Martin's Christmas Cracker(s)

[Martin R]

Nice progress Martin!

Will be interested to see how the new Hurricane builds up (because here in the colonies, we won't see it this side of Easter! ).

Adrian

Thanks, Adrian!

Here's the latest progress:



It's certainly a nice kit.

I don't know if it's just me, but it needs a bit of care taken to put it together. Many of the cockpit parts are quite delicate and I keep knocking bits off. Take care to remove all traces of mould seams to ensure a good fit.

It's been mentioned before, but the lower wing is a tiny bit longer than the top wing when joined together. Say 0.5mm on each tip. Needs a bit of filing once joined. Also the trailing edges are a bit thick. I've thinned them down somewhat (and filled the inevitable joint line at the trailing edge with tippex).

I'm going for a slightly later 'rag wing' than the box version, so I've used the alternative rear cockpit bulkhead with armour plating, and I'm ignoring the painting instructions for the cockpit, using H78 for most things.
Hope to get the fuselage closed up tomorrow after adding some seat straps and a dark wash.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

I've just seen Chuck E's build of this kit in the Aviation Modelling area. His looks great and he seems to have had no issues with it at all; any problems I've had are therefore clearly down to my own cack-handedness.

regards,

Martin

[Martin R]

So, another couple of hour's work at the bench, and here we are. Cockpit (with wine bottle foil straps but no wash - life's too short and you'll never see it with the canopy closed):

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Then, after the joy of glueing large bits of airframe together, we are here:





I was very tempted to add the rudder, too, but I thought that I'd break bits off when cleaning up some of the joints, so common sense prevailed.

What I now want to do is clean up the joint lines and get the airframe ready for paint; also I'd like to get the propeller and wheels painted. If I can do that lot soonish, then I'll leave the Hurri for a while and start on the Spitfire. That may be a more involved process.

Please feel free to leave a comment if you visit; constructive criticism is welcomed.

regards,

Martin

[AndrewR]

Woof

[PaulBradley]

Very nice, Martin.

[Martin R]

Thanks, Paul.

The Hurri has had a couple of coats of primer and a couple of minor rub-down sessions. I'll shoot another thin coat of primer tomorrow, then it's ready for painting. As I've also painted the prop, I'd better get on with the Spit . . .

regards,

Martin

[ShaunW]

Great work Martin and what a nice looking kit this is. I think that in any event a wash in the cockpit would have possibly darkened the area a little too much for viewing under the glazing, rendering what detail there is in there more difficult to see.

[Martin R]

Thanks, Shaun,

Whether the wash would have helped or hindered, it's too late now!

The Hurri is now ready for painting, and I've had a couple of nights off. I bit the bullet tonight, though, and reopened the Spitfire box. Fettling only to date, as I've just ordered an Aires Spitfire V cockpit detail set as I think I'll try to open the cockpit! No idea whether the set'll fit Mr Airfix's finest, but we'll find out.

So here's the thinned fuselage halves:



and I've prepped the prop / spinner pieces:



Then as I will be building a clipped, cropped and clapped D-day Spit Mk V, I cut off the kit wingtips and reshaped. Here's a 'before and after':



and here's where I left it:



So, I now have a bit of a plan. As I have to wait for the cockpit set to arrive, I might as well get on with the wings, box in the wheel wells and add a bit of roof detail, then add the radiator bath. I can also get the prop assembly painted and put together. That should keep me out of trouble over the weekend.

More tomorrow hopefully.

regards,

Martin

[Gregers]

Nice work on the golden oldie. and same goes for the Hurricane. Nice one.

All the best.

Greg

[ShaunW]

Nice work chopping and re-shaping the Spit wings. Hopefully with a bit of bodging (not that I indulge in such practices you understand ) the Aires cockpit will fit as their aftermarket sets are usually very nice.

[AndrewR]

Both builds going well Martin!

[Martin R]

Both builds going well Martin!

Thanks, Andrew.

The Hurri is now resplendent in white primer and the Spit has had it's upper wings rescribed, the radiator / oil cooler fairing added to the lower wing and I've added a couple of strengthening strips to the undercarriage bay roofs. I hope to join the wing pieces tomorrow and also get the prop / spinner assembly together.

regards,

Martin

[Chris]

Big props for rescribing Martin, I have only tried it twice and it killed my arthritis!

[Martin R]

Thanks all!

Here's where we are now. Hurri has had a couple of coats of primer and various minor greeblies cleaned up. Prop / spinner is painted / assembled and she's up on her legs:



A shot of the undersides showing the rather complete main wheel well, which should look even nicer after a wash of Tamiya smoke:



Next steps: work out the demarkation line for the black / white undersides and get painting! I have looked at the picture on the Airfix website showing the forthcoming Battle of France release of this tooling (I'm finishing this kit in the same scheme although I have no decals. Don't ask ). Looking at the small side view shot on the box top, the underside looks more complicated than the simple half and half scheme. Anyone have any more information?


As for the Spit, well things have continued slowly on the wings due to the non-arrival of the AM cockpit set thus far. Here's the view from above:



You can see some filler on the leading edges, to get rid of the depressions left when removing the pieces from the sprue. Since I took the shot, I decided that the bumps over the wheel wells shouldn't be there, so I have sanded them off. The prop / spinner has had some painting done and is assembled, but you can just see the filler I've applied around the join between the spinner and the backplate to make a smoother transition (hopefully). The front part of the spinner suffered due to sanding to remove the lump on the spinner tip due to mould damage. Mr Airfix, the MkVb has always been a nice kit, but the moulding's getting a bit long in the tooth. How about scaling down your forthcoming 1/48th Mk Vb, eh?

From below, you can see more work:



Wheel well roofs have had some detail added, and the wheel bays have been boxed in - walls will be trimmed back in due course. I have also done some scribing here; I may do some more or not as the mood strikes me. The oil cooler, which comes in two bits that do not fit together well has had some filler added, as has the chordwise joint at the wingtips.

Next steps: get the prop / spinner painted, then (assuming the cockpit set arrives) have a crack at fitting it!

[PaulBradley]

Nice.