Trak-Tor

Ehmm....
 
It will be ready for Telford:
http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/sentiment/oyajiblog_097.html
 
 
It's already in the Lancaster thread, by the way:
http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=71506&p=978357

So next I put it all together. I added some light weathering to the interior green: a little brown wash and some silver pencil for chipping. Not much, just a little.
I also added an information plate created in TurboCAD and printed on photo paper.

Finite! I have added additional completion pics to the RFI section.

Holly crow! That looks fabulous!

Just to let the cat out of the bag a little bit, LSP's resident foiling master and I are collaborating on an entire book about foiling, with the intention of covering the entire process as comprehensively as possible. It will be the ultimate tutorial!
 
Kev

Guys,
    Thanks for your generous comments!
 
Here's another small update:
 
A few days ago I had accumulated 8 eggshells, crushed them up and boiled them adding some aluminum foil to stain the foil.  Some sheets were laid shiny side down, others dull side down.  I tried to keep the sheets as smooth as possible in the boiling water as it's easy to pinhole them.  This process added some brown staining which I hope will get me half wahy to 'steel'.  Here is the engine section covered:

 

 

 

 
Obviously it's a bit too brown for the outside of a Starfighter.  But on Thunderjet, it's the right color you would just have to rumple the foil the right way to get the desired effect.
 
Thanks for looking!
 
Gaz

Hi Everyone,
    More work on this Starfighter.  I've got all of the bare aluminum parts foiled and polished.  Unfortunately the polishing process undid a lot of the graining I'd put in place.  I've got some seriously fine micromesh to reinstill some strategically.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Now I can get to work on the steel parts around the engine and cannon aperture.  Such a sleek shape.  
 
Thanks for looking,
 
Gaz

Ehmmm.... 
 
http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/sentiment/oyajiblog_097.html
 

I'm sorry, if this is wrong thread for this, but I don't want to start a new one.
I was quite excited to see this today.
New 1:32 P-51D Mustang by Revell on Modellbau-Messe in Vienna:
 

 
And also new 1:48 Beaufighter TF-X:
 

 

 

Ehmmm.... 
 
http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/sentiment/oyajiblog_097.html
 

Airbrushing on bottom finished

Ordered this today (and just now got the notice that its been shipped too!) :
 

 
 
 
 
After most recently ordering and receiving my knock off picture lighting and background kit (which has worked wonderfully  for what I paid for it BTW) it has done something I didn't expect....................
It has clearly pointed out how utterly crappy BOTH my cameras pics are (Sony CyberShot and a Samsung Edge 7 camera phone) vs true nice digital DSLR pics. It also brought to light that while the lighting setup is great and works exactly like it should, it doesnt make the pics, and if you have a sub par camera, you will still get sub par pics.
The main issue I was having was odd color lines all through my pics with the cell camera, as well as its depth of field (or lack there of). I think Ive solved that with this setup. Ive been looking and saving for a DSLR for a long time, but never really had the motivation to move on one till I got the lighting set up. (which I will work on reviewing this next week now that I have all pics of it taken) 
 
I really wanted a bundle deal, with a tripod, and a case and a decent sized SD card, as I think these are all really needed things, and their costs together can really start to add up. Most of the bundles I saw had crap in them I didnt want or need like goofy  colored light filters, long zoom lenses, or short mid road lenses that didnt do any of what I wanted.
This perticular bundle has:
 
- Nikons new D3400 body w/Blue Tooth for x-fering pics instantly to my smartphone (no lens, like what I was looking for)
- Waterproof case
- LION battery and charger
- DSLR hand pad
- Strap
- 32Gb SD card
- Camera remote
- Full lens cleaning kit
- 60" pro series full size camera/video tri-pod
- High speed SD USB card reader
- Vid/camera screen protector kit
 
 
I was purposely looking for a good deal on Nikons new mid range D3400, as its got overall good capabilities, and Im not going to be using it for professional pics, and its got just enough of the features that I wanted to keep me busy.  I also was looking for a deal JUST like this that came with no lens, as I figured I could save overall by getting a body only, and going with the lens of my choice. It definitely worked out that way too. 
That being said, and having looked at a butt load of reviews on the best macro lenses for the Nikons DSLRs, I came to the conclusion that most really decent macro lenses are in the $400 to $500 range; except 1. I found a lens by Sigma at NewEgg that had really great reviews mostly, and some nice features for under $170.  That was WAY closer to my price range, although it doesn't have weather seals, (wont be able to use it in inclement weather) or high end image stabilization, it fits my needs, and I think with the macro feature of this particular 70-300mm lens, it has the chance of producing some really killer photos.
 
Its the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG lens w/Macro feature - Although it doesn't have image stabilization, its macro features are nice, and the disadvantages like noisy zoom, no weather seals, and no image stabilization aren't that big of a deal to me.  The reviews are best in its class for the price and what you get:

I even stopped by the local camera shop to see comparatively what it might cost me for all this stuff there, and I was sorta blown away.  They sold their D3400s bodies for the same price as the ones that came with the standard short lens, for $599,99.   Add a 60" tripod, a 32Gb card, and a weatherproof case and you are at near $800 with tax.   Add in the separate macro lens I wanted to that, and Id have near a $1000 in this with tax.
With free shipping on the Nikon deal from EBay, and free shipping from NewEgg on the Sigma macro lens, Ill be right at $523 for the bundle deal and the lens both separately shipped to my door. 
 
 
All this is leading me up to where I want to be, which is getting some good shots the article Im writing for a soon to be named Publishing source. 

I'm sorry, if this is wrong thread for this, but I don't want to start a new one.
I was quite excited to see this today.
New 1:32 P-51D Mustang by Revell on Modellbau-Messe in Vienna:
 

 
And also new 1:48 Beaufighter TF-X:
 

 

 

I'm sorry, if this is wrong thread for this, but I don't want to start a new one.
I was quite excited to see this today.
New 1:32 P-51D Mustang by Revell on Modellbau-Messe in Vienna:
 

 
And also new 1:48 Beaufighter TF-X:
 

 

 

Wow, really excellent work! And great pictures.
Keep it coming!
 
Juraj

Well folks, it's about time this build had an overdue update! I've been nibbling away at it in the background for a while now, but only making progress in fits and starts. Tim's death shocked me a bit, and kind of paralysed me with regard to this project for a little while. It needs to be finished, of course, so I've resolved to get it done, but perhaps back off the all-in, all out approach it's had so far. The fact is, fitting the Aires wheel bays has ruined the wings, which had the knock-on effect of ruining the flaps, and this has collectively ruined most of the enthusiasm I had for the model. So, it'll just be a painting and weathering exercise from here on out.
 
And here's where we're at:
 

The cowl is the LSP one, and has been fitted out with the internal photo-etched ribbing. What a PITA what was! I think they look OK, though, and should provide a nice effect once the engine is installed:
 

 
I also failed to coax the flaps into a fully round shape, so they look a bit odd, but I can live with it. I think this affected the way they sit against the fuselage, however, and they're mm or two too far forward, causing this gap at the top:
 

 
It looks a little worse in the photo than it actually is, but will still be pretty simple to fix.
 
I've also fully painted the canopy, and installed the windscreen:
 

 
The tape is there just to ensure the part doesn't lift or wander while the Gator's Grip is drying. The canopy parts are clear resin, and included in the Montex birdcage conversion set, along with a set of paint masks to use on them. Neither is particularly great. The clear resin is not so clear, with plenty of distortion and an overall 'lumpy' look that is quite distracting. And some of the paint masks didn't fit well, and the interior and exterior pieces didn't necessarily align perfectly, though I can live with the effect it has created. The worst part, though, was that any piece fitted to even a gentle compound curve just kept lifting!
 
So, overall I'm not too happy with the canopy parts, but they'll look passable on the finished model (I hope). I'll be blending the windscreen in using more Gator's Grip, which should help the overall look, too.
 
So, there you have it!
 
Kev

Howdy!
 
After another stint away for a few weeks I'm back. This one was work related, we were up in Papua New Guinea for a few weeks doing some high altitude training. We have to go there because the mountains in Australia aren't high enough! It was a pretty busy time, but we still managed to find a few moments for a little "heli-tourism" here and there
 
New Guinea is rich in World War 2 history, and you don't have to look far to find reminders of what happened 70 odd years ago. Just in front of the control tower at the international airport in Port Moresby you can still clearly see the earth revetments used to house B-17's. Unfortunately, development is slowly erasing most of the signs, but there are still a few gems to be found, such as these.....
 

 
This is the remains of a type 21 zero. It cash landed in swampy ground in May 1942 after being hit by anti-aircraft fire during a strafing run on 7 mile airstrip. The pilot was taken prisoner and survived the war. This was about as close as I could get to it, despite my determination, as our Chinook started to sink in the muddy ground every time we tried to land there.
 

 

 

 

 

 
I imagine a lot of you will recognise this one. This is the famous "black cat" B-17E which crash landed on a hillside not far from Wau in 1943. It is accessible by foot but we managed to find a place about 50 metres away to land for a few minutes and check it out. It is remarkably intact considering the terrain; the guys did a magnificent job of putting it down the way they did. Unfortunately its accessibility is also a curse; it has been picked clean by souvenir hunters over the years and subject to the local pass time of burning off grass. When we landed at Wau the locals told us they were quite concerned we were there to retrieve the wreck and take it back to Australia. This has been a sore point with the local populace in recent years with aircraft like the "Swamp Ghost" and a few others. It is sad to see so many rare and potentially restorable planes left to rot in the bush, but I can also see that their presence is a source of income for the communities. 
 
And of course here's one of yours truely; looking after the aircraft while the others were investigating an abandoned Catholic mission...
 

 
Anyway, I did get a day off when I got home, so once I kicked some small spiders out of my B-17, it got stuck in to something I'd been putting off for a while. When the two fuselage halves are finally joined, there will be quite an ugly and visible gap running down the centre, so I determined that I'd make some false roof inserts to hide it. The reason I'd been putting it off was that I didn't know how I was going to derive the shape of each piece.
 

 
Eventually, I settled on making masking tape templates and lots of dry fitting, but after a while I had some pieces which would do the job..
 

 
Now I'm adding rib detail to each piece before I can run the control cables and other details along the top.
 
Looking up from inside, it looks reasonably convincing.....
 

 

 

 
 
While I was away, my order of EZ line turned up. I'd been disappointed with the nylon based thread I'd used in the bomb bay, which seemed to sag badly at the slightest hint of moisture, so very carefully I managed to remove all the existing thread. I have no idea how I'm going to redo this, but that's a future Craig problem......
 

 
Lastly, I also played around with my master oxygen bottle. It's the one in the middle and as you can see it's ever so slightly larger than the kit part, but once it's cleaned up and cast I think the difference will be worth the effort.
 
That's all for now
 
Craig
 
 

Wow! Incredible!
Make your report as detailed as possible, please!
I'd like to build this one when I'll grow up...

Hi,
 
I'm a huge admirer of the pioneering work of RJ Mitchell back in the 20s and 30s so the S5 has been on my wish list for some time and so just had to splash out on my first resin kit. I was umming and ahhing for all of 2 whole seconds before my card came out - as you'll see below, on first impressions, it's looking like it is worth every hard earned penny - I hope I can do Marsh Models kit justice. Quite a few people have asked for images of the kit content so I'd thought I might as well take the plunge and start a WIP with a view to starting this build before (hopefully) too long. 
 
I'm planning be building the S5 (no doubt for quite a while) alongside my Winkle Brown SH Airacobra build which is pottering along slowly (but surely) due to the many corrections and all the added detail I'm lavishing on it. I have to admit, having seen the quality of the detail (and trying not to underestimate the challenges along the way) I'm soooooooo looking forward to doing something more or less out of the box with the S5
 
... and what a small, well packed box!
 

 
The instructions etc. with a very welcome touch of a swatch of the main blue paint to match to
 


 
I'll just let the pictures do the talking...
 







 
More to follow...
 
Torben
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I've thought about it, but I don't think so.
 
So, I've decided to work my way from the rear step by step to end up doing the cockpit ;-)
 

 
This is the rear compartment. Here some Float Lights for the flare chutes were added...
 
Kent

This is wonderful, while still waiting for a book that I ordered five weeks ago, these two (that I ordered last Wednesday), showed up today. 
 

 
 

Wow!  That's so real! 

Finally, it has been done ! 1/35 scale ~~ I really like Alien Tiger !
Thank you guys for helping me all the information. 

 

 

 

Here is my last built, Italeri kit with Aires cockpit, exhaust nozzle and wheelbay.
 

 

 

 

 
Hope you like it.
 
Regards.

Thanks for comments guys. Decided to overpaint the light.
 
First layer of Surfacer black and the painting is starting
 

Out of interest, did you know that the RAF at Halton had a front fuselage and engines bolted to a shed as a ground running classroom, each student would run it with an instructor while the rest of the class watched on.
 
https://forum.keypublishing.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=221015&d=1379608166
 
Watching this impressive build