David's 1/72 Airframe Martin-Baker MB2 **FINISHED**

[DavidWomby]

Thanks, Andrew, I need some encouragement!

It's finally looking like a complete aeroplane. The wings are on (I used stiff plastic card as a spar and epoxied them on) and the wing roots are mostly filled. Overall some more filling and sanding is needed. My little stubs of plastic rod look OK to me as the gun barrels in the leading edges and the holes are drilled in the wing to fit the undercarriage spats.





The canopy is intimidating me a bit but I can't avoid it much longer!

David

[DavidWomby]

Small progress. The undercarriage is on but with some tribulations getting it positioned right. The front edge slopes forward from top to bottom. So, the bottom is ahead of the wing leading edge but the kit parts would have made the front edge vertical, so I had to tip them forward a bit. More filling will now be added to fill the gaps under the wings.



Still, it looks pretty good stood on its wheels for the first time.



David

[VickersVandal]

It looks great!

Would be such good fodder for whatif builds.

[DavidWomby]

It looks great!

Would be such good fodder for whatif builds.

It would be, wouldn't it. There's artwork of a couple painted as a BoB frontline fighter here on John Dell's website.





Or maybe a silver one with pre-war squadron markings!

I'll probably stay boring and do it as the real prototype.

David

[DavidWomby]

No pics. Just filling and sanding and filling and sanding and.............

Also need to find something to use for the intakes on each side of the fuselage.

David

[DavidWomby]

Still small bits of filling and sanding to do. I am also working on the cooling intakes above and below the propeller spinner. The first ones I cut too big.

I have cut the canopy and it seems a pretty good fit. It's not attached but here it is test-fitted over the to-be-painted Captain Baker.



What did test pilots wear back then - white overalls and tan flying helmet? Any lifevest?

David

[lancfan]

White overalls and tan helmet sounds good for that time but a civil test pilot wouldn't wear a life jacket unless he was to fly over the sea, it has been known for test pilots of that era to fly in a suit and tie.

David.

[DavidWomby]

Thanks, David.

Captain Baker is now painted and installed as is the tripod-like structure behind the seat that housed the telescopic post that was supposed to protect the pilot if the plane overturned on the ground. The rod I used is a bit oversized but it conveys the idea.



Other small progress today were adding the tailwheel (from my dwindled Aeroclub sets) and the intakes on each side of the fuselage. The intakes are made from reshaped bits cut from the noses of some bombs in the spares box. They are a bit large but will do.



I also decided there is no way I can drill four sets of 6 exhaust holes and get them all lined up. So the exhaust will be home-made decals like the black serial numbers. The white underwing serials will have to come from the decal stash.

I am not sure about the IJN Green to represent the Nivo. It looks very dark where I put some at the rear of the cockpit.

David

[PaulBradley]

NIVO was a pretty dark colour. You could always invoke "scale colour" and lighten it up.

[DavidWomby]

NIVO was a pretty dark colour. You could always invoke "scale colour" and lighten it up.

I'm going to have to, Paul, because I doubt you would see the black serial numbers on the IJN Green. I am going to use Tamiya XF-58 instead.

Here's the start of making the prop. The spinner comes with the kit but the blades are cut down from an Mbox Mosquito prop.



I also stuck on the canopy. The plastic was incredibly thin and delicate and I got rather a lot of white glue on the inside lower edge. Hopefully it will dry as clear as i usually does plus painting the lower framing will hide a lot.



David

[DavidWomby]

What colour do we think the underwing codes are? I thought they were white based on this from the Planet Models kit



but in this pic, they look darker.



Grey? Unlikely in 1938-39 I would think.
Sky? I hope so because I have those decals.
White?

David

[VickersVandal]

My guess would be sky, from that picture. I can't imagine white lettering appearing that dull, particularly when you compare it with the roundel.

[JamesPerrin]

Sky would be a safe bet.

[DavidWomby]

Thanks, VV and James.

I would LOVE them to be Sky but I have been reading my old books (MJF Bowyer). I think I can eliminate grey as it is described as being used for squadron codes just before the war/early war period but no mention of it being used for underwing serials. Unfortunately, Sky was not yet used at all in that period as far as I can tell but came later.

The bombers of the period had white underwing codes. So I would have expected these to be white but they really don't look it do they? Maybe they are poorly applied or worn white and the underwing roundels are freshly painted?

I also found this pic of the Planet Models decals on Scott Van Aken's MM website. Not sure if the serials are off-white compared to white of roundels or it's just wishful thinking.



Anyway, I'll have to decide in next day or two.

David

[DavidWomby]

Needs a few touch ups but the paint's on!



David