Thanks for the comment, Damian. What Matchbox kits lack in details, they make up for in nostalgia

I have made a little more progress on the harrier. I decided to do the standard camouflage and not do the winter white wash. However, I might still change my mind.

More to follow

@Jesper: Nice work on that camo job is it hand painted or sprayed? Because I think it's hand painted and you've done a damn fine job of it! Go on winterise it you know you WANT to!

@Tomcat: The email has arrived and I've printed the instructions on my printer in A3 (I have an understanding wife who let me get a printer that scans and prints in A3) They're nicely clear and blemish free and will do very nicely thanks! Does Camo want the decals from my kit? Since I'll be doing it as a Swiss Hunter I've no need of them? Or would anybody else have a use for them? I've been shown such generosity and I'd like to pass it forward if I can.

@Sebastian: I'm all set to build, however I'll need to get the updated ejected shell catchers with the Flare/Chaff dispensers. Does anyone know if there are resin upgrades/replacements for them?

So do a litle vignette of a couple Erks applying the whitewash with one side of it washed and the other not done yet. That way you can turn it around and see whichever scheme you feel like

Done

@Aussie: Awesome just awesome! The Aussie Furies always look good in that royal blue! Nice job fella!

Glad you received them OK. Sam says thank you for the offer but she's planning on doing Miss Demeanor or one of the concepts for that scheme. I've sent you an email with regards to the shell catchers. In the mean time have you thought of using any etch? Flightpath do some huge sets for the 32nd Hunter

Link to Flightpath

@Tomcat: Surprisisngly enough I've picked up a resin cockpit and I've been toying with the idea of an exterior set of etch but it depends on how much my A.M.S. flares up.

Beautiful Fury, Damian!

Thanks for the comments, Jessie and Chris. The camouflage is hand painted. On these small models I often find it more fun to hand paint them than to mask and spray.
It gets one lightly thinned coat of each colour followed by an even thinner coat. That often leaves out any streaks and gives a nice consistent tone to each colour.

Yesterday I added the decals and when they were dry I wanted to add a wash to take advantage of those trench like engraved lines. It ended up as a big disaster.
The decals sucked in the colour of the wash - probably due to their age and very small cracks/holes in the top varnish on the decals. Some of them just ended up being dark brown squares. The decal in the picture is the best looking of the decals......

Luckily the kit comes with a choice of UK decals as well. So if I can get the old US decals off, I can just reapply UK decals. I did not succeed yesterday, but I left the kit to soak all day in water so hope the US decals will lift.
Otherwise this build is going in the trash pile

More to follow

Try Micro Sol or vinegar to help soak the decals off. You may need to resort to sanding and repainting to get everything off.

Thanks for the tip, Jessie.

When I came home the water had lifted the decals so much I could scrub them of. I will need to retouch the camouflage again and start the weathering all over, but it is better than scrapping the kit altogether.

More to follow

hey hey looks like the yanks are selling us harriers back. I like the stars/bars area left. Could do this as a decommissioned civvy one.

I got out of my torpor by spraying the roundels using mals masks. easy as pie. The great unpeeling this evening will be photographed and posted here.

I'm hoping the crisp clean roundels will inspire me to getting this Fury done. The smell of iso propyl and windex has my juices flowing again though. Maybe it is just the fumes tho

Haven't been modelling much this summer, but I finally sat back down a couple weeks ago and made some progress on the Academy Tempest mkV. Just got some pictures as I'd been digicam-less for a couple weeks due to a hardware failure (props to Sony for a quick repair).


Academy Tempest Mk V 1/72 by mawz_models, on Flickr


Academy Tempest Mk V 1/72 by mawz_models, on Flickr

It should be done in a day or two.

The Special Hobby Tempest mkII on the other had is not going to be completed anytime soon. I need a proper dremel to get the wheel bays to fit and I've only got a cheapo cordless unit with a dying battery.

Excellent tiffie!

The roundels turned out beautifully. Now, on with the show. Got a couple of quiet hours later today to work on this.

Nice work JP coming along very nicely! Going to rig it as well?? LOL or am I just swearing at you now? I've only rigged one aircraft so far and that was the Hobbycraft Camel..... turned out really well though for a first attempt. But I've got so many WW2 biplanes to build I need the practice! Can't wait to see it finished!

@Adam: Nice work on the tempest fella! Who's aircraft are you doing? I did Evans aircraft EDM I think that's one of the options isn't it? I did it this time in 1/48 though!

I am calling this finished. Partly glad to see the back of it as the wing dedcided to fall off it after decalling so I think after a quick re glue all that is holding the wing on is the invasion stripe decals

Nicely done Sam ..... looks sufficiently war weary and well used. I know what you mean about those wing folds I did mine folded and had the devils own job to get them to sit right and I also had a decaling mishap with the wing coming adrift from all that handling! Ah well lesson learned decal first then finish putting it together!

@Chris: I'm also doing EDM, although a later version thereof with the coat of arms on the tail. The other box option is for Closterman, but I've got something of an aversion to him so WCmdr Mackie it is.

Ran into a little snag though, it seems I've misplaced the undercarriage legs. Thankfully these are cheap kits, I'll just buy another for replacements and build that one up in flight at some point.

Funny you should say that Adam I do too, I can't say why but I just don't like building his aircraft. Perhaps it's because I've seen it ad nauseam since I was a kid. LOL besides I must admit to liking building anything that has to do with New Zealanders and the air war in WW2!

Nice build, Sam. Looks very cool with the "invasion" stripes and the camouflage scheme.

He, he, JP. You are right it is the reverse of the history regarding the Harrier changing back into UK colours.

I have now finished the build. I am happy I did not give up on it despite the serious problems with the decals half way through the project. Despite the problems I am satisfied with the result. In no way up to todays standards, but a nice little kit none the less.

Looking forward to see more in the last few weeks of this campaign.

Beautiful job Jesper, well done on the recovery from the decal disaster !

Cheers, D

Thanks for the comment, Damian. I am satisfied with the end result - especially considering I actually had placed it in the garbage can at some point, but changed my mind and gave it another try.

Many cool builds in this campaign. Looking forward to see the gallery when the campaign ends.

And almost done:


Academy Tempest Mk V 1/72 by mawz_models, on Flickr

Just waiting for the gasbags & prop spinner to dry, then I'll pop those on, dullcote and add the canopy

And done:


Academy Tempest Mk V 1/72 by mawz_models, on Flickr


Academy Tempest Mk V 1/72 by mawz_models, on Flickr


Academy Tempest Mk V 1/72 by mawz_models, on Flickr

And uploaded to the Gallery as well.

And Very nicely done it is too Adam! Nice job I built this kit a couple of years ago and was amazed at how well it fit, how much detail there was in it and just how GOOD the price was!

Nicely done Adam, any chance we could have photo on a plain background so we can use it for the photo feature that'll be done when the campaign finishes?