BlrwestSiR

Peter, it was my pleasure to help you out. Easy enough on my end and I just wanted to make sure you didn't miss out.

Just met the post woman at the door and got a package from New Zealand. One is for @Peterpools as soon as I can get to the post office, hopefully tomorrow.

Harv, it's a great place to visit. They're restoring a Bollingbrook and Spitfire. The Lanc is opened up for service getting it ready for the flying season. They have the Canso and Dakota and a couple Harvard's I think.

Harv, it was a lot of fun. It's great having the show surrounded by aircraft. I sent one pic to Martin and he saw that the museum's Dakota was in the background and asked for some pics of it. Easy enough to oblige when there's no ropes around them and you can basically just walk around and underneath the plane. Here's my sons standing in front of it. I was hoping to get pics of their Canso for Chris but they had it in the center of the vendor section surrounded by tables.

Naval stuff: 1/200 Arizona I was curious about the model on the right so here's the entry card: Another 1/200 ship but this time the Yamato. Lastly, another Arizona build, just a different presentation. There were lots more models but it was too busy later on to get pics of them ,much less see them all as the crowds filled in. One section I missed was the Junior section. What was on display there would give us hope that the hobby won't die off with our generation. Overall I have to say it was a great success. Can't wait until next year.

Space and sci-fi: I think some of the colours might be a bit off but an imposing model nonetheless. Stunning cutaway of the shuttle orbiter. Mostly scratch built.

Armour:

Just got from this year's show at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. This year the show was absolutely packed. The contest tables were initially a bit bare looking when we got there but by the afternoon were fairly full. Lots of vendors were there too. Here are some pics from the contest tables. I think this was done by someone on LSP. Can't believe it was 1/144

Our oldest son is a ship modeler so that was his focus. I also got a book on the Snowbirds and some Tamiya paint which was 3 for $5 so why not.

Just got back from the Heritagecon show. The show was packed. Shortly after arrived they had to open overflow parking for visitors. Lots of deals on Border Lanc kits. Seemed every shop had at least a couple to sell. $800 CAD ( about $580 USD) tax in was the best I saw. 1/200 Arizona was $200 CAD and the same scale Bismarck was $300 CAD. Debated the last one until someone else saved me the divorce and bought it. I didn't come away empty handed though. My sons both came along and picked up some stuff too. Edward got a giant goldfish. No, that's not a typo. In the time it's taken me to write this, he's already built it.

If one was able to stay on a 4x6 section, I could have 9 of us working

Bandai do a Death Star II kit and it being about 3" across, would make for a good forced perspective display with the Enterprise. Question is, which Enterprise? The TV version, Refit, or ugh, the JJ-Prise? I think you have the 1/350 kit? That would the two first options.

Awesome diorama Scott. I also thought you might incorporate a Nautilus but dismissed since you built one already. Great way to combine two sci-fi icons. The first pic with the lighting is outstanding. Really makes an impression.

Nice work John. Even though it's a challenging kit, you're just ploughing through it.

Peter, that's an absolutely fantastic job on the engine. This is going to be a great build along with John's to follow.

Great progress Gary. Interesting in that the fuselage has that bevelled edge. I wonder if that's a result of the moulding process. To me, the fit you've achieved seems ok. The canopy looks impressive in its fit too.

That's the sort of display case I'd like to have.

I've started work on the cockpits. First up is the RIO. After cleaning up the resin tub and making sure it fit, I painted the base coat of XF-19 Sky Grey. I then masked off the panels to paint them black. This didn't take too long thankfully. I used Rubber Black for the panels. With the tape removed. There's some detail painting and weathering to be done next.

Thanks Peter. It went easier than I thought it would. I think having the fuselage split up into two upper halves helped. The lower section was a bit more challenging with the engine tunnels. The forward fuselage is already engraved but had a pair of large raised sections that needed to be made flush. They remind me of the BDR patches on the Tamiya F-4 kits. I duly sanded both off and restored the panel lines. The NLG bay has some huge ejector pin marks on it. Problem is they go right through the moulded on detail. I chiselled the details flat and glued some styrene rod over top as a quick fix. It's not perfect but I generally don't flip my planes over.

Great progress Chris. Can't believe how long the struts are. Odd how they could get it that off but your fix seemed to have worked.

Tell me about it. I don't even have window for natural light.

Just putting the final coat of varnish on my new workbench: 36' long and 6' wide. I think I'll be able to start my entire stash on this one and still have room. Don't I wish. It's the cutting table at work that I've been refinishing for the last couple weeks.

Peter, I have a Sharpenair for my airbrush needles: https://www.mapleairbrushsupplies.com/products/sharpenair?variant=31380551043 I picked it up a few years ago and it can straighten out a bent needle tip and remove any nicks in one. It's also simple to use.

That fuel line gave me fits trying to paint the fittings on it. You've made it look so easy.

Must be the Toronto in me talking.