Fleet Air Arm Group Build

Darren I used to be in Albury/Wodonga but i'm now in the lovely Yallambie out the back gate of Watsonia Army Barracks.

 The Barracuda has received it's first interior green coat and now I just have to detail and weather it. I had some drama with the Interior Green as I couldn't find my airbrush so I hand painted the Humrol 78. Unfortunately it dried in all three possible sheens. So I eventualy found my Paasche H and managed to aircrbrush it this morning and it dried flat.

Dave I was just going through my reference stuff and realised I have quite a lot on the Barracuda.  It includes a lot of "in action" shots as well as a build up of the Special Hobby kit.   If you are interested send me a PM with an email addy that I can send an attachment to.

Here's a sample: 

Cheers

Darren 

Dave, Part 1 of the info is inbound to your email addy.

Cheers 

Goondman,

to our group build! Feel free to drop in and shoot the breeze whenever you like. Only two rules here, 1. Build a FAA Aircraft.

                            2. Have fun!

The official start date is April 2007, but if you want to start earlier thats OK.

Glad you have you on board! 

Triumf,

to our Group Build! 

We are a friendly crew here so pull up a chair and have a tot of rum.

Good to have you on board! 

"Now here this......"

There are 24 of us now!

Let us celebrate in the time honoured tradition.............

"That is all."

If this Barracuda keeps going together like it is currently I will certainly have time to do the Grand Phoenix 1/48 Firefly Mk 1.

Darren I have received the first batch of photos thanks. I have broadband so send the rest on through!

Dave, part 2 is now inbound.

Cheers 

darson wrote:

to the build triumf.  Which of that long list of kits are you planning on doing?

Why....The three of them of course....have alreydy started the Wyvern and the Gannet today

The wyvern looka absolutely stunning in the Suezstripes, and is obvious...as is the ugly duckling;) the Gannet...They both seem to offer little restance;)

Thr Tarpoon with the Stock FAA decals looks nice too....Or I`ll maybe get hands on some aftermarket decals,,,do not as of yet decided;)

I think I will skip the seafire as it would appear neater in a straight spit gb.

Does this satisfy you??

Hey Triumf, I have ordered the Trumpeter Gannet and I'm just waiting for it to arrive from Hobbyeasy, so can you tell me what you think of the kit, especially the cockpit?

Depending on how my build schedule goes I might do the Gannet as part of this GB but I would be doing it in Royal Australian Navy markings.

Darren here are two veiws on the Gannet kit, one is an in box and the other is Pt 1 of a build review:

 http://www.aussiemodeller.com/pages/Reviews/acft%20kit/Neal_TrumpeterGannett.html

http://www.aussiemodeller.com/pages/Gallery/Coburn_Gannet.html

And here is a first look review of the Red Roo Decals for the RAN Gannet:

http://www.aussiemodeller.com/pages/Reviews/Decals/RRD7248Gannet.html

Many thanks for the links Dave I'll have a proper read tonight after the kids have gone to bed. As for the decals, I picked up my set of Red Roo Gannet markings from Vic Hobby last week .  I haven't completely made up my mind yet but I'll probably do one of the Gannets that flew of the Melbourne.

The kit I plan to build to IMPS OOB/Enhanced rules so there won't be any resin cockpits added.  With any luck (ie if it turns out ok) I'll have it ready for the Model Expo in June.

Cheers 

Hi Everyone,

hope all is well, I have had some time in the workshop today and started cleaning up my 1/72 Lynx. I am not very good with helicopters but so far this one seems to be going OK. I have sanded the fuselage halves and fitted the MK.8 nose, the instructions are not the clearest in the world.... some of the smaller parts have been given assembly nos that don't match so I've been studying lots of pics of the real thing in order to find out what goes where.

Anyway, its coming along slowly. I corrected the camo on my Mk.IX Spitfire and then found the most horrid finger print on the fuselage... Needless to say, that'll have to be sorted.

I'll upload some pics when things start looking "better" Right now I'm off for a nice glass of rum.

Goodnight all. 

Well finally after a freakishly busy weekend, i can get back to the bench! I'm gonna see about getting the cockpit area on the dauntless done some tonight. I just had to swing by the good ole LHS on the way home for paint/supplies and just to talk a little shop with someone more experienced than I (which isn't saying much)

   Between this build and another i got on the bench, i am a little apprehensive about alot of the newer techniques and such used today. So it's definately gonna be a learning axperience. But Darren? If i come up with a substitution build outta the blue, don't be surprised!

Hey Roger,

don't sweat it mate! Just enjoy your build and if it gets a little tricky now and then, then you know that you are a true modeler!

I hope the Dauntless goes well, I'm sure it will.

"Its progress Jim..........but not as we know it......." 

OK, I actually got most of the cleanup done on the fuselage of my RN Lynx and started installing the transparancies, I glued them in with krystal klear and will leave it to dry overnight.

Here's some pics,

Looks really good Darren and the work on the interior really paid off as it's very visible through the canopy and doors.

One question for you please, how are you going to mask around the windscreen wipers so that you can paint them?

Cheers 

Darren (Darson), it's all your fault - I have started to detail the interior of the Barracuda. Currently I have only put in the ribbing in the rear cockpit, but I don't plan on doing too much detailing. I will see how my sanity goes with it.

The other Darren - Keep up with the good work! What scale is it? I have been looking back through several pages but can't find where you mentioned it.

Here are some if the initial images of the 1/48 Special Hobby Barracuda II. It needs constant fitting to make sure that all the bits fit in as the rear cockpit floor and bukheads are too big. This is the standard version not the 'Hi tech' and as such doesn't have all the extra bits in it eg resin walls for the rear area. I'm scratchbuilding a bit of the interior to make the rear cockpit look a bit busier. I have only started to weather the interior.

Darren,

thanks mate! I pondered how to do the windscreen wipers and came up with the idea of painting a liquid mask around them, then hand brush them. Not tried it before, but I recon if I'm careful it will be OK.  

Dave,

Nice work on the Barracuda! Shame about the fit problems, but you seem to have it well under control.

Glad you like the Lynx, its 1/72 scale. I wanted to build one in a larger scale and the other two kits out there are the Belchers Bits kit in 1/48 and the Accurate Armor kit in 1/35.

Both are a bit on the expensive side for me, although if I had the cash I'd love to build the 1/35 kit. It only comes in a UK army version at the moment, but I've love to build it as after seeing it close up at the UK Nats, I was well impressed. Its a superb kit.

darson wrote:

Hey Triumf, I have ordered the Trumpeter Gannet and I'm just waiting for it to arrive from Hobbyeasy, so can you tell me what you think of the kit, especially the cockpit? Depending on how my build schedule goes I might do the Gannet as part of this GB but I would be doing it in Royal Australian Navy markings. Cheers

Got to say that the cocpit is a bit sparse but firure it`s ok with the canopys closed thogh

Other wise seems like a gift to me...

Have no pics of them as yet,but I have built and painted/wethered the cocpits of both the Wyvwern and Gannet as of now..I like the way they build and in this scale I only added seatblts from maskingtape

No flash at all,but there were some pinmarks? on the flaps of both kits needing filler

the wings went fawlessly together on both aircraft even thoug it tokk some patience to get the wings on the wyvern smooth in the extended form, A bugger when they are molde folded and as I prefer the wings out I had no choice

Thankfully they were unfolded on the Gannet

Hmmm the wyvern is definitle getting some Suezstripes.Gotta love `em

Thats all for now

Pardon my crappy use of the Queens own english, but it isn`t my native language

triumf wrote:

Got to say that the cocpit is a bit sparse but firure it`s ok with the canopys closed thogh Other wise seems like a gift to me... Have no pics of them as yet,but I have built and painted/wethered the cocpits of both the Wyvwern and Gannet as of now..I like the way they build and in this scale I only added seatblts from maskingtape No flash at all,but there were some pinmarks? on the flaps of both kits needing filler the wings went fawlessly together on both aircraft even thoug it tokk some patience to get the wings on the wyvern smooth in the extended form, A bugger when they are molde folded and as I prefer the wings out I had no choice Thankfully they were unfolded on the Gannet Hmmm the wyvern is definitle getting some Suezstripes.Gotta love `em Thats all for now Pardon my crappy use of the Queens own english, but it isn`t my native language

triumf I wouldn't worry too much about your use of the Queens English, we colonials (Aussies) have our special way of mangling it every bit as good as everyone else .

Thanks a lot for the rundown on the Gannet, it's pretty much as I'd read especially in the cockpit area.  As I plan on modeling mine with the canopies closed, about the only thing I plan on adding is some making tape belts as you have.

Cheers

Darren-  Looks like your Lynx is really coming along well!  I really like your mask and handpaint idea, curious to see how it works out for you.

Dave- That cockpit is looking good!  Can't wait to see her finished.

I painted the interior bits on my Corsair, and the prop tips but that is about all.  Trying to finish up a couple of other projects on the bench so I can really get to work on that Corsair.

Dave-nice work on the cockpit.

Darren-the helo is coming along nicely.  I just need to file away in my memory the tip about the liquid mask....somewhere...

Thanks for the kind words fella's.

I have been doing a little filling around the bottom of the Lynx's windscreen. There is quite a prominent lip there so I have added a few layers of Mr. Surfacer to even it out. Thats the easy bit, it the clean up around the winscreen thats the tricky bit!

I have also been working on the Spitfire, I have now re-scribed the starboard wing and am taking a break from it as my butchery of model kits is something that cannot be rushed!

This will either look good or hopelessly bad when its done.........

See you later,

...........just finished the port wing on the Spitfire. I hate re-scribing...

I'm off for a drink!

Cheers!

Darren-

Any pics?  I'd love to see how it's looking.  I'll have one with ya!