amateur

Smoke signals and national TV and newspaper ads should cover all the bases...

Final pics of the Hellcat with its display base and plaque.
 

 

 

Ye dredded reer ormanents stryke yette agayn (making forum server down for two days). In the meantime...
 
... the final lines of the stern taking shape. I have modified the internal structure slightly (not shown here) in order to lay a row of planks under balcony lengthwise rather than across as was originally intended.
 
 

 

 

 
 

Blinking with my eyes, and you’re half done already.
 
looking good
 
Jan

We all got that time-out message.
As usual: the mods told us what was going on as soon as they were aware of the problem.
As soon as the site is down, the facebook-page of MSW is their way of communicating with us.
 
Jan
 
 

We all got that time-out message.
As usual: the mods told us what was going on as soon as they were aware of the problem.
As soon as the site is down, the facebook-page of MSW is their way of communicating with us.
 
Jan
 
 

I’d like to thank the admins for what they do. Great  work! 

It's not an issue with MSW, per se, but with an assigned block of IP numbers that isn't specific to our server.
 
Our host is trying to get this sorted with the company that they use for this purpose, and it's taking time. The site may appear, then disappear. 
 
Unfortunately for MSW admin, we are powerless to do anything. We just have to wait for the issues between the two companies, to be resolved.

Test fit of top wing to cabane struts -- can't ask for a better initial fit. Feels quite solid.
 

Modellers won't be happy. Each bracket has a different curvature, as - in fact - all parts of the balcony do.
 
 

 
 

 
 

Blinking with my eyes, and you’re half done already.
 
looking good
 
Jan

Blinking with my eyes, and you’re half done already.
 
looking good
 
Jan

Blinking with my eyes, and you’re half done already.
 
looking good
 
Jan

Blinking with my eyes, and you’re half done already.
 
looking good
 
Jan

Blinking with my eyes, and you’re half done already.
 
looking good
 
Jan

Blinking with my eyes, and you’re half done already.
 
looking good
 
Jan

Blinking with my eyes, and you’re half done already.
 
looking good
 
Jan

Blinking with my eyes, and you’re half done already.
 
looking good
 
Jan

In the meantime I am healthwise quite normal again. Progress was hampered by a short business trip to Germany ...
 
*********************************
 

Further completion of the cutter
 
The hull was now cut off the ‘building-board’ and the infilling and the bulkheads shaped in a way I think the tarpaulin-covered sailing-gear, oars etc. which would be stowed in the boat would have looked like.

The hull with the shaped ‘interior’
 
The use of toilet-paper to simulate the tarpaulin had only be moderately successful, but I remembered just in time, that a few months ago I had purchased some very light-weight (9 g/m2) Japanese silk-paper as a basis for sails.

Very light-weight Japanese silk-paper
 
An appropriate piece was cut, draped over the boat and thoroughly wetted with zapon-varnish. It was glued in place so that it just covered the top-strake down to the rubbing strake. Once dry, it was trimmed back with a new scalpel blade to just the rubbing strake.

The cutter with tarpaulin in place, before painting
 
Installing the rudder while the gig was on the davits turned out to be misconception on my side, the boats were stowed with the rudder unshipped. So this time I only simulated the lower pintle with some flattened wire and a wire upright.
Finally, the cutter was ready for painting and was given a good coat of Vallejo model-air ‘white’ all over.

The painted cutter
 
In the next step the second strake from the top was painted in black, as the regulations in force at the time demanded that the two topmost strakes to be black.

The painted cutter
 
The tarpaulin the was given a wash of Vallejo white with a dash of Vallejo model-air ‘hemp’.
Finally the two hoisting-rings made from twisted, tinned 0.2 mm copper wire were installed.

The painted cutter
 
To be continued ....
 

It kind of makes you realise how much research has gone into this when you start pulling out stuff 30 years old!
this was 1984-5 where they were buried in blackberry and dirt.

And now, the BIG REVEAL!
 
But first, some finishing remarks. Last bits were indeed the gun barrels and aerials: two whip aerials, two mast aerials, and the wire aerial between the two masts. The whip aerials needed to be quite thin, so I dredged up a skill I haven't used in many, many years -- stretching styrene rod over an open flame.
 
You may notice that one of the wheels is a bit canted. I tried and tried to remedy that, but to no avail. It's in no danger of falling off -- just crooked.
 
I have a huge amount of surplus parts left over from the kit, unlike anything I have ever run into before with a card kit.
 
As for GPM, well, what can we say? I finished it, but it wasn't the most fun I've ever had with a kit. I won't be sending any more hard cash GPM's way in the near future.
 
The finished model is the largest plane I have yet built -- it doesn't fit on any of my shelves! 😳
 
And now, enjoy some pictures!
 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Cheers!

James, I know it did,  I missed the offer, as I bought his latest ship a couple of days ago. 🙂
 
Guy

Thanks Javlin and thanks for the 'like's. Small bit and pieces take very long, hence, just small progress at the time. Added black smoke puffs of the starter exhaust on the belly and LG pieces now permanently mounted:

Main LG:

Nose wheel:


Back to tanks and missiles. 
Kind regards,
Dan