The Airfix Farewell GB from now until 1st Jan 2007

I hope these are better pics.

but first I have to finish my Whirlwind. It is probably as close as it is going to get by January 1, because my decalling plans have come a bit acropper. I was planning to use my ALPS printer to make replicas of the Airfix decals which are obviously a bit long in the tooth. So, I was a bit dismayed to find that my ALPS MD-1000 has up and died since I last used it. No way it is going to be replaced by Jan. 1, so I sent off the artwork to another ALPS owner, but what with the holidays and all, that failed to make the deadline. So it was off to the spares box and using the Airfix decals as an interim until I can get the new decals made. The poor little Whirlwind survived (more or less) several near disasters during the decalling. Those old decals were really fragile, but they are on, with the only glaring issue being the un-straight codes on the left fuselage. That decal really told me it was time to quit fussing with it. That means I can't go ahead with a flat coat, panel lines, etc. or at least I am afraid to. So, here it is, as it will be on January 1. I don't like the landing gear too much, the wheels are really too small, but this is an OOB GB. I do like the little bird.

jeff wrote:

Beautiful job on the Whirlwind.  Agree with Traveller, the Whirlwind was one of WWIIs great "might have beens".

ditto  

it reminds me of the mosquito  'without the steriods'   more lean and mean

Traveller, outstanding job on the Vulcan! I have definitely got to start mine! That is beautiful! Thank you for the larger pics.

Jeaton, awesome work on the whirlwind. Even with the old decals, it looks great! I'm curious though, why is the one wing painted white underneath and the other one painted what appears to be black? Either way, that is an excellent aircraft and truly deserving of the badge. Thanks for posting those pics, and best of luckj getting that ALPS fixed. I only wish I could get one!

As to the black on the underside of the port wing, for a few years in the early part of WW II that was a scheme used by the British to aid their gunners in identifying friendly aircraft. Here is a photo. I also found that the Whirlwinds differed from the standard scheme in having a light blue rather than Sky undersurface like other British fighters. There are five colors used on the model's finish (not counting the markings), Dark Earth, Dark Green, Duck Egg Blue, Flat Black, and Sky Type S (on the spinners).

Cool jeaton, thanks for that info. I had never known that.  Man, it's great to learn new stuff like this.

I agree too, it does look more alive now. That's one thing I like about building models. Watching them 'come alive' under my nose from all my work. 

Hi all,

Traveller, what a wonderful job on the Vulcan! Let me join everyone else in congratulating you on a superb piece of work. Only today, I came across a news story I taped 24 years ago, about the Vulcan being placed in the Hendon museum, the very plane that bombed the runway at Port Stanley in the Falklands. I didn't know that when I stood beneath it in the museum just a month ago!

I won't have my FW 190 finished in time for the end of this GB -- another project needs finishing at top priority for a mag overseas, and there's enough work on that to take into into the New Year. Osher, can I transfer my Dora to the Welcome Back GB? I'll build another kit or two for it as well.

Cheers,

TB379

Thunderbolt379 wrote:

Osher, can I transfer my Dora to the Welcome Back GB? I'll build another kit or two for it as well.

Does anybody know what the humbrol codes are egual to in Model Master.

Thanks

Check out these guys - IMPS Stockholm is one of the best modeling reference sites I've found:

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/colorcharts.asp

Scroll to the bottom then pick your country of interest.  Note though that not all Humbrol colors have a direct MM equivalent.

How's the Harrier coming?  Love to see some pics.