80 Years of Airfix GB

With the cut off date looming I had better get a move on with this Kate. It is just the undercart and canopy framing to mask that I fain so boring.

IMG_20191205_061702 by Theunis van Vuuren, on Flickr

Theuns

Sorry, Mopar, but the WB-29 is sitting on the shelf of doom. I built that Airfix B-29 kit maybe forty years ago and it was a nightmare even then. I thought I had developed skills enough to overcome the kit's shortcomings, but no. That sow's ear thing. If I ever do build a WB-29 Hurricane Hunter I'll probably use the Academy kit. Blasphemy, I know. Sorry to disappoint.

I'll be ordering the decals for the Meteor from a shop in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada tomorrow. I'm also getting a decal set for some P-40s, including one for Robert Lee Scott's P-40E from the same shop.

Today, I attached and masked the canopy. Pretty much ready for paint now. If it warms up enough out on the patio tomorrow, I'll shoot the primer.

Frank I'm still crossing my fingers for that WB-29!

Thats coming on really well frank. I had a search for those decals but even scalemates doesn't list any sellers. I hope you can get them from over the border, Barracuda lists them as out of stock.

Thanks, Johnny. I've tried to buy from Flightdecs in the past. I need permission from my bank here in FL to use my card in the Great White North. Let me talk to the resident banker to see what she says. Thanks again.

Great White North. Obscure reference to Bob and Doug Mckenzie.

fotofrank

I'm looking for this decal sheet for my Meteor build. I've scoured the internet to no avail. These decals are nowhere to be found. Anyone have them in their stash? Willing to sell them?

In the meantime, I'm scrounging around trying to piece together suitable decals for this build.

 

Flightdecs.ca has them sheet number 72007

I'm looking for this decal sheet for my Meteor build. I've scoured the internet to no avail. These decals are nowhere to be found. Anyone have them in their stash? Willing to sell them?

In the meantime, I'm scrounging around trying to piece together suitable decals for this build.

More on the Meteor. It's coming along quickly. The wing is assembled and attached to the fuselage. The canopy has been dipped in Pledge and is drying under cover. I may be able to begin painting next week if the weather warms up. As old as this kit is, maybe pre-1970, the fit is very good. I've had to use some Bondo in a few low spots but that's about it. All in all, the kit is building up very nicely.

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Still trying to find some 616 Squadron decals for the marking. No luck yet.

Darn it!  Why didn't I think of that!  

Chad there is no problem that can't be solved with judicious use of the heel of your foot.

Thats a very nice job on those gaps G.

Mopar Madness

Well, in a moment of fumbling fingers, I spilled liquid glue on the Gnat canopy. Between that and the poor fit, the darn thing flew directly into the bin.

 

So, one last journey into the great beyond. May your Gnat rest in piece's.

Chad,

Awww man bummers.    Glue on the canopy is one of the banes of modeling!  I too have heard the dreaded "doink" and ruined models.   Note the plural form.

G, I think I'll try sprue the next time I have a big gap. 

Well, in a moment of fumbling fingers, I spilled liquid glue on the Gnat canopy. Between that and the poor fit, the darn thing flew directly into the bin.

Filling in those mystery gaps in the Vampire's horizontal stab went well.  I now always use the kit's sprue for major filling, as it is the same color and hardness.  By using Tamiya or Gunze thin liquid cement, the sprue just melts into the seams and sticks really well.  The sprue can be feathered when sanding, plus scribing is effortless.

I haven't rescribed the filled in panel lines as I had to wait for the glue to fully cure.

Nice start frank.

Blimey, now thats a nicxe price to see. I just looked it up and that kit is only 1 year younger than i am. I hope its aged better.

Just noticed this on the end of the box. Those were the days...

Well, I opted for Model Master Interior Green for the cockpit. May or may not be the proper choice but it looks nice and when the pilot is installed who will notice? As you can see, there's not a lot of detail anyway.

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This is a nice kit. The copyright is 1998. Most of the detail is raised except for the control surfaces. The fit is excellent. Dry fitting the various parts has shown no real gaps in the fit at all.

Been plodding away on the Meteor today. The interior is assembled and installed. Not sure what color to paint the cockpit. I have Tamiya Cockpit Green and RLM Grey. Also have MM Interior Green enamel. Glued the dive brakes closed and since I'm going to pose the airplane in flight, the gear doors are closed up too. Spent some time detailing the pilot. Sometimes I can't believe I take the time to paint a figure that's smaller than the tip of my pinkie finger.

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Most of the pictures of RAF WWII pilots online were BoB pilots so I had to kinda wing it detail-wise. The flotation device or May West looked like it was khaki colored rather than yellow. You can barely tell but the pilot is wearing a red ascot. The hood will be closed so I think he looks fine. More to come.

Joh, i do like those old Hase kits, but i have not tried the Academy yet. I have built a couple of their German trucks and they were great kits, think i will have to grab one of their US ones. Always handy for an aircraft dio.

Martin, the Jeep and the dump truck are very old Hasegawa kits, the other GMC is the Academy kit.  More pictures are on my website, or will be later today, at this link.  Only have the index page done right now.

I need to build a WW II base of some kind, the only one I have now is a 50's type jet hardstand/ramp that a now departed modeling friend built for me.

http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/cars/usaafbrs/usaafbrs.html

Here's the one base I have:

Cheers frank. I do have a lot of admiration for those guys who do some lovely ships. Its something i have done very little of. I do have the Revell 350 Bismarck to do at some point, might be my retierment build

I admire you guys who do ships. The last ship I built was Revell's Franklin D Roosevelt and that was when the kit was new.

Thanks mate.

Glad to see you saved one from the stash!  So much here to look at and enjoy.  Well done my friend! 

I got the Belfast finished 2 weeks ago and today finally got some pics.This is how she looked before i added some very minimul rigging and atached to the base. The  final assembly had involved adding guns, liferafts cranes and other smaller bits painting off the ship.

I then added a small amount of rigging, just the 4 wires running between the 2 masts, i felt that was enough for this. And onto the base.

I know its not perfect, a close look will show a few flaws. But i am still really pleased with it. Its my first ship of this type, previously i have only done an old Airfix carrier and a few subs. And seeing as this has been in the stash for about 35 years and somehow survived all that time rattleing around lose in the box, i am just glad to get it done. And it certainly brought make some memories and pushed me to get down to London and visit the old girl again. It was interesting looking at the differences between the model and the real ship after her post war refit.

And one final pic, this time the real ship when me and my better half went to London in Oct.

I owe Steve a big thanks, without his British ships GB, this might have been laying in the stash for another couple of decades.

Its been a real joy watching them all come together. Hope you can find the decals, got it on the roster.

John, those are really nice, thank you for posting that. I have that set, going to have to use it soon.

Are you planning on a base for those, will make a nice dio. I take it the GMC's and jeep are the Hasegawa kits. I have added the pic to the list.

Well, I'll tell you, Bish, this has been just too much fun! I've built kits I never thought I would ever build. And in 1/72 scale. The true scale? Anyway, I found a vintage Meteor III kit in a friend's attic a few weeks ago.

It's on the bench now. I'd like to build a Meteor of 616 Squadron but finding decals has been a challenge.