80 Years of Airfix GB

Done.

Just now ordered a set of Techmod decals for the Devastators. The sheet includes seven different airplanes, six from 1942 and one from 1938. The set includes a paint mask for the canopy! The paint mask itself should help me do the job right.

Those canopy paint masks alone make the techmode decals worth the cost. I used them for two Devastators I built and the masks worked great...

Thanks, Tomcat, for the info. Since you built two Devastators, were you able to reuse the paint mask or did you buy two decal sets?

I used the one mask supplied with the decals on the prewar Devastator in the picture. On the midwar bird I used conventional masking tape method. The vinyl masks were so much easier and gave me better results.

The Bluetits are coming along.  I refined the beaks by sharpening them a bit and hollowing out the nasal cavity for a little more detail. The beaks didn’t quite fit the birds so I had to do a little drilling to get them seated in properly. Next I will use my Proxxon rotary tool to define the feathers that were lost in sanding. After that I should be ready to seat the legs and start painting. 

Oh wow Chad, those are going to look great. Really excercise your skills.

Very nice there Chad.

Thanks guys!  Needless to say, this simple Spitfire has been a therapeutic little build. Primers on and she’s ready to be rolled into the paint shop.

Mopar, what did you prime the Spitfire with? Enamel or Acrylic? I want to see how you do the topside camouflage.

An update on one of the TBD-1 Devastators I'm doing. I'm impressed with how much detail Airfix has crammed into this little airplane kit. The finished airplane is going to be Spring 1942, before Midway. The interior is painted with MM Interior Green enamel, detailed with Tamiya black panel line accent.

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I opted to pose the wings extended. First I glued the upper wing pieces together then attached the lower pieces. Any gaps where the wing folds are will be filled with PPP so I won't need to sand the ribbed surface.

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All in all, this is a pretty simple build but I think the finished kit will look pretty neat.

Frank, I used Stynylrez from Badger.   It’s an acrylic that goes on super smooth.  I sure do like those Devastators! 

Thanks, Mopar. Unfortunately, the second Devastator kit is incomplete. I knew when I picked up the broken box I might be short some parts. I need to visit my friend again to see if he has another kit in his inventory. If I can find another complete kit, that one will be done in a pre-war Navy scheme.

A progress report on the TBD-1: The engine is installed and the cowling and exhaust stubs are attached. Since this will depict a torpedo bomber the torpedo rack is installed. I dipped the canopy in Pledge and glued it together before attaching the canopy to the fuselage. There are some places that will need filler between the canopy and the fuselage. The gunner's position is left open. I've done my best to preserve the rivet detail. The appearance really lends itself to the look of early WWII. I have to wait another week for the Techmod decals and paint mask to get here before I can go any further. Masking the canopy will be an interesting exercise because the panels are so small.

Frank, you have a masking adventure ahead of you!

Hello friends. I am calling this one done. I think the first photo would be most appropriate for the front page. 

Howdy Bish.  With your permission, I’d like to enter the 1/48 Ju87 R2/B2 to the GB. I’ve been looking for a good excuse to build this one for a while now.

Really, you need to ask me permission to build a Stuka.

Done.

Lol, what was I thinking! Thanks!

Mopar Madness

Frank, you have a masking adventure ahead of you!

 

Well, the decals and paint masks arrived earlier today.

We'll see...

Thanks Piers, hopefully i'll be able to get the paint soon and get that done. Be nice to see that Trup kit one day.

Always a pleaseure having you on board, got your Vampire on the list.

Thanks for the compliments, Piers. I'd like to find that Vampire T.11 kit. The model reminds me of one of my favorite movies The Sound Barrier with Denholm Elliott.

The flight to Egypt:

Since it looks like I have all the parts I got started on the Eagle the other night.  It looks like a quick build if I dont procrastinate about anything.

Sorry Chad, in my excitment at the Stuka, i completly missed the Spitfire, wasn't deliberate i promise.

Nicely done, the scheme has come out really well and very nice subtle weathering. Front oage is updated.

Off to a good start Ed.

Ed, the F-15 looks nice but I’m most intrigued by that Milk Stout.  Is it an IPA?

Piers, I’m looking forward to seeing your Vampire.  I have a couple of those in the stash myself. 

Mopar Madness

Ed, the F-15 looks nice but I’m most intrigued by that Milk Stout.  Is it an IPA?

 

Interesting! 

Mopar Madness

Frank, you have a masking adventure ahead of you!

 

Well, it would appear that the adventure in canopy masking is over before it starts. It seem that the canopy mask is for the Valom Devastator kit. The number, size and shape of the canopy panels is different between the two kits. I would say that the Airfix kit is the more accurate of the two kits. So, I may be able to use some of the canopy mask pieces but I'll have to custom cut other panels with Tamiya tape. I guess that's why we're modelers, eh?