Wingco57

Sorry hear that Dale. Words can be so useless in these cases, but I wish you the very best with your challenge. Keep building models to keep your mind off things, only if just for a little while. Cheers Cees

Thanks chaps, No progress the past few weeks to report. The IPMS SIG has a Malta project on the go and and I am currently working on a 1/32 Hasegawa Spit VB with big ugly Vokes filter under it's nose. Having recently bought a house and selling the current one doesn't do much for modelling as well with the decorating and move on the cards end of March. But the good news is that hopefully soon I have a fully dedicated mancave where I can airbrush more easily than at the dinner table. So bear with me. And @ Neil, finish the damn thing will ya!

In that case you should be able to point out the "inaccuracy"? If it is just a feeling, ignore it then, perhaps it's based on earlier reviews. When the Hasegawa kit was first released the spinner was the weak point. If they have retooled it with the F, then what's the problem? And there is always the aftermarket.

Oh nooooo!!! He is doing it again! Don't make it too nice Jeroen, otherwise the rest of us would look like a bunch of kliederaars.

By the looks of it? Err.........no.

Funnny that Revell took P7350 of the Battle of Britian Memorial Flight as example for their research. They even copied the repair patches on the wings as seen above (and mirrored them on the other wing). P7350 doesn't have those anymore after a thorough refurbishment. I like the Revell Mk II and IX in general, although I do not like the lack of dihedral of the wings when seen from the front. With some work that can be remedied. Cees

Do you keep the stance of the undercarriage like that? It's not a Bf-109

It should with all those windows. Some more progress, I managed to make something that resembles the distinctive throttlebox. Those levers nearly made me crosseyed. But I am pleased with the result, pheww. All I need to do is the pilot’s instrument panel.

I very much like the full size birds such as Ki-61 Tony, A6M.. Zero etc. and closely follow what is going on regarding recoveries and restorations. But just not in miniature. Same with German ones. Can't set myself to building them, I find them boring to do. I know, must be a psychological thing. Cees

Some more progress, The cockpit progresses nicely and is mostly finished. I was planning on scratchbuilding a pilot seat but life is too short so I used the kitpart. The engineers folding seats are fitted. A friend gave me some guitar string which made the heating tubes in the starboard side. Very pleased about that. oh and never mind the very long legs the pilot of this Hally has to have. Things still to do are the throttle box and pilot’s instrument panel. Something I have been dreading for a long time. Cheers Cees

Some more cockpit detailing, although the basics are similar to the Halifax the rest is artistic license.

Some more petite progress on the pilot’s console.

It had a lot of power in the later versions but when they put on the taps, no beer..... been dabbling with some lead wire, a first for me but works a treat. A bit like the original but not too much. Must listen more to Neil and not get too focused on details. Also found a Tamiya beaufighter control column in the sparesbox. Would fit great in the Halifax.

Some more work in the new year. The area next to the pilot is taking shape with the undercart and bombdoor fairing, which needs the levers,and the elevator trimwheel housing. The interior really begins to look like a Halifax.

Thanks Mylord My last update for 2019. Made the basic folding seats for the flight engineer, these need some tubular frame details yet to add.

Sooo,....you throw away the kit and scratchbuild a new one? I always liked the Hawker biplanes. They used to be quite rare but after they found more than a dozen wrecks in a scrapyard in Afghanistan the population is healthy. Cees

Noise!

Hi Neil, The bombardier section walls were black as was the facing side of frame 5. However the floor was green. Some glacier progress. Spent an hour filing the top arch for frame 7 as the very fragile starboard section kept breaking off. It should be stable now ( I hope). Here’s a comparison photo of my 1:1 cockpit ( now at East Kirkby).

Some petite progress.... Made the oxygen box and lid which fits behind the pilot’s bulkhead. This also serves as a step for the navigator to use the bubble sextant. I also made the rail on which the two folding seats for the navigator will be fitted. In order to fit this I had to cut away part of the starboard stay of frame 7 otherwise it could not be fitted.

The masochism continues.... I made the WOP and navigator tables and almost finished the engine control box behind the pilot’s bulkhead.

They did(!?) First there was the bubble top and later the cardoor version. Or do I miss something here?

Strange that apart from the Mk VIII and XVI Tamiya never issued other versions. The short nose Spits such as Mk I/II and the MK V are generally similar and there is a wide appeal with the Battle of Britain, Dieppe etc. Most aces flew these. Cees

Thanks Gus, I actually did that twice in 1/32. Both are online IIRC. But the first attempt ended up in the bin as a result of the ABS, it was made from, kept breaking due to age (I was working on it for 14 years) and the second one (the fuselage) ended up in Tom Proberts fantastic Halifax model. Cees

Some more scratchbuilding. Lower part of frame 5 Getting there Cees