OT Wrestles with an Octopus! *** A Close Finish! ***

Any aircraft, any kit, any scale, as long as it is in French markings.
Runs October 4th to November 2nd. Your GBL is Lancfan.
User avatar
Old_Tonto
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 8049
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:41 pm
Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples Republic of Teesside.

OT Wrestles with an Octopus! *** A Close Finish! ***

Post by Old_Tonto »

I will attempt to build this limited run kit from Pavla:

Image

It is one of their earlier efforts and to be honest it looks pretty rough. In fact the surface texture is actually rough! :???:
Plenty of flash with really thick sprue gates that will need careful trimming.

Image

On a more positive note the decals look very sharp & there are plenty of resin bits plus two vac canopies.

Image

Anyway I will see how this one goes. I could use the resin tail hook to convert a better Spitfire V kit but where would the fun in that be? This is another of those unbuildable kits you read about, I do like a challenge.
Besides this one already has the reinforcement plates etc. included in the moulding.
2023 - A:0 B:0 C:0
Current Projects:
East German Air Force (1956-90)
South African Air Force (1958-93)
User avatar
DazDaMan
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5643
Joined: March 7th, 2012, 3:45 pm
Location: Penicuik

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by DazDaMan »

When I saw that thread title, I had a genuine "WTF?!" moment! :ha:

I'll look forward to this one, though. I've NEVER built a Seafire! :???:
Daren

Half-assed Spitfire builder!
User avatar
MarkyM607
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 9153
Joined: January 5th, 2013, 1:16 pm
Location: Cambs

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by MarkyM607 »

DazDaMan wrote:When I saw that thread title, I had a genuine "WTF?!" moment! :ha:

I'll look forward to this one, though. I've NEVER built a Seafire! :???:
I've NEVER seen OT wrestle an octopus! :ha: :ha:
Hoping to return to modelling sometime this year!! :lol:
Owner of Marky's Model Emporium since 2013!.
User avatar
Old_Tonto
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 8049
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:41 pm
Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples Republic of Teesside.

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by Old_Tonto »

DazDaMan wrote:I've NEVER built a Seafire! :???:
Strangely enough neither have I. :???:
You might have guessed that I am a fan of Spitfires but I have always considered it a poor choice for a Naval fighter.
Although the Navy did the best they could with the Seafire, its just too fragile for sustained naval operations especially in the hands of conscript pilots.
You need something rough & tough that you can slam into a pitching flight deck in all weathers. Have you seem a Seafires undercarriage?

Anyway I hope my build turns out something like this:
Image

I may paint the tail rudder in the tricolour as I have seen some French Seafires done like that & they look pretty cool.
2023 - A:0 B:0 C:0
Current Projects:
East German Air Force (1956-90)
South African Air Force (1958-93)
User avatar
TobyC
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5540
Joined: January 15th, 2013, 2:13 pm
Location: Cobham, Surrey. Blighty

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by TobyC »

This looks like being an interesting build. A sort of fruit de mers ;-)
Enjoyment over accuracy. That's my motto
User avatar
Dirkpitt289
NUMA's Auto Mechanic
Posts: 8723
Joined: May 2nd, 2011, 1:55 am
Location: New jersey USA
Contact:

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by Dirkpitt289 »

Old_Tonto wrote:
You might have guessed that I am a fan of Spitfires......

WHAT? No way... :ha: :ha: :ha:
.... Dirk

Beware of the DOG's of WAR

My Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/ModelingGu ... rid&view=0
User avatar
DazDaMan
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5643
Joined: March 7th, 2012, 3:45 pm
Location: Penicuik

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by DazDaMan »

I might well end up building a Seafire before the year's out...!
Daren

Half-assed Spitfire builder!
User avatar
Old_Tonto
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 8049
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:41 pm
Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples Republic of Teesside.

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by Old_Tonto »

Sorry guys. I won't be starting this on this week as I am decorating. :sad:
2023 - A:0 B:0 C:0
Current Projects:
East German Air Force (1956-90)
South African Air Force (1958-93)
User avatar
Molly-new
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 2355
Joined: May 4th, 2011, 8:42 pm
Location: Stoke-on-Trent, England

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by Molly-new »

WooHoo, a 1/1 scale build, any pictures? :ha:
Airfix WWII Aircraft Of The Aces.
Completed - 10
Building -
Pending -4
User avatar
Old_Tonto
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 8049
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:41 pm
Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples Republic of Teesside.

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by Old_Tonto »

I made a bit of a start last night but spent most of the time cleaning up the parts. Lots of flash. :frown:

Also these things, the name of which escapes me but they are a beggar to remove.

Image

I have decided that the resin interior is far too good to waste on this kit so will save it for a later project.
That should speed things up too as over half the build stages are related to it. ;-)

So I made a start on the wings, wrongly assuming that these would be straight forward. Unfortunately the top wing parts are smaller than the single piece lower wing. :evil:
So I aligned the front edge thinking that the rear edge will be easier to fix.

Image

So much sanding later the edges are even but now the whole wing looks too thick for a Seafire! Not sure what I can do about it now without destroying the panel lines.

I have test fitted the fuselage halves together & the join looks pretty good but the nose looks too fat in front of the cockpit. So much so that I am not sure the canopy will fit now. :roll: Its definitely not flash, its the moulding.
Also a quick test fit shows that the wing does not fit the fuselage very well.
Anyway, I will glue the fuselage together and see what it looks like. Once dry I can fit an IP, bulkheads & seat from underneath.

So far not a kit I could recommend.
2023 - A:0 B:0 C:0
Current Projects:
East German Air Force (1956-90)
South African Air Force (1958-93)
User avatar
Molly-new
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 2355
Joined: May 4th, 2011, 8:42 pm
Location: Stoke-on-Trent, England

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by Molly-new »

Crikey OT, you have got an ugly monster there. With so many Spitfire/Seafire kits around I don't think it is worth going with kits from lesser known manufacturers.
Airfix WWII Aircraft Of The Aces.
Completed - 10
Building -
Pending -4
User avatar
Old_Tonto
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 8049
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:41 pm
Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples Republic of Teesside.

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by Old_Tonto »

Molly-new wrote:With so many Spitfire/Seafire kits around I don't think it is worth going with kits from lesser known manufacturers.
I'm inclined to agree mate but I had this one on the shelf and if nothing else, I will end up with some rather nice resin parts. :lol:
I think the Sword kits are the way to go these days if you want a Seafire.

Anyway, making the best out of a bad lot. I have given up trying to thin down the wings, they will have to do as they are.
So I have added the radiator & cooler to the under wing.

Image

Looking at that picture I have placed the oil cooler in the wrong place so I will attend to that tonight. :oops:

I added some spare bits & bobs to make the cockpit look busy then closed up the fuselage.

Image

As you can see there is quite a gap along the nose section. I think both sides were a little undershot at the front end.
So the next big job will be joining the wings to the fuselage. A dry fitting suggests that they are from different kits so may take some fettling! :roll:
2023 - A:0 B:0 C:0
Current Projects:
East German Air Force (1956-90)
South African Air Force (1958-93)
User avatar
Martin R
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 4695
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 7:53 am

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by Martin R »

Good luck with that, O_T, it looks - challenging.

regards,

Martin
Martin R

"the 'R' stands for 'Representative'."
User avatar
lancfan
Avro's Rivet Rhapsodizer
Posts: 8755
Joined: May 2nd, 2011, 3:55 pm
Location: Nelson, Lancashire

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by lancfan »

DazDaMan wrote:I've NEVER built a Seafire! :???:
Come to that neither have I Daren, perhaps we need another Naval Aircraft GB?

David.
David.

If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
User avatar
DazDaMan
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 5643
Joined: March 7th, 2012, 3:45 pm
Location: Penicuik

Re: OT Wrestles with an Octopus!

Post by DazDaMan »

I'd be up for that - I'm sure I could find a Seafire to build!

And there's a Zero in the stash somewhere....
Daren

Half-assed Spitfire builder!
Locked

Return to “French-marked Aircraft GB”