Fleet Air Arm Group Build

CAG this man wants to come aboard. As captain of the gangplank watch I've sized 'im up, and e's caryin' a cask o' rum, so we won't roll a cannon ball down the plank just yet. XO prepare to interrogate the new conscript, and Lt Cmr Nam lets get out the good mugs in the wardroom!

NH; the CAG has ordered a tack to starboard to the FAA again from the US Navy starting in April, so time is short, but we never listen to 'is nibs if'n the fancy takes us, so bring that 'cat. It's Tamiya; I'm sure that it's an absolute sweetheart. They don't listen to me either as I'm the ship's idiot, so welcome aboard and LtCmr Sfmac will show you to your berth.

Chief Summit, the pipes please and ready the whaleboat for the XO, he's got a date ashore wit' a flamehead.

LtCmr BillyBondo, USN

This scallywag wishes to thank ye Bondoman for tha warm welcome.  Me fine fighting craft of the sea should have no problem making it in for a landing by April.  That be the benifit of plenty o' free time after work to persue me hobbies.  Now it appears the only tough part be........choosing me a FAA kit to continue me part in this collection of scurvy dogs!

This pleeb can't wait to prove him'sef to ye all!

Brian

Right me hearties. I be off doing unmentionable things to things with red stars on em for a show this next weekend on the fifteenth day of February. after that port of call t'will be a clear bench apart from me Lancaster. so I can for-see my getting to grips with a windy little critter called a Sea Hurricane. and this will have a near twin. these two be from the Revell and Frog kits. I bee off to me hammock for some shuteye now. after I remove them pesky bilge rats off me blankets. they be so big the ships cat's afraid to go near them.  Gracious be the day I be promoted, Away from them rodents and that darned bilge pump what keeps me awake most nights.  A postin on HMS Plym in 1952 would've given less of a headache.

All the best.

Greg

bondoman wrote:

Yer welcome and I see by yer langwage you' be an educated' sort. We'd been needin' one o' those! Post early and often.

NH! Billy Bondo the Bard of the poopdeck has taken ye under his ample wing and his meliflous prose has already infected ye! The CAG shall be along to officially welcome ye, I'm sure! Yer cask o' the rum will be well received!....as will yer builds, I'm sure!

Me? I seem to build nuthin' and jest rum me gums much! I has more WIP's than a wench gestatin' octuplets!

Nam-

Good to see you!  I feared you had fallen over the railing.  How's the move going?

Daywalker wrote:

Nam- Good to see you!  I feared you had fallen over the railing.  How's the move going?

Hiya Frankie!.............slowly.........like my building! I'm partly here.....partly there! I fear one or two more days. All I can stuff in my truck is plastic bags of clothes because of the tool boxes.........I may have to rent a Home Depot van to finish! It has been dismal......and this up and down weather and up and down work sked is maddening!

Thanks man!

Let's hope the folks in Australia get through those awful fires!

We have lots of friends there.

I was thinking the same after reading this mornings Headlines. 

Summit wrote:

I was thinking the same after reading this mornings Headlines.

Yep.....Richie lives in that Province!

And so it begins!

Today I cut out the last of the parts that will need painting right away and started shooting paint and assembling the Engine and Cockpit.  But first things first:

The Tamiya 1/48 F4F that is my build.

There is only three part trees (one of which is the clear parts) so there is not a whole lot of parts to deal with.  But don't let it be deceiving.  This kit has some BEAUTIFUL detail, is WELL engineered, and looks like it will build up nicely.

Here is the engine.  Some nice detail is in there, and since I am not at the stage of going super detailing yet, nor is it really that big a deal since it is mostly hidden anyways, it works for me.  The flash blew out the shiny silver a bit, but I sprayed Tamiys Metallic Gray as a base for the cylinders, Tamiya Gold Leaf for the wiring, a quick dry brushing with Tamiys Chrom Silver and then followed up with a pin wash of Dark Grey artist oil paints.  The blue is Gunze Sangyo Navy Blue.  I know it is supposed to be Medium Blue, but I did not have any and the Navy Blue comes pretty darn close for my tastes.  After that I finished it all up with a Prisma Color Metallic Silver artists pencil (I know a lot of people use the "Steel" pencil from the same brand, but it is tool dull for my tastes and the Metallic Silver looks more realistic to me) to finish up some highlight where dry brushing was not easy to get to.

And here we have the cockpit.  As with the engine some good detail.  The base is Vallejo's Green Chromate.  Tamiya's Flat black finishes up some details along with some Gunze Sangyo Kahki Green for the puches on the fuselage side (which I failed to get a pic of...oops, rest assured though it did get done!).  Some white filled in the dial faces.  Once again I hit it with a dry brush loaded with Tamiya Chrome Silver, thesame dark grey pin wash, and the Metallic Silver colored pencil for weather down the highlights.  I am going to make up some masking tape seat belts and call the 'pit done!

In the next installment I will close up the fuselage halves and probably get the wing tops mated to the bottoms........

Brian

Also, perhaps you folks can help me.  I have started looking into ideas for the switch over to the FAA theme in April.  One possibility that has caught my eye was taking doing a Skyraider.  Does anyone know where I could find a Skyraider kit (preferably 1/48) variant that would meet the requirement, and where I could get decals to make it an FAA craft?  I have already looked on Squadron for the decals with no luck......

Brian

Howdy mates!!! All is well here in my area!!! Most of the fires are north of Melbourne and a few west victoria. None around where I live!!!! So hope other members on here from Oz faired well. Was darn close to 118 here the otehr day and now it's in the 70's. The extreme heat causes high winds and a lil fire gets big in a BIG hurry!!! Ex brother in law is a volunteer fireman and is prolly working a fire to the west of him. Thoughts are with him and his wife! Thanks for the prayers and concerns, all very much appreciated!! Great work an the builds so far!!! Brian, I think you'll fit in just nicely here lol.

Roy!!! Glad to see you back mate!!! Hope all is well!!

 Wow Brian! Way to step in and take off!  Great start on one of my favorite kits!  I have seen Old Monogram Skyraiders going pretty cheap on E-bay and Tamiya makes a nice one both in 1/48. They should not be too hard to find.

I am impressed even the usually foul tempered LTcdr Bondoman seems to have taken a hankering to ya and welcomed ye aboard.  Caught the crew at a busy time but I'll be building with ye soon!  Mind the watch and beware of the Nam on his return! Mind the CAG he invokes fear with his wrath but a fair man he be.

If Nam and Bondo offer ye a drink have them taste it first as they have been known to switch the new recruits rations with bilge water!

As fer the rest?

 Never a finer bunch has there been than you'll find here!   Now  where'd I put my clean underwear?

Great to see you Ritchie and ditto on all the thoughts and prayre. That just looks bad.

Richie- Glad to hear you are doing well, and the fires missed you.  Hopefully, they are able to contain them soon as people can begin to put things back together again.

Brian- Off to a flying start on that Widcat!  I agree-excellent little kit.  Looking forward to WIP pics!

Brian! Off to a blazing start on that 'Cat! You will indeed fit nicely here.

Richie! Thanks for the update! PM reply inbound soon.

Thanks guys!!! There was a pic in the paper yesterday that showed a guy kneeling next to his burned out car where a solidified aluminum river was coming from underneath. The friggin engine block melted!!!!!

Nam PM recv'd and shot back!!!

Thanks for the welcome everyone!  Got a little more work done on her.  I'll get along a bit further before throwing up another update.

Simpilot, I heard on the radio today they were questioning suspects they believe started the fire...yikes!  Can't understand why anyone would go around doing that!  Glad to hear your making out fine.

Brian

Me either Brian, me either!!! Will be getting back into my stuff soon! I know I know I have said that before lol!!!! Now have a new digital YAYAYAYAY!!!! A little samsung 8.1mp for $98!!! Couldn't pass it up!!!! Sooooo when I get progress there will be pics!!!

Nam PM rec'vd and replied

 This was in a How to build a Me 109 book Guy sent me today! I thought it fitting to post it here!

sfcmac wrote:

This was in a How to build a Me 109 book Guy sent me today! I thought it fitting to post it here!

bondoman wrote:

sfcmac wrote:  This was in a How to build a Me 109 book Guy sent me today! I thought it fitting to post it here! To paraphrase Jon- "I RESEMBLE THAT!"

Bondo -  The song or the picture or Both  ?

Awlful quiet on this Rustbucket except for all the racket Bondo is making singing and dancing a jig with a peg leg...

Had a mysterious package show up today - Imagine my surprise upon opening it..

Everything I need for the upcoming FAA build.  But wait it even gets better, hid in the depths of packing was another package -

Oh Boy, so much for my resolution to give up the "Swears"  (Dag Nabit)

along with a note that included the words "Payback Is Fun" ~ ha ha yeah you just wait

Hey Summit, looks like you are going to have fun with the switch over to FAA.  I was thinking of going the route of a Skyraider in FAA markings, but now am thinking Sea Harrier since every aircraft I have built so far has had props on it

Brian

Sean- LOL!  Sounds like someone is really gonna get it now.  Gee, I wonder who it could be?

I am quite intriqued to hear how you like the Sea Gladiator.  Very cool looking plane IMHO.

Hello Chaps!!

The CAG has returned with bottles of rum! X/O! give the crew a four day pass! Its the weekend!

Gentlemen.......your orders are to eat drink and be merry!

CHEERS!