colder in my area and its nice to have the car heater in the early AMs on the way to work!

Stik, Mopar,

Looking good, keep at it.

Frontpage is updated with the final finishers from Round One.

I started the Hellcat.  The Italeri is an okay kit, no real construction problems.  They offer you separate flaps so you can drop them, but I couldn't find pics of planes at rest with them dropped.  The cockpit is your standard seat, tub, stick and panel. Fit isn't bad.  The only problem I've encountered so far is the Model Master Gloss Sea Blue (15042).  I usually have bad luck with this color, and it continues on with this kit.  I was going to try Tamiya's rattle can, but decided to save my pennies for a later time.  On to the show.

Proof of life.

Seams all puttied up.  The engraved panel lines are nicely done, but I'll agree with one reviewer who commented that the fabric covered controls were overdone.

Ready for another coat of primer and paint.

All one color.  Another thing about MM Glossy Sea Blue is that it takes forever to dry.  I had paint on her starting at 1145 am. She should be totally dry by the time I get off work and get home.  All that's left to do is the engine, mask the canopy (ugh!), put her on her wheels and decals.  Should be no problem. Sorry for the crappy photo.

One thing I noticed about the instructions is that the pic of the completed model is sitting on the prop blade rather than the tail wheel. 

Thanks Mopar! You’re making pretty progress on your 190 there yourself! 

This evening after diner I painted up the cockpit a bit...

Then I glued the cockpit and engine into the fuselage and glued that together...

The last real work I did tonite was give the canopy a Future dip... I’ll let everything dry overnite, then do seam clean up in the morning, get the wings attached, etc... but a sneak peek with a test fit of the wings on....

Well it’s a good update and your making great progress! 

A quick update...

All the bits and parts that need paint prior to the fuselage and wing construction have been primed and the cockpit glass received a much needed buffing.  Lastly, the wings and fuselage have been closed.  Pit details and landing gear weathering are next.