Darken the Sky with Planes (1/300 Battle of Britain)

This is just a crazy deal from the Plastic Soldier Company: 118 Planes for £5 (+P&P of 50p)

http://theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=170&products_id=1996&zenid=o1ldmj1igi8q498ll5dfivi4a2

I was tempted to get two (or more) but I reigned myself in (and partially regretting it already). The massive bundle arrived (see below, more planes than you can throw Ack Ack at): 

The Luftwaffe (see below, [5 packs of] 2 x Me109, 2 x Me110, 2 x Ju88, 2 x Do17, 2 x Heinkel 111, which means 50 planes): 

The RAF (see below, [5 packs of] 6 x Spitfire, 6 x Hurricanes, which means 60 planes):

These are the "odd balls" that finally sold it to me (see below, [2 packs of] Gloster Gladiator, Bristol Blenheim, Stuka, Boulton Paul Defiant, which means another 8 planes): 

Fantastic - now I just have to figure out what to do with them!

Canopy Capers (Airfix Fw190 WIP)

Calm, calm, calm. I approach the Fw190 canopy with trepidation .. I cannot use conventional glue as that would end up in one unholy mess resulting in painting over the canopy, hence I use ClearFix. A slow sticking fragile glue that does not smear canopies. Actually the Fw190 has a large part of the rear canopy to paint over (see below, aka the black part):

Now I had bit of a struggle to get the canopy on. The 'blooming canopy' part was being pushed off by a chunky piece of rear cock-pit detail. Hence I had to shave this back until the full canopy fit nicely over it, luckily the "shaved part" was totally hidden by the painted part of the canopy. A bit like the front cockpit detail (chair/instruments and control stick) fantastic detail that ends up hidden in 90% of the possible configurations - closed cock-pit with pilot at helm (see below):

The black primer over the canopy trimmings was then covered by the dark grey paint (see below):

The glue and paint in these kits goes a long, long way. In addition to this kit I have put together some eighty odd Saxon and Norman 25/28mm plastic figures.

:)

Decals beckon next!

Airfix Fw 190A-8

As a kid I had made the obligatory "rite of passage" construction of RAF (several different types [II, Vb and XIc]), the Hurricane and the infamous Mosquito Fighter Bomber (of 633 Squadron fame). On the baddies (sorry I am falling back to "war comic" stereotypes here) I had the Ju87 Stuka, Heinkel He111 and Dornier Do17z Luftwaffe bombers. Later in life I caught up with the Me109. However the Fw 190 was "the one that got away". So riffling through my "magic box of unmade boxes" I came across this little gem, the re-tooled Folk Wulf Fw190A-8 (see below):

Early days but has been a dream to put together. The glue goes a long, long way as I have used it for a box of 28mm Norman Foot Knights as well.

WIP, looking forward to painting it ;)

1/144 Zvezda Lagg-3 (Assembled)

The Zvezda Lagg-3 is certainly a quick assemble having but eight pieces (excluding the two that go together for the stand) and is a nicely modelled kit (see below):

I don't like the look of the peel on decals but a nice Eastern Front Soviet air asset nevertheless. It will go with the bucket of 1/144 aircraft up in the loft for a rainy day. I am still on the lookout for the cheap 1/144 Pacific war kits that seem to have dried up in the local "foot-fall" model shops. Ho hum. It's not what you have but what you want to have because you don't have it.

If only I were more sensibly project based ;)

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.

The Zvezda surrogate "DC3 Dakota" or "C47 SkyTrain" the Russian license-build LI-2

A grainy photograph (see below) of the Allied equivalent of the Ju-52, the legendary "DC-3 Dakota" or "C-47 SkyTrain" (I'm really not sure of the difference). This is courtesy of Zvezda providing a cheap model to surrogate in. It was a Russian license made version that was still used in the Cold War, called the Li-2 and it does the trick for me. Eagle eyed aviation experts would see many a difference but again I care not.   

It will appear on my tabletop where paratroopers or supplies are needed. The Russians also used it in a light bomber role (or shall we say "pressed" it into service) bit I removed the defensive dorsal turret to pull it firmly into the DC-3/C-47 stable. Having got one (on an evaluation trial), methinks I'll try and pick up another couple.

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 :)

Just Putting Plastic Things Together (WWII 1/144 Luftwaffe): Part II

Jumping away from RPG Fantasy and Sci-Fi a couple of small scale kits caught my eye from the "to do" pile of unmade kits, 1/144 Me-109's from Zvezda (see below):

This brings my collection of Me-109's to a total of four, in other words a nice little "finger four" Luftwaffe Schwarm.  

The kit is a basic 'almost' snap together affair, but I think it will paint up nicely. The only unfortunate downside is their attempt at decals (I think I will be trying to paint mine on).

Footnote:
Looking around the net I just spotted an interesting Zvezda new 1/144 kit the Hawker Hurricane Mk I, which immediately goes on the Xmas list. They also seem to be going British, doing a 15mm Matilda II and Bedford truck! If only I could justify getting one as I game in 20mm, 1/200 and 1/1300 - No way can I sanely go into another scale! 

A shot or two from my painting table

Was Maurice "the spy" (work-in-progress) to blame for my inability to post recently?

Soon to be dropped into occupied France from the back of a Lysander (Motto: "Trust No One! And Live Longer").

His chariot (the indomitable Lysander) is in the process of being under-coated.

Detail on the crew be seen through the plexi-glass.

The spy context is actually misleading as I intend to paint the Lysander in the BEF France 1940 Army Cooperation variant.

Running Repairs to the RAAF Brewster Buffalo

A little accident with the Brewster Buffalo's long aerial and a red dot in the middle of a roundel disappearing gives me the opportunity to show him off again. I am also grateful that Airfix sent me some replacement decals to cater for such circumstances.

Here he is trundling along watching out for Japanese Zero fighters and other Pacific perils.

Showing his belly (see below) to the world climbing away (also note the Blue Tack sticking the plane to the stand).

It also shows the most curious feature of this stubby little aircraft to my mind at least. Underneath the pilot there is a strange viewing canopy. To observe or spot danger coming from below? It seems rather a strange ask of a pilot to keep looking at his feet, as well as behind, front, left and right!

The Hurricane Mk I

Under-rated by the Luftwaffe but in the Battle of Britain the Hurricane shot down more German planes than the Spitfire. Rugged, durable and a good gun platform. Again this model was rescued from a long, long wait (since June) in a box next to my painting table.

I just have to get into the mood.

This one is flying in the markings of Squadron Leader Stanford Tuck, 257 Squadron, RAF 1940, as per the Airfix instruction manual.

Decals not as tricky as the Defiant, with only a few small tears along the way.

The Matt Cote came in really handy to give a seal over the model and blending the colours together. Showing the pretty but ineffectual black(dark)/sky(light) British identification scheme (see below). Tally Ho!

A nice model to make :)