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

[Martin R]

Many thanks, Adrian.

I find that reading on-line build reviews helps me work out where the problems are likely to occur!

I am aware that I have owed the Group some pics for a couple of days. However, not much significant visual progress has been made. I'm still waiting to get to the LMS to buy a new rattle can of Humbrol Metalcote Polished Aluminium - as this my interpretation of High Speed Silver. However, some progress has been made:



As you can see, drop tanks have been added, prop / spinner assembly is painted, as is the inner side of the undercarriage doors and legs, and the mainwheels. I have also given the lower half of the airframe a very light dusting of Metalcote - my current can had just enough left to give it two very light coats. Things look OK on the underside, then.

The topside still shows the white primer finish, but I have also added the etched grill to the cowling top. This looks a bit thick to be honest, but I'm not going to do anything further now.



It might also be possible to see that I've drilled out the cannon tubes a little bigger and added some cannon barrels from stretched styrene tube.

If I can get the Metalcote tomorrow, I will try to finish the HSS and main painting this weekend.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

No Metalcote at the LMS Ordered some from e-bay.

I'll just have to make sure that I've got everything else in good order before it arrives. Now, about cutting vacform canopies . . . .

regards,

Martin

[ara398]

Looking very snappy Martin!

That's a nice silver you've chosen, might have to experiment with that.

Adrian

[Saxon]

Nice work and progress

[Martin R]

Thank you, Adrian & Saxon.

Although I am now waiting for my Metalcote to arrive, I am trying to do some ancillary tasks, that nevertheless would take time afterwards otherwise.

I cut out one of the vacform canopies this evening. Despite my somewhat dodgy cutting, it looks like it will fit OK. It is now luxuriating in a bath of Klear. In addition, I have undercoated the fuselage underneath the windscreen with black.

I have also drilled out all the undercarriage location holes a bit deeper in the resin pieces, brush-painted the recesses of the wheel well with Metalcote from a tinlet, and filled some rather unsightly sink marks on the undercarriage doors.

Finally, I gave a last sand to the cowling, and fuselage underside / wing centre-section joint. I reckon this might now be OK for a metallic finish.

Tomorrow, I wish to add the gunsight, paint the tailwheel, 'wash' the mainwheels and try to get the canopy on. After that, it's on with painting and decalling. Hope the Metalcote arrives promptly . . .

regards,

Martin

[MerlinJones]

Obviously too late for this build, (and I'm glad you're sorted with it), but I've discovered that masking a vacform canopy assists greatly with the cutting out.

Regards,
Bruce

[Martin R]

Canopy on! Gaps filled with PVA! Found a nearly empty can of Metalcote at the back of the cupboard! Underside finished! Topside had first coat! Needs a small rub-down and second coat from new can when it arrives!

PB not working . . . .

regards,

Martin

[PaulBradley]

!!!

[AndrewR]

Canopy on! Gaps filled with PVA! Found a nearly empty can of Metalcote at the back of the cupboard! Underside finished! Topside had first coat! Needs a small rub-down and second coat from new can when it arrives!

PB not working . . . .

regards,

Martin

Crikey! We'd better break out the tranquilizer guns...!

[Martin R]

Nothing more to report (bar a little light 'polishing'). Metalcote has arrived, but we were out when delivered. We haven't had a chance to pick it up yet! I'm a little frustrated!

Oh, and did I mention that PB isn't working?

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

Picked up the metalcote this afternoon. Sprayed top and underside. I'm now giving it till tomorrow to dry. I'll klear it in the morning and try to do some decalling tomorrow night.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

Well, whaddaya know? PB is back up. Here are the pics from Monday night:





Since then, I have been mostly waiting for paint, but I have done some surface 'polishing'. There are still a number of flaws - caused mainly by the primer being removed by the chunks of blu-tak by which I have been anchoring the aircraft to the spray surface. After last night's session, these are sufficiently de-emphasised so that I can live with them.

Just given the thing a coat of Klear, so hopefully decalling (and maybe masking and painting the anti-dazzle panel in front of the cockpit) tonight. Still confident of a good finish within the timescale.

regards,

Martin

[PaulBradley]

Very smooth finish, Martin - looks good.

[JamesPerrin]

Agreed looks very good.

[Martin R]

OK, that's where we got to tonight, and as I don't want to push my luck, that's where I'm stopping for now.

Most of the topside decals are on, but I had a disaster with the first one of the decals for the underwing serial number, so that stopped me dead. I think I can recover the situation partially with some of the other existing decals, but I'm not brave enough to try that tonight.

The whitish 'residue' you can see on the port wing and aft fuselage is what you get when you use Microsol over Klear (no doubt Andrew R can tell us why this happens). It generally disappears when you recoat with Klear after decalling. There are a few greeblies remaining in the surface, which I will try to do something about, but we'll see just how bothered I am as the last few days of the GB tick by.



If I can get the decals finished tomorrow evening, then the remainder of the pieces are all prepared. If I'm careful, these shouldn't take too long to add. Well, that's the optimistic view anyway!

regards,

Martin