*** Martin's Secret Czech - finished! ***

[Narayan]

I agree with OT there, it's a shame most of that interior won't be seen as you've done a great job Martin.

I always liked a Spit in desert camo but for some reason can't gte my head around a Tempest in it!?

_________________
Narayan

May I kill him?

A:B
2012 20:05 2009 19:16
2011 11:10 2008 16:03
2010 44:12

Overall 193:51

[Martin R]

Narayan,

Thanks for your post.

I'm not sure I'm sold on the desert camo at the moment, although a Tempest IID with 2 40mm cannon underwing does sound quite cool. I'm not sure about a sensible back-story, though!

Anyway, I have done no more on this build since returning home on Friday evening. I am still trying to drum up enthusiasm for the filling / sanding stages that lie ahead. This is my usual bugbear. Still, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

Out of interest, I just compared the SH kit to my previously built Matchbox one. It looks pretty similar - which is a relief. However, one thing that I had 'sort of' noticed previously: the SH spinner is significantly shorter and blunter than the Matchbox one. This looks plain wrong to me, so I'll have to do something about it. I'll post a pic showing what I mean in due course.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

Luckily, my Matchbox Tempest spinner fitted fine and imho it looks much better - a couple of mils longer and more 'pointy'. I have reshaped my prop blades a bit also - they looked a bit too bulbous at the tip. They've also been thinned in cross-section at the tip.

I put some filler on the joints tonight, using tape boundaries to try to limit the rescribing that will be necessary in due course. I'm a bit concerned about whether there's enough plastic left at the wing roots. This area was deflecting quite badly when I added the filler. I may need to flood the area with SG.

Finally, I joined the underwing tank halves together.

Nothing worthy of a photo, but progress nonetheless.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

After an initial rubbing down of the joints, I gave the Tempest a scoosh of primer tonight - on the upperside, at least. It was raining outside, so the circular marks are where I've rubbed down the marks left by rain-drops.

Spinner (from the Matchbox Tempest II) has also been primed, with the blades also having been painted black.

Some of the joints are a bit rough, but on the whole, it's reasonable. I aim to get the filling and sanding (and rescribing if I can be bothered) finished at the weekend, and then it's onto painting.





regards,

Martin

[PaulBradley]

Tha tlooks very nice , Martin. Can't wait to see it finished!

[Martin R]

Cry "havoc!" and let slip the dogs of sanding!

[Narayan]

Looks great so far Martin.

_________________
Narayan

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die.

A:B
2012 20:05 2009 19:16
2011 11:10 2008 16:03
2010 44:12

Overall 193:51

[Martin R]

Thanks, Narayan

I've had another go at sanding the seams. The RH wing root is still a bit 'flexible' in places (where I've thinned it nearly through the plastic). I've had a couple of attempts of flooding the affected area with SG, and I hope that's done the trick. We'll see.

Just waiting for it to stop raining so that I can give the upper its next primer coat, and the lower it's first. And yep, I do spray with rattle cans out the back door.

regards,

Martin

[Narayan]

Just waiting for it to stop raining so that I can give the upper its next primer coat, and the lower it's first. And yep, I do spray with rattle cans out the back door.

That's exactly what I do at the moment. Was just ready to that the other day and it started raining. So I opened the patio doors and did the spraying on the kitchen floor near the open doors! Opened all the windows aswell and the wife didn't notice any paint smell by the time she got home!

_________________
Narayan

I'll chase him 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round Perdition's flames before I give him up!

A:B
2012 20:05 2009 19:16
2011 11:10 2008 16:03
2010 44:12

Overall 193:51

[Martin R]

Still raining . . .

[PaulBradley]

Well, I can't airbrush 'cos it's too cold - a balmy 18F outside today....(that's -8 in modern money...)

[Martin R]

Well, I can't airbrush 'cos it's too cold - a balmy 18F outside today....(that's -8 in modern money...)

Brrrrrr!

[Martin R]

OK, it's stopped raining, so I've managed to blow a couple more thin coats of primer on and polished them back so the seams are as good as they're going to get. I've decided to do a High Speed Silver finish aircraft (which will show up every bad seam, etc.) so I just need to buy some Aluminium spray paint

However, some progress has been made. This evening I have painted the prop tips yellow and the spinner red. Gear legs have been glued to outer doors, and drop tank halves have been joined.

Nothing particularly worth a picture, but progress is continuing slowly.

regards,

Martin

[ara398]

Congrats Martin! That's a masterful job of blending resin and plastic.

You seem to have no problem dealing with limited run kits - I'm envious

Regards,
Adrian