Fleet Air Arm Group Build

 OK FRank is killing me here! Sitting at 9.999 post! When will the big 10,000 happen?

 A couple of last in progress pics of the Hurricane as it has to dry before the final finishing and weathering.

Who started this anyways?!!! Drilling out light bulbs?  Oh jeeze! Looks good though I think?

Pretty happy with the paint job. Made the lines just a wee bit harder edged and then took pics on the cardboard and it shows up better. The colors really are close enough the camera has a hard time with them.  Let her dry weather , few metal chips. Blacken that intake and add some exhaust staining and the antenna then it will be Back to the stringbag trio!

Frank must gonna waut until midnight! Party time!

sfcmac wrote:

OK FRank is killing me here! Sitting at 9.999 post! When will the big 10,000 happen?

LOL, sorry mate!  I was trying to think of something profound, whimsical, entertaining at least for post number 10,000 but alas- nothing came to mind!  All I can say it has been a pleasure building, socializing, and sharing life's trials and tribulations with all of you gents here at the FAAGB.  You are some of the best people I have ever run into, and I am so glad to call all of you My Friends.  Thank you everyone for some of the best times ever on this forum!

This calls for the good stuff.  Cap'n bondo- would you be so kind as to break out that bottle we stashed away so long ago?  It's time to drink and be merry.  Cheers everyone!

10,000 POST

 and a big congrats to ya XO!!! You have taught us much and graced these pages with some of the finest work I have seen!

Break out the Nurses! These have been sent to me by many well wishers here!

and don't you think I don't appreciate it gentlemen!

Now Susan will you intro our man of the hour... XO the Daywalker extradanair!  Frankazoony!!!!

Now there is a man who has seen some action!

I know I know!  You are required a 1000 post for every model built!

Never a better XO! heres to FRAnk!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

FRANK YOU DA MAN!!!!

Always a pleasure to see you and your wealth of info that is shared with us all!!!!!!! Yes, genuinely a pleasure to have around!!!!!!!! WELL DONE!!!!!!!!

 Well looks like just You, Ritchie and I tonight XO!  All those nurses and rum.... so little time,

 Well Here is the latest on the 1/48 Hasegawa Sea Hurricane. There were two options in this kit. One Merchant ship protector without the arrester detail (easy) and the 1st single seat FAA monoplane fighter to serve on a British Carrier! ( a bit more work) I chose the latter and here it is.

I weathered it rather harshly to try and match photos of Hurricanes at sea.  Like Frank sez aggressive weathering!

Well once again I would like to thank the XO , Frank, without who this little build would not have happened.

I had a really great time with it and it was a nice break from the stringbag trio while I waited for parts!  Thank you Ritchie!

 Going to wake up tomorrow and get back to business on them. Hopefully the 1/48 parts will show tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks everyone  and goodnight!

Thanks Richie!   Looks like the three of us are gonna have to take one for the team and entertain all of these lovely ladies by ourselves.  The things we do for this GB!

Aaron- Well done, that's what a Hurricane should look like!  Looks like she has been to sea for some time, I love it!  Glad you enjoyed that kit my friend!

Aaron great job... she is ready to fly after a lil weathering.

XO... Grats on 10,000 post!!! I do not right or post enough to ever hit that goal.After a night with the ladies and the good rum stock being used, we may need to post this in Officers country.

I was working on my Tomcat taday & ran into a few snags. I thinned my tamiya acrylic with windex to preshade and it went on great. I then grabbed my Mr.Color grey #308 for the underside of the aircraft. I mixed it with windex and watched as it seperated. I continued mixing and thought it was good. poured into my airbrush and began shooting on a piece of test board. the gun started spitting & sputtering. I looked into the well and had seperated paint, congelling paint also that was clogging the bottom of the well. I dumped the paint, tried cleaning the brush with windex but with no luck. I then grabbed my bottle of paint and realized it was enamel!!! hurried and grabbed my thinner cleaned the gun as best i could. Had to disassemble it and use acetone. all clean, ready to go, i thinned my paint with thinner, Sprayed the test board & started getting these strange spider web things wisping away from the paint. Poured this paint out cleaned the brush again, mixed a new batch. I tested it , all seemed well. started painting the underside of the cat, found out i need more control of the brush but I also started getting the spider webs again. Anyone have any ideas of what happened & how to fix it???

Engines to stop, Props Feathered, ECBs pulled, put her to bed, Time to go Home,
Jason

Sorry for the double post.

The Tomcat I am working on is in 1/72. Why the hell do ya'll call it divine scale. as i was trying to paint the bottom shade on the cat i realized that this thing is to small to paint. I know i need alot more practice & more practice with my airbrush but i can see no managable way to paint all these little panels.

Engines to stop, Props Feathered, ECBs pulled, put her to bed, Time to go Home,
Jason

 Hey Jason! Spike is correct!  Go and get yourself a bottle of zippo or Ronsonol lighter fluid.  The kind that comes in the squirt bottle for zippo lighters.  Should have that at the ol PX somewhere.  Use that to clean your airbrush mixup and also to thin your enamel paints. Just don't smoke while your painting

 Your description of the issue makes me think that it is not one but a combination of 3 things. Paint thinning. Air pressure and angle of spraying/distance.  I thin acyrilics with good ol rubbing alcohol. Enamels with the lighter fluid.  They are very forgiving thinners that dry fast. I don't precisely measure nothing as the mix just mix it until it is about like milk in look and you can see the color stick on your stirring stick. ( tooth pick) Old Sprue) extc.

 Then always take your box lid inside and test it. See where you get the best spray as far as distance and adjustment to the paint/air mix on the airbrush.  Once you get the spray going how you want with the right feel of contol then hit the model. Usually holding it at a 45 degree angle when possible. Also I always spray dull coat or some matt finish on the surface of the model as a primer. This helps the paint stick and prvents it from pulling free when removing masking tape and such from it.  Doesn't take much a quick spray of rattle can flat coat will do.

Keep a q-tip handy to clean the AB tip in case of paint build up and you'll find the models get painted pretty good. Or you blow yerself up? One or the other.

 Oh yeah of note on the Acylics thinned with rubbing alcohol. This drys very faded and flat. Can be an effect used to advantage. The quick spray of rattlecan clear flat, dull coat, extc will bring the color right back to a rich and smooth look.

Evil Herc wrote:

Sorry for the double post. The Tomcat I am working on is in 1/72. Why the hell do ya'll call it divine scale. as i was trying to paint the bottom shade on the cat i realized that this thing is to small to paint. I know i need alot more practice & more practice with my airbrush but i can see no managable way to paint all these little panels. Engines to stop, Props Feathered, ECBs pulled, put her to bed, Time to go Home, Jason

Jason,

It's divine scale because what other scale would God build in?  At least that's the answer I was given when I asked.  Story has it one of the members of the club I belong to was a preacher who built 1/72.  When asked why he called it divine scale, that was his answer (maybe because 1/72 is enough to try God's patience at times).  As to your weathering probs, I can't answer because I build my a/c factory fresh. 

Aaron,

Glad to see it looks like your feeling better.  Nice job on the Sea Hurricane.  Kinda wish they did one in divine scale.

XO,

Congrats on the 10K.

If you are going to do dangerous behavior like that, be very very careful. With all due respect, "aerosoling" lighter fluid is pretty iffy, either outdoors which is tough on the environment, or indoors which is tough on the kids and the dog. Filtered fume hood a must!

Absolutely get one of these and use it, including the charcoal filter packs for organic solvents, which'll eat your brain. Don't ask how I know! But seriously, liver damage is in the future if not careful.

http://www.natlallergy.com/product.asp?pn=1176&bhcd2=1248274463

Also, get a 5 gallon steel garbage can with a very tight fitting lid and keep all your swabs, rags, dixie cup mix carafes etc. in it. Spontaneous combustion can/ will occur, and noone wants to come home to a smoking foundation.

Sorry to rant, but it's very important to be as safe as possible out there, friends.

 Thanks Buddy!  I forgot to thank you for the pics. They were right on time as you can see.

 You know I do not remember seeing that Hurricane when I went to the Galveston Flight Museum. That was not long before IKE hit so I am sure it got away clean.  If you make it back down that way holler at me and we can meet on the way as I live right off 45 south. Maybe we can find a divine scale model that fits your needs as two hobby shops are close by, and Hooters!

[ Ah Bondo the Captains voice of reason and sanity!  All too true but don't shy away from the lighter fluid because of it's name. Not like  vaporizing gasoline, or lighting your grill with it?

 Paint thinners and bother testers and Tamiya extra thin cement are both more flamable than the lighter fluid. To quote The Capt don't ask me how I know. But his point about ventilation is to be heeded. I know Herc says he has to spray outdoors so I didn't mention it.

As far as the envirornment goes the process of making styrene for models is far more polluting than anything I can pop in my Airbrush! Too funny!  Are you watching the view or something this AM Capt?  I wouldn't dump my motor oil down a storm drain but I have to be skeptical about the effects of modeling on the envirornment as oppossed to what my car burns on the drive to work.

 Don't believe me find an old lighter that still sparks and put a drop of liquid cement or thinner by the wick or vent. Flick it and see what happens but don't look to close.

 Capt Bondo you knows I loves ya like me brother!  What is the report on the Stranraer? You are probably as tired of flying boats as I am of Gray Camo!

In honor of the XO's 10k, Buddy's Bent Wing Bird Museum is now open for bidness.

http://public.fotki.com/lewbud/aircraft/corsair/

Y'all come by now, ya hear!

Aaron,

Those pics were taken in August last year, so they may have had time to put her right and get her away.  I'll let you know when I'm in the neighborhood.  Hobby shops and Hooters, not a bad way to spend the day.

Yowzers!!!  10,000K?

What happened to 9,000???   Must have blinked or something!

Congrats Frank!!!  Was going to send the barmaid over to help you celebrate but looks like I'm catching the tail end of the party. 

razordws wrote:

Aaron, Franktastic job on the Hurricane!!!   Now where are those stringbags???  Your falling behind mate!

Dave , Bondo, Buddy and Ritchie!  Your ears musta been burning off as I have been muttering things about you all and this divine scale all afternoon!

 I make a real grumpy patient so been hiding in my room all day. Looked around and saw a whole bunch of paint stained rags and towels all over and freaked out thinking I could spontaniously combust!  So I grabbed a bag and started throwing them out! Forgot about my back and really overdid it again!  Not bending over too well just yet and I swear Capt Bondo did that on purpose!!! He is sneaky that way you know!

Well here is what I am doing since you ask about it.

Had to grind out all the locating pins and uneven surfaces first. Kinda tricky as it can make the plastic pretty thin in areas.

Then I added the PE to the engine. Really makes a world of dif don't you think?

Added the PE side details. The fram is separate so should really jump out!  Painted it the canvas color and thought about that wierd brick red bleed through canvas color. I used a darker red this time. Hull red and basically dry brushed it lightly kinda with vertical jabs until it looked splotchy.

Then it dawned on me that if I used the canvas color the same way I could get a better effect on the Tamiya and trumpeter sides as well. So I gave it a go and splotched the brick red with the canvas color .

 I agree with Capt Bondo that it still looks bizarre to me but the red does look like it is from the outside now.  Did that for the Admiral!

 Really I dunno know if you can see the diff but I did make an effort. Gotta retouch the side frames a bit and it will be ok me thinks.

 WHere in the world is the CAG? I just realized I got the whole crew finding a way to get me into a 1/72 PE detailing project!  I think all Y'all have had a part in it!  Well I shall put forth my best effort! Here's to the lot of ya!

Better try and get somemore progress done before the CAG shows up as Dave says I am behind!

Or did he say I was a behind?

 This is all I got done in this GB so far so I had better quit loafing!

Smashing job Aaron, simply superb.  And I mean both on the PE work AND the fine collection you have going for the group buld so far!

Brian

Hi all    I'm back again......

Aaron where do you find the time to build what you do.  I would need 50 hours a day for that.

Oh and I'm starting to get that certain plastic itch again.  I think it's time to build.

Aaron, glad to see those bits going to good use!! I knew the engine would really benefit for one and can't wait to see the cockpit come together with all the bits doen properly! Looking good!!! The red dope looks proper now, well done!! Stroll down memory lane with the pic of your builds, love it! We ahve seen them all come together right before us and know alot of the issues you faced with each one. Great pic!!!

Johnny!!! Glad your back mate!!! Let me show you to your bench and pour you a mug!

 Thanks Brian!  Johnny! Good to see ya! Capt Bondo has been ancy expectin yer return!  Another reason to celebrate if you ask me!

Ritchie it is coming together. Kinda slow because of the kit and matching up parts and having to make details that should be there but aren't. Like the forward MG is not represented at all in this kit. Just a blank wall. No windows in the sidewalls either. Not even a molded on detail to show where they go so it is pick as I go.

 The Internal detail save the crew and rear MG is nearly done.

The final verdict on that odd canvas color on the inside walls.

Adding the PE and scratch built things like a floor!

Making it all fit together and scratched a toad stool for the navigator outta dried resin drops I spilled.

With room at a premium I have split the details putting some on one side and some on the other checking the fit so it joins together and resembles the other larger 2 kits.

Paint it all up and glue in the last pilot side panels and IP. Add crew and I think I can put it together.  Can you believe there are little itty bitty bittier levers to add to the side panels?  Jeeze.

Yep this is purdy dern challenging kinda like scratch building a flea circus!  But its a fun challenge!

I hope to see pics of 3 Swordfish  stepped in size that compliment each other when I am done.

Just someone please tell me again why?

Hey, Aaron...

Where did you find those quart-size Tamiya paint jars?  Those things must be HUUUUUGE!  Either that, or your Stringbag is awfully tiny.   Looking very good so far, but I am concerned- only 6 completed builds here since 5/1/09?  Slacker... LOL

sfcmac wrote:

Just someone please tell me again why?

I dunno, have been asking myself that.

Daywalker wrote:

Hey, Aaron... Where did you find those quart-size Tamiya paint jars?  Those things must be HUUUUUGE!  Either that, or your Stringbag is awfully tiny.   Looking very good so far, but I am concerned- only 6 completed builds here since 5/1/09?  Slacker... LOL  sfcmac wrote: Just someone please tell me again why? I dunno, have been asking myself that.

Well I liken it to the adage about mountains! Because they are there, I reckon. Aaron she is really coming along well!!!! Very very nice work!!!!

sfcmac wrote:

Capt Bondo you knows I loves ya like me brother!  What is the report on the Stranraer? You are probably as tired of flying boats as I am of Gray Camo!

Captains log, and too bad about all those poor little aliens on Jupiter:

I've been working quite a bit on the Stranraer. All four wings assembled and the undersides doped silver. Buttoned up the fuse and painted the bottom this evening.

Bondoman great looking Natural metal finish.

XO...Myself & the mechanics below decks are scraping the first tomcat. We already have a replacement on the way, Hasegawa Divine scale F-14d tomcat with PE. I do have a question though...are the current Low Visibility Cats one color of grey or the Tri color scheme?? I want to use Tamiya acrylics only and the kit is calling for Mr. Hobby H307, is there a close color to match??

Engines to stop, Props Feathered, ECBs pulled, put her to bed, Time to go Home,
Jason