CBK on a Tray.

First generation jets, 1939-1949.
Runs April 1st to 30th, 2012.
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Dazzled
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CBK on a Tray.

Post by Dazzled »

CBK- Airfix 1/72nd Gloster Meteor III.

On a Tray?

Two reasons really. First, my bench is full of Jaguar XKSS bits from the auto GB.

Second, I've been pretty ill for the last couple of days. I'm lactose intolerant and a certain daughter getting careles with some powdered milk shake has left me in no fit state to sit at my bench for any lenghth of time. So "on a tray" it is and here it is.

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Truth be told I don't remember buying this kit. If I'm right it's actually most of one I got as part of a job lot from eBay a few years ago accompanied by a spare canopy that I had kicking around. The kit has had some parts (very roughly) removed from the sprues by the previous owner but there's no irreparable damage.

I intended to build this OOB and in flight. All very nice but there are limits so, as seen below, a couple of bits of plasticard were cut up and inserted to make a rudimentary rear deck and hide the hole behind the pilots seat. While I was about it I stuck on a basic control column too. It'll be pretty invisible under the canopy anyway!

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After this the pilot was painted and the cockpit interior got a dose of dark grey with a metallic silver seat.

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Fuselage halves went together.

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And a little pre-painting ready for assembly.

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The rough handling at the hands of the previous owner did leave a couple of things to fix.

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But it's nothing that a little filler wont sort out.

After this things went together quickly.

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As it's an old kit I didn't expect a perfect fit but this was about as bad as it got.

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So it was on to "filler time". Squadron White Putty applied around the joins.

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And then, of course, sanding down.

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The joints seemed to sand down nicely, particularly underneath.

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But, to be certain, it was out with the silver acrylic.

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Just a couple of small bits to re-fill and sand. Not a bad result for a kit of it's age.
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Wherever there's danger, wherever there's trouble, wherever there's important work to be done....I'll be somewhere else building a model!
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Martin R
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Martin R »

Brews wrote:Tray bon. Tray rapide.
I see what you did there. Very droll! :lol:

Dazzled,

Good progress. You've got to love the Airfix Meteor - even if it's just a nostalgia thing.

regards,

Martin
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TimJ
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by TimJ »

Coming along nicely.
2020 A:35 B:18. 2021 A: 51 B:25 C:21 2022 A:63 B:23 C:11 2024 A:1 B:4 C:13
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Ian
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Ian »

Look at those wheel wells. In flight or on the ground?
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MerlinJones

Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by MerlinJones »

This is one of those kits were the basics are there and it provides a wonderful canvas to add detail to, with only a little extra effort.
For the cockpit, can I suggest a small coaming, with a gunsight and, if you have the bits, drilling out the guns makes a big difference to the overall look of the thing, as does sanding it smooth.

http://gregers.7.forumer.com/viewtopic. ... &start=555;

http://gregers.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=11553;

Regards,
Bruce
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Dazzled
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Dazzled »

Ian wrote:Look at those wheel wells. In flight or on the ground?

Definately "In flight" ;-)
COLD WAR S.I.G. LEADER

Wherever there's danger, wherever there's trouble, wherever there's important work to be done....I'll be somewhere else building a model!
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Dazzled
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Dazzled »

MerlinJones wrote:This is one of those kits were the basics are there and it provides a wonderful canvas to add detail to, with only a little extra effort.
For the cockpit, can I suggest a small coaming, with a gunsight and, if you have the bits, drilling out the guns makes a big difference to the overall look of the thing, as does sanding it smooth.

http://gregers.7.forumer.com/viewtopic. ... &start=555;

http://gregers.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=11553;

Regards,
Bruce

Hi Bruce. I may have a go at a coaming. As for the gun ports, they've already been drilled out. Details in my next update. :grin:
COLD WAR S.I.G. LEADER

Wherever there's danger, wherever there's trouble, wherever there's important work to be done....I'll be somewhere else building a model!
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Dazzled
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Dazzled »

Still feeling pretty rough so, by and large, I'm still indulging in some "tray modelling".

Latest work on the Meteor started with giving the surface detail some attention so I indulged in some rescribing.

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Also, attaching the u/c doors showed what a poor fit they are so a bit more white putty was applied with a view to rescribing the doors later.

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A little was also added to try and neaten the join at the engine intakes.

Another result of the rough treatment the kit had previously suffered was that the dorsal antenna was snapped off it's base and had subsequently gone missing. In this case it was Evergreen strip to the rescue. First a slot was cut in the appropriate place on the top of the fuselage into which a piece of strip was added using gap filling cyano glue.

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After a squirt of accelerator, the rod was shaped up using sanding sticks and needle files, resulting in this:

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Also on the "improvements agenda" was to drill out the gun ports.

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And finally, between last night and this afternooon, two coats of Humbrol 129 which, my references say, is an acceptable shade for RAF medium sea grey.

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And the kit is now put aside to dry until tomorrow.

Time to find a pic of a cockpit coaming and gunsight I think :)
COLD WAR S.I.G. LEADER

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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Dazzled »

Despite my digit trouble, I've managed a little more work on the Meteor in the shape of some painting.

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A coat of Humbrol enamel (30 and 27) plus some touching up. Just got to wait a day or so for it all to cure, then attack it with some micromesh to balance out brushmarks and shiny spots.
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Martin R
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Martin R »

Good progress! I must get some micromesh . . .
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splash
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by splash »

its looking good.
My work bench is starting to look like Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
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Dazzled
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Dazzled »

A little bright from the flash maybe, although the green does look a little light to my eye. Saying that though, it is the equivalent to the Airfix M3 colour given in the instructions.

Of course I may have a duff pot of H30 :???:
COLD WAR S.I.G. LEADER

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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Dazzled »

OK, so the green paint wasn't that satisfactory so, after a bit of prevaricating around the bush, I decided to remask and repaint.

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I recoated the green areas with Humbrol 116 which gave a much more pleasing result. I don't know what the issue was with the H30 but it just wasn't right, nor did it coat well. Perhaps the bin would be the best place for it.

The paint is still wet at the moment so it'll need overnight at least to dry before touching up and prepping to paint the leading edges and theatre band.
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Wherever there's danger, wherever there's trouble, wherever there's important work to be done....I'll be somewhere else building a model!
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Dazzled
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by Dazzled »

A bit more progress with the Meteor.

I masked and painted the yellow leading edges. This took 3 coats of yellow enamel, Revell this time as my pot of H24 seems to have given up the ghost. Luckily I had the Revell paint handy. I also touched up some of the bits where the paint bled under the masking tape.

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This is as it is now. It's just had a coat of Klear which has been encouraged to dry using the wife's hairdryer (she's in work ;-) ), so I'm ready for decals. Speaking of decals, I've got a cunning plan to avoid painting the theatre band on the rear fuselage. A root through the spare decals box netted me two decals that could be useful. One from a Spitfire and another from a Buffalo. If one doesn't fit then the other surely will. And yes, that is a wood screw sticking out of the back of the starboard engine. It provides a good anchor point to grab the model with a surgical clamp so it can be sprayed.
COLD WAR S.I.G. LEADER

Wherever there's danger, wherever there's trouble, wherever there's important work to be done....I'll be somewhere else building a model!
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splash
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Re: CBK on a Tray.

Post by splash »

I really like the look of those early Meteors, I think the short engine looks better proportioned than the F4 longer unit and the green/grey is so much better then the bland silver.

Yours should look great once the decals are on, did you find it strange building a jet without an ejections seat?

Regards
Splash
My work bench is starting to look like Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
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