GusMac

As promised some pictures of the (slow) progress with the ordnance. They have all been flat-coated after weathering but they do look rather glossy in the photos. However, the Tamiya flat clear isn't as flat as I've found previously when I used the rattle can version. May be as I thinned it slightly with Mr Color Levelling Thinner which does seem to give matts a slight sheen. The detail on the Isracast Pythons is quite a bit better than the kit Sparrows and Sidewinders so I'm thinking of trying to tart them up a bit. Might try making some seeker head covers for the Sidewinders as I've seen a few folk do this using foil from wine bottles. Never tried anything like that but I don't have to use them if they look awful and I still get to drink the wine! Just for a giggle here is the Sparrow that became a battle casualty And here's the culprit in one of his angelic moments Little dogs love to chew! Will post some more pics if I succeed with the covers. Basically, I'm procrastinating about starting the main painting as I'm a bit daunted at the prospect. Bigger than anything I've done before and I'm not sure if I'm up to the black basing with an essentially monochrome scheme. Got to bite the bullet though! Gus

Pray tell, Jeroen?!

Slowly! Too many distractions - getting my son back to school and my daughter ready to start her first year at University, plus the Olympics!! Have mainly been working on the ordnance. Painted, glossed, decaled and currently getting weathered. Will post some pics soon.

They look very nice Cees. I can't imagine sanding Perspex is much fun!

Probably more nutrition in the missile too! Well, certainly more than some of our other delicacies such as deep-fried Mars bars!!

Thanks for posting Cees. It always amazes me how neatly some of these disassemble.

Well found the Sparrow. Let's just say the score is Jack Russell 1 - Missile 0! Well chewed would be a good description. I'll post a couple of pics tomorrow.

That looks great Tom. As you say it just adds so much character to the look of the plane.

Thanks for the offer Dennis. I'll keep it in mind but at the moment I'm kind of determined to find the missing one, it is now an obsession! I may be back to you though. Don't think I'd get the dogs to stay still long enough to paint them, although they'd blend in nicely to all the fields of grain here in a Raam colour scheme.

Nice Cees. How are you making the clear part for the cover? Crash moulding?

Thanks for the tips Dennis, you're getting me interested. Currently have a bigger issue though - the carpet monster has struck, big time! I've managed to lose an entire AIM-7 missile!! Got the blue base coat on the Pythons and the white on the Sparrows and 'winders and had started masking off for doing the fins, noses, etc. They were all sitting on my bench on Sunday morning but by evening one had vanished. My wife may have knocked it off when she gathered her sewing stuff - if it hit the floor I suspect it's either in a Jack Russell or has been buried by a Jack Russell! If it doesn't turn up then it will just have to do with 3. I'm not paying the prices on eBay for a set of the Eduard resin ones.

Hi Dennis, yes I've seen it but not sure I'm ready for it. This is only the second thing I've airbrushed and I still find things like thinning a bit of an adventure. Not sure I could get the 'top' coat thin enough - I find it hard to control the flow if the paint is very thin. Now I know why some airbrushes come with the little lock to control the flow rate! Currently doing the missiles so I'm getting a bit more practice and I have an old Skyray I might have a shot at trying things on. Keen to push myself so I will keep this in mind. Sorry to hear the Hawk has bitten the dust. Did Revell ever respond? Gus

Thanks Dennis, I've relatives down in Invercargill and from what I remember the weather there could be similar to here. Anything at any time! Hoping to make a start on the painting this weekend.

Evening all, just an update on progress with this. Everything is now primed ready for the real painting to begin. It's not until you start to paint this that you realise how big it is, there's a good chunk of a bottle of Mr Surfacer 1500 on here even with it well thinned. Apologies that the photos are a bit overexposed - the sun was actually shining here in Scotland and it takes you by surprise! Here are all the sundry components. The sharp eyed will notice something rather odd about the missile load - I've seen a couple of photos of Doubletail squadron Baz with an asymmetric load on the wing pylons of two AIM-9L on one side and two Python 3 on the other from 1982/3, the time period I'm after. I've no idea if 840, the plane I'm building, carried this load but I'm pulling a bit of artistic licence as I think it'll add a bit of visual interest. Good illustration of how much bigger the Python 3 is than the Sidewinder shown here. The Python 3 and the Magrefa pylons are from Isracast and went together very nicely. Next step is giving everything a polish with micromesh clothes and then on with the painting. As usual, comments, etc welcomed. Cheers, Gus

Hi Dennis, have been busy constructing all the detail parts, missiles, etc then removing the seam from the canopy and started priming. That's where things slow down as it's bigger than anything I've built before and the airbrush work seems endless! Have a day off on Tuesday so hoping to get the priming finished then. Will post some pics then. Cheers, Gus

Could have been worse gents, I held off buying our euros for France until after the vote and it cost me an extra £90 or so.

Can't blame you Cees. We do produce some more appetising foodstuffs and also abominations like the deep fried Mars Bar, 'invented' about 20 km from where I stay. Mind you I always remember the Smurf ice-cream my son was so fond of in Amsterdam - there is no way that blue colour came from anything natural or healthy! James, I sincerely hope you don't end up needing a passport to visit your relatives in the future depending on what our elected 'betters' come up with down the line! This all reminds me of the great Billy Connolly line 'that you can go anywhere in the world and come across someone with Scottish blood in them other than Princes Street during the Edinburgh Festival'.

Great picture. I like the green & blue tartans best myself. The kilt I wear most often is Hunting Fergusson which is one of our clan tartans. Can you get haggis in the Netherlands? Not sure about the EU rules but I know it's banned in the US as it's consideed unfit for human consumption due to the offal in it - my kids would agree, not being fans.

Your parcels would be alright by that route Rob if all our excise men were as efficient as old Rabbie Burns. He was too drunk most of the time to be very good at his job. Ah well, another national stereotype confirmed.

Thanks again Rog. They certainly look easier and better than trying to glue runs of individual links.

Don't worry, once our glorious leaders get their way and we secede from Brexitistan and become the People's Socialist Republic of Scotland within the EU you might be able to get it from Wonderland in Edinburgh at a reasonable deal! Mind, we might all have to climb over a large pile of metaphorical dead bodies before that happens. Sorry, too much politics. Actually, that sums up the last 2 years here in Scotland. If I didn't see or hear from another f****** politician for the next two years that would be just perfect. There are times when becoming a hermit seems like quite a good career move!

Thanks Rog. I'd seen the name Magic Tracks mentioned but wasn't sure what they were. They sound easier than having to cut wires, etc for the Friuls so L may have a hunt on evilbay to see what I can find. Regards, Gus

Very nice Tom. It will be interesting to see how the new Trumpeter versions shape up when they come out later this year (?). Bet you won't pick them up for 25 quid!

Thanks Erik. Never really done any armour since I got a bit more 'serious' about things, so I've only used the rubber band tracks and one set of the individual link type on an AFV Centurion which I found horrible to work with. Looking on various forums the Friul metal tracks seem to get great reviews so I might give them a bash. Cheers, Gus

Hi all, just back from another great holiday in Normandy. We were staying in Arromanches so I had the daft idea of a diorama of part of the artificial harbour. Looking at it now back home after some research it's not really feasible in 1/35 as just one section of Whale roadway would be about 70cm long and my scratching skills aren't up to that. However I quite fancy doing a Sherman V probably of the 2nd Fife & Forfar as I had a great uncle who served with them. So question is, there seem to be two options for an M4A4, Dragon or Asuka, but which is best? I know the Asuka kits seem highly rated in general but is it true? Any thoughts/advice welcomed. Gus