LSP_Ray

Does historical accuracy count at competitive shows outside the U.S.? Because over here, it sure doesn’t!
 
cheers
Pete

Had to put the shuttle "IN ORBIT"
 

That is really nice!

Finished up the little project today, it was really an enjoyable project,simple, fun, short turn around, something completely different !!!!
 

Some more progress last evening....milestone.  I got the firewall in the vehicle. 
 
First shot....I've added the lubrication lines running to the front of the vehicle.  This shot is from the radio operator's side.  I used 0.020-inch styrene rod for these which may turn out to be a mistake when I attempt to put bends in them to connect them to the lubrication ports mid-tank above the floor.
 

 
This is how they currently sit at the point where they come up through the floor and connect to the lubrication points.  This is going to be a FUN job (sarchastic).
 

 
Same set of lines on the driver's side of the vehicle...fewer swing arms on this side (forward of the turret) means fewer lines....
 

 
Firewall installed (FINALLY), with the right, rear shock installed.  The white dust specs are actually plastic shavings from having to use super glue to get the firewall to sit tight against the panniers.   Trumpeter is known for having "sagging" panniers and this model is no exception.  You can see my cleanup of superglue through the the lubrication lines right in front of the firewall.  That's what created all the plastic dust.  Ugh..what a pita.
 

 
Below is a shot of the left side idler wheel adjustment screw.  It's pretty nicely done (by Trumpeter but for a nasty seam that runs right through the screw threads) but probably won't be seen once the plates are installed above the fuel tanks.  But I'll know it's there.  Since most of the engine bay on either side of the engine will be covered by plates, I saved myself some aggravation and omitted the lubrication lines aft of the firewall.
 

 
The engine compartment where the engine will fit (I hope).  I've still got a little work to do here (not including touchup painting) to replicate the throttle linkages that  run up the rear side of the firewall and then out to the engine.  All-in-all, not bad and the Panther G specific air duct tubing really sets this engine bay off.... Too bad it'll be mostly covered up when the Engine is installed...how much remains to be seen.
 

 
The back side of the firewall.  You can see that the superglue I needed to use to get the panniers to meet the plate has fogged.  That's not a huge issue and will be corrected with a layer of red-brown primer...good as gold (well, almost).  The box between the firewall and the engine wall is one of the fuel tanks.  Again, this won't be seen after the plates (note the lip around the periphery of the area where the fuel tank sits.  You can also see the nice seam running through the idler adjusting screw...and that's after having been cleaned up as much as I dare (without losing all the detail on it).
 

 
The engine bay aft end with the rear armor plate temporarily installed.  You can see my measurements at the bottom of the plate on the r/h side.  Since the hull sides aren't completely vertical, I had to file off some material from the rear plate sides so that it would fit snugly.  Had I not done that, the rear plate would not have fit or it would've popped the superglue seam at the firewall.  I had to take 0.040-inches of material off the upper sides of the mating surfaces and tapering down to .010-inches off the bottom end to get it to fit.  Those knockout pins are SOB's as they're larger than my largest punch and filling them in requires a lot of effort.  Milling them down is not an option though so I'm left with only one choice...fill, sand, prime, fill, sand, prime....
 

 
The outside of the rear plate noting the unrealisticly uniform (in my opinion) weld beads that exist on either side of the plate.  These will be removed and replaced with magic-sculpt with more "haphazard" weld bead.  Trumpeter gives you the entire idler adjusting mechanism so should you choose, you can leave the covers open and show off the detail.  I have not decided whether to do this or not.
 

 
I started assembling the roadwheels.  These aren't actually that bad.  There is some cleanup involved (as one would expect) but they assemble very easily.  There are a LOT of them!  That sentiment is only tempered by the fact that there are more  track links than anything else and I've got that in the "still-to-do" column.  Ugh....  I haven't glued the dual wheels together yet, preferring to keep them that way to ease painting between them. (a lesson learned from making that mistake on several Panther, Tiger I and II models in the past). 
 

 
An overall shot of MOST of the roadwheels with the two larger idler wheels I stole from my early Panther kit.  The roadhweels are approximately 2.5" (~64 mm) in diameter.  These are the largest roadwheels I've ever assembled!
 

 
Last for today is the edges of the roadwheels.  You can see where the sprue gates attached to each wheel (4 places on each wheel).  Some played nice and snipped off flush, most did not and required Mr. Surfacer 500 to fill the holes left by the sprue gates.  That was a chore...  Hope you're enjoying my trip through this gigantic tank build.  I certainly am but not looking forward to another one for some time.
 

 

Might contact HpH. They had a 1/18th Me262, maybe they would offer up the cockpit parts or other details. Worth an e-mail.

I remember my own experience in getting a personal airshow.
In Oregon, on Memorial Day, fishing boats would gather at sea off Depot Bay on the central Oregon Coast and the ANG would traditionally do a fly over for the event(don't know if they still do that). I happened to be beachcombing about 10 miles north of the event and saw them fly by on the way to the event. Several minutes later, they came back over the ocean on the way back to Portland. As they flew just west of me, the two F-4's broke into an impromptu dogfight over the ocean. I watched in amazement as they wove down to the deck, then one broke east and flew right over me. It was awesome! Too bad it was pre-smart phone days and I wasn't carrying a camera, but it was a blast to watch.

Another Bf 106 finished.
Project 12. 1/32 Hasegawa model, Aires cockpit, exhaust & wheels HGW wet transfers Painting mask Propeller 77 & Homemade All colours MRP  
























 

 
 

Ugh. Pearl Harbor. I knew it was going to be a problem when at the beginning of the movie the showed "Movietone News" that was supposed to show Germans blitzkreiging their way through France pre-Pearl Harbor, and the clips showed US Pershings??? Like there isn't miles of film of German panzers?

I remember my own experience in getting a personal airshow.
In Oregon, on Memorial Day, fishing boats would gather at sea off Depot Bay on the central Oregon Coast and the ANG would traditionally do a fly over for the event(don't know if they still do that). I happened to be beachcombing about 10 miles north of the event and saw them fly by on the way to the event. Several minutes later, they came back over the ocean on the way back to Portland. As they flew just west of me, the two F-4's broke into an impromptu dogfight over the ocean. I watched in amazement as they wove down to the deck, then one broke east and flew right over me. It was awesome! Too bad it was pre-smart phone days and I wasn't carrying a camera, but it was a blast to watch.

I have a set or two, it is a beautiful cockpit.

Scale: 1/32
Kit: Trumpeter
Aircraft: AV-8B Harrier
Unit: USMC VMA 311 Tomcats
Aftermarket: Aerobonus Pilot with Seat
Paint: Ammo by MiG Jinenez, Vallejo, Tamiya
Weathering: Flory Models Washes, Oilbrusher Ammo, Panel Line Wash Ammo
 
I am pleased to present you latest finished model. It is the Trumpeter rendering of the Harrier. No alterations made, straight OOB with only the addition of an Aerobonus (Aires) pilot with seat as the kit seat really did not look proper. I am doubting the helmet used on the figure fits the era, (I would prefer the pilot to have an HGU-55) but I left it as is mainly as I had no spare head sitting around. 
The kit itself was actually built by a friend of mine and it was for me to do the finishing and final painting and weathering so my friend did all the heavy lifting of the build so I cannot comment on how the kit falls together. I am aware that the kit has obvious shape issues and inaccuracies however the model does resemble a Harrier for me. Tried some new things in terms of weathering for me. In the end I am happy with results. 
Happy modeling everyone and stay safe! 
 
 

Hello gents,
new set out today:
 
Captured Hawker Typhoon Insignia 1/24

Yes it's still in production, again many thanks to Vincent the master "cockpit maker" it's one of those sets that gives me great pleasure in taking from the mould 
 
Bob

Article is online!
Beautiful job!

Nothing I can take credit for, but a test print for sizing is on it's way to me to trial...
 
Didnt Kerry do a great job?  Imagine what this will look like in a hi-res print?

 

 
Thanks so very much Kerry, but also those involved who are helping with photo's, drawings, encouragement as well as offers with their high end printers to help make this happen.  As you can see they are highly accurate.
 
I just hope I can do it justice when I get a final print and paint it nicely!
 
Cheers Anthony

Here is its twin...get it.
 
Honestly just happy they look like the same guy painted both of them, onto the push rods and other accessories.
 

 
 
 
 
 

Amazing detailing!
I broke down and bought the Bandai Star Destroyer with light kit which is leaps and bounds better than the old AMT kit, albeit a little smaller. After watching what you are doing with the Zvesda, I foresaw a ton of work to bring the AMT kit up to snuff. The Bandai kit I can live with OOB, and focus on the painting.

I'm often asked for a size reference.Maybe this may help:
 
 
Anyway, that's all I have for now but I'll update once I'm fully finished the trenches.
Thanks for stopping by and for those who are actually still following this - you get an extra thanks for your enduring patience with me while I fumble my way through this
Till next time!
Si

evening folks
 
 
Hi Jay - so the blisters are done by first making an acrylic perspex buck - I find this good solid stuff that is easy to work, but takes the punshment of being worked on
 
I use paper templates to get two of the axis right - plan & side and then just sand & shape
 

 
..then a bit of annealed litho is taped on one edge and the metal worked over the buck with a balsa block until it loosely conforms, then any kinks or ripples are worked out with a tiny hammer, and finally the shape fully tightened to the shape, particularly at the bottom with hardwood coffee stirrers from Starbucks..
 
..then it can be untaped and cut out with scissors and the edges worked with sanding sticks... at any time it can go back on the buck to retain shape, and the final action is to fill it with CA so it doesn't crush..
 
..the Template - I have no idea, but places like HLJ do a good range it might have been there
 
 
 
Well, I don't really know - likely my cabinet with the others, but Tangmere is not too far from me and I have been toying with doing a Tangmere bird and maybe they might take it (after I have finished looking at it )
 
so, a weekends work in a few pictures coming up..
 
..the radiator under the fuselage is quite a complex structure and now the PE bits I had made have arrived it was time to start..
 
..complicated nose with cut-outs and gills..
 

 
..rear with some details to capture..
 

 
..I started by translating drawings & pictures into templates to make a buck for a vacform copy..
 
the PE included radiator faces which while they can't be seen here have all the honeycomb detail..
 
..I started skinning the inside here - later I pulled all this off..
 

 
..it was when I cut the rear & front apertures I removed the inner skinning and redid it once all the cutting was done - here the rear first..
 

 
..the front has cutouts and I had made a PE template to get these right - I also left little tangs of litho around these as they wrap around rods each side that can be seen on the front view above
 
..also here I have added a fake central skin as I want to skin the front and back before adding a PE skin with all the rivet detail - the radiator on the real thing is one big unit that is a different colour metal so that works quite well..
 
 

 
..by now the skinning is complete, the rods added and the fake centre panel removed - I made this slightly oversize as there are gaps around the real one..
 

 
..with the centre panel attatched, it's time to start making the 10 cooling gills - the litho in front has been marked & scored on the back and each one was broken off, bent back on itself over a brass pin..
 
there is a mount in the throat with 10 holes to take them..
 

 
..not finished yet, but nearly there - a bit of work needs doing to get this to gel with the fuselage bottom..
 

 

 

 
..until next time
 
TTFN
Peter

Howdy folks,
 
I've just published the latest What's New update.
 
Enjoy!
 
Kev

Vodka?

afternoon
 
 
Hi Richard - no it was fine, fun actually, but it needed a lot of pre-planning. Glad it's done now
 
 
 
Good question - I don't think they do - my Spit is coming on to 4 years old and the panels on that while not as highly polished as these look the same as the day it went in the cabinet
 
just a couple of bits done today..
 
this intake sits each side of the fuselage - I had already built a recess in the fuselage to house them and cut holes in the panel where they go, so next up was making them.
 

 
I started with a perspex buck and spent a few goes trying to skin it - that was an epic fail as it's juts too compound to get right..
 
in the end I used my little proxxon milling machine to mill some Ali rod into a blank I could then mill out the end intake - it cost me three tiny milling bits as I am such a noob, but did the job in the end..
 

 
..then they were simply CA'd in place..
 

 

 
..next were these teardrop blisters on the upper nose..
 

 
..again a perspex buck was skinned and they were applied - I also did the very last nose panel behind the spinner to complete the nose skinning..
 
..all it needs now are the dzus fasteners and a few more rivets
 

 

 

 
..and yes, one of the exhaust stubs broke a bit - that is going to be a difficult repair at some point..
 
TTFN
Peter

The most frustrating part of the whole build was the sliding portion of the canopy. I've rebuilt it several times now. I wanted to eliminate the step at the bottom of the kit clear part, which fit into the skirt around the bottom. The front frame on the kit part also didn't sit properly against the opening of the bubble, leaving small gaps on the side and top. I sanded the entire step off the bubble, which required adding a strip on the inside of the skirt to hold it. Once I was happy with that the bubble had to be polished and dipped in Future. Once the bubble was attached I had to build the framing at the front, once again out of plastic card shaped to the opening. The rivet pattern was redone using a riveting tool. 
 
It's not perfect, but it's better. I wish there was a replacement aftermarket canopy available...
 
 
Reskinned:

 
Primed and rivets applied...one more light sanding to level things out.

 
Better, good enough...don't want to jinx things by doing anything else.

 
Also had to create a set of rails to replace the "working" versions in the kit.
Evergreen "I" beams sanded and drilled.

Article is posted!
Great work, Chuck!