completed builds

Classic Airframes 1/48 Fairey gannet AS1

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  • Built: 2008
  • Enhancements: F.A.A. Models resin Weapons bay
  • Decals: Combination of kit and spare  numbers

 

 

Not one of Classic Airframes best models, the resin suffers from some shrinkage meaning the resin wheelbays are a teeny bit smaller than the bay openings, and the nose cowl is markedly smaller than the nose. The canopies also will not sit in the open position over the spine. On the plus side, its a 48 scale Gannet! Revell, Frog and Trumpeter have done kits in 72 scale, but 48 injection moulded kits are decidedly lacking. Also, it includes Royal Australian Navy decals, as did a lot of C.A releases. Overall, they were pretty kind to us modellers of Aussie subjects. The rear cockpit details are a bit of a fantasy, but I can live with that. The resin Bomb bay fit like a glove and was a very well cast piece of resin. It certainly adds some weight to the kit. The model was finished with Xtracolour paints as this is was my paint of choice at the time. Im really hoping for a new tool kit of this interesting aeroplane, hopefully Airfix will oblige us, as they are about the only manufacturer I can see doing it. Folded wings would be nice too please

Fairey Gannet AS1 816 SQN Royal Australian Navy

F.A.A. H.M.A.S. Melbourne 1962

Hasegawa P-47D Thunderbolt

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  • Built: 2007
  • Aftermarket Used: Eduard USAAF Seat belts
  • Decals: Cobbled together from various sheets

Although certainly not my fits model, this is the first one I have recorded enough in photos to put up on a modelling forum, (remember those!) In this case, Britmodeller.com.

The details of the build are pretty much lost in my mind, but this was completed after building the tamiya kit in 48 scale, completing that as a camouflaged SEAC machine. Oh, how I wish there was a new tool 32 scale kit, so I could repeat that build in the bigger scale. Anyway, this scheme was featured on the sheet I used for the tamiya kit and I thought it would be easy enough to replicate in 32 scale.

The model was largely built OOB save for the photo etched seat belts and some arming wires for the bombs added from- appropriately- fuse wire !

The model was most likely painted in Floquil platinum mist, as that is what I was using at the time, with Xtracolour insignia blue for the I.D bands. Decals were sourced from spares and various sheets in my “decal bank”

The model was then weathered with thinned airbrushed streaks of black to represent rain streaks, with some pastels applied to the tyre treads and wheel doors to simulate mud.

The Model won a Second Place in the now defunct Eagles Day competition held in Melbourne. Australia

It survived for many years before being trashed earlier this year (2021) after being salvaged for parts.

Republic P-47D-30RE Thunderbolt 34 SQN Royal Air Force. Meiktila. Burma 1945

Earlier Builds

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A lot of these builds are no longer with me, having been moved on from the cabinet so that other completions can take their place. Some of them were tossed after suffering damage in various house moves. In just about all cases , these are the only photos I still have of them. I have included them purely for completeness.

Trumpeter 1/48 Sea Fury F.B11

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  • Built: 2012
  • Aftermarket Used: PP Aeroparts spinner and blades,
  • Decals: Aussie Decals

i Think everyone who likes this machine was quite excited when Trumpeter revealed they were releasing a badly needed new tool kit to replace the ageing HobbyCraft kit. That anticipation quickly melted when everyone saw what a complete hash Trumpeter had made it, as they do with a lot of their British subjects.

The details of this build have been lost to time, but I do remember a lot of remedial work was required to accurise it.

This involved building up the strange scallop shaped cockpit opening, replacing the bulborous spinner with a PP aeroparts one, or was it W.E.M, cant remember!

In fact quite a lot of PP aeroparts were used from their very comprehensive set designed for the Hoobycraft kit.

These days were I to do this one again, I would use the lovely Airfix kit. But I won’t be as I have the lovely Fisher Models 1/32 scale kit in the stash.

I only just recently sold this one, so it had stayed with me for quite some time.

Hawker Sea Fury F.B11 Royal Australian Navy F.A.A Nowra.

Airfix 1/48 Hawker Hunter F6

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  • Built: 2019
  • Aftermarket Used: Eduard P.E Flap set . Eduard dedicated cockpit set
  • Decals: Xtradecal

Ive previously mentioned I’m loving Airfix’s new releases. The Hunter was a monty for them to put out in 48 scale, but I feel they have rushed this kit a little. It is decidedly lacking the detail of some of their other releases such as the Walrus and Blenheim. Lacking in both cockpit and surface detail, the flap bays are also strangely devoid of detail despite Airfix offering them as separate parts, so the lack of moulded ribs and stringers is mystifying can be displayed down. Airfix have also missed a door actuator off the front nose wheel leg, as only one is provided.

The model builds quickly and easily. I cant remember too many issues. ( for some reason, I failed to write this up after completing the kit, so this is being written up about two years after building the kit) The blue tac I used to hold the canopies to an old paintbrush handle whilst spraying them left a stain that could not be removed, even using Mr Thinner, which normally removes everything else. A reaction to the blu tac is the only thing that comes to mind that would have caused the stain as it would not polish out or wipe off using the afore mentioned Mr Thinner. This forced me to cut apart the closed canopy as the model would be displayed with open canopy.

The hunter had many interesting schemes, airfix though provide options for three simply camouflaged machines, albeit, from two different Air Forces. A more interesting scheme was found on an Xtradecals sheet which had been in the decal bank for some years, looking for an excuse to be used.

Gunze Shine Red stood in for a very passable R.A.F. Signal Red. Gunze was also used for the Light Aircraft Grey with M.R.P Light Arctic Grey which is an off white being used for the white. It looks white out of the bottle, but when compared to the white of the roundels one can definitely see its a very pleasant grey. Its defiantly a masking intensive scheme, but certainly is eye catching.

And thats the Airfix Hunter, a decent, but not outstanding kit. I am perplexed though why Airfix has not followed it up with the F.G.A.9

Hawker Hunter F6