GusMac

Followed Ernie's advice and with a bit of fiddling we have a decent result I think. Definitely don't think I'd have got as nice an outcome if I'd followed the instructions.

Looks great Rob. Steady hands required for that.

Engine is now painted up and ready to install. I've got the cowling assembled and filler in a few gaps, so it needs finessed, then I need to get the oil cooler assembled. At this point I'm going to follow Ernie's advice as he mentioned that following the instructions is not the way to go here. The recommendation is to fit the oil cooler to the underside, then fit the engine and lastly fit the cowling. I suspect it'll be fiddly, so watch this space....

Hi Ralph, I just got that very airbrush at the weekend to replace my older H&S Evolution. I've only used it briefly so far but it sprays very well and it's easier to clean than the older version. Spares are also very easy to find as well. I'd heartily recommend it.

The Canada geese are protected over here but are a complete pain - they've turned the grass areas in some public parks into something that resembles the Somme. I think a few folk would fancy taking a few out given the chance. Not convinced I'd want to eat one though, given their diet I suspect they might be a bit 'oily'

This is the updated version of my previous airbrush Kevin and it seems to be a step forward in terms of detail. Neat little details on the needle and nozzles so that you can't mix up the different sizes, etc. Just seems like typical German engineering efficiency.

Started the clean up on all the resin parts for the engine and noticed a couple of issues which are going to take a bit of extra work. Firstly This is the mounting ring for the engine to the firewall, so unless the engine is configured so it can fly in circles easily then this is going to take a good bit of grinding to get things level and straight! Secondly, here's the front of the most prominent piece Looks okay until you see the back view... The opening for the pin that goes through the entire engine is completely off whack, so much so, that I think it's essentially useless. I think the best way forward is to glue the prop shaft in from the front and cut the tip of the pin and just glue this to the front of the cylinder banks. Pretty disappointing quality control given that this is sold as quite a pricey detail set. Given the current status of things with Infinity and HPH there's certainly no mileage in contacting them for a replacement!

Just arrived today, my early Father's Day present. Looks great and has an easier breakdown that the previous version I had.

Possibly a karaoke bar similar to one we were recommended in Manchester when we were at a conference. There were only 2 problems with it - firstly, the karaoke was in Mandarin and secondly, it looked like if you weren't in the Triads you weren't getting a shot anyway! One of those places where every head turns and stares at you when you open the door, so needless to say we beat a hasty retreat and went to the Irish bar down the street.

I've ordered a new H&S Evolution CR2024 2 in 1 with the 0.28 and 0.45mm tips. It's basically the updated and improved version of what I had. Should be here on Saturday, so early Father's Day present for me! Managed to use the old cheapo Chinese brush I have to get primer down on the airframe so far, so next step is a start on the resin engine. That'll have to wait as the next few nights are our local beer festival, so I'm going to be otherwise engaged! 😁🍺

Great to see you back Ernie. From a purely selfish point of view I may pick your brains about your Val build! 😁

Ah damn, I was dithering about ordering the Me410 but it's a moot point now.

Going to be a slight hiatus here as my airbrush has gone phut just as I started laying down the primer. Anyone got any suggestions for a replacement for my H&S Evolution 2 in 1 ?

Got the wings completed but only took pictures of one side. Pretty happy with how they're looking. The hinge pieces for the flaps and ailerons are really poorly moulded so I think I'm going to scratch my own using wire and Evergreen. Plan is to prime this all now as I think any repairs will be easier before I add the spats and wheels, etc.

Slow but steady progress on this one. Got the gaps at the wingroots filled and detail restored and the tail feathers are on. The resin parts are in for the port wing folding mechanism. Fit was easier than I expected but I'm not sure the other side is going to be so simple. That's tomorrow night's entertainment!

Amazing how quick the exhaust stains seem to have appeared given how few hours it's probably flown when this was filmed. Very cool.

Yes, that's a pretty stark difference Rob. My Molotow pen is only a few months old, so I'll need to watch and see if it goes 'off' as Hubert says. Will definitely check out the AK option. I've used their Extreme Metals and found them very good.

Well getting the upper wings on wasn't quite as onerous as I'd thought it might be. Just a bit of sanding and trimming and we were away. As you can see a bit of filler needed along the wing roots but the worst gaps are at the front although I think this is mainly down to how I sanded the edges. This removed some of the scalloped edge which would have filled that space. Anyway, it shouldn't be too difficult to get this all tidied up and we'll be ready to finish the edges of the wings for the folding mechanism.

Looks great Rob. What issue did you have with the Molotow marker? I've only used mine a couple of times but have always found it pretty good.

Been taking advantage of the unseasonably dry weather here to paint all the exterior woodwork on the house, so bench time has been virtually non-existent. I did however get the lower wings on and the fit is very good. Unfortunately, as Ernie found, the upper wings are going to be a different story and I foresee a lot of sanding and grinding in my future!

They'll be fine with just one Carl!

Amsterdam to Liverpool is a fair stretch for a first stint. Thought they might have stopped somewhere on the east or south coasts to break it up a bit. Orkney and Shetland are definitely worth the trip with all the Viking and earlier settlements. It's crazy at Skara Brae on Orkney to think that it was already 2500 years old when the Great Pyramid was built!

Newcastle to Ijmuiden?

Slow but steady progress on this one. Underwing centre section is attached with the chunky spar to ensure the dihedral is correct. I wasn't convinced by the amount of gluing surface available, so this is attached with BSI 5-minute epoxy to make sure it's going nowhere. As Ernie emphasised in his build, you've got to dry fit everything before you commit to glue - I had to thin the top of the spar on one side to stop it catching on the bottom of the cockpit floor but everything seems to be lining up correctly now. First round of filling on the gaps with some Bondo. Next is a second round with Tamiya grey filler, then a proper sanding and reinstating all the detail. Also got the initial resin parts in place for the wing fold mechanism. Thinning the inner surfaces sufficiently was stressful and tedious - you don't want to go too thin but the tolerances are so tight that you've got to push it a bit. If anyone has this set you'll notice that there is supposed to be an inner set of spars 1cm in from the edge (at the marked line) but these will be totally invisible and serve no structural purpose so I made an executive decision and ditched them as the thought of fiddling with tolerances twice was too much to contemplate!

Looks great, did you apply the zimmerit yourself?