Uncarina

Ernie, you are too kind! It would be great to see your magic with this kit! I have to write that this is one of my favorite builds in recent years, in any scale. Cheers, Tom

Martin, thank you! Cheers, Tom

...and a little more:

A little progress. First: Then a swirled sea blue undercoat: Then the camouflage. I’ve marked the RAF Green using a colored pencil over the Ocean Grey, then will add it with a tight feathered edge: Cheers, Tom

Crazy good! Really nice detail work Jeroen! Cheers, Tom

What an entrance! That is exquisite paintwork! Cheers, Tom

Please oh please do NOT make me want one, don’t make me want one! Martin, fantastic job bringing this to life! Cheers, Tom

Thanks Gaz! It’s all Airfix! They did a phenomenal job with the surface, and I applaud them with stepping past the status quo to do this. I wonder what the molds look like? Cheers, Tom

Martin, thanks! After adding a few more bits, it’s off to masking and a Tamiya AS-12 base. I plan to paint most of the markings. Cheers, Tom

Beautiful work Danny! Cheers, Tom

Thanks Pete! I did ask Airfix if they wanted me to build a review sample of the Hellcat...:) Cheers, Tom

Thanks Harv! She is a big beast, and it’s hard to stop staring. Flaps and masking next! Cheers, Tom

A wee update today: made a bit of progress since the last update! The fit has overall been really good, ranging from surgical precision to needing a little filler. To date: --I detached the engine to make fitting the cowling panels fit better; I wish I could have done this with the intake screen as well, but I managed to make it work; the biggest gap was at the interface with the wing, and I had to use tiny wedge-shaped shims on each side. --I cut the barrels from the wings and inserted them in the barrel covers, then glued them together separate from the wing. This made sanding easier. I also scribed the covers just short of midway down the barrel to denote the separate halves of each cover (The early Tiffies were missing the outer cover). Having the cannons separate will also make painting easier, and they fit really well into the wing. --The panel under the fuselage fit amazingly well into the rest of the fuselage (the gap simply disappears), but I found it about 0.5mm short of reaching the wing section; I added a shim and sanded it to match the contour. --The huge propellor really adds to the build, but the screw heads were missing from the spinner, 15 in all. I added these with a punch set. The photos are not the best quality, but hopefully you can see the amazing work Airfix put into the aircraft surfaces. Paint stage soon! Cheers, Tom

This has been an epic journey you’ve shared Pete, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely! I am really impressed with your mossie: the build, finish, weathering, and display. Thanks for sharing your work! Cheers, Tom

Thanks Phil! I’m really looking forward to the announcement, since this has been really fun so far. Cheers, Tom

Great work on this bird, Tony! Cheers, Tom

Peter, Thank you! Your encouragement has always been a big support for me. As for Airfix...let’s see what happens at Telford! I think something big might be coming. Cheers, Tom

I’ve read about this as well. One tip is to keep the engine loose to aid with lining up the cowl pieces; unfortunately I glued mine, so I will have to see about this! Cheers, Tom

Great progress Pete! Cheers, Tom

Thanks Guys! I appreciate your warm welcome to this build. Clunk, it would be great to see you work your magic with that kit. Today I built the basic engine, next is the lower wing! Cheers, Tom

This is my first foray into 1/24 scale since I was a kid, building the MPC kits: the Airfix Cardoor Typhoon, and my second ever Airfix kit. For some reason I don't see many of these built, though James Hatch’s build has definitely inspired me. The parts need a little extra cleanup, but the engineering is amazing. Everything is out of the box, except for an Airscale compass decal. This is three days work, and pretty fun so far! Off to the basic engine next, since I don’t want to spoil the bull terrier lines of this aircraft.  Cheers, Tom

Pete, you do so much with just what you have! Thanks for the tip about replacement parts. I emailed again and addressed to Lynne. A humble suggested addition is Tamiya AS-12 Silver spray paint: I use it as a primer since it grips bare plastic quite well and can be used as an underlayer for weathering. Cheers, Tom

Pete, I do feel your pain. I am confronted with a 1/24 Typhoon canopy that’s cracked, with no response from Airfix or Alleycat. In your case, I just bet you can find clear plastic packaging out there with a section that matches the shape you need. Then you can use the kit part as a template. Hope this helps! Cheers, Tom

Thanks Martin! If the objective is fun, best=favorite. Cheers, Tom

My favorite in recent years? The HB P-61 with custom masks and a lot of aftermarket! Cheers, Tom