80 Years of Airfix GB

Thats coming on nicely TWA, certainly got a better grasp of pre shading than i have.

Bish

Nice progress Steve, good job you spotted that when you did.

I have tried Montex masks, for the same reason, cheaper than Eduard, and was not to keen. I find the are a bit thick and especially have issues with curved panels. I can see a couple of panels on yours where it curves close to the edge, and thats where i found the mask kept coming away. I hope yours are ok but i won't be buying any more unless theres no option.

Got my back up/spares kit from Route62 today at our build day at the hobby shop. The box looks awful but the kit inside is still in a sealed bag. Of course the decals are toast after 55 years. I haven't checked inside yet to see how good or bad the propellers are. In the background is my Clipper with the horizontal stabilizers attached. Today at the build day I sanded and polished the Bondo and Tamiya surface primer on the seams. I'll fill the seams on the horizontals before I mate the main wings to the fuselage. I think the build is coming along nicely.

checkmateking02

 

 

Bish

Nice progress Steve, good job you spotted that when you did.

I have tried Montex masks, for the same reason, cheaper than Eduard, and was not to keen. I find the are a bit thick and especially have issues with curved panels. I can see a couple of panels on yours where it curves close to the edge, and thats where i found the mask kept coming away. I hope yours are ok but i won't be buying any more unless theres no option.

 

 

 

 

How about Peewit?  I bought a set of their masks for the Blenheim canopy.  Also got a set of camouflage masks from AML.  Any thoughts about them?

 

I have not tried either of those, only Eduard and Montex. Be interested to see what you think of them, are the Peewit paper masks?

Thats good to hear Frank. Look forward to seeing more.

And that reminds me, its our built night at the model club on Tues, i haven't been for a few months, will have to try and get there this week.

Check, There really wasn't a fit problem per say but more of the nose being extremely delicate issue. The side canopys fit to the sides of the nose and the top/half front nose canopy is then glues to the canopy sides which make the whole thing very delicate.

I didn't want to push and wiggle, which I had too, to get the thing on. I had to push, remove the rear bulkhead, fit it on to see why it wasn't matching, then trim and glue the bulkhead back on, then fit the nose back into place.

It still didn't match (notice the wing root), so I then took it apart and am trying one side at a time. I'm sure I have just made things far harder that they should have been.

Also, I think leaving the canopy off until everything is filled and sanded will protect me from marring it. I would suggest you test fit it before gluing the canopy together was well. 

I'l update once I get everything back together.

Bish, The masks are probably like the Hobby Boss masks in the 1/35 Storch. Thick and didn't stick well but worked. Since I'll be spraying acrylic, any paint that gets on the clear areas should be easy to remove.

I can't wait to get to the painting stage.

You look to be having as much fun with that Blenheim as i had with the MPM Mk I.

I used Montex on the Tamiya 109 i did at the start of last year and found the same as you.

Final shading done here.

Now on to the pilot.  I reposed both legs and both arms to get this fit - not perfect, but it will do.

Now to close up the fuse...

Kensar, nice job on the interior and good looking pilot.

I have the other half installed. There is a pretty good gap and I plan on giving my new Vallejo filler a try. I'm absolutly sure the problem began with me and it started with that bulkhead. You can see the gap in the bomb bay.

I'm not messing with it anymore, going to let everything dry overnight and continue on it when I get the masks, which should be Monday. All I have left is painting and then installing the flaps and bomb bay doors. I love the way the New Airfix kits allow the positionable flaps and control surfaces on some of their kits.

On the positive side, the landing gear went together very well. If fact, the entire kit has gone together well except for my goof up.

Bish

 

 

checkmateking02

 

 

Bish

Nice progress Steve, good job you spotted that when you did.

I have tried Montex masks, for the same reason, cheaper than Eduard, and was not to keen. I find the are a bit thick and especially have issues with curved panels. I can see a couple of panels on yours where it curves close to the edge, and thats where i found the mask kept coming away. I hope yours are ok but i won't be buying any more unless theres no option.

 

 

 

 

How about Peewit?  I bought a set of their masks for the Blenheim canopy.  Also got a set of camouflage masks from AML.  Any thoughts about them?

 

 

 

 

I have not tried either of those, only Eduard and Montex. Be interested to see what you think of them, are the Peewit paper masks?

 

I don't know what they're made of.  I haven't opened them yet, but I'll let you know.

kensar:  that is excellent work; very nice painting of the pilot and cockpit.

Steve:  I had hoped the Blenheim would be a relatively painless endeavor.  Thanks for posting your experiences.  I'm sure you'll overcome the problems, though.  I'm glad to be forewarned.

There is a build review posted here on FSM about the fighter version of the Blenheim (with the different nose), and it describes some fit issues and points of particular difficulites.  

http://www.finescale.com/product-info/kit-reviews/2014/11/airfix-bristol-blenheim-mki

I hope things start to go better!  

Steve,

I used the AML masks on the Tempest I built for the RAF build last year. I loved them and will be purchasing a set for the Spits for this build. Since you've already ready purchased the set, making sure you purchased the correct pattern is a moot point (A or B). The second is make sure you've got everything lined up. I've got a nice straight edge on the nose of my Tempest.  I didn't have any problems with the paint bleeding under. They're a real time saver. 

checkmateking02

 

 

Bish

 

 

checkmateking02

 

 

Bish

Nice progress Steve, good job you spotted that when you did.

I have tried Montex masks, for the same reason, cheaper than Eduard, and was not to keen. I find the are a bit thick and especially have issues with curved panels. I can see a couple of panels on yours where it curves close to the edge, and thats where i found the mask kept coming away. I hope yours are ok but i won't be buying any more unless theres no option.

 

 

 

 

How about Peewit?  I bought a set of their masks for the Blenheim canopy.  Also got a set of camouflage masks from AML.  Any thoughts about them?

 

 

 

 

I have not tried either of those, only Eduard and Montex. Be interested to see what you think of them, are the Peewit paper masks?

 

 

 

 

I don't know what they're made of.  I haven't opened them yet, but I'll let you know.

 

Thnaks, be interesting to find out what they are like.

I ordered the "bug catcher" today for the WB-29 conversion today. The "bug catcher" sits in the space once occupied by the upper rear turret.

I found it quite by accident at Lone Star Models. The guy makes all sorts of obsure resin accessories for model builders.

I had been looking at and studying pictures of WB-29 and WB-50 aircraft with this device trying to figure out how I would scratch-build it. Then I stumbled onto this. Lone Star needs 4-6 weeks lead time so I won't see the part for a while but that will give me time to get other stuff done.

Really wonderful progress from everyone. I'm liking it.

kensar: Excellent detailing and painting on the cockpit. It looks really good as well as the pilot.

Steve: Bummer that the fuselage, bulkhead and canopy is giving you fits but, it sure appears that you are getting it all whooped into shape. Great demonstration of patience and ingenuity going on there. Bravo on the progress so far.

Frank: Very nice progress on the clipper. Glad to see that you got another kit and I hope it gives you the parts you need to fully top off your kit. Keep it coming.

Yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of Montex masks but, they do in a pinch if there is nothing available from Eduard. 

I have had this kit well over 20 years. It was bought with the aim of building it in German markings of a profile i saw in the frist referance book i got in the mid 80's. A number of years ago i found a set of Kora decals for that same aircraft, so no fancy Italian paint scheme on this (thankfully).

Ashide from the decals, i also have an old Eduard PE set which while rather basic, does fill out the spartan pit on the kit. The upper pieces is the pit and rear compartment and the gondola.The radio behind the pit is flat, but as the fuselage wilkl be closed up it won't be an issue, as long as there is somthing visible through the small side windows.

I found different info on the interiour colours. Airfix says light grey. many model sites said light green. But i found an old thread on the site on this same subject and somthing posted a link to Stormo, a site dedicated to modelling Italian aircraft. It says that while most Italian aircraft were indeed green, those made by this coimpany were grey, so thats what i went for. This was followed by a light flory wash and dry brushing, nothing to heavy.

The PE set didn't include seat belts, so i pulled a set from my Mutftwaffe spares box.

I then closed up the fuselage and fitted the wings. There is still more filling to do and clean up the seams, some large gaps around the dorsal hump.

The undercarrage legs have been left movable as Airfix designed them. This way i can fold them away and mask before painting. Once thats done i can add the rear braces and fix them in place.

Quite a bit of filling and clean up to do before i go on.

Nice work you've got going, Bish.  Cockpit looks great; seatbelts make a good enhancement.

It looks like the Peewit canopy masks are made from some kind of thin masking tape.  They don't look anything like a vinyl.  Years ago, I used some from an outifit called "Black Magic."  They were made from something that looked a lot like electrical tape.  Didn't stick well to curved surfaces.  Peewit's look pretty thin, but I won't know for sure till I try them.

In the progress department:

Spitfire's interior fuselage walls:

Cockpit:

Next will be working on closing up the fuselage and wings, then joining them together.

Thanks check.

So they sound more like Eduard masks.

That pit is coming along well.

Thanks, Bish.  Off now to do some painting.

Modelcrazy - let us know how you like that putty and how much it shrinks.  I'm on the lookout for something better than Tamiya white putty.  I have also used Bondo glazing putty which sands nicely, but it is primer red colored.

Great progress everyone!

Bish: Really wonderful work you've done on the SM.79. Excellent work on dressing up the interior. I've become quite a fan of Italian aircraft and have a number of kits in my stash now. That includes a couple of SM.79's. In fact I just got this Osprey book in the mail just the other day that I used some X-mas $$ on:

I have yet to try my hand at an Italian camo scheme but, I hope to develop the skills to pull some off. I believe that, although complex, they had some of the most dazzling schemes of any nation.

I'm definitely going to remember the research you've done on the interior color. I likely would have preceded with the green interior color. Very good stuff indeed.

Check: Impressive start on the Spit cockpit. Everthing looks sharp.

Encountering some minor issues on my A-4. First, was finding that the Quickboost ejection seat I got for this was a good bit too large for the Airfix kit. Meh, no biggee. I ordered up the very nice looking Pavla cockpit set for the Airfix kit. Had to get it from the UK via ebay so, it'll be a little while getting here. Plenty to work on until it arrives.

Second, the sprue attachment points are the size of Milwaukee! Using sprue cutters for removing parts is an act of bravey. I found out the hard way even though I knew I should be breaking out the razor saw for this operation. Result is a nice little divot in the right fuselage half.

It's easily repairable. Although, there is still a good deal of sanding involved to smooth out the nubs left behind in either case of removal. I'd hope Airfix might consider remedying this on future new molds. 

And thirdly, the fuselage halves have a fairly healthy warp to them.

This pic is after I dipped the halves in hot water and took some of the skeehaw out of them. Again, nothing major, just an inconvenience. I'm also not sure if this is an issue with their mold or rather just with this particular kit.

All in all I'm still happily plugging along.

Thanks, Joe.

Nice work coming up with fixes for the kit's shortcomings!

Thanks Joe. I agree, those Italian schemes are very nice and i am always impressed when somone does one.

This is the link to the Stormo page with the colour guide. About half way down it mentions interiors.

http://www.stormomagazine.com/RegiaAeronauticaColorsinWWII_3a.htm

Joe - Good work going on there.  I find that modeling is as much about overcoming mistakes and pitfalls as it is putting things together.

Bish - Very good interior work and research!  I find researching one of the more enjoyable aspects of this hobby.

Blimey Joe, plenty of issues with that one. I have noticed on some of the newer Airfix kits i have that the sprue attachment points are on the large side. I was pleased to see that they were not so bad on the Phantom, maybe they are learning. Its good to see Airfix have not completly lost all their old habits

Gonna do a little work on the WB-29 build today.

..

The front upper and lower turrets are coming out as is the rear lower turret. I won't know if the rear upper turret comes out until I receive the resin "bug catcher" from Lone Star Models and that will be several weeks. In the meantime I need to fashion covers for the turret openings. I'll probably need to put a few ounces of weight in the forward bomb bay as well so the airplane sits up on its landing gear.

I got the green painted tonight. Masked off, pre-shaded, sprayed. I took the masks off, and would you look at that! Preshading was basically pointless. Also, either the conversion chart from humbrol to Tamiya or the humbrol paint suggestion seems wrong- the green looks way too green to me. Looks more like a flying tigers P-40 than a North African bird, unless they carried the same paints. It'll get fixed a bit- I'll be doing a final paint coat of like 95/5 thinner/paint with Buff on the upper surfaces post decals to replicate the wear from sitting under the sun. 

Tape masks on the wings, silly putty on the fuselage. There is some kind of oily residue I've never had a problem with in the new package of Putty I was using. The border parts left pale snake patterns all over the tan paint, which I went back in and touched up, though this lightened the paint as well. I need to work the oil out of this putty somehow before I try using it again. 

Decals to come soon- I've got to finish the leading edges on my spit before I start spraying gloss coats, and I've got to get through decals this week before a college visit sucks my time away.

-TWA

Frank, for some reason, i only have you down for the Clipper. Remind me, what are you turning the 29 into.