Battle of Britain GB 2006 - 1 May to 31 Oct 06

Tweets - I think she overdid it on the belladonna with that batch you are referring to... something about it being the last time the Major got over on her like that... she warned us that we weren't to touch it, it was for him.. guess you were out clipping the hedges right then... 

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Well a little more progress tonight, I was gluing the canopies on when I realized I hadn't placed the IP yet so had to take them off... then I realized I never quite finished sanding the wing root on the port side so I am glad I noticed before they dried...

speaking of the IP here it is, it's amazing how small this thing is compared to the size of the model... it's about 1/3 more than the size of the AccMin SBD for reference but the IP is this big:  (Thats a toothpick next to it)

I guess relatively speaking that's right, but it's still small...

Actually theres a heaps funny song about Bali Belly by Kevin Bloody Wilson, he's an Australian comedian, one of the funniest fellas around.

tho9900 wrote:

Tweets - I think it's an epidemic mate... we've all kinda stalled here.  Don't worry... just put it all away for a bit until the urge creeps up on ya like Kremps' turnip suprise!

Oooooooohhh, don't mention the Turnip surprise.

I'd rather have a big dose of Bali belly rather than the aftermath of Turnip Surprise.

Bob - that harness is Eduard Color PE.  The harnesses are a khaki color with the flaps that go uner the buckle being an ecrue or cream color.  thanks for the kind words.  Most of it won't be able to be seen well once the canopy is put together and in place.  The most impressive thing is it added the upper control console above and between the pilot and bombadier/navigator (the second little seat to   the right of the pilot)  And a few other things that were totally missing from the kit.

The only hard part were the controls, all the tiny throttle handles and such in 1/72 got to me, and since I realized early on I wouldn't have been able to see them anyway, I left the smallest of them off.  But the other bits added a lot to it, including the compass between the pilots feet on the control stick mounting and a second small instrument console mounted on the control stick....

Sean-good to hear from you again.  If nothing else, at least drop in and add to the banter.

Tom-what color did you use for the harnesses?  The cockpit looked very impressive, even more so  given that it is 1/72th scale.  As far as the Eduard masks, I'm getting lazy in my old age-I'm using them for even simple applications....

btw-just washed the plastic.  Should be able to get a coat of primer on it today.  Need to take a trip to the LHS and get a bottle of RLM02.  With a little luck I might get the cockpit components painted tomorrow.  Will be using an Ultracast seat (for the first time).  Any tricks to resin (other than wash & prime & and use CA)?  Trying to balance three builds at once.  Might as well be juggling running chain saws.....

Dave - when I use black magic masks I take the mask from the paper with the tip of an xacto or toothpick.  I carefully manuever the mask until the part away from me lines up with the framing then gently touch it to the canopy, I twist the xacto or toothpick to let the mask free.  I then take a toothpick and starting with the part touching the canopy I gently touch it to get it down, moving from the inside out to get it to hold, here's where the gentle tugging of the mask will get it all in place.  When done I roll the toothpick out from the inside out along the mask to press it down.  If you don't fiddle with it after that it will hold ok.  It has to sit for a bit before you can do anything with it in my experience... otherwise they seem to "float" above the canopy, and come off easy.

It only took me an hour and a half because those are the Eduard masks... they are the same as black magic for not wanting to hold well at first... there seems like 100 masks on this sheet although it's probably more like 50 or so...

The canopy frames are so light on this plane in 1/72 I don't even think BMF would work well... there's nothing to burnish the tape down into to show where to cut...

Good to see some progress from you guys

The modelling blues have hit hard here, just when I have a spurt of inspiration, something comes along and sucks it clean outta me.

The Magister for the Aussie GB is so close to finished, but just can't seem to go that last step.

I've already accepted the fact I won't be able to do anything for the BoA GB, if I try I reckon that'll finish me for good.

I'm flat out getting on line to check out this site!!!

Thanks yall... it's not my best work but it's a step forward from nothing...

It's wierd but masking the canopy is cool... masking the splinter camo is not.. dunno why since they are so similar..

I dunno... maybe I'll take Kremps home remedy and go to bed early... strychnine and honey seem to make me sleep better anyway... 

Rick - looking forward to your usual fine work...

Tanky.. Kremps is the one who taught me the fine art of masking a complex canopy... she said it is a lot like milking 7 teated Yak...

Bob ...  I used to like the electro shock but it got boring...  Kremps wouldn't turn up the volts high enough, said she liked to keep me fresh or herding the Yaks back in the barn every evening.. 

Looking good Tom.  More progress than me.  My 109 is still in shrink wrap .  But it will be finished before the deadline, I promise.

Regards,  Rick

Well, most of you who have known me for awhile know I am a bit ::cough:: eccentric at times... At least Kremps used to think so..  Jules thought this next part I am going to tell you was the wierdest thing about me...

I was sitting here today actually thinking about modeling when I got up, cleaned up my desk and pulled the He111 back out... and noticed I hadn't began to mask the canopy yet... well being that's the next step to attach the canopy I figured now is good as time as any.

I forgot how relaxing masking canopies is for me... I spent the good part of an hour and a half masking all the little windows on this thing and was totally absorbed.. in fact I only stopped because my back was beginning to get a crick in it from leaning close to the model to nudge the pieces of tape here and there...  This thing had a LOT of windows I might add... probably the most tape I have put on yet.. and still not done with all the glass pieces, just some of the major ones...

Without further adieu a few ***progress***  (finally) shots.. I still need to burnish and pull the tape a bit here and there but hopefully this has got me feeling more like modeling.  I think cleaning my desk off good had something to do with it also..

an unfinished cockpit shot, was still putting the PE in here...

So apparently the credos of  modeling is that there is no such thing as too much after market stuff...or beer.

Works for me!

Marc, as Marc said, you can NEVER have too many beers on the deck!

Dave23 & Pandeiro  Great job on your builds

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one in a funk or a modeling slowdown, still fighting my cold/bronchitis so not much is getting done.  However i did finished filling and sanding now i'm ready  for a visit to the paint shop when my hands shake a little less.

Tanky Enjoy all that modeling time while you can Jay's right life will catch up to you

Dave Ahhhh!!! retierment  that does sound nice.

Marc you can never have to many beers on the deck, you have to compensate for the sun's evaporating effects

Cheers

Bear

pandeiro - very nice 109

Dave- Good looking Spit

Summer modeling is though to say the least. And build orders change too.  My BOA build was just the wrong choice and the canopy for my 2^nd choice is a streaming heap so that has been pushed back.  This one was always a bit further down the list but had (have?) every intention getting to it.  After my lunch with the Tuskegee pilot I got P-51 on the brain but I am working through those too.  Then there is beers on the deck, playing with kids, beers on the deck, playing with the wife, beers on the deck, grilling, beers on the deck, having a nice cigar.. and there was one other thing…hmmm?  OH YEAH… beers on the deck.

I’ll get to the 190(hic)019(hic)901(hic)… 109… soon. Maybe too many beers on the deck,

Tanky, I'll say this for all those of us with families/jobs and "other commitments", don't make us hate you!!!. 

Go nuts dude!, I sometimes dream of the my younger days when I had all that free time too. 

Looks like a lot of people around here are suffering from the couldn't be bothered with models blues at the moment and believe me when I say I know the feeling.

It has been a month now and I am just starting to get back into the swing of things due to all the reasons that people have stated, but I am getting back into it

Progress on the Hurri has been understandably slow of late but I am starting to pick up the pace.  So far I have managed to paint the wheel wells & landing their coat of Alclad, separated the canopy pieces, attached the front fuselage bits and started assembling the cockpit.  I'm going to assemble my cockpit with some extra details, the same way that it was done in the FSM BoB special edition.

Cheers

  Between 'real-life' issues & not being motivated/too tired to work on plastic, I've had the Atlantic GB Avenger at a state of 80% complete for about a month now and the Allied Aces P-51A at a standstill-just need to paint the PE belts (buckles only-been putting it off for two weeks) to put the cockpit together.  I keep looking at the bf109e-4 for this build....maybe I'll wash the plastic this weekend....

Tom-hope you get your modeling mojo back soon....