ThomasProbert

Amazing - any progress with the engines yet?

A little more done to the interior over the last few days - I've been concentrating on the Flight Engineer's panel and the bulkhead immediately behind the pilots' seats. Here's the bulkhead and panel before any paint - once again Airscale's instrument bezels came in handy: IMG_0042 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The Milliput sections appear to be a fold-away observer's seat - these will have seatbelts added before the final fitting. A quick spray of matt black followed by more of Airscale's decals and some basic detail painting: S1030251 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr And where it'll fit on the flight deck: S1030252 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Still lots more to make and help me keep busy over the lockdown. Speaking of which, I hope everyone is staying safe and well. All the best, Tom

An interesting point indeed - in this case the ‘vac nonsense’ would likely be the better option if you want an accurate Invader in 1/32nd scale. Perhaps more modellers should in fact build more ‘vac nonsense’ and dig out those old ID Models Invaders buried deep in their stashes and get cracking.

That is very tasty - a beautiful job. Nice to see some ‘in-scale’ weathering too which isn’t over-done and adds to the overall fantastic effect. Lovely! Tom

Little steps... but great to see some Manchester action. Can’t be long until some paint now..? Tom

Evening all, Making the most of self-isolation, I've made a start on the cockpit interior. I absolutely Detest (with a capital D) making cockpits - I find it tedious enough painting kit cockpits so scratch-building them is even worse. I've been putting it off as long as possible with this build, but it's got to the stage where I can't put it off any longer. I thought I'd start with the instrument panel and get that out of the way first. I'll say now that this is far from a perfect replica of a Shackleton MkII instrument panel, but the overall effect is close enough for my liking. The initial job is to make the panel itself and this was done using plastic card. I made some basic rudder pedals beneath from more plastic strip and card. The individual panel sections - in this case the Shackleton seems to have two centre panels (lower one larger and the upper one slightly smaller) and then a panel with the primary flight instruments for each the pilot and co-pilot - were made next and offered up to the main panel for sizing. When the shapes and sizes were correct, I then set about using Airscale's excellent instrument bezel sets to start bringing the whole thing to life: Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The whole panel then got a spraying of matt black, with a drybrush of dark grey to bring out some of the details: Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Next was adding instrument decals - again the excellent Airscale sets to the rescue here: Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr A clear gloss varnish was added to the instrument faces to represent the glass, and some light weathering added on the rudder pedals before it was fitted to the forward bulkhead: Untitled by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The macro photography makes it look a lot rougher than it actually is, and I'm quite pleased with the outcome so far. Obviously lots more to do, but as I'm currently in the swing of making instrument panels and the like, I may have a go at the Flight Engineer's panel next. Stay tuned... Tom

Amazing - thanks, Cees. It’ll certainly give me a good starting point for the weapons bay doors. Much appreciated! Tom

Howdy folks I hope everyone is managing to stay healthy and out of the way of this ghastly virus - I've been making the most of my time at home and have made the elevators for the big Shackleton. Scratch-building this sort of thing is really straightforward, and can be covered in the following steps: Step 1: Using scaled plans, cut yourself four elevator shapes (two left and two right) from plastic card. O.25mm is about the right thickness: IMG_1877 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Step 2: Again, using plans to guide me, the main panel lines are scribed on. This is done before further construction as it's far easier to scribe on to flat plastic card than when it's on the airframe: IMG_1879 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Step 3: Rivets are added: IMG_1883 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Pressing on to the soft cutting mat has actually left a nice oil-canning effect - bonus! IMG_1885 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Step 4: Using off-cuts of sprue, the leading edges of the elevators are made and attached to the hingeline: IMG_1886 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Step 5: Top and bottom 'skins' are then sandwiched together: IMG_1888 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Step 6: The leading edges and end plates are then blended with Milliput: IMG_1891 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Step 7: Fit your latest creations to the stabilisers: IMG_1893 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr And there we have it! Well - not quite. Still some fettling to do with the hinges and they also need priming. Unfortunately the local Halfords is closed due to the virus and I've run out of primer, so that'll have to wait. Stay safe people and thanks as ever for stopping by. Tom

Thanks, Cees - very kind. I’ve sent you a PM via LSP about some Lancaster bomb doors - I’m in need of a favour! Tom

That’s looking great under a coat of paint and no doubt will really start to come to life when the detail painting starts. Loving this! Tom

I've been steadily shaping the rear end today - quite pleased with the new look and I think a big improvement over my original effort: S1030208 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr I've also begun making the master mold for the plexiglass tail cone - this will be bulked out and shaped with Milliput in due course: S1030200 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Good to be making some progress on this again Take care all, Tom

Cheers, guys. It’s been a while since I worked on this but the creative juices are flowing again currently so full steam ahead! Tom

Afternoon all It's been a while since I've done anything on this long-term build, but decided to get it back out for a bit of TLC and decided to jump straight back in and tackle something that I'd been needing to correct... When building the fuselage what seems like years ago I had somehow managed to make the extreme rear fuselage (where the rear observation glazing mates) completely the wrong shape. In my example, you can see I've made the fuselage sides curved, and the upper and lower fuselage too curved as well: IMG_1859 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr ...when compared to the real thing - taken at the Charlwood museum - which shows flat sides and top: Tail Glazing by Thomas Probert, on Flickr So, using some better plans as well as the good old Mk1 eyeball, I made a new shape for the rear fuselage: IMG_1861 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr ...which when offered up already improves the look: IMG_1860 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The difference has now been built up with filler, and slowly a much better-shaped rear fuselage is beginning to emerge: IMG_1868 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Still plenty of shaping and blending to do, but I'm much happier with this now. I've also began inserting the framing into the cockpit as these will be needed to support the glazing when the time comes: IMG_1867 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr I'm enjoying being back on this - let's see how long the motivation lasts! All the best, Tom

That is some top-drawer scratch-building, Cees. This is shaping up to be a masterpiece! Tom

Thanks for the kind words, folks - much appreciated. I've never seen the Trumpy offering in the flesh, but rumour has it the rear fuselage (from where the canopy ends to the beginning of the fairing for the fin) is too long. I can't recall the exact amount, but it is substantial and adversely affects the look of the model - as if it has been stretched. Tom

Progress has ground to halt unfortunately as other projects and life in general have got in the way. I did have it out again the other day though, and it may be making a return to the bench soon, depending on motivation which is vital for long-term builds such as these. Tom

I've just added the final touches to Airfix's classic 1/24th scale Stuka. A great kit to build, and despite its age it's crammed full of detail, has some lovely surface detail and goes together really well. What you see here is as it comes in the box, with the only additions being some Eduard belts and a bit of extra plumbing in and around the engine. All paints were Xtracolour enamels. Ju-87 B-2 'Stuka' - 3/St.G2 - Northern France, August 1940 Picture 1 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Picture 3 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Picture 4 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Picture 7 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Picture 6 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Picture 8 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Picture 5 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Picture 2 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Picture 9 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Happy modelling, folks! Tom

Here's Airfix's classic Harrier GR3 from the venerable 1/24th scale kit, warts and all. Built as it comes, but with some home-made additions to the cockpit and seat. Airfix decals and Xtracolour paints were used throughout. For its age, it's a really nice kit. The cockpit is very basic and the landing gear and bays are lacking in details, but with some good old-fashioned scratch-building you can make a decent representation of the Harrier. Happy modelling! Tom

Afternoon, folks Not a huge amount of progress of late due to work commitments, but I've gradually been adding the interior structure of the forward bow section. My measurements have only been approximate and don't look at this as an example of accuracy, I am just hoping to fill out the interior and make it representative of the real thing. First up has been the forward flooring and ladder up to the flightdeck: IMG_0759 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The raised pierced flooring for the tapered front section is yet to be made - I'm trying to come up with a plan to avoid drilling hundreds of holes... I've added some detail to the areas of the sidewalls that will be visible: IMG_0765 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr IMG_0766 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The door on the rear bulkhead is, as far as I can tell, not present on the real aircraft and it's an open doorway, but as I'm not going to detailing the room behind I hope the Sunderland aficionados can forgive me..? It looks as if a fair bit will be visible through the forward door, so lots more detail to add in due course: url=https://flic.kr/p/2d9JJc8][/url]IMG_0768 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Until next time, Tom

Many thanks for the kind offer, Hubert. I'll keep this in mind when it comes to engines/props in the future... There are a couple of options in 1/48th - there was a full resin kit (manufacturer escapes me) as well as either the Combat Models or Sanger vacforms. Sadly, no injection-kit yet.

Afternoon all Some more progress on the Sunderland to update you on... One of the main problems when building big vacs like this the fact that due to the nature of the plastic and the fact there's no interior provided, the fuselage lacks structural integrity - especially when it comes to adding the wings and tail, etc. Therefore, lots of internal reinforcement is needed to provide enough strength for the model to be able to support itself. So it was out with the profile gauge and thick plastic card, and slowly bulkheads began to emerge... DSC_0039 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr For anyone familiar with the internal layout of the Sunderland, you will quickly see these bulkheads and floors are far from resembling reality, but considering next to nothing of the interior will be visible I went for strength over accuracy. The centre-section 'bomb room' as well as the nose section and cockpit are more in keeping with the real thing, however: DSC_0035 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The other fuselage half... DSC_0037 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr ..now slides nicely over the other... DSC_0041 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr ...apart from the fact that the starboard fuselage is approx. 4-5mm deeper than the port - a bridge I'll have to cross at a later date! The sheer bulk of the fuselage and the size of the real aircraft is quickly becoming apparent: DSC_0043 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr A few more bulkheads to fabricate, and then it'll be on with making the finer details of the interior areas that will be visible. Until next time, Tom

Thanks for the warm welcome, chaps! Yes indeed the B-29 was a challenge to work on due to its size, but at least the span on this is smaller That's great to know, Cees - I have a set somewhere too but I'm not sure how complete they are. I'll keep your offer in mind should I need anything. Most appreciated! The Shackelton is still on the bench but I've not done anything to it for a while - I've run out of steam at the moment. I've been working on it on and off for nearly two years now, so I'm putting it aside for the time being to return to it refreshed and ready to go when the mood takes. I've been working on the interior bulkheads the last few evenings, so I'll do my best to get some pictures of my progress up soon. Tom

Afternoon all - and happy New Year! I thought I'd share a new project with you - the old ID Models 1/32nd scale Short Sunderland vacform. I've had it in the stash for a while, and decided to dust it off and give her a turn on the bench. Saying that, I'm having to use the kitchen table as it won't fit on the bench: IMG_0639 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The cutting mat in the picture above is A3 sized... The first task (after hours of rubbing down the fuselage halves) was to mark and cut out the fuselage openings such as the cockpit, turrets, bomb windows and portholes: Step 6 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr This was mundane but fairly simple to do - it was a case of drilling pilot holes: Step 1 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Opening them up with an old set of sprue-cutters: Step 2 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Rounding and shaping with a sharp blade: Step 3 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr And then a final sanding to neaten everything up: Step 5 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr It took a while, but looks the part now it's done - my mobile gives a useful size comparison, too: Size Comparison by Thomas Probert, on Flickr The interior is devoid of all detail... Interior by Thomas Probert, on Flickr So I'm currently making bulkheads and floors before internal detailing can begin: IMG_0692 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr Lots of work ahead, but great fun so far. All the best, Tom

Evening all This is very likely to be my last completed model for 2017 - I've been working on it on and off since August and it crossed the finish line this week. I picked up this classic from Airfix at a model show for a mere £20, and set about building it for a bit of nostalgia and a love for one of WWII's unsung heroes (the Spitfire seems to get all the glory!) I built it more or less out of the box, but did use SAC metal undercarriage legs, an Eduard seatbelt set and aftermarket decals from Techmod. A bit of extra piping was added to the engine, but other than that it's as it comes. It fitted together pretty well - at least better than I was expecting for such an old kit. The wing roots were a little tricky and there was plenty of filler needed here - Archer rivets to the rescue to replace those lost in the filling and sanding process. The worst fitting parts were probably the landing light covers and these took a lot of careful trimming to get them flush with the leading edge. Some of the detail is a little clunky and not up to today's standards, but the surface detail is streets ahead of the Trumpeter offering, with beautiful raised rivets and lovely fabric effect on the rear of the fuselage. Paints were from the Xtracolour enamel range, with the flat cote from Humbrol. Hawker Hurricane MkIc, 306 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Ternhill, November 1940. For £20 it was certainly great value for money. Happy modelling! Tom

Evening all I've dusted this off in time for a trip to Telford and decided to tackle the rudders over the last couple of weeks. You'll have to excuse the terrible photography as I haven't had the time to get the proper camera set up so I've been snapping away with my camera phone in the dark winter evenings... I carefully removed the fins from the stabilsers and using the set of plans I have, cut the shape of the rudder from plastic card. As the real thing is an aerofoil shape, I cut what would become the leading edges from sprue, and mated these to the rudder hinge line: Next up was to add some thicker plastic card to the forward third of the rudders to aid with the thicker forward part of the structure: The thicker forward sections and aerofoil shape were then made up and blended together with filler: They were then primed with filler-primer, sanded sooth with some micromesh, and then I scribed the basic panel detail on to them. The riveting will have to wait as I can't find my riveting tool anywhere at the moment: The rudders now fit nice and snugly to the fins themselves, which have now been reattached to the stabilisers: And here she is sitting pretty on the kitchen table and ready for a trip to Telford next weekend: As you can see I have also started playing around with the propellers, but more of that next time: I'll hopefully catch some of you at the Nationals - the Shackleton will be on IPMS West Kent so do pop over and say hello! Tom