LSP_Kevin

Welcome to the LSP Silver Jubilee Group Build - also known as the LSP 25th Anniversary Group Build! 2024 is LSP's 25th year online - longer than Facebook and YouTube, and only one year less than Google! So let's celebrate with a year-long Group Build (well, almost). This Group Build will run from 1 March 2024 until 25 December 2024. The two titles above reflect the two main eligible themes: anything related to "silver" and anything related to "25". For the sake of inclusion, we'll be playing fast and loose with the eligibility criteria as far as the themes go, so even the most tenuous tie-in will probably get a pass - best to ask first, though! I encourage you to be creative! For example, "silver" isn't limited to the obvious case of natural metal or silver finishes. It could be a Silver Wings kit. It could be a kit moulded in silver plastic. The pilot's name could be Silver - etc. You have even more latitude with the "25" criteria - aircraft designation (B-25, Su-25, etc), aircraft markings, manufacturer's block number, kit product number - the possibilities are endless. You only need to state what relationship your entry has to the theme (if it's not already obvious), just so that it's clear to everyone. I'd like to encourage as many members to enter as possible, so the flimsiest of pretexts will be considered! Of course, the standard Group Build eligibility criteria still applies, in that your entry must qualify as an LSP kit under our definition thereof, and be less than 25% complete at the time of entry. If you have any questions, pop them below. The answer will probably be yes, but best to ask anyway! Oh, and have fun! Happy 25 everyone. Kev

The Airfix kit is 1/24 scale (unless we're talking about their 1/48 kits). In any case, if you have your own cutter (Silhouette, Cricut, etc), there are some files on Scale Model Paint Masks, uploaded by our own Thomas Lund: https://www.scalemodelpaintmasks.com/index.php?/files/file/13-italian-fasces-latedxf/ These are the late, square type, but the earlier, round type is there also: https://www.scalemodelpaintmasks.com/index.php?/files/file/84-regia-aeronautica-1940-–-1943-white/ You'd have to cut them yourself, and possibly resize them to suit, but they're a free download if it helps at all. Kev

Build Guide Series No. 8, Building the Special Hobby Tempest Mk V in 1/32 Scale, turns 3 today. And to celebrate, for the next 7 days, we’ve reduced the price to a mere 12 Australian dollars! In this 227-page eBook, our very own Chuck Sawyer undertakes a forensic examination of the Special Hobby 1/32 scale Hawker Tempest Mk V kit, combining it with the Barracuda Studios resin nose upgrade set to produce a stunning model. He leads you through all the pitfalls of construction, and of integrating the resin nose and propellor into the kit. We’ve included tutorials on decanting spray cans for airbrushing, achieving a flawless, high-gloss base coat, and working with HGW’s Wet Transfer decals. So, head over to our webstore and grab yourself a bargain! Kev

Just merged your topic into the main one. Kev

Are we talking about eligibility for the 25th Anniversary Group Build? If so, then the answer is yes. Kev

OK, time for another update! I've been focussing on this one in preference to the Minicraft kit, as I'd like to get the two of them ready for paint at the same time. Plus, I'm actually enjoying this one more! After a successful test-fit of the fuselage halves, I decided to glue them together and then set about dealing with the inevitable seams: Sadly, I couldn't keep the thin plastic of the two halves in perfect vertical alignment, so there's lot of remedial work required. The black stuff is BSI rubberised CA, just to help strengthen the join, as much as anything else. I'll need a primer coat to really see all the areas that still need work. You can see that I've also filled the slots for the wings and tailplanes with Tamiya epoxy putty, which I chose because it cures green, so I could at least see it against the white plastic. I drilled the holes in the wing roots too low, and had to plug them with styrene. Once that's ready, I'll re-drill them in (hopefully) the correct place! I also set about preparing the wings to suit, first by cutting out the wheel bays and giving them a styrene roof so that they now at least have a modicum of depth: There was a nasty mismatch at the leading edge of the port wing, so I packed it out with some styrene rod, rather than relying on putty: I think set about installing some telescoping brass tubing to insert into the holes in the wing root: My original idea involved having the smaller tubing pass right through the wing box, with the larger tubing embedded in the wings, and sliding over the smaller tubing into place. However, I failed to account for the required dihedral, and this made the wings dead flat - and in fact they looked droopy! So I had to settle for a simple pin arrangement. I did similar with the tailplanes: Again, you can see what I had to plug some holes that I initially put in the wrong place! One thing I've learned from this exercise is that simple pin-and-hole arrangements like this are only marginally effective, as they allow the pinned part to spin on its pin, and are not very stable - especially if the pin is not a snug fit in its corresponding hole, which is the case here. For the wings, I might yet add another pin just inside the leading edge, but the tailplanes will be fine with enough glue. And finally, those engines again. It turns out that the spare 767 engines I have are not quite right for the 757, being slightly wider, and slightly longer. Not by heaps, but certainly noticeable when you put them together. So, I've ordered a set of Bra.Z resin engines for this one, but in the meantime, just for the sake of the exercise, I thought I'd see how far I could get with the Welsh engines: I think I could turn them into something usable at a pinch, but it's not my first preference. Kev

Congrats, Dave! Looks terrific. Kev

Another great result, Nick! Kev

Excellent result, Nick! Kev

Incredible work, Tom! I have no idea how you managed to do the framing for the bomb aimer's glazing, but my hat is off to you! Kev

Well done, Tolga! I'll have to get the Aerocraft piece for my own build. Kev

Oh no! I hope you heal up OK. Kev

Yes. Kev

Congrats, Gaz! Wonderful result. Kev

The usual less than 25% complete rule still applies. Kev

Either! Kev

Nice to know where the boundaries are, though! Kev

After he finished the model, Russ sent me a full printed set of the drawings he used, which I still have. Kev

Yes. Kev

Just announced: Kev

There has been discussion on the forums lately about running a 25th Anniversary Group Build. To be honest, the fact that 2024 is LSP's 25th birthday completely passed me by. We made a big deal of our 20th Anniversary, and in many ways this is an even bigger deal, so a Group Build to celebrate is a no-brainer. So, here's the deal. The LSP 25th Anniversary Group Build will run concurrently with other, already planned Group Builds, starting on 1 March 2024, and concluding on 25 December 2024 (finish date chosen for appropriate length and numerical synergy). The theme will be two-dimensional. Given that this is our Silver Jubilee, the first dimension is simple and obvious: anything silver. Needs no explanation, really. But in the interests of encouraging the broadest possible participation, we're going to include as part of the theme anything that relates to the number 25 - anything. This second dimension is as loose as they come, and if you can justify your selection based on "25", then it's in. This Group Build is designed as a celebration of LSP's longevity and overall success - we've been online longer than Facebook and YouTube, and only one year less than Google. And we'd like to have as many members as possible join that celebration, with as few barriers to entry as possible. If you have any questions, the answer is probably yes. But ask away all the same! Kev

This is superb! Kev

Nice work, Max! I have some of those, but have yet to use them. Kev

Congratulations! That looks fantastic. Kev

Excellent work, Si! Kev