Pastor John Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Hi everyone, I am making my ICM Mk I Gloster Gladiator as a J8. The kits cockpit was already started as it was my display model for advertising the AIMS cockpit detail set so trying to paint it up nice as an afterthought means it is by far my best work. There are some more bits to add to the right side but these cannot be added to until the halves are together. Also on the J8 the IFF control on the upper left side was changed to underneath the Flygradiostation type III device but mine was glued solid as had not intended making the kit! Anyway apart from my mistakes I hope you like. thanks. MikeC, Fanes, Kagemusha and 15 others 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kagemusha Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Off to a flyer John, glad to hear you got a prognosis, blue skies! Pastor John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Very nice John, great start and paint work on an already built cockpit! Regards. Andy Pastor John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share Posted March 11, 2021 Hi everyone, a little more work on my ICM Gloster Gladiator converted to a J8 using my AIMS conversion. I have been changing some of the smaller front end details - some of which apply to all Gladiators and some just to the J8. Still need to do a German Revi gunsight with additional padding and external bracket for the back up iron sight but that is way down the line along with the other changes to the windscreen which are needed. For now note the change to the contour of the oil tank just above the filler cap, the removal of the kits gun cooling aperture shields and instead just some wire mesh inside, the gas ejector outlets for the guns and the oil breather tube sticking out of the right side. Also on the right wing root there are two manufacturer plates and the plug for the oxygen tank. Also below the radiator there are two disks and below them the kits large screw caps have been removed from the panel as they do not exist on the real aircraft. Back to the left side there is a small card holder near the windscreen and the upper oil filler hatch that is neither represented correctly or in the correct location. Hope to be able to button her up soon. hope you like Uncarina, LSP_Kevin, Paul in Napier and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kagemusha Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Great to see you back at this John, not least as it means you're feeling better. Pastor John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Excellent! Pastor John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christoffer Lindelav Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Nice to see a Swedish Gladdie! I'll be following. Pastor John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.B. Andrus Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 Happy that you're feeling better, PJ. Very nice work on the Gladiator! Cheers, Damian Pastor John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 Good stuff John! All the very best wishes for your continued health. Pastor John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMaben Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 Pastor John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 1/32 ICM Gloster Gladiator J8 conversion update - well got the lower wing on and UC legs and a few issues are apparent. 1. Remember to fair in the upper UC spats to the engraved join line on the fuselage halves (would have been easier to do before attaching the lower wing!). Also regarding join lines remember that the lower wings forward fuselage belly join line is in reality a solid panel so ignore the painting diagram that still shows a panel line and fill it. Finally - something I was already aware of from the beginning but there is not much you can really do about it - the fuselage at the trailing edge of the wing has a completely wrong shape being far too rounded which creates a massive undercut where the wing meets the fuselage as well as making the removable panels too rounded at the bottom! To fix this you would have to completely fill the whole area and blend the correct fuselage shape all the way back to the center fuselage panel thus ruining the fabric rib effect and the panel details! It is just not worth it really. Shame there is not an easy fix. LSP_Kevin, Paul in Napier, Dpgsbody55 and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted March 14, 2021 Author Share Posted March 14, 2021 1/32 ICM Gloster Gladiator - AIMS J8 conversion - getting there! Until doing the lower details I had never before spotted that the Kulspruta weapons used on the Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian machines do not have the belly spent cartridge ejector chutes. Paul in Napier, Derek B, scvrobeson and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 Hi everyone, almost finished my 1/32 ICM Mk Gladiator/AIMS J8 conversion that uses nearly every AIMS Gladiator product I do! Adverting haha. It has taken a long time to get this far due to my hand problems but nice to see it coming along. In the next few days I will add my AIMS bracing wires. Issues - left main wheel wants to splay out - very weak and will need pinned to a display. Tail plane very fragile and I dare not take it on a Hungarian road! Also rudder 0.5mm wider than tail fin?????? As for my decals - the White 8's at the front need cut in half and the gun trough painted in and the fuselage roundels just cannot settle over such a raised angular hatch with a prominent corner in the middle of a 2 dimensional decal - you need to slice around the hatch asap and then babysit the decal. O and just before the photos were taken the left rear cabane strut bottom popped out causing a mess and the temptation to use bad language! Also be aware that even with a well printed white you will see a high contrast demarcation line underneath the ghost decal so be prepared. Points of interest - note the fuel level indicator and missing hatch added to the fuel tank area, then behind that the thin aerofoil bracing (which I had never ever spotted on the Gladiator till a week or so ago!!!!) and then behind that the Swedish Iron sight seen on this aircraft and a few others. The gun sight inside is a German Revi 12. On the left side in front of the hatch is a flight maintenance card holder. My AIMS J8 conversion includes the different weapon barrels, different clearance blisters, Radio equipment and the Gloster Gauntlet propeller and hub (if needed). Also note the J8 does not have the belly shell and link ejector ports which will need removed and neither does it have the underwing gun fairing side openings which will need filled. To the rear lays the only non AIMS after market product in the form of the Gas Patch RAF turn buckles used as a pair on each rudder pylon. Paint - I confess that I just could not find the paint colours I saw recommended on the internet and so used what I had and so the Olive is Xtracolour WWII Ovlive Drab X112 and the lower colour is Xtracolour RAF Barley Grey X17. The inside of the cockpit upper is RAF Interior Green with the seat and the area normally silver in an RAF machine painted a shade darker than the RAF Interior Green. The inside of the AIMS landing flaps is Mr Paint silver and the exhausts and exhaust collector ring is Alclad Jet Exhaust with a faint highlight of Alclad Pale Burnt Metal. The whole model has low lights with Tamiya Smoke and a little Raw Umber oil paint run into to panel lines to leave an otherwise well cared for J8 as per the majority of photos. OK if you see something that interests you that I have not thought to mention please let me know and I will try to help. I see ICM are releasing a J8 boxing which was an obvious choice and was why I did not pay to get 3D designed and printed skies done for my J8 conversion but to do the J8 correctly you need to change many things - hence having a conversion set available! Hope you like it so far and hope some of what I have tried to write helps you understand the J8, thanks., John Paul in Napier, Kagemusha, Trak-Tor and 13 others 15 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Looks fantastic, John! I hope your hands are feeling better. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 Hi Kev no sadly, hands terrible, back in hospital tomorrow, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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