mozart

Yes the Lightning is whetting my appetite too. I was talking to Iain Ogilvie last night, he brought his Trumpeter Lightning and all the re-workings that he's doing on it to club night last night. Bless him, he's going to re-cast a canopy for me because the Echelon one has yellowed with age.

Thanks Andy.....somewhat easier than you and the Bf110G4! Rewarding nonetheless. I know, I went up to the craft room this afternoon and thought "What now?" Felt quite desolated really. I think a Gauntlet has to be attempted but I'm trying to time things so that I'm ready for the Cold War Jets GB with my Echelon Lightning.

Thanks chaps! It was worth taking a few liberties with 56 squadron’s eye catching markings, silver is lovely but those red and white chequers are something else. When my father was a trainee pilot in S Rhodesia in 1943 there were Tiger Moths buzzing all over the sky from several neighbouring EFTSs. So it was decided to paint a chequerboard band on the rear fuselage of Dad’s EFTS (No. 28) because one of their mechanics was ex-56 squadron!

That's interesting, what size is that please? I have 0.030 and 0.050, those are the only ones I've ever been able to find and both are too small in my opinion. I agree about the flat spot or twisting, but Prym behaves itself if you do!! Good luck with the Glad.

OK, with the Gladiator pretty much finished apart from the aerials, the Bucker is calling to me, another ICM kit. I really enjoyed the start of this but got seriously bogged down with the rigging. Quite honestly I didn't know which type of line to use - I don't like EZ line because it's so inconsistent so on this one I used Uschi van Rosten's stuff, but it really is far too thin for this scale in my opinion and an absolute nightmare to use, hence the nearly two years on the SOD. BUT!....renewed and re-invigorated....she will be completed, the rigging being the now tried and tested Prym. I've a little remedial work to do from when I hacked out the previous attempt at rigging, and I need to reconsider moulding the strut "boots", but the Stieglitz should soon have a stable mate on the training field.

And as Robert Lane ( https://elan13.co.uk/ ) observed somewhat ruefully last night, the ICM figures produced to complement their aircraft kits are pretty damned good too!

Spot on Quang!!

Thank you all for your very kind comments! ICM are to be applauded for having produced such a beautifully buildable kit, the fact that it only took me a month to get from “go to whoa” is testament to how well thought out the kit is. Hopefully it will encourage modellers to have a stab at the black art of rigging, and believe me I’m still learning!

We were talking about this last night at the club, it’s a canny move by ICM because of course resin, ie all Silver Wings kits, is not to everybody’s liking.

Me too, but there is something rather special about a Silver Wing kit......mouth-wateringly complex that brings out the masochistic streak!

Two methods Dennis; firstly I drilled the holes to slightly larger than the size of the micro tube so that it fitted quite snugly and secondly I carefully placed a precise amount of CA into the hole to hold the tube. They are not perfect by any means, I will be doing a little tidying up but it’s not too bad.

Well said Paul. If the Fiat is as good as the Gladiator, and why wouldn't it be, ICM are on to another winner which will further encourage them to do more biplanes. Wonderful!! Oh, and welcome to the Forum Paul.

The dampers are just sitting there Brian, I guess they should be "clamped" onto the bracing but too difficult at this scale. Anyhow, apart from the aerial and a little bit of tidying up...........she's finished!! A few rough and ready pictures but RFI in a few days time. I was looking at my Bulldog last night..........daunting!

Brake lines and connectors completed, fiddly but fairly effective I think: I've also added the "dampers" for the main bracing wires: For future Gladiator builders I made them 30mm long from 0.88mm plastic rod.

At last the rigging line and microtube can be put away.......rigging is finito!! Adding a few details now though, like brake lines. I'm using an Anyz connector and braided line, the latter is a bit on the thick side perhaps but I'll see how it looks: The Gladiator MIGHT, be finished tomorrow........ or perhaps not!