AIRCRAFT - Battle of Britain Group Build (Jan 1st 2005 - May 31st 2005)

QUOTE: Originally posted by KJ200 I'm still working on the decals for the Hurri!!!!!![ I was unhappy with the top wing roundels, but luckily the Errormaster set comes with a spare set, so I buffed out the marks on the first lot, and applied the second set of roundels. The first one split into two, straight across the middle, leaving me with a nice line across it. Having said that the Hasa tail flashes went on beautifully last night, unlike the Errormaster ones which didn't fit worth a damn!!!!! Go figure? And to think I usually look forward to decaling. Karl

Karl

I have never had any issues with Aeromaster, this sheet mush have been exposed to moisture. Get yourself a bottle of Microscale decal film and using a clean flat brush, apply a thin coat over each decal. After 15 minutes cut around the decal and apply as normal. You will still be able to use decal set/sol.

I used the decal film on 30 year old Microscale decals and had a trouble free evening's decalling.

cheers

Mike

I'm still working on the decals for the Hurri!!!!!![

I was unhappy with the top wing roundels, but luckily the Errormaster set comes with a spare set, so I buffed out the marks on the first lot, and applied the second set of roundels.

The first one split into two, straight across the middle, leaving me with a nice line across it.

Having said that the Hasa tail flashes went on beautifully last night, unlike the Errormaster ones which didn't fit worth a damn!!!!! Go figure?

And to think I usually look forward to decaling.

Karl

Just an update. Got the Spit finally done and managed to find some swasticas for the Bf109. Some 1/48 German "kill" marks worked fairly well. A tad bit on the big side but it's done! Some pics of those two birds tomorrow. Sorry! - Calvin

ddayomaha no problems at all. I'll update the first page with your builds.

osher, sorry to hear your tail of woe and I know exactly where you are coming from with canopies. I don't exactly have a great strike rate in the old canopy dept.

JB those little details at the end of a build always add up to more work than you are expecting. It happens to me every time and I never learn.

Cheers
Darren

Hey friends, almost no progress to report! Last week was a wash with my wifes birthday and other things. My goal for this week - decals! I am so close I can feel it but there seems to be all these piddly little things that still need finishing.
I am going to concentrate on the Hurricane for now.

QUOTE: Originally posted by darson Osher wow I don't think I've ever heard of someone having as many problems with a Tamiya build as you are with yours . Keep plugging away at it though, because I'm sure it will turn out great. Oh and BTW, what was that foamy stuff you used to strip paint, it sure did a great job. Cheers, Darren

Well, the problem isn't the kit so much as me. I managed to damage the canopy (rear section), not glue the fuselage together well, and somehow the mainplane was slightly out from the body (this could be due to the fuselage not being glued well). Then, the original paint job on the base was too thick, and slightly rough, so that had to be stripped. Now my Iwata needs to be stripped down, and soaked in cellulose thinner, because something is off, and it's caused the new underside paint job to be rough too. The replacement cavform canopy from Pavla doesn't quite fit, and has a slightly different profile too. Oh, and I used too much CA when applying the seatbelts and slightly melted the seat. My learning curve with this model has been steep!

The stuff I used to strip the model down with is Modelstrip, £10 from Hannants, for a tub of the paste.

QUOTE: while you were playing backgammon with the Brigadeer But i did swap her them for a pack of smokes

I had my suspicions Jules.... but it's ok.. I won about $500.00 off the Brigadeer... that narcolepsy of his only encourages cheating!!! Every time he fell asleep I would take an extra turn...

Osher wow I don't think I've ever heard of someone having as many problems with a Tamiya build as you are with yours . Keep plugging away at it though, because I'm sure it will turn out great. Oh and BTW, what was that foamy stuff you used to strip paint, it sure did a great job.

Cheers
Darren

Can I join in with a 1/72 spit and 1/72 hurricane? Both from Revell Germany

QUOTE: Originally posted by tho9900 Karl - either Kremps stole them from me, which wouldn't be the first time or I plain lost them... They were kit decals so no biggie.. it's just after looking at the aftermarket decals I ordered there were more interesting schmes on the kit decals... oh well... life goes on..

Nah she didn't steal em Tom...............

I DID

while you were playing backgammon with the Brigadeer
But i did swap her them for a pack of smokes

Karl - either Kremps stole them from me, which wouldn't be the first time or I plain lost them... They were kit decals so no biggie.. it's just after looking at the aftermarket decals I ordered there were more interesting schmes on the kit decals...

oh well... life goes on..

QUOTE: Originally posted by KJ200 Osher Iwata have customer services in the UK!!!!!!!!! Who'd of thought? Hope you get it sorted soon. Karl

Thanks Karl! Actually, the customer service is in America, which is rather useful, because 11pm for us, is 6pm in New York and 3pm in Los Angles, in other words, when I called at 11 on a Friday evening, there was still customer service, which is rather nice.

Osher Iwata have customer services in the UK!!!!!!!!! Who'd of thought?

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Tom Have you really lost those decals? Or are you having a senior moment.

The mail man delivereth my decals, and I now know why they are called Errormaster

That and the fact that a couple of the decals simply broke up when they came off the backing, has left me far from impressed. This is my first experience of actually using Errormaster.

I have never had this much trouble with decals before. What's worse is knowing that I've got a set of Errormsater decals for the MS406 for the NA GB!!!!!

I'll post some pics tomorrow.

Karl

ok thanks for checking! was going to try my hand at the Bf110 but I lost on of the decal sheets evidently..

Tom, nope. I don't think so. Just the one decal sheet for a Ju-88.

Tanky - I have the feeling I sent you the decals from my Bf110 when I sent you those swastikas... did they have like big bees eyes on the sheet with them?

You'll end up with all the idnivdual pieces and you can start with a clean slate!!

Osher... even at that rate you'll still get to the end with it... you'll still be making way on the kit... just taking the long way around to get there.. (backwards )

Well, my Iwata is being 'interesting' now (see my thread on Iwata Gremlins). Still, Iwata's customer service is top notch, and I should be up and running again soon. The only problem is that due to the airbush hassles I now have my Spitfire again with a poor paint finish!

So, I'm copying Tom: 1 step forward, 2 steps back!

or in my case at times one step forward, two back and a jump to the side.. sometimes I get myself in interesting situation on a kit... I guess it keeps it interesting...

Osher, Looks like two steps forward, then one back . Keep on fighting, you'll get there eventually.

Regards, Rick

OK, here is the Spitfire after paint removal:


Unfortantely, the fuselage is now splitting, the sanding and filling I did the other day is wasted, and the mainplanes are seperating from the fuselage. Other than that, it's fine... Oh well, it's a challange!

I know this is a bit off-topic (what, here, off-topic, never!), but I had an idea for a GB, which could be fun. Namely, it's a Copycat GB. The idea is that designers often inspired by the designs of an enemy, or even just steal it. For example, the Mosquito and the Ta-154 Moskito; the B-29 and the Tu-4 (and even the later Tupolevs); the Mirage III and the Nesher/Dagger/Kfir; the Sopwith Tri-plane, and the Fokker Dr.1; the FW-190 and the Fury/Sea Fury. There must be many others too!

Mirage/Nesher would count as the two competed against each other in battle, both in the air and in the market place (and was caused by a spat between France and Israel); whilst the B-29 and the Tu-4 were in the Cold War.

Anyway, just wondering what others think? Right, back to being on-topic!

Osher - the foam looks a little bit like whipped cream to me... would be an interesting birthday cake for a modeler!!!

Jay - thanks for letting me know about the decals and the fonts!! I'll play a bit and try to get the correct size font... I plan on not using the decal sheet BuNo code on the side fuselage and having KREMPS in noticable black letters as the BuNo. Of course being the REAL aircraft also had a prominent black K on the side helps the distinction. Then I need to find a Heart graphic of appropriate size for nose art and put a cursive style "Tweety II" under it for the plane name...

A long story but we've gone quite mad in the North Africa build as well now...

Osher, glad to see you didn't give up. Hope the paint stripping works well.

Regards, Rick

Jay, happy 200th buddy ... I'll be making a quick pit stop in Calgary Friday night on my way out to Vernon. I hope convince my friend to check out a couple of LHS' before I leave Saturday.

Osher: That spit looks like its all lathered up and ready for a shave. I hate binning models too. I think the only one I ever gave up on was airfix's He 111. The canopy consisted of two halves and they were not even close to being the same size when matched up. Given the prominence of the canopy it just wasn't worth saving. Didn't know about vacuform back then.

Osher, I thought maybe that was cake frosting! I was gonna say, that's one way of really getting into your models!! LOL - Calvin

Here is the Spitfire in rather unique colour scheme. Could this be a famous lost camo scheme? An attempt to fool the Germans? Or is it just the Spitfire covered in modelstrip, just before placing in a plastic bag, to remove the old (awful) paint job? Well, let's see how it looks tomorrow after the paint has been removed. The top of the fuselage has been filled and sanded down, and is now as smooth as a baby's behind!

As for bf-110, it's had another coat of Xtracolor RLM02, and is gradually looking better.

QUOTE: Originally posted by jboutin Osher and Darren, if I do a wrong colour and I don't find out about it until much. much much later (like my Typhoon), I just sigh and leave it. I found out well after tthe fact that I had the wrong colour for the interior. way back when I did that part 8 years ago or so now, I didn't have british interior green, I had the zinc chromate/american interior green, and the wheel wells are wrong, but oh well! Anyway, Happy 200th post for me! It also happens to be my wife's Birthday!

Hi Jay, well, it really depends when the error is noticed, and if it can be rectified without resorting to surgery on the model (or fingers that resemble pipecleaners, mine are more like sausages!)

Anyway, HAPPY 200th post (and happy birthday to your other half)! Enjoy!

Osher and Darren, if I do a wrong colour and I don't find out about it until much. much much later (like my Typhoon), I just sigh and leave it. I found out well after tthe fact that I had the wrong colour for the interior. way back when I did that part 8 years ago or so now, I didn't have british interior green, I had the zinc chromate/american interior green, and the wheel wells are wrong, but oh well!

Anyway, Happy 200th post for me! It also happens to be my wife's Birthday!

Tom about the custom decals... they totally rock dude! (enter some heavey metal like AC-DC's 'Thunderstruck' here!) I played around with the settings a bit as depending on the paper type and print quality setting, you can get a fairly even colour with minimal pixilation. Yes if you hold it up close you can see the dots but at arms length you can't tell. I also thought I had the colour pretty well matched but of course colours change on different papers, so I guess I can live with a slightly darker greyish. The serial codes worked great too! now I have to get the future on the bird!

If you need RAF fonts I have a link with several font types.
http://www.balsadust.net/thomas.vogel/Tips_and_Tools/Fonts/

Thanks for the kind words guys, this has been my first serious attempt at any kind of modelling for about 10 years and I am so loving it (it helps when you've got a great bunch helping out!)