Coastal Command Neptune (Revell 1/72nd)

[bluesteel]

I had a go at the end of last week test airbrushing the Revell Acrylic grey/blue mix I'd opted for for the final finish, but there seems to be a problem thinning the mix, it either spatters or curdles and blocks the brush. I've tried IPA, water and Revells own thinner with no difference. So I checked my Humbrol paint reference and saw that Humbrol 15 Midnight Blue if darkened down very slightly might be a good match. But I didn't have any Hu 15. Unfortunately on Saturday morning, neither did my LMS. But they did have it in rattle can form. So I've given it a coat as a test. It looks lighter in the photo than it is because of the flash. However, it looks as though it's almost but not quite dark enough. I'm in a quandary now, should I go with it or try to get hold of a pot of 15 and darken it to the right shade?

[MerlinJones]

Check out H104, Julian.

Regards,
Bruce

[bluesteel]

Check out H104, Julian.

Regards,
Bruce

I did look at all the blues on the chart. H104 Oxford Blue looks rather a purple blue on the chart, but it might be different in reality. Unfortunately I don't seem to have a pot of that either.

[bluesteel]

It's darkened a little as it dried, and also without the flash it now looks very close to the right shade:

[bluesteel]

U/c legs on and wheels painted. One of the problems I have is handling the beast and not getting finger prints or other marks on the gloss blue. Perhaps I'll give it a coat of clear to see if that might help. Soon I won't be able to put off scratch building the big tip tanks...

[bluesteel]

On its wheels. Whew! I put sufficient nose weight in.

[MerlinJones]

Looking good there. Will this have de-icing boots? I ask because I find holding such models between leading and trailing edges the way to go.
Have you got the dimensions of the tanks handy? I've got a fair few odds and sods in the Bits Box...something might be a good starting point.

Regards,
Bruce

[JohnRatzenberger]

You are really on a roll !!! Makes me jealous. Looks very good.

[Saxon]

Check out H104, Julian.

Regards,
Bruce

I did look at all the blues on the chart. H104 Oxford Blue looks rather a purple blue on the chart, but it might be different in reality. Unfortunately I don't seem to have a pot of that either.

Tamiya also do their own version of Oxford Blue but they call it Royal Blue.

Nice build, I plan on starting mine soon and re doing the one I built 10 years ago.

[bluesteel]

Looking good there. Will this have de-icing boots? I ask because I find holding such models between leading and trailing edges the way to go.
Have you got the dimensions of the tanks handy? I've got a fair few odds and sods in the Bits Box...something might be a good starting point.

Regards,
Bruce

No, it doesn't appear to have black icing boots either in the schemes or photos. But the gloss seems to have dried enough overnight and doesn't seem to mark up as much now, and where it does I can buff out with a spectacles cloth. There are side elevation and plan views of the tanks as well as one x-section. I'm going to have a go with plastic card sections first, then balsa if that fails.

[bluesteel]

More work tonight painting the exhaust and cowl flap areas, then removing Maskol and replacing the Krystal Klear windows:

[bluesteel]

Finally started work on the big tip tanks. Using the Warpaint 1/72nd plans as templates, I produced and cut out a centre whole length section, then sections through it at about 1cm intervals, cut them in half, glueing them either side:





Then I glued longerons on the outside to build up a skeleton structure, then filled with filler. Once dry I can sand smooth and add more as required to get the final shape:





So far the technique is looking promising. But I will have to blast mould a transparency for the truncated tank end.

[bluesteel]

What's Fimo Bruce?

[bluesteel]

Ah, Google is my friend. Is it Staedtler modelling clay by any chance?

[bluesteel]

The plastic card + Plasto method didn't work very well,it failed to set overnight and is still pliable, but worse it's cracked in various places. So I've reverted to the tried and tested Balsa laminate and talc method. At least I can use the balsa plug from the nose of the light nosed tank as a mould for blast moulding the glazing: