Fleet Air Arm Group Build

Oh I can live with myself alright!!! Cuz like you said, anything is a vast improvement over the kit bits!!! The effect is there, that above all, is what i was after. Remember what i said long ago, replication not duplication. Creative gizzmology is the key! If it looks right, go with it!

Ok I see it now you made a W and it should be an M  Wow or I mean MOM!   I would have not picked up on that had you not said anything.  How can you live wth your self geeze!!!! Glad I took a break as now I will def make an MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!  Thanks fellows!

Looking at the instructions it is assembled upside down so very easy to get it flipped like that.

In any case 1000 times better than the solid thick arches!  I am thinking of scratching mine from PE. Now on the 1/72 Revell beastie!  Waiting on the wife and taking the kids to the Galveston Museum to see how it has changed since the storm. I'll be sure and show some pics!

Invert the V's of the trusses on my crutch on the left and you would have the way it should be in the wartime pic.

See the differance?

? I don't see it Ritchie? What is upside down? Looks just like the pic and the other kits to me?

Looking back at the post of cropredy about the torpedo crutch, I realized that the geometry of the trusswork on the rear mount is UPSIDE DOWN!!! I then looked at the Airpower modeling book mentioned and sure nough, I then clearly see that I built it wrong! The 3 truss points go on the shackle and the 4 points go on the fuse!!! Can't believe I did that, but was glad to have built it and got it over with anyway. It is going to stay that way, still has the right effect after all. Just

Evil Herc, that Kitty is coming along nicely!!!!

Brian

Aaron again thank you for the kind words!!! I just went with the 2 out of 3 confirmation on my crutchwork. two of my refs show it the way i did it(of course) and then i saw the scan shot of the book ref and out of simpler construction i decided to go with the majority and it is how you see it. Crop's scan of the last pic is something I REALLY wish i had when I was building!!! Thats not to say that the crutch might have been different per Mk? It's all very confusing at times and the anticipation of finding out for sure keeps all those hours of research worthwhile when the confirmaton appears! I have looked for refs of the crutch during my build and didn't find much. Pics i did find either had the restored flying ones that had something that would hold a facsimile of a real fish and just would do that and the ones that were obviously veterans of something that were later models and didn't have the capacity for a fish. Crop the pic you posted is the most I have seen on th ecrutch itself. It's a wonder that shot was even found! Best of luck on your build! You have captred my attention and am looking forward to WIP pics! 

Jason, excellent work mate!!! The blower looks great!!! And the main gear wells!! Well done!

Aaron, great job on the stringbags.

I hope to see ya'lls WIP on the Fishes cradles.

On to the model. I am building the Hasegawa F-14D and am planning on painting the aircraft using the Jolly Rogers as depicted in the NAS Oceana static display. this is the only aircraft (d model) to use the JR scheme, that I know of. I am also going to use the AIRES F-14d cockpit & Fightertown decals.

I had to jump ahead in this kit, while waiting for the cockpit to arrive. I started assembling the fuselage & was amazed at the number of parts in the new kits. The fuselage so far is 12 parts. This is the wheel well and the other looks almost the same.


a head on look of the intakes, sorry for the dark pics, need to get another lamp.


Pics of my Tailpipes, they where painted and washed. i then used Tamiya weathering powders to add rust, soot, and blueing.



As I have stated before, I am working on improving my pictures. Any help/comments with this model will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason

Somebody better model that torpedo dolly; it's the hidden treasure in the whole discussion.

  Ritchie has it dead to rights I'd say without doubt. His work looks just like what is in the box for the other 2 larger kits. He has the anti sway bars on the rear as well.

 His work looks right off the tech exploded view ref. Of course it looks like he used  number 9 harded steel bolts when he should have used a Number 7 . You can tell by the notches on the bolt face you know?  ( That last part was a joke pertaining to how good his work looks in 1/72.)

Richie/Aaron -- Thanks for the tips.  One more question about the torpedo crutch:

Compare these three images:

(1) Richie's model: 

(2) Scan from Air Power Modeler Vol I:

(3) Wartime photo from Swordfish in Action, W.A. Harrison:

Richie's model has the 'anti-sway bars'; the Air Power Modelling build by Megas Sonos does not; and in the wartime photo it is kind of hard to tell.

The 1/72 scale drawing in Warpaint No. 12 aren't of any help.

Since at least Aaron has access to the Tamiya and Trumpeter models, and you guys perhaps have researched this more thoroughly, exactly what is the correct representation of the torpedo crutch?

Crop, I did mineon a self drawn plan from ref drawings and a bit of TLAR and SWAG! The curved cradle bits are trimmed down evergreen strip that i taped around a 1/4" flat paintbrush handle and then held it over boiling water for a few minutes then let it cool. It retained the shape and then it was just a matter of trimming till you get the size right. The crutch work is all stretched sprue glued and pinned over my plan balsa model style. Again working from the fish up. Attaching the cradle/crutches appropriately spaced and square, then the spacing rod in between, then the stuff in the middle, then the anti sway rods coming down from the rear crutch. HTH!!! 

Looks good Neu!!!  Gonna be all done before you know it!

Q1: For the 1/72 Revell Swordfish - what color (brand/number) did you use to paint the Townend Ring?  Mine came out too coppery and I want to redo.

 I used model masters steel and added brass and brown drops mixed on a pallet until I got a color I liked.  Probably any brand of paint would work the same I would think.  On the Big Bombers tarnished copper was right!  But in pics of some of the Navy stuff like the Skua and that black swordfish it looks more like a tinish bronze to me.

Q2: How did you build the torpedo crutch?  I've got the pictures of the Tamiya from Air Power Modeler so I know what to build but the two arc pieces have got me stumped for a reliable solution.  Initially I tried cutting away excess bits from the kit's supplied crutch but the resulting diameter seems too thick to be scale.

 Hmmmm good question Cropredy!  I haven't yet as I took a break to clear me poor head!

But I can tell you my plan!  All that really nice PE set you got?  When it is used you still have lots of fret or tree left. Nicely squared and of different width.  I plan to work from the torpedo up!  Cutting two same sizes rectangles from the used excess brass tree and centering them over the holes in the torpedo.  Bend them to shape around it.

Then it is simple a matter of  making 4 triangles from stretched spru or the spares box attach them to the  arch and that to the bottom of the Swordfish . Piece of cake.  May have to platy with the shape of the arch a bit if there is more to it but even as is it has to be better than those kit parts eh?

Did you take a look at Ritchie's?

Purdy slick looking!

Hey Has anyone besides Lewbud noticed the trend here? Seems a popular marking eh?

Ritchie's!

Mine.

and the mighty 15000 post strong! Our local Tamiya deity! Admiral Rick" Rjkplasticmod

 

Aaron -- A couple of questions:

 

(After digesting your bleed-thru dope on the Swordfish interior exercise - impressive work.)

 

Q1: For the 1/72 Revell Swordfish - what color (brand/number) did you use to paint the Townend Ring?  Mine came out too coppery and I want to redo.

Q2: How did you build the torpedo crutch?  I've got the pictures of the Tamiya from Air Power Modeler so I know what to build but the two arc pieces have got me stumped for a reliable solution.  Initially I tried cutting away excess bits from the kit's supplied crutch but the resulting diameter seems too thick to be scale.

 

Thanks

 

cropredy

Crop glad you got your PE!! Good luck with your build! Looking forward to it!

Thanks Dave! Figgies???!!! I dun need no stinking figgies!!!

Thanks Neu!!! Excellent progress on the Sea Hawk!!! if you hadn't mentioned the number of intake vanes I wouldn't have been the wiser! The effect is there and looks fine anyway!! Looking forward to more pics, and yes, they are some beauties that were designed!

Hi guys;

I see some excellent work going on. By the end of this build we'll have more Stringbags than were actually produced for the FAA I reckon. Richie, thats some sweet looking seats you've got there... I really like the bucc and look forward to what you are going to do with the rest of the aircraft.

As for me, I've had a frustrating couple of weeks with the Sea Hawk... I decided to scratchbuild the entire air intake area for the aircraft. In retrospect I should of gone with the FOD covers and save myself the effort. I made the interior flush with the aperture using mori mori putty, and adding the interior vanes with PE I salvaged from the kit. A normal Sea Hawk has three, but I got fed up and just built two. This was supposed to be a "not too serious" build right ;-) You can kinda see them blurry in the background of this photo:



Next I glued the fuselage halves together and let it cure for a few days before sanding the seam lines and rescribing. The worst part was that I had to sand down the seams inside the intake, which were not flush or smooth. Several days later I got it to an acceptable level, and started painting the exhaust on the aircraft. A coat of Alcad jet exhaust and that was that. Tonight I added the tail, so I decided to take some pictures for you guys. The more I build this plane the more am I struck with the beauty of its design. From the Hurri, to the Tempest and the Sea Hawk, Sydney Camm really could design some beautiful aircraft.




So here it stands now. Next Step is more sanding and filling before I move on to painting.

Good news! Ivan still owes me 6 Lewis guns, but it's only been a couple of weeks. Maybe he mailed them at the same time.

Happy days!

Roy, good to see you back even if it is just to say hi!  Stop being such a stranger and no we did not save your rations for you.  How do you think Bondo manages to get drunk all the time.  Always drinking everyone else's Rum rations he is. 

Aaron, your Bag is turning heads   Bondo has you spliting threads.  Egads man...

Frank, I've got a Lanc in my stash that has a special meaning to me as my Uncle was a wag in one at the very end of the war so if you have any more picies of the beast I'd love to get a hold of them.  He flew Halifax's for most of the war so I'm hoping to see the one that was just restored one of these days.  Only problem is it's on the other side of the country   Would love a new release of the Halifax too in 1/72. 

Richie, Lovely looking seat and seabelts.  Now lets see you strap a figure in them.

Fellow FAA GBers -- I was beginning to doubt that this event was ever going to happen but my ACE PE parts for the Frog 1/72 Swordfish finally arrived from Ukraine. Models UA was the vendor.  Now I can finally start the interior.

If anyone is a stamp collector and wants the Ukranian stamps, send me a PM.

Daywalker wrote:

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!

Frank- those pics are a great help! I've been planning the construction of the turrets for both the Whitley and the Sunderland using vac clear parks and resin barrels, the rest scratchbuilt. The big question has been the interior color of same. A LOT of online model builds show all the innards as green, but that doesn't make sense to me in a night bomber, and the few US bombers I've been in were black. So now the die is cast-black!

Good show, old chap!

Frank and Mike, thank you very much!!! I actually had one bit get eaten by the CM, only a rivet counter that knows this seat inside and out would ever know and I'm

Great looking seat Richie, I can see all the effort really worked. Look forward to more

Cheers...

Excellent work Richie!!!  You put a lot of time into that piece, and it really shows.  Well done!

Well I got one of the office chairs done! I'm happy with it, hope I can do the office justice to match the seat. With as many parts there will be it should be camouflaged quite well at least! Here's a couple pics! Thanks for looking!

Thanks Aaron and Frank!!! Will be putting the I'm outta here handles on soon and washing the belts to make them stand out abit more. Then the construction of the office will begin!

sfcmac wrote:

Dittos on the seat work Ritchie!  He musta went to bed! Light weight!!! there is partys to crash! Women to ogle and models to build! Avast! Now I know I could never be a pilot! As I couldn't figure out how to work the seat belts! Jeeze!

Now you know why they have ground crews to strap them in!

Good looking build Sfcnac

Dittos on the seat work Ritchie!  He musta went to bed! Light weight!!! there is partys to crash! Women to ogle and models to build! Avast! Now I know I could never be a pilot! As I couldn't figure out how to work the seat belts! Jeeze!

Aaron- Not THAT is some awesome work!  Can't believe how tiny those PE bits are.  You're gonna need a break after this one for sure.  A few mugs o' rum won't hurt either.

bondo- Glad you are enjoying your new stand!  Amazing isn't it what combinations you can come up with with a little styro and toothpicks, isn't it?

Richie- Excellent work on those bang seats!  I thought of you while at the EAA show Wednesday.  There was a Buckeye there, and I couldn't remember if that was what you were building or a Buccaneer.  I took a photo or two of it just in case.  Sorry it was the wrong plane!

 Hey cropredy!!!  Puzzeled by the oil cooler? Hey if that is all I confused you on the way I jump around you are doing great!

 Sean ( Summit) sent me these pics from the In action book.

Shows the main diffs between the MK I and Mk II that you can see.

 This is the first 1/72 scale aircraft kit I have attempted in al,ost 15 yearsheck maybe 20 if I think about it, So Ritchie is da man to ask about kit diffs. Sad to say I think the 1/72 scale is the one that needs the most help for a change. No newer kits being the reason I think.

I used both sets combined as Ritchie sent his leftovers which really had everything I needed but the torpedo stuff which wasn't to hard to fix.

I used the Airwaves for the Oil cooler.

The instructions read to add a .02375 inch spacer or something. Well not being Frank with all his precision expertise I just put a tiny drop of clear glue on the fins and let it dry. Still had to smush them together pretty hard to get them to look ok. In Hind sight I would not have worried about spacers at all. I think the glue used to hold them together will be plenty. Use that clear parts cement though gotta give plenty of drying time to figit with it.

 Then I just measured the 1/32 Mk I oil cooler converted it to 1/72 and stacked the fins until I got there. Cut off the lower fin of the banded pair that make up the top and bottom so I could  make the bands fit the shorter cooler.

Should cut out the center band as there were only 2 on the MK I

Both PE sets are MK II coolers so that was my solution to make a MK I. I have to do stuff like that or Cpt Bondo beats me with his soup spoon!

Whatcha think? Clear as mud?

The Revell kit IMO was to make a Mk III that looked like this.

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.