sandbagger

Hi all, The fin and rudder are now finished. The kit decals were not used, but instead airbrushed. The CDL covering and rib tapes were applied as for the wings. 'Flory Models' fine clay wash (Dark Dirt) applied for weathering. Mike

Hi all, The wings and tail plane/elevators are finished. The underside of the upper wing has 'ghost' roundels visible from the roundels on the top surface - created with masks and airbrushed.. The heat deflector panel (for engine exhausts) on the inboard left wing painted with 'Alclad' Steel on black primer. Final weathering applied using 'Flory' fine clay wash. Surface finish airbrushed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen, Mike

Thanks Sir Des, if a tad overstated Hi all, I think that's as far as I can take the top roundels. The inner white ring was replaced with the same 'Aviattic' CDL decal used to cover the wing. The reason being that photographs show what appears to be CDL inner roundel rings, not painted white. Moving on now to the undersides of both wings. That means red and green outer areas with CDL centre sections and 'ghost' roundels' under the upper wing. Mike

Hi all, Out of interest here's a shot of the various parts that are WIP. I've yet to add the rib tapes, Mike

Hi all, I've started working on the wings. The wings were covered in Clear Doped Linen (CDL), but of a much lighter, almost white' finish. Photographs of the aircraft show darker ribs tapes over the lighter covering, which I'm assuming was because the rib tapes were effectively double thickness linen. The wing were primed with 'AK interactive' white AK-759. The wing spars were masked off and airbrushed with thinned 'Tamiya' Smoke (X19). The masking was removed and the internal cross bracing wires drawn on with a pencil. Pre-shading was then airbrushed with thinned 'Tamiya' Smoke (X19). The wing was lightly airbrushed with the white primer to tone down the pre-shading and spars. The raised detail was then lightly sanded to highlight the wing ribs and outer edges. The whole wing was then sealed with 'Alclad' Aqua Gloss (ALC-600). 'Aviattic' clear Bleached CDL (ATT32044) was used to cover the wing. The same decal, cut into 2 mm strips was used to cover the rib tapes. This is a long tedious job as both sides of the upper and lower wing need to be treated this way, but hopefully it'll have the desired effect. I still have the roundels and markings to apply, plus any final weathering and a sealing coat of semi-matte to finish. Mike

Hi all, If you think the cockpit is small and somewhat cramped, here's a shot of the replica Port Victoria P.V.8 'Eastchurch Kitten'. This is being ground run at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington, near York in the UK. This is similar in size and concept to the P.V.7 'Grain Kitten'. Mike

Hi all, The lower wings are intended to just 'butt' joint against the fuselage sides. Not good, so I've added 0.8 mm diameter rod into the lower wing halves. The longer rod passes through the fuselage and into the lower wing on the opposite side. Also the cockpit has been completed as far as possible as there is no information available. The seat has been replaced with a 'Barracuda' wicker seat and cushion. 'HGW Models' seat belts fitted and instrument decal from 'Airscale' used. Rudder control lines from 0.2 mm Nickel-Silver tube and 0.4 mm Aluminium tube. Switch wire added from 'PlusModel' 0.2 mm diameter wire. I'll be moving back onto the Macchi M.5 build now, so this build will be on hold for now, Mike

I hadn't heard of the 'Sperry Messenger' before so looked it up. Interesting aircraft for sure. But it's even smaller than the 'Kitten' Mike

Hi all, Pilot ('Copper State Models') assembled and primed, ready for painting. He doesn't look too impressed having to fly in the 'Kitten', Mike

Hi all, I've modified the tail plane, fin and rudder in a similar manner to the other flight control surfaces, Mike

Hi all, The elevators are supplied as separate parts,but are intended to be just glued directly to the tail plane. The parts have been moulded very thin so that would be way to weak a joint. Also, again, the kit has no resin or photo-etch control horns. So I've modified the elevators in a similar way as I did for the ailerons. The exception being the holes for the control horns are 0.5 mm diameter and the holes and rods for attaching the elevators to the tail plane are 0.3 mm diameter. Now onto the fin/rudder, Mike

Hi all, Thanks. In fact there were two aircraft built by Port Victoria for the Admiralty design. The P.V.7 'Grain Kitten', but also the P.V.8 'Eastchurch Kitten'. The P.V.8 was partially built at the RNAS Experimental Flight at Eastchurch and was design by the Chief Technical Officer, G.H. Millar. Later it was moved to the Isle of Grain to be completed. It was similar to the P.V.7 in size and performance and like the P.V.7 carried a single Lewis machine gun above the upper wing. The engine was intended to be the 45 hp (34kW) ABC Gnat engine, however like the 'P.V.7 it was first fitted with the less powerful 35 hp (26 kW) ABD Gnat engine. It first flew in September 1917 but found to be unstable in flight so was modified with a revised tail plane and elevators. It proved to be superior to the P.V.7 but also suffered similar engine reliability problems. Like the P.V.7 it was considered to be unsuitable for its intended roll. However it was packed ready to be shipped to the USA for evaluation in March 1918, although whether it was actually sent is uncertain. Mike

Hi all, Well, when I said a basic 'out of the box (OOB)' build, what I really meant was ------------------------- The upper wing ailerons are moulded as part of the wing. The kit has no resin or photo-etch control horns. So I've removed the two ailerons and sanded the leading edges to a more rounded profile. I created a slit indent on both sides of the ailerons, then drilled through a 0.3 mm diameter hole. Into the holes and indent I fitted photo-etch control horns from the 1:48th scale PART set. Three holes of 0.3 mm diameter were drilled through the wing (x1) and ailerons (x2) for the control wires. Now onto the tail plane/elevators and the fin/rudder, Mike

Hi all, The last few models I've built, including the Macchi M.5 I'm currently working on, have all proved to be a challenge in one way or another. So while I'm waiting for decals to arrive, I thought I'd start on what will effectively be an 'out of the box' (OOB) build, mainly due to there being no information available on this one-off prototype. The aircraft is the very small Port Victoria P.V.7 'Grain Kitten', a resin kit from 'Planet Models'. In an attempt to break the stalemate on the Western Front, the German Imperial Navy commenced air raids on England, first against military then later civilian targets. The first attack came on the night of 19th January 1915 when the German Zeppelin L3 attacked and bombed Great Yarmouth on the Norfolk coast, resulting in the death of two civilians. That same night another Zeppelin attacked Kings Lynn and two more people died. Public outrage provoked the government to introduce measures to counter the Zeppelin air raids, however anti-aircraft guns proved ineffective, as the airships flew too high and were able to shut down their engines and glide, making detection from the ground extremely difficult. The Admiralty put forward the idea that aircraft, launched from decks on ships or from floating and towed pontoons, could intercept and destroy the airships over the sea, preventing the wreckage falling over land and causing more damage and casualties. This prompted designs for lightweight fighters that were capable of being ‘sea’ launched. The Port Victoria P.V.7 ‘Grain Kitten’ was a prototype fighter designed and built by the Port Victoria Marine Experimental Aircraft Depot on the Isle of Grain. The aircraft was a very small and light weight tractor biplane, intended to fulfil the Admiralty requirements and was designed by W.H. Sayers. The wings were of the ‘sesquiplane’ configuration, the lower wing being much smaller than the upper wing. The wings featured the same high-lift section as used in previous Port Victoria aircraft and were fitted with ailerons only on the upper wing. It was intended to use a 45 hp (34 kW) geared ABC Gnat two-cylinder air-cooled engine and the armament was a single Lewis gun mounted above the upper wing. The P.V.7 first flew on 22 June 1917, powered by a 35 hp (26 kW) ABC Gnat engine, as the intended engine was not available. The official trials took place on the 6th of October 1917 but the P.V.7 proved to be tail heavy in the air and difficult to handle on the ground and the sesquiplane layout and high lift wings were c onsidered not to be suitable for such a small aircraft. In addition, the Gnat engine proved to be extremely unreliable, with test flights being forced to remain within gliding distance of an airfield, in case of engine failure. The P.V.7 was rebuilt with new wings of conventional aerofoil section, a modified tail and a new undercarriage to eliminate some of the problems found in testing. However, the low power and unreliability of the Gnat engine prevented the P.V.7 being suitable for its intended use and the P.V.7 was never flown again after it was rebuilt. In June 1917 the German military stopped using Zeppelins for bombing raids over Britain. Although a tremendous psychological weapon, they had actually caused little damage to the war effort. Of 115 Zeppelins built, 77 had either been shot down or otherwise totally disabled. Instead, air raids continued but using aircraft, such as the Gotha. Crew: One Length: 14 ft 11 in (4.55 m) Upper wingspan: 18 ft 0 in (5.49 m) Lower wingspan: 12 ft 7 in (3.84 m) Height: 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) Wing area: 85 sq ft (7.9 m2) Empty weight: 284 lb (129 kg) Gross weight: 491 lb (223 kg) Engine: ABC ‘Gnat’ air cooled two-cylinder horizontally-opposed piston engine, 35 hp (26 kW) Performance: Maximum speed: 85 mph (137 km/h, 74 kn) at 6,500 ft (2,000 m) Service ceiling: 11,900 ft (3,600 m) Time to altitude: 22 min to 10,000 ft (3,000 m) Armament: A single .303 inch Lewis machine gun, located above upper wing. Mike

Hi all, The propeller is finished. Hand made wood laminate special from 'ProperPlane'. Airbrushed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311) with a few drops'Tamiya' Hull Red (XF9). Erosion protection stripes (either Copper, Tin or Mondel (Copper-Nickel Alloy) brush painted. Propeller bosses brush painted with 'Mr. Colour' Stainless Steel (213). Final sealing coat of 'Tamiya' Clear Orange (X26). Propeller bosses coated with 'AK Interactive' Kersosene (AK2039). Mike

Hi all, I'm calling the fuselage finished. I've scuffed the underside roundel to represent water wear. The fuselage was given a weathering coat of Dark Dirt clay wash 'Flory Models' to represent general grime, especially as crew and mechanics had to walk on the cockpit decking. It was then sealed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311) lacquer. A second light wash of White was applied to give an indication of salt spray and to highlight the fuselage panel nail lines, then sealed again. Now onto the wings, Mike

Hi all, The fuselage is progressing with the stripes and Latin legend 'Frangar Non Flectar'. Just the three metal hatch covers to add and final weathering and finish, including the fuselage nail lines. Then onto the wings, Mike

Hi all, I still have weathering, nail lines and the green fuselage stripes (waiting for paint to arrive) to do. However I have: Painted the gun ports and rigging panels ('Mr. Colour' Stainless Steel). Painted the engine support strut mountings ('Mr. Colour' Aluminium). Fitted gun barrels (0.7 mm diameter tube) painted with 'Mr. Colour' Iron. Gun Sight (0.3mm and 0.5 mm diameter tube) painted with 'Tamiya' Rubber Black (XF85).. Compass binnacle (modified sprue with a compass decal and clear 'window'). Windscreen ('Alclad' Duralumin) - clear area treated with 'Pledge' Floor care. Mike

Thanks - I try. Hi all, The fuselage decal are now on. As the kit supplied decals are translucent and darker colours underneath show through, I had to cut out white decals for the roundels and skulls. Not easy but at least the darker wood colour doesn't show through, Mike

Hi all, As I wasn't happy using wood effect decals I stripped off all of the previously applied roundels, stripes and the wood effect decals. I then sanded the fuselage and re-primed with 'AK Interactive' white (AK759). Then I applied 'Tamiya' Dark Yellow (XF60). I masked off the white areas then sponged on 'DecoArt Crafters Acrylic' paint along the fuselage. Next is to Airbrush 'Tamiya' Chear Orange (XF26) or Yellow (XF24) mixed with a semi-matte sealer ('Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311). Then add the roundels and fuselage stripes (white decal first). Add back the nail lines with a 'Rosie the Riveter' (1:32nd - 1 mm). Apply the final decals. Finally a weathering wash of 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt or Grime followed by a light sheen sealing coat. So still a bit to do, Mike

Hi all, I've removed the wood effect decals from the fuselage as they proved to be extremely easily damaged, even after being sealed. Maybe a bad set of decals, but I've never know decals to chip, tear or lift off the surface after being sealed!! It's as though the have no adhesion at all. Anyway I'm reverting back to using oil paint to represent the fuselage wood panels. Mike

Hi all, An example below of the 'translucent' decals supplied in the kit. When applied over other decals or paint, the colour below shows through. This means a white base colour needs to be applied, both under individual decals as well as for the wood effect decals. I had thought of various way to get around these translucent decals. Applying the wood decals, then white paint or white decal over the wood decals where the kit decals are to go, then applying the kit decals. Applying the wood decals then using masks to airbrush on the various kit markings. Applying the wood effect by oil brushing then airbrushing the kit markings. Although all of the above are feasible, they all involve either two or more layers, which might leave a 'ridge' around the finished markings. That would be tricky to eliminate without damaging the markings and surrounding area. Applying the wood and kit decals separately onto a white base coat is not going to be easy and will be time consuming, but hopefully there won't be any noticeable ridges and it'll all look uniform. We'll see Mike

Hi all, The fuselage has now been prepared for application of the decals, which hopefully will be a combination of wood effect decals and kit decals. If that doesn't work out I'll revert to creating the wood effects using oil paints. The actual aircraft had a Latin legend along both sides of the fuselage - ‘FRANGAR NON FLECTAR’. Some translation for this are: 'I am broken, I am not deflected' ’I’ll break but will not bend’ 'I will break, not bow' 'I am broken, I am not deflected' This is not supplied as a decal in the kit, which is not surprising given it's not even shown on the kit colour illustrations!! As there is no aftermarket for this I have to resort to creating a mask set, which I've done on my 'Cricut Air 2' cutting machine. Hopefully the mask won't peel off and decals or paint when I remove them, as airbrushing this legend is literally the last job on the fuselage. I've added the 'dome' in front of the windscreen and what appears to be a rudimentary gun sight. The purpose of this 'dome' is unclear. I've primed the fuselage in white as the decals are somewhat 'see through', so need a white base under the roundels. Also the wood effect decals need a white background. I've added pre-shading along the wood panel nail lines, which I created with a 'Rosie the Riveter' tool. Mike

Hi all, The cockpit is now complete. As I found with the engine, the cockpit required a lot of modifications and additions to bring it up to looking more like the actual aircraft cockpit. Basically, the modifications and additions made were as follows: Fuselage inner side walls heavily thinned and both assembled machine guns modified to allow the guns to sit in their correct positions in the cockpit. Forward bulkhead repositioned as the kit instructions were incorrect. Support bar for the instrument panel and climb indicator replaced with micro-tube (kit part too short). Cockpit rear padding created from ‘Milliput’ (kit photo-etch part unusable). Cockpit forward edge padding bead added (not in the kit). Pilot’s seat – addition holes in the seat back. Pilot’s seat – slots created for the seat belts. Pilot’s seat – seat support frame created (not in the kit). Pilot’s foot board assembly modified to allow the control column to be positioned further away from the pilot’s seat. Pilot’s seat top attachment to rear bulkhead added. Panel switches replaced with micro-tube (kit photo-etch unrealistic). ‘Taurus Models’ starter magneto added (not in kit). ‘Taurus Models’ starter magneto safety switch added (not in the kit). Tachometer ‘scratch’ replaced (kit part too large). Engine half compression lever and control rod added (not in the kit). Fuel contents pipe to gauge added – ‘PlusModels’ lead wire. Oil pressure pipe to gauge added – ‘PlusModels’ lead wire. Micro-tube used for control rods (Half compression control, Spark advance control, Fuel mixture control). Cockpit window ports created using clear acetate sheet and in-filled with ‘Krystal Clear’. Rudder control cables added (0.4 mm Nickel-Silver tube and 0.12 mm mono-filament). Hole drilled through right side of fuselage (at engine forward right support strut location) – for cockpit controls to engine. Control column machine gun triggers replaced with micro-tube (kit photo-etch unrealistic). Machine gun trigger cables added (‘PlusModels’ lead wire). Other than that, the cockpit was built straight out of the box!! I forgot to take completion shots of the cockpits internals before closing it up. However, there is the one shot on the cockpit floor assembly finished. In the following photographs, the two ‘white discs’ are the cockpit window ports – the ‘Krystal Clear’ was still setting when I took the photographs, Mike

Hi all, The cockpit has been modified to correct and add components not supplied in the kit. Corrected: Positioning of both machine guns (rearwards into the cockpit and closer to the cockpit side walls). Replacement instrument panel support bar (kit part too short). Control rod for Mixture control and Spark advance levers replaced (too weak). Tachometer replaced (kit part too large). Added: Fuel panel switches (0.3 mm tube). Mixture control and Spark advance control rods (x2) (0.4 mm tube).. Starter magneto ('Taurus Models'). Starter magneto safety switch ('Taurus Models'). Replacement Tachometer (from sprue). Half compression operating lever and control rod (spare photo-etch and 0.4 mm tube). Cockpit front edge padding ('ANYZ' 0.5 mm braided line). After painting I will add: The fuel contents and oil pressure pipes to the instrument panel. Wiring for the starter magneto and safety switch. Tachometer drive shaft. Instrument decals (not supplied in the kit). Transparencies for the two 'windows'. Flight control cables. The shots below show the primed cockpit components dry fitted (except control column). Mike