All Subjects - Aussie Group Build 2005

ummm.... Jules.... Kremps already made it by.... ummm..... her sister Agnes came with her....

Agnes sat on them... I didn't know any other way to tell you this but blurt it out.....

Ironically it's canopy time for me too, but not for the Spit VIII for the BF 109's.......

I've just had a great idea, seein as how Tom loves to mask canopies and i absolutley hate it i'm gonna start sending my canopies to Tom so he can mask em for me.......
Tom next time "Kremps" visits you she'll be carrying half a dozen canopies to be masked OK

Canopy time for me as well. I have to patch together two Vacform bits to create the correct canopy for the PR16 as the kit canopy cracked.

::rubbing hands together in glee:: oooooo... I love canopy masking!!! take some pics!!!

hmmmmmm.... wonder how much tape Sean's going to use on that bell canopy? maybe someone ought to send him an extra roll just in case!!

Canopy masking for me to. The Boomer has had the cannon installed now and apart from some remedial filling, I might airbrush this weekend!

cheers

Mike

Canopy night tonight!!!!!!!!!!!

Hopefully it will dry correctly, then some filling and sanding to bring it down to the right level.

Getting there slowly..................
Still have to track down some Aussie decals or stencils of the roo roundel, and the word ARMY, but actually more like A
R
M
Y

BUMP!!!

Carl - I found the same thing when I was looking, but I seem to remember .3mm being tossed around in the AB topic awhile back. ::shrug:: sounds like a nice number to me

QUOTE: Originally posted by darson Oh and with the AB needles, just how small is the fine tip on the badger? I use a .5mm needle for regular work and a .35mm needle for detail work and have never had a problem. I think that you may have an issue if you are trying to use a .2mm needle as those things are made for ink and not designed for the pigments in our paint.

Darren - 1. address details sent, thanks for that.
2. Talk about hard to find - Badger seem loathe to mention a number on these needles, they're classified only as fine, medium, large on both the Badge & Bear Air sites. I think I'll just have to take a punt on it, if it works it'll be worthwhile.

Harvs: On the Mitchell - For starters the cowls are off, I got the Eagle Editions replacements (plastic, not resin). I just stumbled across a useful cheat by downloading the Eduard instructions for their PE for this kit. Even if you don't use it it tells you about some detail & shows what's missing in a number of places & you can easily scratch build the important bits.
This is for the B-25B, they also have PE for the J but not the C/D.
http://www.eduard.cz/products/pdflist.php?www_dir_name=./pdf/n48/&www_PDFcatalogue_nb=48323

Jules - thanks again, I'll send Kremps by your place about 10 tonight if thats ok...

Darren & Tom Yeah boys too many Gb's not enough build time, i've already had to pass on the P/40 and RAAF what if GB'S.....I currently have 6 on the bench all but 1 is for GB's......
Tom www.aeroimageworks.com do a fantastic decal sheet for RAAF Spit VIII's called Shark Attack

EDIT::::::: forgot forward slash again////////////////////////////////////

Darren, with all the resin and chopping in that Mosquito i'm trying for as much help as I can! If the Pope can't help (note the pose) then who can?

Darren - I definitely want the Ultracast seats and probably tires.. thats the two things lacking in most of the kits I see... the Badger Fine needle is .3mm I believe

Dave - forgot to answer you yesterday - yeah I already bought it (the RAAF Spit)... Probably going with the ocean gray and dark green camo...

Carl, send me an email with your address and I'll throw what I have onto a CD for you.
Oh and with the AB needles, just how small is the fine tip on the badger? I use a .5mm needle for regular work and a .35mm needle for detail work and have never had a problem. I think that you may have an issue if you are trying to use a .2mm needle as those things are made for ink and not designed for the pigments in our paint.

Tom that Hase Spitfire is a real gem and what is even better is that you can buy a whole swag of Ultracast bits to go in it

Jules I know what you mean slowly but surely I am working through the four kits I have on the go at the moment

Dave good looking progress on the Mossie, from you photo your model looks great. BTW what is the thing you've got for painting on the pope, I'm beginning to see a theme developing

Cheers
Darren

Dave - not sure yet.. I haven't even opened the box to be honest, I am finishing up a Stuka for the N.Africa GB and then will at least start the planning for it.

Carl - ditto on the Model Master colors... I use them, but am slowly switching to Vallejo acrylic colors which I tend to like better. I have never had one problem with MM acryls... MM Flat Black is the only one I have had problems with peel up, I recommend a primer under that one...

Carl, no pressure at all. LOL I've seen a photo of that acft somewhere, I can't think of where though. I will have to look through my stuff to see if I can find it when I get back to Wodonga on Friday. I'll also ask David Edwards about it when I see him tonight. If he doesn't have any reference on it then it may well not exist.

Tom, go for the Hasegawa Spitfire!!!!! The kit comes together quite nicely and looks very nice when painted up. I used the Loon Models fueslage replacement on mine but it's still a good kit. Have you decided what colour scheme your going to paint it up in?

Jeez Harvs, you're putting the pressure on me now. I was hoping to be historically slack on this as I've yet to find a picture of that particular plane & there's little consistency in what was delivered to the RAAF. Even on that decal sheet some have upper turrets & some don't. I picked this one because it has an unpainted nose, the upper turret (though not the lower) & the gun pods.

Airbrush needles: I've got the medium tip on my Badger 100LG, has anyone tried the fine tip w. modern acrylics? over in the frequently suspect airbrush-forum-land it's been suggested this tip is too fine for model paints but I wonder if it's okay to do really fine work now & then? BTW: I got one bottle of Model Master 'Acryl' & have to say it's my favourite paint, just beatiful to use w. their thinner (& the best colour Zinc Chromate colours around) - pity I can't buy it anywhere in this country.

Jules - understood about the builds... I thnk I have learned my lesson about joining all the GB's at once... problem is they are all ones I have been wanting to do...


oh yeah another update, the significant other (Mrs. Tho9900) forced me to buy a model for my birthday... I got the RAAF MkVIII Spit by Hasegawa I mentioned before... should start shortly. It is a toss up between this and the Zero A6M2 for the Midway build.

Carl & Dave great progress fellas, your builds are coming along very nicely

Progress report:::::::: i have managed to get he interior green painted on the Spit and now i just have to detail the pit before i join it up, the going is a little slow cause of other builds but i'll get there in the end

Carl - I have the same kit from A/M and also intend to do the Foilage green version of it using the Aussie Decals set of markings for that acft. All I have to do is finish of the B-24 and a few others first. Hopefully when you get to it you will post any modifications etc that you have to do to it for the rest of us.

I managed to at least get a coat of the PRU blue on the model on ANZAC Day. I started off using the Xtra Colour PRU Blue but gave up in disgust when it wouldn't give me any colour at all. I thinned it, too thin, I used it straight from the tin with the same result so it got replaced by my old favourite Humbrol. This morning after I had let it dry over night I discovered all the little faults in my workmanship (of course). There are a few little seams that need fixing amonsgt other things.



I was in East Timor from December 2001 to April 2002 with the AusAVN Det at Suai. It was a Detachment from 161 Recce SQN that had rotated in to the area after replacing 162 Recce SQN. We were based at the Suai airstrip just down the road from the New Zealand camp. In the area was also the Fijian Infantry company, the Irish Company, a Slovak Hospital, Pakistani's and towards the end of my time there a detachment of Japanese Engineers came to the area.

Darren - well after seeing the magic Slatydog does with that brush and hearing and seeing others responses (like yours) on it I decided it was what I wanted for detail... the 175 I have does have a Fine needle/nozzle I could put on it, but it's only .3mm and I think the .35 of the Iwata would give me a bit more room to play with... I'll update you once it gets into my hands! Oh yeah I think the rising sun crest I have comes from before you were in... a majority of my stuff is WWI and WWII, I used to collect a lot of it when I was a kid... as far as my own stuff, somewhere stuffed in a drawer around here is my sailors hat (the popeye hat haha), I still keep one pair of cammies from my time with the Marines and my ribbons... thats about it...

Carl - I am anxious to see the finished kit... and the next 50% off sale at the LHS

Tweets: TV never seems to show the reality of conflict IMHO. Only the extremes. All the good, or all the bad depending on which way they want to slant peoples views. I saw things flying medevac (helicopter medical evac) in the desert that defy a sane explanation... My distrust of the media grew exponentially after Desert Storm...

QUOTE: Originally posted by darson Carl, that looks great . Which AM B-25 kit is that? Also, I have a couple of B-25 references but no internal shots, if you need anything external give me a yell.

Darren - Please send reference pics, I haven't got to the outside yet but I'm sure I'll want more reference when I get there. It's the B-25 C/D kit. A couple of options but "Dirty Dora" is the featured finish. Funny story, Dirty Dora was named after a foul-mouthed tart the crew met while in Sydney. A later crew met her & showed her the plane but she was apparently unimpressed (the nose is painted as a giant bat).

I'm doing a boring old foliage green scheme, probably this one:

I am interested in trying out the Gregg Cooper weathering technique, which I think looks exceptional (when he does it, at least). It's easiest on a single colour finish:
http://www.features02.kitparade.com/gekkogc_3.htm

Dave I am aware that the individual has no choice in the matter, but the Government does.
When I say conflict, I mean the really messy jobs, WWI and II, Viet nam, Iraq, etc.

I was also unaware that you were in Timor.
I'll bet it's nothing like they try and show us on the tele.

I was refused entry into the services, for some reason they dont want people with a violent past.
My father tried to join and head over to Viet nam, but he is a French citizen, and they refused him for some rubbish reason.
But my grandfathers rumbled like there was no tommorow in I & II, the Boar war, the Resistance.

Carl That interior looks fantastic mate
Seems a damn shame to lock it up in the bowels of the aircraft.

Well, attached the tail section, and assembled the cokpit on the Bell tonight.
Now I have to make the BLOODY huge canopy fit, and do some more detailing on the engine.
Pics soon............ish.

Tom, you’re getting the HP-CS, cool . I took Salty's advice and bought the same ab, it is fantastic piece of kit, it's just too bad its operator blows dog in my case. Oh and BTW, I use enamels almost exclusively with mine and have no problems, you just have to thin them down enough.
Also, with all the army junk that I gathered the only things that I really look after are my slouch hat and engineer corps badge. They actually only introduced the rising sun back into service as a hat badge after I left.

Dave I had no idea you served in Timor. When were you there and who were you with?

Carl, that looks great . Which AM B-25 kit is that? Also, I have a couple of B-25 references but no internal shots, if you need anything external give me a yell.

Cheers
Darren

Tom, It's also all OOB as well, I didn't feel a need to add anything which is unusual for me (plus it all goes down the dark cave once it gets closed up). Instructions are excellent & the great thing about the Mitchell is that there were so many variations used - all manner of turret configurations, all sorts of nose configurations, etc. There are some more pics of my build here at higher res:
http://bandhaboy.fotki.com/forum_pics/

Carl - wonderful looking interior! very elaborate! I have putting off getting that kit but I really think I need to.... that's an incredible amount of detail!!!

I've made a bit of progress on the Mitchell this weekend. Had to make some of it up due to lack of period interior reference but generally the Accurate Minatures kit is a dream so far.

I am tempted to march next year, I have my Grandfathers medals. He served in Borneo, Moretai, New Guinea etc, before contracting maleria and being invalided home. He spent the remainder of the war bulding airfields in the Kimberley.

I also have my Great Great Uncles service medal. He was a 10th Light Horseman killed at Gallipoli age 16.

Just need to contact the RSL and find out more about it.

cheers

Mike

Sean, not all of them are the results of little johnie sucking up to the yanks. East Timor was a pretty much Australian affair. Trust me when I say that it was a situation that was needing to be corrected. This morning I was at the Melbourne Dawn Service with my Medals for East Timor on one side of my chest and my fathers Medals for Viet nam on the other. Two totaly different situations but both of us had done the job demanded of us by the Government.

The soldiers lot is not to decide where we go. We just do as the Government tell us, like it or not.

But anyway, my Mosquito is getting even closer to painting! Either tonight or tommorrow it will be a pretty PRU Blue. Just have to get home to Wodonga to get the correct canopy for it.

QUOTE: Originally posted by tho9900 Tweets - I have the Aussie Army crest in my collection of military memoribilia... pretty much what you posted (almost) lest we forget any of our armed services.... Remember Suvla Bay, SEAC, Viet Nam (for both of us)... the list goes on...

Tom, we all know that WW I was supposed to be the 'war to end all wars'

How fortunate for us that as time has gone by, governments have learnt nothing from the lives lost, and have continued to flourish in their attempts to gain land and resources.

What really ticks me off about the Australian government is that all the conflicts we have been involved in, we have been nothing more than some other countries lapdog and cannon fodder.
Yet we have done things during those conflicts that have defied all odds, and turned the tide for the better.

The term ' Australian Spirit' I feel was created on the shores of Gallipoli.
Since then it has, and will always, shine through every conflict Australia is unfortunate enough to be thrust into by the hand of someone else.

Maybe one day Australia's government will recieve the call to arms, and respond with-
'Get stuffed! You started it, you fix it!!'

Then again, Aussies are known to never back down from a scrap, and always help our mates.
Maybe Peacock shoulda called Australia the 'Pitbulls at the arse end of the world'