GB: Academy : DR_GN

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dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,169 posts

185 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
perdu said:
That does look the business

I like the canopy too, far better than any moulded polystyrene one

I'll be moulding mine too and adding the roof bulge that allows the rear view mirror to be out of the airflow

The reflector sight looks nice, a definite bonus from your resin kit and RFs instruments are dead cool too

(mine will be less impressive but it'll have to do)

Seems I snapped the very outer end of the collar bone last Monday, I found something sticking up, pressed down on it and made it go where it should have. Lucky huh! Lots of sling work now, just when I don't need it.

Three hours fifty eight minutes in the car park at the Hospital

Two more minutes and we'd have been up another quideek
Thanks Perdu, I hope you're on the mend. At least it was A&E and not an admission!

You no doubt noticed, but didn't comment that the gunsight mounting bar should be black, not green. Rest easy, it's black now wink

perdu

4,884 posts

200 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
I sort of noticed it in background but it seems that some specific planes had differing detail so it rang no bells

With my Typhoon I could have the later style reflector sight like yours or an earlier type without the range adjusting knob

there is a gunsight weapons selector unit on the port side framework after all

Mind still unsure on which variant to go for frown

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,169 posts

185 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
Finished the bombs by adding the tiny decals RedFirecracker printed for me. I ended up painting the red and green bands by hand by spinning them in the lathe and just touching the surface with a brush. Final touch was a coat of matt varnish:





Small details make a big difference. Shame the decals aren't in the kit as standard.

perdu

4,884 posts

200 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
They look good don't they

I had some decals for bombs years ago, I think they were Hasegawa

And they maybe wouldn't have been quite this authentic, but...smile

Wonder if they are still around?

Tractor looks fine now too

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,169 posts

185 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
perdu said:
They look good don't they

I had some decals for bombs years ago, I think they were Hasegawa

And they maybe wouldn't have been quite this authentic, but...smile

Wonder if they are still around?

Tractor looks fine now too
RF printed me a few copies off, so you can have the spares if you want?

Also got the Xtradecal Tempest sheet with about 10 options on it. Not sure if any roundels would be any use to you (just thinking your Frog ones might be dead by now)?

perdu

4,884 posts

200 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
That's a kind offer

Still deciding between the rockets and bombs versions and comparing the cannon barrels

This is a mighty fine piece of inspiration

lookit the wear and tear on this baby



Still the bombs would give me the chance to have the bombing up scene from here, complete with blast pen structure as a dio



Eric Mc

122,056 posts

266 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
Who would have thought - white bombs.

perdu

4,884 posts

200 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
peace and love man

smile



maybe the white ones went under the white invasion stripes

black ones for the black...

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,169 posts

185 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
perdu said:
That's a kind offer

Still deciding between the rockets and bombs versions and comparing the cannon barrels


Still the bombs would give me the chance to have the bombing up scene from here, complete with blast pen structure as a dio


Did the top of that crane fit into a space in the bomb carrier? There seems to be just one mount on the bomb, which appears to be for both lifting and securing to the carrier...how did they mount the bombs then? confused

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,169 posts

185 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
Interesting armourer/groundcrew story for Perdu here (from gokartmozart's link earlier):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8270787@N07/252670099...

Read the comments to the photo for the story.

perdu

4,884 posts

200 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
just found out (for Eric) that the white bombs were concrete practise bombs being loaded in late '43

ISTR the bomb was hung from the lugs on the bomb rack and it was winched up using a sling type device that lifted via a strap mounted probably on the sides of the bomb rack

A quick Goog shows a sling strop lifting a "store" into the bomb bay of a Blenheim, I'm sure dad told me about this years ago

He were in t'trade ye know wink

Ahh lookit what I found

Yertis!



Sort of what I was saying

No doubt this was identical for the Tempest thumbup

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,169 posts

185 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
perdu said:
just found out (for Eric) that the white bombs were concrete practise bombs being loaded in late '43

ISTR the bomb was hung from the lugs on the bomb rack and it was winched up using a sling type device that lifted via a strap mounted probably on the sides of the bomb rack

A quick Goog shows a sling strop lifting a "store" into the bomb bay of a Blenheim, I'm sure dad told me about this years ago

He were in t'trade ye know wink

Ahh lookit what I found

Yertis!



Sort of what I was saying

No doubt this was identical for the Tempest thumbup
I see. So what's the guy in the previous photo doing? There's no strap around that bomb.

perdu

4,884 posts

200 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
hmm maybe moving it on the trolley to allow easy access for bombing up this one after using a couple elsewhere

Notice that the bomb trolley has a single central chassis spine and then the arms for holding the stores mounted off the spine, unlike our Airfix Stirling ones

There's a lot to be learnt about RAF airfield equipment in service back then

Somebody orta write a book

Off to read that link you found for me now, ta

Eric Mc

122,056 posts

266 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
perdu said:
just found out (for Eric) that the white bombs were concrete practise bombs being loaded in late '43

ISTR the bomb was hung from the lugs on the bomb rack and it was winched up using a sling type device that lifted via a strap mounted probably on the sides of the bomb rack

A quick Goog shows a sling strop lifting a "store" into the bomb bay of a Blenheim, I'm sure dad told me about this years ago

He were in t'trade ye know wink

Ahh lookit what I found

Yertis!



Sort of what I was saying

No doubt this was identical for the Tempest thumbup
Obviously they hadn't standardised on "blue" for practice bombs back in those days.

perdu

4,884 posts

200 months

Saturday 19th February 2011
quotequote all
Oi Eric

there was a war on you know yes

wasting paint on concrete?

There's some good stuff coming out of the GB isn't there

I am enjoying "watching"


dr_gn

that was a terrible tale and not unlike some dad told me

Walking across Hawkinge in 1940 when there was a sudden raid and watching bombs tumble out of a Dornier high above him and his mate

Thinking "dammit we're dead" when his mate did the sums in his head and shouted "run for the slit trench Jock, we can 'just' make it"

They did

And having to empty bombs that the filling had decomposed with kettles of hot water in a sandbagged dispersal

I never quite believed that until I read a book years later in which the author described the task


Eric Mc

122,056 posts

266 months

Sunday 20th February 2011
quotequote all
One of my favourite aspects of model building is unearthing all these tit-bits of information.
I have to say the internet has enhanced this aspect of the hobby.

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,169 posts

185 months

Sunday 20th February 2011
quotequote all
I seem to remember there was some kind of huge explosion at an RAF base after the war? One of the largest non-nuclear explosions in the world if I rememer right.

Anyhow, undersides masked up:



And preshaded and painted:



Preshading worked great, doesn't show up very well in artificial light though - it's very subtle. Undecided whether to add a wash to the panel lines on the underside. It's the first model I've built that has really nice panel lines, but still...

As ever with me, it wasn't as simple as the above. The Maskol removed some of the weathering on the flap sockets, so they had to be re-done. The Maskol was a nightmare to remove - it took the Vallejo paint with it at the mask boundaries (I also sliced my thumb with the scalpel while trying to remove the Maskol. Made a great job of it - somehow ended up with three very neat incisions with one stab, resulting in loads of blood and a flap of skin which needed a hell of a lot of coaxing back into position). With a light satin coat I also noticed a blatant sink mark on one of the wheel well covers, so that will have to be filled. Then I broke the access step off.

I did fix the stbd wing light issue - I drilled two shallow cuts into the surface of the lens and dotted transparent red and green paint into the cones. No distortion:


perdu

4,884 posts

200 months

Sunday 20th February 2011
quotequote all
hope you remembered to superglue the flap shut (BTDT)

A sod to cut your self like that, we ain't been too healthy on this build have we, I hope Eric and the others take note S*** happens


The model is looking good I don't think this will be my entry to the shading fray, but there is still time smile

I like the underwing lamp, very good representation there for others to pick up and follow

I see the underside of your Tempest and wish I'd taken a few more hours/minutes on the rad cowling, ho hum 'nother time better work

The fine panel lines are really coming through with this too

Nice

dr_gn

Original Poster:

16,169 posts

185 months

Sunday 20th February 2011
quotequote all
perdu said:
I see the underside of your Tempest and wish I'd taken a few more hours/minutes on the rad cowling, ho hum 'nother time better work
Cheers Perdu,

The rad. exit duct on the Academy model is crap, totally wrong. Here it is built OOB:



Took some sanding, filling and rescribing of the upper insert area to get it looking smoother, but even now not perfect. I've also drilled a couple of holes for the flap actuators (course I already cut the flap out and made a new one out of plasticard):


72twink

963 posts

243 months

Sunday 20th February 2011
quotequote all
Looking good dr, often the skill in modelling is being able to invisibly cover your mistakes and mishaps. As for the washes I'd say even if you don't go for the full hit (which I'd probably keep to a slightly darker grey) then certainly pin wash the aileron hinge and shell ejection slots.

As for the injuries it's not just the group build, I'm also building an Accurate Armour Stalwart in 1/35 and fell foul of the curved blade "I'm cutting here but it's sharp all the way round to here" and put a nice slice into my thumb!