airscale

thank you chaps question: here is a Mustang pilot - he has a whole load of stuff strapped to his rear end including a parachute.. here is Don Lopez sitting in Lopes Hope... do you think the cushion is a false lead - as in in the outfit Don is wearing does he look like he would have had a seat parachute, therefore if he got out of the aircraft there would be no cushion? and note the life preserver / seat back cushion behind him - to me that doesn't look yellow, but is that just a trick of B&W photo's? thoughts please my learned friends.. TIA Peter

I can't wait to see how this turns out! so adventurous Peter

evening all back with a bit more Mustang mayhem... ..in trying to get the cockpit 'pod' in a state where it is complete and can be fitted into the airframe, I have had to take care of many small details I had earlier left, thinking 'I will do that later...' first up this sidewall.. ..I had added the straps for the flare pistol cartridge box (the four little beige tabs), the landing gear handle I made from brass in a previous post, some black switch covers in the top switchbox along the canopy slide rail and a completely missing thing - the bomb selector handle & cover (with a red top).. maybe seen better here.. and bomb release lever.. ..the cockpit floor was also finished with the canvas cover under the seat with it's pop-off fasteners, and the control column was added and the boot/gaiter - these canvas parts were made with household 3" masking tape which I think worked reasonable well.. ..then a step right out of my comfort zone... I can make anything mechanical - I take a look, break it down into shapes and make thise bits - here though the parts I needed to make were the seat back life preserver (I think) and the cushion... two completely organic shapes.. ..I thought the life preserver could be made of milliput on a base of lightly curved & distorted plasic card covered in foil tape so hopefully once complete I could remove it as it wouldn't stick to it.. ..then it was a matter of playing with the milliput and trying to shape with cocktail sticks to get creases - the button like things were tiny punched plastic discs.. ..I added some piping from sprue & milliput and tried to paint it (another weakness...) ..same for the cushion, though this time a strap was added at the front from folded tape & foil brass retaining straps... ..I am not 100% on it and may try painting it again, but for now it looks like this... ..and at home in the cockpit... ..getting there... TTFN Peter

they updated the link with the right name - the one at the top of the post doesn't seem to work anymore https://www.modelmotorcars.com/peter-castle-uk-1-18-scale-Supermarine Spitfire MkXIV/ Indeed, it is skinned in litho plate or ali sheet Peter

that's incredibly kind of you folks - I am humbled, thank you I got talking to Marvin Meit over at Model Motorcars about needing a light lens for my 1/18 P51 wing landing lamp which they do for the big Pocher car kits and he wanted to see what I was working on - in the course of that, Race #80 came up... next thing I know, he wants a feature on it - so there we go - what a privilige Thanks again Peter PS - I will tell him again it's a Spitfire lol

my thoughts exactly!

good evening my fellow model nuts :) well, I have to confess there is no witchcraft, the pedals and the lettering on them are simple etch parts derived from the plans - the etch drawing just says dissolve a layer of metal (and create the shape) but leave the lettering untouched - bingo you get nice raised letters - I did the same on the fuel tank selector panel you will see in a minute... ..as for the tiny parts, they are just made by deconstructing the thing I want to make into simple shapes and then cutting, filing, drilling stock to get the same ingredients :) again, not a huge amount to show, but I want to try as best as possible to keep a weekly log, so this week's challenge was the collection of fuel control gubbins that sits below the main instrument panel (in fact the switchpanel below that but whatever) - seen here: ..for the central control selector I designed two methods - I had a decal made, and I tried making an etch part with all the lettering so I could paint it black and sand off the top layer to leave the letters and lines.. ..the remaining parts were made up from sheet or bits & bobs... ..these were then painted & assembled - you can see I used the etch part for the fuel control rather than the decal.. ..and they were added to the lower switch panel using templates to set the angles they all sit at.. ..and thats it for this week - told you it wasn't much :) ..need to start getting the cockpit pod ready for assembly now, at which point the weathering will be added to make it a little less toy like.. TTFN Peter

that is staggeringly good, perfectly rendered and just ooozes presence.. ..beautifully modelled.. bravo sir Peter

I just love watching you work your magic Eric - it's my kind of modelling, take what you are given and use it as a canvas for making a miniature where most of the fun is in researching and recreating what you find excellent stuff Peter

this is a must watch for me - and it's the first airscale set I have seen completed so very much a pleasure to see the kit looks amazing & you are doing a masterful job on it Peter

hello again fellow modellers Hi Jay - it's just a cheap Chinese one, but seems perfectly adequate for my needs - I just need to learn how to use it Ahh - that is one good looking Spit - but having done one, I doubt I will do another (especially as it was my favourite Mark..) They are really useful - thanks Chek, I have lots of resto shots, but very, very few of it actually finished so these are brilliant! ..I have been away much of the week, so just a little more done - but each part is one more step towards completion! ..firstly, the control column was finished & painted - I just need to work out what to make the canvas gaiter from as all the materials I have the weave is over scale.. ..and dry fitted in place.. ..next, the rudder pedals... these are in Lopes Hope... a very obvious feature is the writing on the faces ..this was taken care of by making PE parts - here the rounded shape is being imparted by taping & rolling over some brass rod.. ..soon the base pedals were made.. ..then a kit of parts assembled, including the forks that hold them.. ..I checked and only the bottom of the assembly can be seen, so all the upper gubbins was pretty much ignored.. ..and these were then painted and some light scuffing - washes & weathering will come much later... ..thats it for now.. TTFN Peter

evening all thanks for saying such nice things Thanks Jay - always appreciate you helping me understand the airframe I have made the covers but will not attatch them until much later so they don't get squashed.. Now that is an offer I can't refuse Hawk! I will definately be in touch I added the hatches & panels to the underside and rivetted - there are a number of small fragile cup shaped air scoops to be added both sides of the main structure, but I will do that much later so I don't damage them.. I will also do the doors for the oil & radiator coolant exhausts at some point down the line.. ..with that done - I need to stop skinning and get the cockpit finished & installed as the scary bit will be building up and skinning the rear canopy area. I learned from the Spitfire not to race too far ahead with skinning as when you need to do major bodywork & filler it can be really difficult not to damage it and to work around it.. so remindingmyself where I was, I found a few assemblies to do... ..first the Hydraulic Hand Pump seen here.. ..nice turned handle, a tubular & hex section piston case and some cast bracketry.. ..I made up a kit of parts - the most complex of which was the piston housing - this was done from hex brass stock on my lathe... I have so much to learn using that tool... ..the parts were painted & assembled.. ..and a dry fit to check it all fits in.. ..next the Landing Gear Control Handle.. the black funny shaped thing seen here under the vertical trim wheel.. ..this was made from two chunks of square brass stock, shaped with a cutting disc in my dremel... ..not perfect, but near enough for me.. ..and painted and it's decal added.. ..lastly, the control column and mount.. ..I actually made the column ages ago and don't know what I did with the WIP pics, but suffice to say the pistol grip was shaped from a chunk of plastic and had various fittings & the trigger added, the shaft was turned in my dremel with it's subtle taper.. The torsion tube mount thing is again ground from a chunk of brass and is very simplified as all it needs to do is represent the shapes as it all sits under a cloth gaiter.. ..it is articulated, so you could go flying ..not painted it yet, but in situ for reference.. ..should get another good stint in tomorrow so may be back soon.. TTFN Peter

this is like my pet subject so I have a few.. first the most beautiful Mosquito scheme ever - this was the subject of a 1/24 build I never completed - my first build after 20 years, VH-KLG.. ..then just some from my collection of civvies / racers.. topical, this one - anyone for 1/24th... HK anyone? Peter

absolutely superb... really well observed details, and masterfully painted.. Peter

Hi folks Back with a little more... I tried skinning the bottom of the airscoop in one piece, pre-rivetted, but I couldn;t get a good fit.. you can see the gap between the bottom and adjacent panel here.. ..so I decided to try it in two halves, tring to lose the join line down the middle - here the first half starts to get persuaded into shape.. ..and both halves with the skin overlap in the middle.. ..after sanding the join out, the rear of the panel is cut to shape and the waste peeled off.. ..and with some rivet details added.. ..moving backwards, two panels have been added, including one around the oil cooler outlet and a further one is waiting to be stuck down - the intention is to get all the base metalwork down and then sand, shape & refine before cutting out panels for doors etc and riveting in situ.. ..looking to lose another couple of seams, an infill panel between two outboard ones is ready to be stuck down.. ..and now this area is ready to move on to the detail stage.. until next time TTFN Peter