AJohnson

Great work Graham, the extra details you are adding are making all the difference. 👏

Next batch of pictures are on the airbrushed painting done this weekend. I used "Colourcoats" by Sovereign Paints from here in the UK, I particularly like their Dark Earth / Dark Green, that to my eyes looks pretty close to the RAF camouflage colours. They are enamels, but I have learned to use lower pressures when painting and not blast high pressure aerosols all over the place and into my lungs, so it not that unpleasant and I have plenty of ventilation. A note on the masking, I tend to use paper cut outs that emulates how many (but not all) British aircraft were painted (using large fibre reinforced rubber mats). I have tried to use rolled blu-tack "snakes" to demark the camouflage patterns, but I found it hard to follow the patterns properly and the "feathering" too pronounced, particularly for 1/72 & 1/48 scale aircraft. Sources I have come across state that the ministry standard for even "freehand" spray painted aircraft was a 0.5 inch wide demarcations, so that at 1/72 that would look pretty much a hard line, not fuzzy. My paper masks are held down with little dots of blu-tack to stop the paper flapping about when using the airbrush; the trick with these little dots is patience and let the paint harden before plucking them off with a larger ball of blu-tack, they tend to leave no marks if clean. Thanks for looking in and the likes and stories/memories! 😁

Bulk of the building side of thing about done now. I did buy a set of canopy paint masks for this model. If I'm doing an aircraft with a simple canopy, then I will make my own masks to save a few pennies, but with these "Glasshouse" type canopies with loads a frames it seems a bit of a false economy and usually the results are better also. There was a bit of sanding and filling to do once the first undercoat went on, mostly around the cockpit windows and the rear turret fairing, which I needed to be careful with. Then I pre-shaded the panel lines prior to painting proper.

That's a nice looking Sabre, really coming together now with the Decals going on.! 👍

Oh , that must have been epic! I am lucky that Knaresborough is on the flight path for the BBMF Lancaster when she goes north each flying display season. Seen her twice this year, once almost overhead! 😀

The more I see the, more I want Micheal Caine and Robert Shaw as my wing men! Those naughty Yellow Nose’s! (Apologies to non BB film fan’s!)

Alan, absolutely no apologies needed, your mention of Sunderland bomb racks was an excuse to launch into more reminiscing! 🤣. The new Airfix Lancaster’s are good, I have built a merlin one and want to build a Mk. II (radial Hercules version) to honour the Canadians who flew from a local airbase at Linton-on-Ouse. Please all dive in with the stories, I think the “non-ship” sub-culture of MSW is one of the more relaxed sections. 😀

That's what would be my undoing, I'm forever holding things on kits that result in broken/bent/squashed bit! 😏

You mean these!? - And no mine don't move either! 😂 This is probably one of the oldest kits in my collection, you can tell as the white has yellowed somewhat. I built it for my late father in law decades ago before the admiral and me were married. There is a little Black Cat I painted on the nose takes a little explaining... Ron was from Sunderland and was a fanatical Sunderland AFC supporter (Football) Their mascot/nickname is the "Black Cats" and their colours are Red, white & Black, so that's why they are on the nose when I gifted him it. When I presented it to him I said "Here Ron, here's a kit that reminds me of you, its a SHORT(s) Sunderland!" - He was about 5'3" - fortunately he took that in good spirits and even mentioned in in his speech at our wedding. 😆 I have now been given it back to be the custodian of, like you say Alan these little bits of wood and plastic we build contain many great memories... 😁

Hi Chris, I’ve spotted them all, but only by comparing to my 1/24 Airfix version. Do you have any tips on how you get the card parts to “dome” and do you fill the void underneath each part at all, to stop them crushing flat again?

Hola! Welcome to MSW!

Some small detail parts bringing the build up to date. The "R2D2" looking rear gunner's turret and the "Tin fish" that spoiled Gneisenau's day. Interestingly the two machine guns in the rear turret are mounted with their axis at 90deg. to each other, I assume so they could be mounted closer together to save space. The ammo drums are flat disc types. I'm currently on with filling/sanding the final assembly and priming ready for painting, I will update more when I get chance to download the pictures. Thanks for looking in and the comments/likes. 😄

Engine update! I really enjoyed these mini kits, I painted the parts on the sprue first and assembled, I think adequate detail for the scale and so far the spindles the props go on still turn, so you can blow the props around - always an sense of achievement as a kid if you could build an Airfix and the props turned! There was always 'degrees' in judging this as a kid, the crème de la crème were the props that easily/freely turned if you blew on them, then there were the ones that moved a bit when you blew on them, then the ones you had to push with a finger as they were stiff, followed by the really tight ones that might just snap off if you tried it too much and then finally (the majority) the solid ones that would not budge because you managed to glue the whole lot together! 😂 - Happy days! 😁

Thank you Ron for going into such detail for your sail construction technique. Fascinating reading and definitely got me thinking on how to try that on my builds. 👏 Your work is very neat, your Camilla is looking stunning already with the sails test fitted.

They are a world away from the ones I used to build as a kid back in the 70's-early 80's. 😆 I have since bought a few of the old mould kits from fleabay for old times sake and they aren't worth building, but I just get them for the lovely box top artwork by the likes of Roy Cross. Something I think the box tops of US-Airfix kits lacked in the 1980's I have seen, because the box top 'had' to show the kit contents, not sure if this is still the case? Must be something to do with customer protection/rights? The new artwork on the current catalogue is more in the old style, but obviously digital/cgi. 🤖

Welcome to MSW

Yes, the Aussies liked the rugged Beaufort, but it was quickly relegated to training and the Mediterranean theatre with the RAF. FO. Kenneth Campbell and his crew were not recognised until later, once the French resistance informed the British what they had achieved that night, as they were shot down within moments.

Thanks Dave, shame most of it hidden once the fuselage closed up! Speaking of which here it is all covered up. There were some niggling alignment issues with the body and either the top or underneath had a slight step along the seem that needed attention. I decided to "zip it up" from the tail to the nose using liquid cement and tried to align as best I could to avoid too much sanding/filling. But in the end nothing a dollop of Squadron putty and a sanding stick couldn't fix! The wings in contrast were a dream to fit and just fell together, once the glue had hardened only a light sand was needed along the seems. 😀 The torpedo/bomb bay was another nicely detailed section, but once again this will largely covered up by the Torpedo and bomb bay doors when I get around to those.

Follow up post showing the painting details I did for the interior. I don't know why; as most of this lot will be hidden inside the fuselage, but I weathered and applied some washes to grubby things up a bit. I added one or two details not provided in the kit, the most visible being tape seatbelts etc. I like the more recent Airfix kits as they provide 'stub' wing spars to connect and make more rigid the fuselage and wing root connection, but as mentioned in the first post, these needed scraping back to fit nicely. Next up fuselage and wing construction.

Evening All, I have had this little project sat to one side for ages now, so in a mood of "lets finish a few projects off" I have picked it up again and made good progress so far. I'll post up a few posts to catch up with where I have got to, then we will be going along in 'real time' from then on. Firstly a little introduction. for what I am assuming, even to the well versed members of MSW is still an obscure object; although some of our Australian friends may be more familiar with the type. The Bristol Beaufort was a twin-engine torpedo bomber from the same stable as the Blenheim and the later developed Beaufighter. From the outset designed as a torpedo bomber, but it mostly saw service as a medium bomber and trainer, nearly half the production run was built in Australia where it was apparently well liked by Aussie aircrew. Enough waffle, those interested can look further here: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Beaufort I'm going to build the box top version in the markings of a 22 Squadron Beaufort flown by FO. Kenneth Campbell VC who gallantly torpedoed the Gneisenau whilst docked at Brest. (The nautical connection to keep the MSW gods happy! 😇) The kit comprises of 159 parts in Airfix's usual slightly soft light grey plastic. Fit so far has been very good, almost too tight and the part need scraping back if any glue or paint gets in the way of joints. I assembled much of the interior first before painting, as it was all aircraft green inside and avoided the problems of mixing glue and paints. A few shots this post of the kit contents and the cockpit section, complete with toilet/bucket near the rear gunners position - I bet he was pleased!

Really neat Chris, intrigued to see how the “lumpy bumpy” engine cowling is done, that is quite a complicated surface to render in card! 🫣

Still not sure I'd have liked being onboard when they gave the orders to use PVs! 🥺 Great looking build, what are you making the superstructure from plastic card of wood sheets? The turrets look good 👍

Looking really nice Kevin! 👏

They are Paravane chains, an anti mine measure. Give it a Google, there are a few sites out there discussing how it was supposed to work.

Very good Trond, are you having to scratch build most of the deck fittings? Are the kit ones no good or missing. Doing a fine job. 👍