Another update, though progress has slowed due to me having the cold from hell..
Most of the underside bits added - the tropical radiator Vokes Air Filter required some serious fettling to fit properly)
A small amount of filler was required to get all the unsightly gaps filled (and the redundant gun positions - kit can make the MK.1A as well)
Masked up and ready for the underside to be painted (engine side panels are blu-tacked in place - as they won't be fit
After about a 3 month break, I returned to HMCS Snowberry, my plan of action was simple, get the hull cleaned up, add some details to the forecastle and get the hull into painted..
Hull cleaned up, more wooden decking removed and detailing added.
Looking fine in Halfords Grey Primer
While the primer was curing, I made a start on the main gun.
Having thoroughly enjoyed build HMS Buttercup, I decided to get something much larger...
A few stats.. Length: 1082.5 mm, Beam: 160 mm, Parts: 1260+
As a wise precaution I invested in a reference book. Lot's of nice scale drawings and details
What's in the box, well for starters - more boxes!
The instruction booklet and colour call out.
In the white box is the beautifully
Several moons ago a certain member (@46444) suggested I should check out Trumpeter's Westland Wyvern..
I did and little does he know, what a can of rivets it opened....
I acquired the kit on a certain auction sight, it arrived just before I finished the Sea Fury. I also ordered the Eduard Photo-Etch set for it...
The kit is amazing and the instructions are sometimes baffling. However for someone who built Leaping Heaps for a living - not a problem.
Due to the gearb
A slightly different format for this blog entry, I've decided to group several builds together - as they were quite simple builds.
Higgins LCVP
The Higgins is quite a new tooling and went together very quickly - however progress was slowed somewhat due to the large amount of Loco/Rolling Stock Commissions I have..
It took just over a month to get back to work on her, painting didn't take too long - even with the camouflage scheme..
With a moulding that is nearly as old as me - some extreme measures were employed...
If in doubt - deploy the mole-grips..
(another cameo)
Fuselage done...
On with the wing assembly and a whole lot of guess work as to where the cannon go (the instructions give no clues)
Unlike the Typhoon, the Spitfire doesn't have wing spars - so extreme measures are needed to get the wings to fit!!
Suddenly a Spitfire appears...
To be co
Time for an update with a couple of projects that have appeared in various threads, but in very brief form..
Merchant Navy (Rebuilt) 35002 Union Castle
Using a bargain 'United States Lines' as a donor along with a heavily modified Wrenn/Dublo 5,250gl tender top, the renaming side is the usual way... with the usual suspect - Fox Transfers & Jackson Evans. However I'll go through the reworking of the tender.
First off is to make the tender top fit the donor loco's tender chassis, n
Something a bit different a heavy fighter from the early years of WW2 - fantastic concept, let down with crap engines, if only they'd fitted it with Merlin's.
Over a year in the making (though technically only took a week to build).
Box Art
Instructions & Colour Call out.
What's in the Box.
The Build part 1..
It
Part two of this epic build, this kit is more like a 1/24th scale kit due to the number of parts..
Aerial torpedo assembled and test fitted.
RATOG's (Rocket Assisted Take Off Gear) assembled and test fitted.
So many assemblies, so much to paint.
Sitting on her wheels (temporarily) .
Lots of Sky Type S!!
Lots of parts painted.
Masking up the fuselage for top coat.
Painting done and masking removed, very little touching up needed.
The final entry on this build - for now..
Firstly the masking & the painting....
Last photo shows what's left to paint..
Painting all done, now on with the transfers...
Transfers done & spot the cameo...
Posing in the very cold afternoon sun.
When this kit arrived direct from Airfix (courtesy of my regular DPD Courier Boran), on opening the box I knew the Shack would be put on hold temporarily will this kit was started.
The Aircraft division of the Hornby/Airfix of the design/research team have done an amazing job of this kit - they've captured the Geodetic structure perfectly.
The fuselage and it's interior is incredibly detailed and takes a while to build (though a number of parts can be left out if you wish)
Finally after a few weeks away from the Wimpy due to Loco commission work (& brief venture venture back to WW1 with the Eindecker) & number of exchanges between myself and Airfix (more on that later) - it's been full steam ahead on the with build...
Test fit of the bomb bay partitions.
Making sure all the main assemblies fit together.
And so the fun with Airfix Customer care began..
I noticed that a part was malformed (E2 main under carriage support strut), so I
A few weeks ago, one of our forum members asked if I would do a 'How to' guide for Hornby's Crosti Boilered 9F after seeing my first victim grace this forum:
(Many thanks to Rob Mcgavin for having a play with the image of 92021)
Once I received my second victim from Hereford Model Centre, I began by removing both the numbers and crests - as the chosen 9F (92028) didn't receive the Late Crest Totem before rebuilding. I used Micro Sol to remove the numbers and then polished the affect
Many moon's ago (last year to be precise) I built the 1/24th Scale Typhoon, now it's time for her 'Grandchild' the Sea Fury - also by Airfix, but in 1/48th Scale.
The Sea Fury entered service too late to see action in WW2, she was herself a development from the 'Tempest and the Typhoon' and with the coming of the Jet's - the fastest production piston-engined fighter that was built (482 mph).
She saw action in the Korean War and became known as the 'MIG Killer' for the first 'confirmed'
Hot on the heels of the Tempest and defying my normal convention of posting a cameo of my next build - as I have three unfinished (and I'm unmotivated to finish them yet), I opted for a quick and simple build instead.
I've had the Attacker in my stash for nearly a year, so I thought what the hell let's build it.
Up first here's what's in the box...
The sprues a clean a crisp, no sho
While I was waiting for Airfix to sort themselves out with some parts for both the Wellington & Shackleton (I will cover those issues in the next blog entries for them), I decided it was high time to start the smallest kit in my model stash - the diminutive Fokker Eindecker E.III.
The kit is very straight forward to build and goes together really well, however for the insane amongst us (namely me) - the kit comes rigging diagrams!
It only took me a few hours in total to build and pai
From previous blog entries, my fellow RMWebbers will know that I've been building a few van kits. Up first are my Parkside Dundas duo of PMV and Plywood sided CCT.
This just need transfers and weathering to complete
Up next is a fantastic, if slightly fiddly kit to build Ratio's SR 28 Ton Bogie B Passenger Van. This needs the glazing and roof fitted, along with Transfers and weathering.
Also there has been a surprise arrival in the shape a Bachmann LN 30850 Lord Nelson. Run
After she made a cameo in my last build and with loco's out of the way it was time to make a start on the 1/48th Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3.
Being a Collectors Club Model it gives two very different schemes to do one is the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Evaluation version (Bf 109E-7) and the other is a captured RAF version (Bf 109E-3) - I chose the latter.
Compared to my last build, this one has gone together very quickly.. so far.
Cockpit and aircraft interior painted and detailed.
Someone (you know who you are ) messaged me on RMWEB the other week on how I go about creating my really filthy locos. I decided to put a little guide up on here to show you how I go about it.
Advisory - For those of a squeamish disposition the following contains images of a loco in the altogether
Here's the intended victim before I get started, in this case 34054 Lord Beaverbrook
First up I disassemble the loco in to chassis and body and mask up where I don't want the paint
In an interesting diversion from the Trains, Planes and Armour - I've discovered a liking for ships..
Building HMCS Snowberry for a client, I got quite interested in the Flower Class and purchased the 2018 tooling of HMS Buttercup by Revell...
The Kit...
Certainly not as many sprues and a lot less flash.
The hull went together ve
It's taken a long time to get here, but I've just got the one Battle of Britain to go now (and yes I have the donor ) I decided with the penultimate one to do something unique, to photograph every stage of the process (alright I forgot the donor before photo lol)
The donor was a R2458 '222 Squadron', the Battle of Britain she'd become would be 34080 74 Squadron, with a twist you see like the majority of the 34071 - 34110 series of Bulleid light Pacifics she had her 5,500gl tender swapped fo
It's that time of the month for an update and my production line grows even longer. 34031 Torrington returned to the front of the queue and is now awaiting it's final coats of varnish (once the paint-shop warms up!!!) It's a true REBUILT West Country with all the parts from different sources etc.
The 5,250gl tender fully lined out on one side
Engine and tender coupled up, at this point I hadn't lined up the side of the tender facing the camera or applied the cabside numbers
Moving swiftly towards completion..
Test fit of the wings..
For a bit of fun - a size comparison between the Wyvern & Sea Fury..
Decals being added..
Final assembly - Fuselage & center wing section complete..
Outer wing sections fitted..
A cameo..
Posing in the early evening air..
Till the next build TBG..
While building the mighty Typhoon last year, on a whim I acquired the 1/24th Scale Spitfire VB Trop on a certain auction site...
It went into my stash of kits, until the beginning of the month - when I plucked up the courage to start building it.
Compared to the Typhoon, this is a far more basic kit - however it has certainly proved itself to be a challenging build, due to the age of the tooling.
The Merlin 45/46 engine a far more basic build compared to the Typhoon (and to the Mosqu
