SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Royal Australian Air Force Centenary Group Build

59255 views
571 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Nashville, TN area
Posted by bobbaily on Sunday, January 16, 2022 6:07 PM

Lostagain- Beaufighter is coming along nicely-love the yellow scheme (although I hate trying to paint yellow)

Tony-your P-40 looks great-looking forward to seeing it with paint.

Bob

 

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Australia
Posted by taxtp on Sunday, January 16, 2022 3:57 PM

crown r n7

Sergeant. Very nice detailing with the cockpit.

Tony. I built a few Academy P-40's they are a nice kit. I built a hobyboss one , I didnt like it . any way you have a nice clean start Yes

 

And here it is, last photo before paint.

Cheers

Tony

I'm just taking it one GB at a time.

  • Member since
    August 2015
  • From: the redlands Fl
Posted by crown r n7 on Saturday, January 15, 2022 7:56 AM

Sergeant. Very nice detailing with the cockpit.

Tony. I built a few Academy P-40's they are a nice kit. I built a hobyboss one , I didnt like it . any way you have a nice clean start Yes

Lostagain. Impressive I must say, a very clean yellow, gloss yellow can be fussy.Cool

 

 

 Nick.

  • Member since
    April 2014
  • From: Australia
Posted by lostagain on Saturday, January 15, 2022 5:37 AM

Tony, good start. is the Hasegawa your choice for the 1/72 P 40's? Any recommendations for 1/48 ? Most of yours I have seen have been 1/72

Cliff, you may want to look away now, it's getting yellower... I have gone through two jars of Gunze 329 and will have to head back to the LHS...

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Australia
Posted by taxtp on Monday, January 10, 2022 6:03 PM

That Spitfire and base looks fantastic Cliff. Really liked the grass effect and the weathering on the model.

Thats a really nice Beaufighter Piers, great work.

I've done the conversion on my P-40E. It's really a matter of changing some panel lines and spent shell ejection chutes,  and modifying the 'bumps' under the gun mounts on the lower wing, as well as deleting a gun from each wing.

The Academy P-40 kits have a couple of problems. The spinner is too bulbous, and the canopy is the wrong shape. I'll be using a resin copy of a Hasegawa spinner that I've madet, and a Hasegawa canopy for this. I have vacform canopies for when I get around to building my Hasegawa P-40 kits anyway.

Cheers

Tony

 

I'm just taking it one GB at a time.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, January 10, 2022 9:20 AM

Piers: Ahhhhhh that looks so good in the first photo.

 

Then I scroll down and almost had a heart attack. I... hate... yellow... But you've done a beautiful job with it! Hope the stars continue to align - good luck and God bless you sir!!!

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    April 2014
  • From: Australia
Posted by lostagain on Sunday, January 9, 2022 5:08 AM

The Beaufighter continues on. The last pieces are added with the canopies masked and everything in place. I sould not have put the undercarriage inserts into the nacelles this early; leave them out and add the whole unit later as per tamiya's instructions.

I have started the painting - I have realised I forgot to paint the canopy framing before spraying the white primer. This model is bigger than I am used to - I have used a full rattle can of white primer. I got this far through with the yellow before i had to stop, there was some gunge on the model and the airbrush started to spit condensation. The gear doors at the bottom of the picture are what the colour will be once I have cleaned it up and given it a second coat.

 This is going to be very yellow...

  • Member since
    September 2018
  • From: Vancouver, Washington USA
Posted by Sergeant on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 2:08 PM

Patrick N

Very nice instrument panel, sir...

 

Thank you, Patrick, Rob, Cliff, and Piers. I think you may be giving me credit for what Eduard has done. Eduard is using a color photo-etched assembly of three pieces to make an instrument panel in 1/48 scale look three-dimensional and very realistic with a lens over the face of each guage. All I did is carefully put the pieces together with CA glue.

You can purchase the kit for an Eduard or Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire, and they offer a few other instrument panels as well. These are kit upgrade for about $12.00 to $15.00 USD and some of the dealers are selling them, but you can also order direct from Eduard.

https://www.eduard.com/eduard/photo-etched-parts/zoom-set/aircraft/1-48/spitfire-mk-i-1-48-1-1.html

Harold

  • Member since
    April 2014
  • From: Australia
Posted by lostagain on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 5:27 AM

Harold, that is some detail, hope my 1/72 one is half as good.

Dodgy, sure it will be good,

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 10:59 PM

Piers: Interesting. I didn't know about the protective stuff either. 

Dodgy: Thanks! I'm sure she'll look great! 

Harold: Love the cockpit, the PE looks really good! 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    August 2020
  • From: Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia.
Posted by Dodgy on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 7:32 PM

Fantastic work all round folks. Gam I think your Spit is awesome. If you want to see a dud model of one, wait untill I post mine. Aircraft are not my speciality!!! Getting back into it today, so hopefully I will have more pics soon.

I long to live in a world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned

  • Member since
    January 2021
Posted by Patrick N on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 2:28 PM

Very nice instrument panel, sir...

  • Member since
    September 2018
  • From: Vancouver, Washington USA
Posted by Sergeant on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 1:44 PM

darrenshinn
Hi Harold - the PBY-5A is Plan B for the group build, when it became obvious that a nunber of things were going to stop the Mosquito ever getting done in time (still doing it as an Aussie Mossie, so it'll get attached to this GB "eventually"). I like the family history that goes with your planned model as well.

Thank you Darren.

I made some progress with the Eduard Brassin Spitfire cockpit today. The assembly will go a lot quicker now that I have a few major pieces together.

Harold

  • Member since
    January 2016
  • From: Somewhere in England
Posted by darrenshinn on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 11:32 AM

Hi Harold - the PBY-5A is Plan B for the group build, when it became obvious that a nunber of things were going to stop the Mosquito ever getting done in time (still doing it as an Aussie Mossie, so it'll get attached to this GB "eventually"). I like the family history that goes with your planned model as well.

Lost - I'll keep you posted on whether I need the decals, should hopefully have enough already. I've done some research on the paint colours and markings, which is to say I stared at the internet for a while over the weekend. The only thing I can say with certainty is that no-one knows for sure what any of these aircraft looked like in the field, but everyone's pretty certain they had roundels with dark blue edges. Slightly annoying in some ways, but does give a lot of latitude to the final paint scheme...

 

  • Member since
    September 2018
  • From: Vancouver, Washington USA
Posted by Sergeant on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 9:36 AM

lostagain

Hi Harold,

The protecive wires are an addition for the target towing version. It was to stop the target cable getting tangled around and damaging the tail.

 

Thank you.

  • Member since
    April 2014
  • From: Australia
Posted by lostagain on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 4:17 AM

Hi Harold,

The protecive wires are an addition for the target towing version. It was to stop the target cable getting tangled around and damaging the tail.

  • Member since
    September 2018
  • From: Vancouver, Washington USA
Posted by Sergeant on Monday, January 3, 2022 11:48 AM

lostagain

Got a bit more done on the Beaufighter. Added PE parts to the tail for the protective wires.

Next I got the winch body dry fitted ready for after the painting.

A bit more work has got the wings closed up, the resin replacement intakes on, the rear lights blanked over. The Sperry autopilot is on the nose, reshaped and faired in a bit.

 

Piers what are the protective wires protecting? I'm not familiar with a lot of aircraft features, I spent most of my time on armor and artillery.

Harold

  • Member since
    April 2014
  • From: Australia
Posted by lostagain on Monday, January 3, 2022 5:10 AM

Got a bit more done on the Beaufighter. Added PE parts to the tail for the protective wires.

Next I got the winch body dry fitted ready for after the painting.

A bit more work has got the wings closed up, the resin replacement intakes on, the rear lights blanked over. The Sperry autopilot is on the nose, reshaped and faired in a bit.

  • Member since
    April 2014
  • From: Australia
Posted by lostagain on Sunday, January 2, 2022 6:10 AM

68GT, great that you have a spare, hope you find the original piece before the Mk IX comes around.

Cliff, that's just how tough all us Aussie blokes look...

Patrick, good to see the colours going down.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Saturday, January 1, 2022 8:55 PM

Thanks Nick! I did think the pilot had a Popeye thing going on with his arms, I wouldn't want to arm wrestle him.

Harold, Darren, Patrick, and 68GT: Those look great guys, keep the photos coming!!!

68GT: Good luck finding the missing wing section. I've misplaced stuff enough I know exactly how it feels.

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    August 2015
  • From: the redlands Fl
Posted by crown r n7 on Saturday, January 1, 2022 5:01 PM

I feel your pain GT. I miss placed the center top section of a mig 21mf canablized another mig 21 kit then I found the missing part in my dogs bed all chewed up lol..

 

 

 Nick.

  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: New Jersey
Posted by 68GT on Saturday, January 1, 2022 3:33 PM

I really for the life of me can't figure where that wing section went.  I do have a IX by ICM and that wing casting looks to be the same.  I'll just have to keep an eye out so it can go in the IX box.

On Ed's bench, ???

  

  • Member since
    August 2015
  • From: the redlands Fl
Posted by crown r n7 on Saturday, January 1, 2022 10:48 AM

Gamera. A mighty fine work on the spitfire and the pilot is ready for a bar fight. lol.

Darren. nice start on the PBY.

Harold. complex cockpit.

Patrick. Looks very good so far.

 

 

 Nick.

  • Member since
    January 2021
Posted by Patrick N on Saturday, January 1, 2022 8:31 AM

Buffalo under paint:   Buffalo_1Jan22 by Patrick Nevin, on Flickr

  • Member since
    April 2014
  • From: Australia
Posted by lostagain on Friday, December 31, 2021 7:01 PM

Hi Darren, good to see the Cat off to a start. I think you are spot on with the highly variable interior green. Not sure if the following would help - a decal sheet for the Black Cat RAAF squadron (and a silver postwar bird too) from ronin decals.It came with an Academy Cat, but I used other decals to do a postwar Sunbird Services airliner.

If you want it PM me and I will post it over.

Harold, great to see you modelling something with a family connection. I have made and presented a couple of models and it is great to see their reactions.

And I am interested to see how the cockpit goes - I have the same in 1/72, just not sure if it will shoehorn into a Jays models short run kit.

  • Member since
    September 2018
  • From: Vancouver, Washington USA
Posted by Sergeant on Friday, December 31, 2021 4:53 PM

I have just started assembly of the Eduard brass and resin cockpit and it is very nice. The resin parts are the best I have ever seen. They are clean, perfectly formed, and easy to cut from the sprue. I used the Eduard preprinted, photo-etched instrument panel and seatbelts in my last model and they are better than anything I could do with paint and decals.

Harold

  • Member since
    September 2018
  • From: Vancouver, Washington USA
Posted by Sergeant on Friday, December 31, 2021 11:58 AM

darrenshinn

Gamera - looks like a pretty decent Spitfire from here. If you hadn't mentioned the canopy I wouldn't have spent several minutes staring at the photos trying to figure out what wasn't quite right...

Have been on something of a charge (for me, anyway) with the Catalina. Obligatory box shot, showing the emergency tools bought whilst between houses. (The Revell Contacta Special was the only glue they had in the shop and I should have had my glasses with me, as it's most definitely not for basic assembly!)

The plan is to model this as A24-104 in it's WW2 Air Sea Rescue days. There's a dearth of 1/72 RAAF Catalina decals out there, and the ones I've got for this aircraft are from it's post-war years as a JATO experiment and Antarctic base resupplier; hopefully I can juggle the decals and paint scheme to produce something roughly representative.

Fuselage halves are about ready for joining. Mostly out of the box, although I've added the suggestion of some structure in the rear and a scratchbuilt ammo box for the gun positions.

Not quite sure that the interior colour is entirely accurate, as it's the same mix I've used for the Mosquito, not adjusted for scale and looks a little bit dark. However, I did find an old FSM article that suggests that US aircraft interior colours were pretty much a free-for-all in the early years of WW2, and the US navy preferred a darker green interior. Add the purchase and repainting of this aircraft for the RAAF, plus wear and tear and I think I can about justify it :)

 

Darren, I was not aware that you were doing a PBY-5A because I am also working on a PBY model during the first part of 2022. Jack Geratic in Canada has been helping me gather information. I will be checking in to see how your project develops.

My PBY is 1/48 scale and a prewar variant. Jack has discovered a conversion kit that takes Revell or Monogram PBY-5 (no landing gear - 5A had landing gear) back to PBY-2, 3, or 4. My father worked on Navy PBYs at Sand Point and North Island Naval Air Stations before the war and his sister worked on them during the war at Norfolk Naval Air Station in Virginia.

Harold

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Friday, December 31, 2021 9:59 AM

Darren: Thanks! I love that Cat, I've never modeled one of those but it's a neat looking bird. I have no idea about the interior, only that considering it won't be that visible so I'm not sure I'd knock myself out about it.

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    January 2016
  • From: Somewhere in England
Posted by darrenshinn on Friday, December 31, 2021 6:16 AM

Gamera - looks like a pretty decent Spitfire from here. If you hadn't mentioned the canopy I wouldn't have spent several minutes staring at the photos trying to figure out what wasn't quite right...

Have been on something of a charge (for me, anyway) with the Catalina. Obligatory box shot, showing the emergency tools bought whilst between houses. (The Revell Contacta Special was the only glue they had in the shop and I should have had my glasses with me, as it's most definitely not for basic assembly!)

The plan is to model this as A24-104 in it's WW2 Air Sea Rescue days. There's a dearth of 1/72 RAAF Catalina decals out there, and the ones I've got for this aircraft are from it's post-war years as a JATO experiment and Antarctic base resupplier; hopefully I can juggle the decals and paint scheme to produce something roughly representative.

Fuselage halves are about ready for joining. Mostly out of the box, although I've added the suggestion of some structure in the rear and a scratchbuilt ammo box for the gun positions.

Not quite sure that the interior colour is entirely accurate, as it's the same mix I've used for the Mosquito, not adjusted for scale and looks a little bit dark. However, I did find an old FSM article that suggests that US aircraft interior colours were pretty much a free-for-all in the early years of WW2, and the US navy preferred a darker green interior. Add the purchase and repainting of this aircraft for the RAAF, plus wear and tear and I think I can about justify it :)

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Thursday, December 30, 2021 7:07 PM

Thanks guys!!! 

Just kinda bummed the camo came out great, I was really really happy with it. And then the thing sorta went all pear-shaped at the end. I've still got the other two sets of decals and a couple of other Spitfire Mk IX kits in the stash so I'll take what I learned here and do another Aussie Spit sometime in the future. 

Thanks for the offer of the canopy Harold, but it's okay. I'm going to dig out a few spare ones and experiment trying to figure out what happened here. The canopy of the Bf-109 I did for Bish's other GB I did the same way and it turned out fine. What's going on here I really dunno. 

68GT I really hope you keep going here, I really want to see how she's going to turn out in the end. 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.