bdthoresen

Derek- I like the approach you have taken to conquer the interior. I do have some querries, though, as I am in the process of building this kit as well. First, I am curious to know how you made the floor insert- It looks to be a form fitted piece of thick material. Second- what references are you using? I am at about the same stage as you, and have found the location of detailed drawings, difficult at best. However, I am not trying to produce masters for a resin set, but I am trying to make a very accurate interior. Looks great so far. Please keep us informed........... THOR

Brad- That last link is to the picture I viewed in question. Anyone have ideas about the markings of that beast? It also does not look like a Mk VI because it does not seem to have the porcupine exhausts.......But I cannot be sure......... Also, I cannot tell what scheme it is wearing............. THOR

I saw a color picture recently of a Beaufighter that was taxiing down a dirt road in Malta, and was struck by the color of the Aircraft in the photo. I cannot say for certain, but it appears to be somewhat of a dark grey to medium blue hue, but the angle of the aircraft prevents me from knowing exactly. So here is my question(s).......What squadron would this aircraft belonged to being on Malta? What would the color scheme be for these aircraft? And lastly, are there any decal sheets of 32nd scale RAF Squadron codes and serials out there????? Any help would be appreciated................ Inquiring Minds want to know...... THOR

Ango- Just have to say that I am enjoying this thread immensely- I built one of these suckers when I was young, and it did not turn out so well. I have since never built another Spitfire....Maybe it is time to break the curse.... Keep it up! THOR

Lord Maul- Dude! You have waaaaaaay too much time on your hands! Regards- THOR

Looks great Piet! I will have to take up your slack and see what I can do with mine out of the box. But excellent work so far......... THOR

Matt- Looking Great so far. I like the balsa technique myself, so I thought I would chime in with a suggestion....First I would use five minute epoxy to permanently attach the balsa sections between the stringers. This will allow you to handle the model without fear of a section popping out later in the game. Second, as an overall filler, I have had good luck with any sort of lacquer-based spot filler- Usually can get a tube of the stuff for about $7.00 U.S, and it will last you awhile. Sticks great to plastic because of the lacquer base, but also sticks well to wood due to the tooth of the wood grain. I have also used Bondo filler with good effect, although it does take a bit more effort to sand. The Bondo does not chip as much while scribing, so you may want to consider that. The lacqer stuff I use is made by 3M, called Acryl-Blue. Love the stuff. After filling with it, you can shoot a few heavy coats of primer down, and after it has cured a week, wet-sand it with 600-1000 grit. Again, this takes awhile, but the final finish of the parts will be great- Scribe with an extremely sharp scribing tool. Been doing parts this way for quite awhile. Hope this helps..... THOR

Wow Radu- That is one bad mother!!!!! I will take one as well. The whole shot- You just saved me a crap-load of work!!!!!! Drop me a line off-board when you have a chance, as I would like to ask a few questions regarding an upcoming project...... THOR

Radu- In the process of that one myself......Still pondering the instrument panel though. Nice Work so far!!!!......You would not be willing to sell a couple of extra vac canopies, would ya? Keep it up! Thor

Jay- Looking good so far, mano. I am in the process of the Tony, doing the same detailed build style you are. I have completely thrown out the kit cockpit, save for the stick, and am in the process of working on the left sidewall now. Gonna be a long project...... I had the Revell George at one time- I sold it to another bloke, and have been kicking myself in the ass for doing it!!!!!! I still have the Tony and the Raiden, though. Keep it up- and if you need some refs on the early george, I have some decent stuff...... THOR

Looks great Erwin........be careful about the whole purple Rufe idea. I agree with Larry, it would make a stunning conversation piece, but, It is more based upon fiction more than fact. The whole purple Rufe idea started years ago, when a then well-known aviation artist painted a picture of a purple Rufe (Sorry, his name escapes me at the moment) based on the recollection of Army Air Corp pilots who encountered Rufes in the Aleutians....The fact is, it was actually the Red-brown primer that the Japanese used on certain aircraft showing through the camo, due to the harsh environment of the Aleutian Islands. Some relics of Rufes have been recovered from the area, and the conclusion about the purple came from the idea that the primer coat showing through, and the effects of UV fading gave it a slightly purplish tinge from the air....(hence the pilots' recollections) As far as your green, add a bit of black and blue to darken it a bit. Or, you could use Floquil Concrete for the grey color. Just food for thought...... Mattyfarm- Are you referring to the Ki-43 Oscar in the above picture?????? THOR

Ripper- You are a SICK SICK man! Awesome job.........Makes me wanna throw my exacto............. THOR

Erwin and Brian- Thanks for the kind words. Means a lot coming from two of the higher ranking "aces" of LSP. I was not going to spend too much time on the pit, as this is OOB, and the canopy will be closed. I want to preserve the clean lines of this bird. I will build another more detailed, if I ever get done with a few other projects!!!!!! Thanks Again..... THOR

Thanks Angelo- Yes the Tamiya paitns are a bit of a pain. But, All came out well. Thanks for the kind words... Sorry about the crude qual;ity of the photos- The flash of the camera has kind of distorted the effects I have done by making the shots too bright......Gotta figure this camera thing out..... THOR

Angelo- two words.........VERY COOL...... THOR

Erwin- you definitely, single-handedly redefine the definition of a modeler every time you build one of these things!!!! That P-40 looks absolutely AWESOME so far!!!! Great Job....... THOR

Here is a shot of the overall progress thus far.......Thanks for looking....More to come soon!!!!!! THOR

Right side of the cockpit.........

The left side of the completed front office, including throttle quadrant, etc......

I used Testor's clear part cement to represent the glass on the instrument faces. The coaming in the picture has just had a black wash added to the rivet detail......It will be toned down..... Here is another shot....this is the kit supplied seat. As you can see, it leaves a bit to be desired, as most Frank seats had no cushions. On my next one I will be making a new seat from aluminum. The leather cushions were base painted Floquil Weathered Black. I then mixed this color in about six different shades with white and black oil paint, and added a sort of worn patchwork look. I then used a red sable brush to blend the tones together. The harness was made with double-backed tamiya tape, painted with various oil paints and super-glued to the seat. The buckle hardware was painted using Model Master Aluminum. I am trying to stick to the IPMS out-of-box rules......but am I itching to add things to this kit already.......must resist.....

Here is some more progress shots. I have finished painting the interior, and am now working on the main airframe. Here is a shot of the instrument panel. I painted it instead of using the decal supplied in the kit- Great practice at making yourself blind!

That is a sweet model- Can't wait to see the finished Dio. Please keep us posted!!!!! THOR

Jay- Thanks for the kind words. I agree with you about the "Color Stazi"- I cannot stand those type of modelers. I do not claim to know everything, but I can say through deductive reasoning what I think the color should be, based on available information at hand. I think I will be building another one, very soon, much more detailed than the first. But for now I needed a break from the Tony....Lets just say I have lost count at 300+ individual parts for the interior alone. I still need a good DB-601 to do the engine area, and I also have a decent fix in mind to tackle the wheel wells and the nose armament problems. But the Tony is on standby right now. Thanks Again to you, and Dave Pratt!!!!! Angelo- I know what you mean about the Tamiya Clear Blue/Clear green combination. I used to get good results from mixing those colors 50/50, then thinning the paint with 50% lacquer thinner. This time, I could not get the mix to stay in suspension, and I ended up having to strip the first paint application from the parts the first time. The MM Aotake is Ok, but I added a bit of green to it. Thanks for the kind words- I have made some more progress, and will post some pics in a day or two- Stay Tuned. THOR

Piet- Thanks for the kind words mano! I do appreciate it. I have plenty of super-detailed builds going at the moment, so I am kinda burnt out on them. Especially the Revell Ki-61. I am about 3/4 of the way through the cockpit, and also am working on the engine bay right now.....I need to get ahold of a decent DB-601 that I can slightly modify into the Japanese built version. But otherwise, it is going good. Also a P-51B in various stages at the moment. I still have a bit to do on the Frank interior though. I will be adding a seat harness and rudder straps from Masking Tape, and also need to blend the weathering a bit. I will post more pictures in a day or two. Thanks again for the kind words...... THOR

Puff the Magic Dragon? You gotta be kidding me..... Not too bad I missed out though, as I took on an adventure far greater than flying a Falcon.....I took on Fatherhood. My son and daughter are worth it. More pics to follow in a day or two........ THOR