simmerit

You can! It’s the shooting season and our last shoot of the year is armistice day, after which I will be back on it. I only generally model between November and March. I’ve got too many hobbies!

Pretty mental couple of weeks at work, so very little done, but........ The second set of moulds turned up and he's changed the casting. I did sed some piccies through so my working assumption is the tweaks have been made as a result of watching this challenge! I'll cut this one out and put it together and take a view on the challenge and where I go from here! Never a dull moment is there?

Both doors done, Off to the gym now. Cut the landing skids which I will have a go at with a blowtorch when I get back and get them bend into shape. They are 2.5mm brass rod. I hope this turns out OK after all the bloody sweat over it!

Slowly working through this one - its proving to be quite time consuming Thought a bit of Halford finest would cheer it up a bit! Waiting for detailed photos of the roof panels before I make start on them. The frame is going to be a bit of a challenge I think. If anyone is interested in having a crack at one of these the lad that runs Tigger models has now incorporated the engine mount into the mould. He's doing me another cast so I will post piccies of that when it comes though. The purchase is contingency if I screw up the roof panels....... Should crack the second door set today and the brass is turning up for the landing skids, so we will see how I get on with those.

I think this is what's known in the model boating world as 'stand-off scale'. Doing my best to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but its not bad given what I'm working with!

Its addictive! Bit more to do

I had a week in the sun, got back with (I suspect it was) Covid then the worky thing got in the way, but managed to get some time in today as I'm off Cut two doors out. Minor disaster with one of them but it's manageable. The it's the joyous task of drilling and cutting the windows out. Another minor disaster in the top r/h corner....... but I persevered with it Another gap to fill...........You have to admit I'm keen! Not getting anymore done now til Sunday as I'm being dragged into London tomoz for a family thing and its Bisley on Sunday morning. Hopefully back on it Sunday afternoon/evening

Tigger glazing is fine for the doors and perspex roof panels, but I am almost certainly going to have to do my own perspex nose for it.

I've just marked the doors up and the vaccuform plastic mould is way too thick for them so I may have a crack at them from brass sheet. It's probably the right answer. Cutting it may be a tad interesting... Not sure if I will get much more done this week as I'm out of the country from 5 days with work from Thursday unfortunately.

It required the BT kit as a donor. I think this may well be the first build that's been tackled on a modelling forum. I couldn't find any others on the web! I've got the padding in both sides now to fill the gaps. I must say this is beginning to look viable!! That doesn't look half bad. Particularly given the start point!!!! Next step is to crack the console and the footwell where the yaw pedal sit. Once i've cracked those, it the skids then the fun and games really begin as its onto the doors and the perspex. The challenging bit is going to be the front perspex section as that will need to be redone - I don't think I can use the vaccuform glass shipped with the kit, but we will see. Oh. I will need to do a bit of filling as well!

Busy week at work and I was shooting yesterday, but managed to crack on a bit Done the floor pan for the rear seat bench No its not cemented in - bit to do before I get to that I cant get the positioning on the floor pan for the pilot an navigator from the shots I've got So I've got a choice which is bang out a 1/48th Gazelle or get to a museum with one I can take some more shots of. I know what gets my vote! location location location is the unknown at the minute Thats probably the best shot I've got Also cant work out the seat positioning so May as well fill the gaps in. Not sure how much I will get done this week cause of the worky thing and I'm off on a jolly on Thursday for five days. I need to get to a museum is the call on this one

Managed to crack on a bit in between walking the hounds and decorating.... Not masses of progress but the floor panels are cut out. The centre footwell is where the rear seat cushions get stored when they are on for things like a casevac or transporting light cargo. Had a go with the dremel also to get the access panel cover in. It's not glued clearly. Next is to start on the bulkhead

Oops. Missed the other piccies

Should be able to grab the odd half hour here and there today - unfortunately OC domestic has me on decorating duties...... I've cut the new bulkhead out surprisingly, its a good fit! This was a big test in terms of viability for the build, and its passed the test! There's quite a bit to do to it before fitting and one of the lads on the other forum who is ex Teeny Weenie Airways has very kindly photographed every square inch of one for me. Piccies came in on Thursday morning, so lots of great reference shots to draw on. There is a big hold behind the seats which is where the crew stored personal weapons, bergans, webbing, the aircraft cam net, aircraft blanks, bubble covers and various other bits and bobs. I'll do my best to do it justice/. I wonder if I can cram a cam net in there and two bergans + 2 x SMGs

I mentioned a few posts ago there was a twist I couldn’t get out, and having had a post about the subject on ARRSE, I’m delighted I didn’t take the razor saw to it. Every day a school day. ‘The fin part of the fenestron is actually an aerofoil shape when viewed from above to provide a little torque reaction in fwd flight, so not symmetrical. The tail boom skins are also different thicknesses each side, but that’s real rivet counting…’