February 2009
Westland Sea King HC.4, 846 Sqn Fleet Air Arm, HMS BULWARK 1981.
Fujimi , with C-Scale conversion
This project was started last month.
The base kit is a Fujimi HSS-2 Sea King, with the excellent C-Scale white metal conversion parts, to turn it into an early RN HC.4 Commando Sea King.
Most of the additional parts have been added now. On to the final assembly and painting
A quick coat of Xtracolour RN Helo Olive Drab. It looks rather green to me, but that could just be the gloss. Coverage and opacity was ok, but with all that white plastic underneath, a second coat will definitely be needed.
...Oh, and the dolls house for my daughter is now finished, so I can concentrate on my own models again!
With a day off work because of the heavy snow (well, heavy by English standards!), I am now nearly complete, with decals on, and waiting for a matt topcoat. I had a change of mind on the markings, deciding to go for the very early high viz scheme with white titles. The blades will be folded, as it makes them very much less susceptible to damage.
Matt coat on and first 3 folded blades attached. For some reason the 2nd & 3rd blades didn't set and sagged badly (suspect it was the Revell Contacta glue I used - the centre one was attached with Plastic Weld). I superglued the outer ones on, then added tie downs made from aluminium foil.
... and some finished pictures - more Sea King models on my Helicopters pages
More Sea King models on the Helicopters pages
Hawker P.1127, Development Aircraft , HMS ARK ROYAL, 1963.
Airfix, out the box.
50 years ago, in January 1959, the board of Hawker Aircraft approved a company funded project for a VSTOL aircraft, to be known as P.1127. Drawings were completed and the first metal was cut in March 1959. To celebrate this significant milestone in Aviation history and the birth of the Harrier, I am updating my old Airfix P.1127 kit to reflect the configuration in which Bill Bedford landed the first P.1127 on HMS ARK ROYAL in 1963.
I built this kit when Airfix last released it (2000?) as a nostalgia build, since a P.1127 (in a Type 4 bag) was the first ever model kit I owned (although my dad actually built it for me). Time has not been kind to this kit, which was never that sophisticated anyway; the parts don't fit well, the canopy is too large and it is festooned with rivets that don't exist in any form on the real thing, let alone the huge size that Airfix provides. The kit also has flat bare metal intakes, rather than the variety of inflatable rubber and bell shaped metal intakes that were used on the real thing.
I think it should be fairly simple to sort them out - lets try, shall we!
Before Picture: That Humbrol 11 silver is far too shiney!
First step is to sand down those rivets and fill a few of the gaps with Tippex. With all those protruberances (outriggers/pitot etc) this has to be done very carefully. I have then added Milliput inflatable elephants ear intakes and dropped the flaps.
Then a quick coat of Humbrol Metalcote Matt Aluminium, and a little bit of post shading:
....and some finished pictures - more on my What-If & Research Pages, and of course, my Harrier Pages:
Fleet Air Arm Museum model show
Another excellent and busy show at Yeovilton. This phot was taken just before opening - we were pretty much mobbed for the rest of the day!
Revell with Welsh Models decals
When my wife and I first started going out, she was flying as cabin crew with Air UK, based in Glasgow. This is Revell's rather nice (but small and expensive) 146/RJ85 kit, with after market decals to turn it into one of the aircraft she flew in. The kit's own decals are superb (probably justifying the price) and give a choice of FlyBE or Eurowings. It builds up without fuss, although the completed main undercarriage seems to sit too low for my liking.
Ready for decals:
...and some finished pictures - more on my Friends & Allies pages:
www.gengriz.co.uk