Ratch's 2020 goings on

[Stuart]

That base work looks fantastic Richard!

[Ratch]

Cheers Stuart
I've been playing with pigments 

[Ratch]

It was with eager anticipation that I entered the modelling room only to be greeted by this sight 

I presume this was caused by the White Spirit used with the pigments.

I was reasonably happy with the effects of the first session.


Another application followed.


It will be with trepidation when I see how it has dried tomorrow

[Ratch]

While waiting for the replacement tracks
The Harvard IIb T-2B was powered by a 550-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 Wasp radial engine. British Harvards were identifiable by their long exhausts rather than the usual stub type. North American Harvard Mk.IIB KF954 of No.6 Flying Training School based at RAF Sywell, forced landed near Buxton on the 7th August 1947. AC2 John Stanley Wright had taken off for a cross country flight at 11:15 and at some point became disorientated, unable to locate his position he decided to make a forced landing. He landed with the undercarriage extended, however the aircraft had not stopped by the time it reached the far end of the field and ran into a dry stone wall which caused the undercarriage to collapse causing minor damage to the airframe.
The incident was quickly reported to No.28 Maintenance Unit at Harpur Hill and the MRT which was based there went to the site but found that there was nothing for them to do except guarding the aircraft from a growing crowd of curious onlookers. The aircraft was returned to Sywell. In the immediate post-war years Harvards were overhauled by the Brooklands Aviation in their Bellman hangar on No. 1 site, Holcot Lane, Sywell. The aircraft was soon repaired before returning to service.

This kit was originally tooled in 1962. Being an early issue, my yellow mouldings are quite clean, although the canopy is very cloudy.

I cut each pilot’s head off and repositioned them looking to the left, and then painted them. 

The canopy was brushed with toothpaste and polished with a nail buffer. It was then dipped in Klear and allowed to dry.

[Ratch]

I've painted the internal components and cut the slot in the fuselage to accommodate the stand provided. I also painted the propeller tips 24 Matt Trainer Yellow and finished off the crew.

[ShaunW]

I believe my use of white spirit based oil paint washes caused the failure of several roadwheel axles on my Tamiya T-62 build last year, Ratch and I was most nonplussed when I picked the model up the following day to carry out more weathering and half of the wheels, still attached to their axle mounts, clattered onto the workbench! I repaired the model using CA and had no further trouble. The tracks on that particular model were not affected. I've used such washes in the past and since without any issues so I've put it down to the plastic in that particular kit.

The Harvard is coming together nicely and the type is another famous aircraft that I've never got round to building as of yet.

[Ratch]

Thanks for your comment Shaun, I've had very similar experiences when weathering and am inclined to agree with you. Maybe I'll treat my next AFV to similar weathering and see whether I get the same reaction
Meanwhile, I came across the kit that's been in my stash the longest and thought why not, 'bout time

[iggie]

Lots going on since I last checked in Ratch! The base for your little diorama looks fab, and the weathering (with the exception of the busted tracks ) is coming along very nicely

[Ratch]

Cheers Jim, I'm waiting on workable AFV Club tracks to replace the rubber bands
Some proper construction on the Harvard.

[Ratch]

Putting on my best strine "Can you tell what it is yet?"

[Ratch]

The basic construction done, canopy masked and gloss black primer airbrushed on.

[iggie]

Putting on my best strine "Can you tell what it is yet?"

Is that one of the Faller scaffold sets?
The bracing is entirely wrong, the toe boards are missing, and the ladder is untied....

[Stuart]

Putting on my best strine "Can you tell what it is yet?"

Is that one of the Faller scaffold sets?
The bracing is entirely wrong, the toe boards are missing, and the ladder is untied....

lol! I was waiting for that comment!

[Ratch]

I knew some scaffolding expert would be along
Mine's from a Pola box

[Ratch]

And here is where I am with the Harvard

AK Interactive's AK480 Xtreme Metal Dark Aluminium