80 Years of Airfix GB

I'm gonna hafta get me a Stuka for the shelf. The only time I built a Stuka was way back in the '60s? Maybe earlier. I don't know if this is the boxing, but I built both around the same time.

Looking good, Mopar. The camo looks really good.

My least favorite part of most Luftwaffe builds... the splinter camo! 1.5 hours of masking for 10 minutes of spraying. Next I’ll cover most of it up with RLM 79 sand yellow.  

Dan - I think I’d have to go with those marking too!

Ed - Too much pressure or too little glue?

Frank - Glad to see you went with the Buffalo!

Had a small mishap today while appliying decals.  It just fell off.

Dan, I've always had a soft spot for the P-40 ever since I watched "God is My Co-Pilot" with my dad so many, many years ago on TV. Found out, after he had passed that he got some P-40 time while assigned to Lowry Field in 1945. I'm going to follow your build. Maybe it will cause me to build another P-40!

68GT: Nice paint job on the Eagle.

Fotofrank: The Buffalo is coming along great.

I started the Curtiss P-40B last Saturday, the kit only has four sprues trees. The cockpit went together well. I airbrushed on Model Master Acryic Interior Green, then brushed painted the detail colors on. The Fuslage was a tight fit, there was some hair line gaps. I used Vallejo plastic puddy.

001 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

2 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

3 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

4 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

5 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

6 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

7 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

I plan to go with the December 7, 1941 paint scheme.

8 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

God to see the paint on the Eagle Ed.

Thanks frank, i have been a bt distracted this last week or so.

Nice to see your underway with the Buffalo, i hope you can find that P-39 soon.

Gotta move this thread back to the top!

I've been working on the MPC Buffalo since Dorian passed by. Before that I had everything boxed up and I was getting ready to run. Anyway, since then, I haven't been able to find the P-39 I was working on. It's here somewhere I'm sure. Under something I haven't picked up yet. In the meantime, pressing on with the Buffalo. I bought a decal set from PrintScale for this kit. The Buffalo I'm building fought at Midway, VMF-221. The interior is MM Interior Green enamel. Next I'll put the canopy on and get it masked then do the period camouflage. That's all for now.

I masked off the canopy and natural metal areas and spayed some ASB on the Eagle.

Good to see you back Dan, i'll get the roster updated. I hope you like the 111, i did enjoy the P.

Hello everyone, I've been away from the group builds lately. I would like to enter in my three Airfix kits. The P-51D and P-40B look to be simple quick builds to help bust my build count for the year. The He111 H-6 my take a little longer, plus there are fairly new tooled kits. I'm waiting on get masks for the He 111 H-6.

IMG_3437 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_3436 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_3435 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

I'm having so much fun!! I'm building kits I never thought I would ever build in a scale I thought was too demanding for an old fart like me. Thanks, Bish and thanks to all you folks who are taking part in this fun group build...

UnwaryPaladin

The builds on this thread are amazing. Thanks Bish for the great work administrating this GB, it's one of the best!

Joe

 

Thanks Joe, but i just host the GB and fill in the roster. Its you guys that make it such a great GB with all these great builds and creating a great atmosphere.

Lots of great work going on here. I gotta get back to the bench.

The builds on this thread are amazing. Thanks Bish for the great work administrating this GB, it's one of the best!

Joe

Thats coming together nicely Piers.

John, that looks amazing. I really like the scheme with the contrast between the black and the yellow. And thats a lovely shiny finish. Thank you for taking part.

Front page is updated guys. You lot are really keeping me on my toes, so again, if i am missing anything please let me know.

What a beautiful gloss finish on that B-57!  How many coats of future did you lay down?

John,

For some reason I cannot see your photos, not sure if I am the only one having the issue?

UP,

Your vampire is super. Looks attractive in Swedish markings. It is a great little kit, hopefully mine comes out half as well.

I didn't follow the instructions fully, waiting to put the intakes on once the wings are in place. And looking at the photo, I haven't put the ripcord on the seats although I did drill holes for just that......

The TBD and Vampire look real nice, congrats to you both!

And, whammo, the 1/48 B-57B Canberra is done!  Well, not exactly.  The model was given a black color coat with Tamiya Flat Black, then a stencil was made for the USAF wing markings.  The Airfix USAF markings were much too large, and in my opinion so were the set from Superscale.  I should have also painted a white background for the stars and bars because the Airfix decals used for those markings were too translucent for the black.  Seems obvious in retrospect.  Several coats of Future followed, then Superscale MS481230 was used for the rest of the markings, and this set worked well.  Next the landing gear was attached, and at that point it was realized that 18 grams more nose weight was required.  A hole was drilled in the bottom of the nose cone and lead BB shot was added.  The model weighs a little over a pound when completed.   After that the flaps, bombs and hardpoints, speedbrakes, and various vents and antennae were added and a final coat of Future went on.  Because of its weight, size, and poor attaching methods particularly for the flaps and canopy, the model requires very careful handling.  The shape of the canopy is too shallow over the back cockpit so I chose to have it open to make that less obvious.  The panel lines are not accurate as to location, but that's all disguised by the shiny black paint, I hope!

 

I love the vampire in Swedish markings! I plan on doing one of these someday. I hope it looks as good as yours.

Very nice looking Vampire, and it is nice to see a Swedish aircraft.

Thanks for shareing, i'll get the front page updated.

I've been neglecting this group build, things got so busy!

The Vampire is finished, builds up very well. I was torn between the trainer and the Swede versions, but don't have anything representing Sweden in my collection, so went with that. The only trouble I had was with the wing warning decal on the port side. It folded over and in my attempt to straighten it, the decal curled up into a little ball of clear film. I got it straightened out on placed without tearing it, but after it was dry realized I had put it on upside down. So it's more of a white color than the yellow. Oh well! A nice little kit, will have to do another some day. 

Nice progress there Piers.

Nicely done frank, thats come out well. Thank you for shareing that.

Very nice Devastator!

Thanks, y'all. I do have another partial kit. It's missing a wing piece. If I can find another kit to replace the wing piece, I'll build that one too, maybe pre-war with the wings folded. Masking that canopy though, whew! I still have enough of the Techmod decal set to do the pre-war Devastator.

Mmm, Marty Feldman eyes...