Another Fairey Battle 1/72

My fascination with the Fairey Battle aeroplane continues. I came across another manufacturer (Special Hobby) that did a "Battle of France" Fairey Battle in my loval hobby shop. In conversation with a friend I was informed that the Airfix Fairey Battle was a little inaccurate. Instead of technical design drawings the Airfix model designers apparently were given a Painting guide (based on a modified Hurricane diagram) rather than the true technical drawings, This was a simple admin error, but as a consequence the tail and wing areas are too small (see below, I need to make this kit and do a compare and contract):   

Watch this space!

Post Script: When I see a cheaper copy (than £40 - Kindle could be an option) I will but this book (see below). I managed to flick through a reference library copy. It is a reassessment of the potential of the Fairey Battle. It claims it was more strategically/operationally mishandled rather than being an implicitly bad design.

Note: More successful designs had "two engines" - it seems that it was being asked to perform too much with too little horse power, with too big a crew (three)!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fairey-Battle-Reassessment-its-Career/dp/1781555850

De Havilland Vampire Video!

Hmm, just prowling the internet and You Tube and this came up after an unrelated video .. (see below, the previous video was the final battle scene in the film Gladiator, so don't ask what bizarre connection the AI came up with to prompt me with this): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWgd9yj-cJ4

Looks like a modelling project has list been born, as I am pretty sure I have one of these in an old Airfix kit in the loft (see below, one I didn't do in my youth as I was only interested in WW2 propeller planes):

Model on!

1/144 and 1/200 Aircraft Additions

Recent acquisitions (all from Zvezda) in no particuilar order, The ill-fated RAF (or rather AASFS) Fairey Battle in 1/144 (see below, but seems rather a large bird to my eyes):

The RAF Bristol Blenheim in 1/200 scale (see below, a very nice kit to make, although in scale it looks silly next to the Fairy Battle):

Closer up you can see there is quite a lot of detail in there despite it being 1/200 (see below):

Same manufacturer (Zvezda) but different scales 1/144 to 1/200 but the Fairey Battle (which was in effect an elongated Hurricane with a crew of three) still looks too big IHMO (see below):

Onto the Russian Front. I just had to get this (tiny and beautiful [in a quirky way]) Russian Polikarpoc I-16 "Rata" in 1/144 (see below, optimistically the cover art has it shooting down a Me-109):

Now assembled but who knows when they will be painted and god knows when I will ever use them, All-in-all I have never been disappointed with the Zvezda aircraft and

Fairey Battle Progress

Canopy and radio aerial added to the Fairey Battle  (bar the rear gunner's bit) and the brown earth (Airfix 29 and Tamiya 52) given a Satain Gloss Varnish coat to make it look the same as the satin green (Airfix 163). The Humbrol Clearfix worked well getting the see through canopy in place without the annoying smudges associated with plastic cement disasters of the past. Next, I took a deep breath and with a steady hand painted the canopy lines with a strong dark black (Vallejo Game Colour Black). I also stained the exhausts with a Vallejo Burnt Umber Wash (see below):

Quite pleased with how she is coming along. I usually try and shade, base and highlight the colour scheme but I will probably just leave this one basic, get the decals on, then think about weathering ;)

Fairey Battle's Topside

Time to try out the new Airfix Satin Dark Green paint (163) out. It looks much thicker than the normal acrylic mixtures, more paste than paint, even after what I considered a good stir. It was hard work even getting it slightly wetter by mixing in additional water. With some trepidation I tried my first application. The Earth Brown Airfix (29) was more standard paint, in fact I used Tamiya 52 Earth Brown as per the equivalent charts (see below for results):

Mixed feelings as to how good it looks. The Matte Brown means that I will either have to varnish it up to Satin or the green down to Matte (which seems pointless).

To be continued ...

The Fairey Battle's Bottom

Slipping away from my Sci-Fi interlude I picked up the infamous Fairey Battle from its hibernation cave near the Painting Tray. Just a little touch up on the "yellow bombs" and paint the remaining areas of the underside matte black (see below):

I suppose it is the same view the German flak gunners along the Meuse saw when the six Battles of the 'Dirty Dozen' (No. 12 Squadton AASF) attacked those vital Meuse bridges. 

Next step is to see how the interesting NEW "satin green paint" (Airfix 163) comes out on the model.

Dirty Yellow Deadly Eggs: The Fairey Battle's Payload

Slow progress on the Fairey Battle, but some progress is at least is a positive report. I decided to have "my Fairey Battle" in an action 'bomb run' pose with her bomb bay doors open showing her deadly cargo (of 4 x 250lb bombs). In order to authentically do this the ordnance had to be painted yellow with red stripe to wards the tip, sigh (see below):

Yes it was a bit of a pain but I managed it. I even went as far as painting the interior area with a gunmetal dry-brush over a black undercoat. even though inside and 99% out of view. In my defense little bits do legitimately 'peek through' near the wheels. The bombs themselves were painted yellow, but built up from a dark yellow/light brown with two or three successive highlights using whatever was to hand (various Vallejo and Tamiya pots I think), then washed in Vallejo Umber Shade to 'dirty up'. All extreme perhaps, including the silly (but visible red line) I painted on by hand (having chickened out of doing it with the decals provided). The hope is to get the finished Battle looking 'rough and dirty' as befits its chaotic short life span on a French ploughed field runway before it was overrun by the advancing Germans.

Next step is to give it an overall basic paint scheme and then do the canopy!

Fairey Battle Progress: Primer Time and RAF Crew

I applied my new favourite Airfix paint (Primer Gray) all over the Fairey Battle kit. I took time to paint up the crew and interior Cockpit Green. I did a little shade and base colour mixing even though the crew are going to be underneath a canopy (see below):

This is the point where I discovered I cannot find the decals! Yikes, frantic searching continues. Interestingly, the Fairey Battle has a crew of three, but one (the bomb -aimer/navigator) was hidden away in the belly of the beast.

Modelling Tip: The position of the rear gunner's seat is set as if the canopy is closed. If the more attractive 'action pose' is needed (as per my model above) then the eat and gunner has to be moved about a cm (?, if my memory serves me correctly, again see picture above) towards the tail. Otherwise the canopy won't fit correctly and it sits inconveniently on the gunner's lap. In the end I had to move mine twice

Note: I picked this up from an Internet forum/blog (think it could have been the Airfix Tribute Forum [see below])
http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/Airfix_1_72_Fairey_Battle_02029_03032__about37780.html
http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=3103&start=60#p666561
http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=3103

Next Stage: Putting it all together

WWII Early War Aircraft: The Fairey Battle

This has been a long term France 1940 dream project, the infamous RAF Fairey Battle (AASF - Advanced Air Strike Force), possibly the "worst" [British] bomber of WWII and we had a few to chose from. I never got the kit as a child but when I saw the error of my ways and wanted one they were not around in the 1990's to 2005+. So I snapped one up when it was finally re-released recently (a few years back?). Now it is finally Fairey Battle construction time (see below for the dissected construction WIP):

The parts are assembled into sub-assemblies ready for priming and then inside out paint with Cockpit Green and the RAF Flyers getting their blue uniform and yellow harness treatment. Originally I was thinking of getting three kits and doing an air scenario for the attack on the Sedan Bridgehead, a kind of early war 1940 style 633 Squadron attack (with everybody going down in a hail of light flak), but even light bombers are "big" to store in 1/72 scale. It may be more feasible to do this in Zevezda's 1/144 or metal 1/300, with my German 1/200 Blitzkrieg kit being the land elements/targets.

The latter thoughts must be considered to be in the "future project" category.

The RAF response "Build more Hurricanes, and quickly"

I I decided to embark on the "parallel production principle" (see below):

On the basis that once you have done a successful prototype, mass production should follow. Wings and undercarriage fixed (see below):

Tail planes fixed and they are ready to rumble (see below):

The finished product means the RAF have two flights of Hurricanes. Next up on the assembly line are five Spitfire Mk II's.

More Revell 1/144 Aircraft (Pacific War/Battle of Britain)

While "in the zone" of putting together 1/144 aircraft, I finished off my single-engined (Pacific War) American planes and started on the backlog of Battle of Britain aircraft (see below):

I know they will come in useful one day! I am still lacking in Japanese opposition (I have two Zero's) but am waiting for the Revell kits to hit the shops in my area. I reckon six in total would be a nice force. Meanwhile I will try and build up the US force to flights of three.

The Battle of Britain forces stand at 8 x Me 109's, 3 x Me 110's, 6 x Mk I Hurricanes and 6 Mk II Spitfire's. It is just a case of making them up and painting them.

Westland Whirlwind a "mini" Mosquito or another Strategic Fighter misfire?

As you know I seem to have been in a "plane mode" or at  least "looking to the skies" with my modelling as of late. At the time of the "X-Wing incident (see previous post) I also was checking out the clearance section of a certain high street Hobby retailer (Hobbycraft) and spotted a peculiar kit that I had never got my mittens on before, the Westland Whirlwind Mk I in a starter pack (see below for current state of the painting tray, Mosquito and Whirlwind together):

I put a little bit of TLC into painting the pilot (see below), but I am not sure it comes out from my BlackBerry photograph:

After I had sorted out the painting inside the cockpit area it was a pretty quick build (see below):

The Whirlwind was a curious little beast with a short (and in the end very specialised combat role) in 1942/43 before being replaced by the Typhoon. The concept was drawn up in 1938 and it could have been a war winner like the Spitfire. A two engined singe seat fighter that could out perform ant single seat equivalent, packing a hell of a punch with four x 20mm cannon in its nose (remember the RAF Spitfires and Hurricanes didn't get cannons until 1941/42). Originally 400 were ordered but the Pegasus engines let it down. She was brilliant at low altitudes (even out performing the Spitfire) but in the middle to high altitude "battle zones". The usual tonic (aka the Mustang and Manchester-to-Lancaster) of converting to Merlin engines couldn't be done on its airframe. Hence the Whirlwind equipped two squadrons that protected the Channel Convoys and had noted success against the German Me-109 at low altitudes. 

I always thought it looked like an emaciated Mosquito, they even stuck a few light bombs and rockets on it to attack shipping (see below) or is it my over-active imagination at play? Anyway I have acquired a kit that escaped me as a child and given its status in the "clearance section" it may well disappear from the shops in 2013 (or am I just scare mongering)?

One notable victim of the low-level Whirlwinds (and Typhoons) was the German blockade runner "Munsterland". Those low-level "dock strafing" over a heavy defended port (Cherbourg) would be my least favourite mission of all time.

The kit itself was easy to make and trouble free (although alas my propellers are too stiff to turn), the "free" starter pack paints offered good coverage and I was please to say that there was no danger of the paint 'running out' (something I had previously "feared" would be the case in these 'starter packs'). I am debating to myself if I like the Airfix/Humbrol #30 Green or whether I need to mix of a bit of my Tamiya Dark Green/Olive Drab in with it. Likewise I may follow the Mosquito with its "satin grey" as there is insufficient differentiation in the camouflage scheme for my liking.

As per usual I am dragging my heels with the decals ;) 

PS: Please note the interesting newspaper used as a backdrop for the last two photographs.

Airfix Mosquito Assembly/Painting WIP (Part II)

The Mosquito gets an "anti-shipping" (aka Mk VI version) camouflage pattern, grey irregular waves using Tamiya XF-82 (Ocean Gray 2 [RAF]) that gives a nice deep gray though slightly shiny no matter how much I stir the pot (satin perhaps, see below?):

I still need to work on the perspex (see below), I may have to go out and get myself a Games Workshop Chaos Black as despite my previous protestations, it does cover bare plastic very well and I need some sharp black strands to mark the strips of metal:

The second part of the camouflage "wave" scheme is a more standard Tamiya XF-61 Dark Green (see below):

I'm in two minds how to go next, as to whether I leave it with a standard one coat paint job (as per the 1/48 scale Spitfire I made) or lighten parts of it up (as per my usual 1/72 scale small to medium sized kits)

Decisions, decisions ... 

Airfix Mosquito WIP (WW2)

BBDBA Platea looms but first a slight diversion away from the ancients ... 

This is an all time classic kit (possibly my favorite) that has been waiting in the wings for a while. It brings back images and the theme tune from that post-war film classic "663 Squadron", the Airfix Mk VI Mosquito Fighter Bomber variant (see below):

Endeared to me in my early childhood through my eldest brother making me one when I was but too clumsy to make it myself, the "Wooden Wonder" was a brilliant "backyard toy". Naturally I am going to rack her up with rockets and bombs (keeping the four 20mm cannon instead of the one big 57mm anti-shipping gun) and take her for a test flight, probably when the family are fast asleep upstairs (see below):

Naturally I am building this for my kids, but if you excuse me first I have to fly down a Norwegian fjord and drop a bomb on a German factory making rockets that could destroy the D-Day invasion fleet.

WWII School Project Completed: 1/48 Spitfire Vb and 1/72 Dornier Do.17E (Airfix)

The deadly foes on the table (see below) with wait ... hold the front page .. decals applied :)

"Snowdrop leader, Snowdrop leader,this is Snowdrop Six, Tally Ho!" ... sorry I couldn't resist it ;) ... I think it looks magical onc those big decals have gone on :)

Meanwhile the bomber drones on (see below) and I think its more sombre decals make it look very menacing (Note:By virtue of European Law Airfix are not allowed to depict the swastika, which would have adorned the rear twin tail flaps - and it is far too hard for me to try and paint on given the project deadline):

Now with a coat of protective varnish on (see below), from a very old but 'reliable' tin of Humbrol 'enamel style' matte. This was after I had an unmitigated disaster trying to use the more modern acrylic matte varnish (in their square tins) and getting it horribly wrong. I had probably rushed it but it looked to my terrified eyes to be drying with a white "winter camouflage" sheen to it .... argh. And this was the Sunday night before the Monday deadline and I had been left in charge putting the "smelly varnish coat on" after the rest of the family had gone to bed! Luckily I had started on the German Dornier Bomber first and spotted the damage, which meant it was so much easier to repaint (I would have ruined the Spitfire's decals) ...whew!

One last flypast before I hand them over with compulsory sound effects "wheewwwizzzooo" (see below). I also like the angry yellow wing stripes and machine gun read patches on the wings. 

Anyway I am chuffed to bits with them both and even better my eldest son thinks they are cool too, paying particular attention to the Spitfire ("that's my boy"). I do intend to "tart" then up a bit when I get them back from the school display, although I've heard the German Dornier has already taken a bit of "flak" damage from the hands of Year 3. I plan to hang both planes from my son's bedroom ceiling.

School WWII Project Nearing Completion

Well we had fun making these.

The magic Humbrol Clearfix worked wonders on the previously tricky (as in I always messed them up) canopies (see below):

It was 'really' useful on the Dornier Do.17's expanse of canopies to fill in the missing gaps in the perspex (see below):

The "Spitty" gets its undersides painted in a peculiar XF-12 IJ Grey, which doesn't seem quite right but according to my conversion chart matches to Humbrol 64 (see below):

The Dornier gets a more traditional paint scheme of light blue for its underside from a 'really' old Humbrol acrylic range they had, but after all these years it's still ready to use from the pot, unlike some more modern paints I could name (see below): 

The Spitfire starts to come together nicely when its camouflage pattern is put on. I am using XF-61 Dark Green and XF-82 Ocean Grey 2 (RAF), the latter being a newer Tamiya paint colour I spotted while I was in a local model shop (Hobbycraft). I was looking at the Tamiya colour schemes on other model kits and borrowed this one off a Tamiya 1/48 RAF Mosquito kit (see below): 

The 1/48 scale Spitfire was such a nice kit to put together, far easier IMHO than the 1/72 scale kits I am used to. You stand a fair chance of even painting the "yellow" along the wing tips and "red" machine gun patches (see below):

The Dornier also gets it's Blitz camouflage scheme. A jagged edge XF61 Dark Green interlocking with a XF-27 Black Green (see below):  

This was the later Luftwaffe 1940 camouflage at the time of the Battle of Britain as opposed to the three colour, with a light grey and a brown alongside a green in the instructions, dating to 1937. The propeller housings get a bright white covering while the propeller blades get a surprising XF-61 Dark Green (I was expecting black) covering (see below): 

They are taking shape nicely but we are coming to that dreaded phase of mine, the decals, however for aircraft they simply are a must! Also, for the record, there were little hands helping me along the way, though they did take long telly breaks from time-to-time (Merlin and Mr maker being two of the CBBC culprits).

New 1/144 Revell WW2 Aircaft :)

•  Stuka
• Me 109E
• Fw 190D
• Me262
• Spitfire
• Hurricane
• Tempest
• Typhoon

:)

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=234927980

Something for the air war sir?
Cheap too retailing as £1.99 which is a very sensible price for a fighter
Good as the Zvezda kit is creeping up in price 

If I remember correctly these are very old molds (I had a Revell Me109E, Stuka and a Dornier D0.17 unless the latter was a mad dream of mine)    

School Project Time: WWII

My eldest son is doing all about WWII a school, so as part of his homework we had to do a "special" project. We where do I start? I wanted to do everything ;)

What about a Spitfire! The one I had in mind was a 1:48 scale Airfix Spitfire Vb kit I had lying around. Too big for my general wargaming purposes but perfect for "small hands" to get a grip of. See below for how she stands in the "undercoated black" stage.

:)

My main job was getting it through the construction (aka put it together with glue and don't get stuck) stage to the 'large areas' to paint stage where my son could help me finish it, but needless to say I had some fun on the way with the pilot (see below):

Most of it will be lost behind to sight the perspex canopy but it was fun painting the 1/48 scale pilot (see below) and I am inclined to drift to the bigger figures as my eyesight wanes: 

We opted for the 1941 European version (as opposed to the Middle East, Desert Air Force Version with the funny tropical air intake/exhaust). I especially like the fact in 1/48 scale you see extra little details such as the rear view mirror, to protect your six, on top of the pilots canopy (see below, you can just make it out):   

After first dismissing he bigger scale planes, I am now warming to them, in particular the fighters. They certainly have more immediate impact and substance with the youngsters as they fit nicely into their hands without 'immediately' breaking things off.

A Spitfire seems a very fitting post for No.500 methinks :)

Fearless Pierre learns FEAR ...

The morning sun broke through the clouds and greeted the Entente pair of scouts. Again an Englishman and a French man head towards the German lines "a hunting" (see below):

As regular as clockwork the Boche appear, two scouts guarding a two-seater. With battle cries of "Tally-ho" and "Merde" the battle commences (see below): 

The Englishman is fearless and bold (some say too fearless and too bold) diving into the center of the melee without a passing thought to the killing power of modern industrial machinery (obviously a product of the British class based "gentleman's elite" old school system). Pierre meanwhile hatches a cunning survival plan called "come in from the side" (see below):

The Englishman clashed head-to-head with his foe and mutual "greeting cards" (of damage) were exchanged (see blow):

Pierre for all his fancy planning ended up in a similar position as the Yellow Albatross of "Kev" angled across to meet him (see below):

Pierre suffered a far more dangerous outcome. The "rat-a-tat" greeting from the Spandau (courtesy of Killer Kev's Albatross) is met with a resounding metallic ping from deep inside the N17's engine bock, followed by an conflagration of fire, flame and caustic choking smoke. Pierre is left blinded with the Nieuport 17 losing height rapidly and the whole world swirling around the top of his head. Out of control, helpless and with his life flashing before his eyes Pierre fights ingloriously with the controls. The fire fans out and the immediate risk of explosive oblivion seems to have receded.    

Barely managing to level the stricken plane off, the N17 disintegrates upon contact with a small copse of stunted trees, gorse and brush mercifully wet and springy from recent rains. Pierre is flung to a position relative safely amidst the wreckage. The 'Fates' have ordained that this fallen angel to survive once more, even granting him the luxury of falling on the right side of the line. "Nine Lives Pierre" seems to have used a fair few of them up by now. Some five missions to his credit, no kills, but twice 'shot down' and the cruel statistics of war say that the 'third time' usually gets you. Pierre has now earned the right to a "pass" in his commanders eyes to savour a week's respite with Eros in lively Paris, as a stark contrast to his daily dance with Thantos over the Western Front.

A short and not so sweet duel, summed up in a single posting. Still to be continued on Pierre's return from Paris!