Fleet Air Arm Group Build

"Mr McNeal"  ?

"Its time for your sponge bath Sir............"

Hope you're feeling better mate.

Thanks CAG!!  Is the RIAT open to the public?  Found out that the Tiger Meet has an observers day that seems to be open to the public as well.  Better start saving the pennys.

sfcmac wrote:

Look it's a later mark version that isn't gray. Hint hint...

Hmmm... I wonder who that was directed at. LOL

 Ah more nurses and me with my wiggle broke! Guess I will have to settle for the jiggle until the wiggle feels better!  Thanks Darren and Buddy! I appreciate the well wishes from everyone!

 Spike that has to be one of the sharpest dark blue paint schemes I have seen , well since Frank the XO used to build Corsairs those many years ago. Really looks great! Do you have any special tricks or just play with the paint until you like the look?

  Cropredy!   Glad to see The Taranto Swordfish has made it over here!  You won't regret it although you may be sorry!!! Just watch yer cup and accept no rum from Capt Bondo unless the safety seal is intact!  Be wary!

 Here is a Nice link dealing with Swordfish Profile and colors. Even says the red nose was a trainer but doesn't site the ref for it. Still a nice Profile page for the stringbag,

http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter2/swordfish.htm

even has another MK II Blck Scheme  HMMMMMM  Al mine are MK I? Anyone know of someone on th list with a MK II

sfcmac wrote:

Ah more nurses and me with my wiggle broke! Guess I will have to settle for the jiggle until the wiggle feels better!  Thanks Darren and Buddy! I appreciate the well wishes from everyone!  Spike that has to be one of the sharpest dark blue paint schemes I have seen , well since Frank the XO used to build Corsairs those many years ago. Really looks great! Do you have any special tricks or just play with the paint until you like the look?   Cropredy!   Glad to see The Taranto Swordfish has made it over here!  You won't regret it although you may be sorry!!! Just watch yer cup and accept no rum from Capt Bondo unless the safety seal is intact!  Be wary!  Here is a Nice link dealing with Swordfish Profile and colors. Even says the red nose was a trainer but doesn't site the ref for it. Still a nice Profile page for the stringbag, http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter2/swordfish.htm even has another MK II Blck Scheme  HMMMMMM  Al mine are MK I? Anyone know of someone on th list with a MK II

Uhhhh, let me see.  Looking, looking, looking.  Funny, my search reveals a guy that looks a whole lot like you with a Mk. II.

Frank, I am so envious!!!

Cag, been reading about the Vulcan restoration in the Aeroplane mag.  Glad to see some pics of it in the air.

Spike, the Hellcat is looking awesome!!!  What are the markings again?  Been busy with holidays and everything so I've either missed your earlier postings or have forgotten.

Aaron, get better my friend.  Looks like the other lads have supplied the nurses to keep yur spirits UP!

Thanks fellas for kind comments, glad you like it so far .

Aaron, hope your feeling better? It's the reason I picked this scheme as I thought it would be good practice and maybe improve my skills with the airbrush. I preshaded the panel lines with gunze flat black and then slowly built up the blue roughly moving from panel to panel but left it looking a little patchy and with the preshading still showing. Then I added some white to the blue and concentrated on the centre of the panels, finally I returned to the base blue which went on lightly but in a more uniform manner in order to bring it all together. I've post shaded some panel lines with Tamiya smoke and I need to do a wash on the wings when the decals are all finished (pro modeller Dark). I have to say that I've learnt all these tips from reading many posts on these forums and just hope I can achieve something close to all the wonderful builds that appear here so often.

Dave I'm glad you like it. It was flown by an Argentinean pilot named Oscar Lorenzo of No 808 Sqn from HMS Khedive, in the area of Sumatra and Malaysia. It's one of the options in the Eduard dual combo kit so I will also get to do the Mk1 sometime  

I've started putting the undercarriage together so hopefully not long to go now, Just odd bits to touch up.

Cheers...

  Nope Spike still feel like poo-doo!  Gotta keep the nurses a while longer!

But these models aren't gonna build themselves in spite of Guy's special powers! Have you all seen that Mustang of his? Didn't he just do a 205 like yesterday?  Jeeze I am slow!

 Believe it or not buddy I really don't have the late one in the stash. Well other than converting this mixed up 1/72 revell kit. Making it a Mk I.  The Box art is a MK I

 but the model is more like this one.

Fairey Swordfish Mk.III NR944
RCNAS Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
1946-47

Postwar the Swordfish survived in various capacities, that seen here is a radar-equipped Mk.III of the Royal Canadian Navy. Once again in overall aluminum with a black trimmed cowl. On radar equipped aircraft, the operator's cockpit was partially covered over to prevent glare on the scope screen.

It even has that odd anti glare cover for the radar screen over the  Navigators position and only 2 crew figs.  It actually looks like a MK II or 3 except for the lower wing being represented as fabric covered.

A lot of work to backdate it to be sure.  Here is a couple things I have worked on today.

1st the old progress pic.

Now the diff.

The Hobby Knife is on the PE cooling fins. You have to stack them atop each other to get the effect. Have to look close as they are diff sizes and have to be in the right order to get the right shape or you make a cone.  I used the clear parts cement let it dry and that gave enough flexibilty but held well enough to get them close as possible.

 Complicated by the set has spacers on the PE to create gaps larger and smaller just as the real thing but it is the larger oil cooler for the MK II or III not the MK I and I had to adjust accordingly ising a scale ruler (again) and filling the hole in the fuse which was larger than the PE.

The Camera zoom reveals it may not be perfect but much better than  the solid plastic rectangle that was there.

Added the engine and painted the prop!  The outter cowling metal exhaust channeler I made more the color of the picture of the Black one above. Just cuz The darkened copper  doesn't seem to be the case on a lot of the pics I have seen. As oppossed to Radial engined bombers of the time. Ran into that look with the Roc and Skua as well.  I put a lot of crediability to Capt Bondo's Dad when he says it looked like burn't metal. That was on Beaufighters if I recall correctly.

Also you may have noticed that since I couldn't figure out how to use the Frank- in - stand

3.x that I had white glued the gear in place  to sit it on.   This didn't look like Admiral Rick's fine build displayed on page 1.  So I cut off just a bit of the ends and tapered the forward one as I have seen in the pics. Pin vise drilled out holes in the fuse and strut and glued a small piece of stiff wire in the holes.  Used a Christmas ornament hook for the wire as it was plenty stiff enough to support the gear.

 Gotta blow of the dust  but I think it matches the look of the real thing better.

 A little lunch then back at it!

 A HA! Take off with my Nurses and leave me in the dingy again!  Oh well....

Anyways just to bring you all up on the build sequence the 1/72 little fellow is painted futured and awaiting decals.  Then final seal and blast of dull coat and weathering will set it up.

Then the upper wing will be rigged before attached to the fuselage and all it will be is a small (very small matter ) of detailing it starting from front to back. Little by little.

Great progress Aaron!  Hmmm... another one in EDSG/DSG/Sky again!

I was able to travel up to Oshkosh today for the airshow, lots of cool planes to see!  Even had the opportunity to crawl aboard a Lancaster, that's me on the ladder/in the cockpit/hanging out of the top hatch.

Looking out the nose

Looking out over the Port wing

The RAF was all about, there was even an aircraft from the FAA there!  And a Corsair at that!

Hurricane

Spitfire Mk.XVI

A Lysander

B -17G "Aluminum Overcast" flying overhead.  There is no sound in the world like the low rumble of those four radials.  Bliss!

Predator- I didn't realize how large these actually are!  I have wanted to see one up close to see hom odd they look.  Very odd IMHO.

Man, that Airbus A380 is HUUUUUGE!

TWO Hellcats

The weather was absolutely PERFECT for an airshow.  Sunny, 78 degrees and a light breeze.  They say attendance was up from last year, though the Warbird area was pretty empty.  Aside from the usual gaggle of P-51s, AT-6s, T-28s, and other trainers, there were not many there.  Every year I have my photo taken next to the Super Corsair, but sadly this was the first year I can remember that she was not there.

Wake up sleepy heads it's only 10 PM and there is plent modeling to do!  Decals are o futued  dryed and Dullcoat is drying! Now next is paint up things like the tires and hull MG! Spot paint the rear mg area, then do the rigging on the upper wings so it can be installed. Then the Tiny PE battle begins!

The decals on the Revell kit have been updated. THey are easy to use and go down well. You can even read the tiny stencils that say First aid Extc...  One less thing eh?

Ok I have a vacation coming up and I have to spend it doctoring!  HMMMM just doesn't seem fair I am pea green with envy Frank!

TWO Hellcats " border="0" width="30" height="20" />

On second thought I'll meet ya at the doc office!  I hear he is very good at removing Ladies boots from Smart fellow's rear ends!

Very glad you had such a great day and thanks for sharing!

Frank, you sure know how to make a poor guy drool don't you!  First a ride in a B-17 and then your climbing all over a Lancaster.  I'm green with envy dude!

Aaron, you're whipping that little String Bag into shape.  Looks great in its camo and marking.

Aaron- LOL, guess I'll see you at the Dr's office.  You'll be able to spot me- they guy with the boot in his ***!

Dave- Thanks!  I thought of you yesterday, as the Hurri, Corsair, Lysander, Lanc, P-40, and Spit flew down from Canada.  I was talking to one of the guys with the aircraft, and he said they had a Beaver there as well, but didn't know where it was.  The pilot who flew it in knew where it was, but nobody else did.  I suppose with 12,000 aircraft in one place, it's easy to lose a couple.

Richie- Yes, we were both a bit bummed that she was not there.  As for the A-4, I don't really know if she flew in or was a static display birds only.  I know they used to have a Skyhawk at the EAA Museum, but am not sure if this is the same one.  Love the A-4, especially the early ones.

Hello everyone. I apologize for the long absence, family matters, home remodeling, summer vacation and other things too numerous to list. At the present I’m unable to do any modeling myself but when the remodeling work is completed I will have a dedicated work area. We are doing the work ourselves so it takes time.

My email inbox has thousands of unread messages

Frank you lucky bugger!!!!!  Looks like one helluva show you got to go to.  Sadly air shows seem to becoming a thing of the past in my neck of the woods.  Old Grenier Reserve Field eventually became Manchester Airport, which hosted some WONDERFUL shows, but then she became an international airport and the show traffic interfered, and sadly now it is Manchester-Bostone regional international airport and the hopes of ever having an air show are long gone.

The Lancaster, the Hellcat and the P-38 would have had me staring for hours!!!!!  I remember the last airshow at Manchester we had, there was a P-47D on display.  Near brought a tear to me eye!!!!!

Brian

Welcome back, Captain Senior. The little quarters been lonely without ye, but my what a flock of 'fish have gathered, a fortress and a roc and a skua too, plus the occasional USN bird from builds past and perhaps future.

I've got your mug wiped out wit' the tail o' me last clean shorts and ready for action, yer excellency.

Captain Bondoman, RN from the law.

 Ritchie where are ya I'm running outta Photo Etch!!!!! EEKS!

Well that just means I gotta Scratch build! Also using some of the duplicate parts for other details in the process!

Here is where I am on the MG, mount. Scratched out of wire and stretched sprue and some pe stuff that was extra.

Divine scale huh! Well maybe cuz I know I have been swearing a lot more than usual.

Man these are some tiny parts. Hold downs extc. The streps on the struts don't even really show up. Probably will when I paint them black.

 Wow the MG magazine even has a handle to add.  Still have to add the torpedo stuff and work on the tail control cables. Just taking a break cuz I was going cross eyed! 

Aaron,

The little bag is coming along nicely.  What about her siblings?  They don't all have the same markings do they?

Frank,

Thanks for the pics.  I'm building a Lanc for the Matchbox build.  Don't remember the Shell decal in the lot though.  You wouldn't happen to recall what color the inside of the canopy frames were, do you?  Now I know where I'm going on vacation when it's time to go somewhere in the middle.

Geez Aaron, is that the 1/48 or the 1/32 in the photos?  Looks like too much detail to be the little one.   How about a photo of the PE fret next to your finger or something, so we can see how tiny those bits are?

lewbud wrote:

Frank, Thanks for the pics.  I'm building a Lanc for the Matchbox build.  Don't remember the Shell decal in the lot though.  You wouldn't happen to recall what color the inside of the canopy frames were, do you?  Now I know where I'm going on vacation when it's time to go somewhere in the middle.

Buddy,

IIRC, all of the interior framework was black on this aircraft.  These photos are not the best, but it looks like all were black except the ring on the nose glazing in these pics.  Hope they help a little!

Aaron, That is stunning!!!!!!! And you're not finished yet!!!!

Roy!!!!!!!! Welcome back mate!!!!!!

In case you've been thimking that the occifers are drumk:

The Stranraer is out of the paint shop, and it was all Humbrol enamels. A bit of a challenge but the colors seem spot on. There's a grey/blue that reminds me of living in Bristol. Although me Scot wants to be in Stranraer, on the coast...

Hats off to Chris Hall. He rules, all of the paints you see are a prop by him. 

Dark Sea Grey and Slate Grey on the lower wings, to create the "shadow effect".

Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Gray everywhere else. 

The interplane struts ars the color of the surface from which they, um, go up.

EDIT: I did this too:

I have still been thimking that the occifers are drumk!

But wow!

Those are really tuff builds from what I hear and I can see no sign of it!  Most excellent work!  Cpt Sir!

Also I mentioned your name in vain on the Aircraft page to this fellow who showed me his Black Widow builds that very very nice. The thread was asking about weathering a P-61. Told him you were a fan full of inside info!

 Now that Stranraer ( what does that name mean? Is it a fish?)  The Humbrol Paints are excellent. I used them on the Goose! i agree the color couldn't be better and am glad you did that lighter lower wing colors as I have read it was to make up for the shadow of the Upper wing over top it.  I'm thinking that was an exclusively British  thing as well and have never heard it mentioned elsewhere.  Very  nicely done for lack of a more sycophantical term!

Frank,

Thanks for the pics!  That really helped alot.