Progress so far on the Halifax working in a hotel room, so no spraying. The model has been assembled into sub assemblies so it can be transported home without damage, (fingers crossed). The seams of the fuselage required some help but otherwise fits are OK. Care is required to get the engines right as all four are different The main undercarriage units are fitted but so far without the jacks.

Well I just enlisted today, might as well start the year off with a good start.
I have no clue what aircraft Im going to model yet, I will know better after a trip to my local Hobby Store tomarrow.
Im leaning twords a TBD-1A Devastator.

I'm afraid that one's not eligible since it's an attack aircraft. From that era, the PBY, PBM or other similar big lumbering patrol aircraft is what you're after.

Not much progress here, mine or anyone elses by the look of it
Halifax has been worked on but progress is very slow. Now primed in white primer and tempted to leave it with no top coat, just Klear. Upper side needs to be camo, next job.


Quite a lot of filler gone into this so far, the bomb door fit is terrible, I modelled them open last time, wish I had this time. The Heyford was a far better kit for fits very few joint on this didn't need some filling.

No pics yet, but I finally closed up the fuselage on the PV-1. Managed to remember to get the turret installed, it has a T shaped retainer so it has to go in early, I'm going to try to just install the base and then do the guns and dome later after paining. Of course I didn't spend enough time on the fit, so it's permanently turned about 15 degrees off of the center line....

Why is it called VP International?

Hi Warren, Good question, I think VP was (is) USN designation for Maritime Patrol squadrons, International so we didn't all build Neptunes or PBYs. I wanted to build a Felixstowe but got the Halifax from a friend at just the right time. Mark, sounds like the sort of problem I give myself.

I named the campaign after the association of maritime patrol aircrews.

US Navy Logic: V stands for "Heavier than Air"
P = Patrol
F = Fighter
H = Photo reconnaissance
A = Attack
M = Marine

So, a patrol plane (PV, P2V, P3, P8) would be assigned to a VP squadron
A fighter (F-8, F-4, F-14) to VF or VMF (Marine Corps)
An F/A -18 assigned to the Marine Corps would be in VMFA


Ya really cant tell the players without a program.

The Navy has always been 'different' to the Air Force. Having been in the RAAF for 21 years I know their logic, but not the US Navy's..
F = Fighter
C = Cargo
P = Patrol
But then they started muddying the water's with things like an AP-3C Orion..
I may be able to get some time to build one of these fine aircraft. I have a few in the stash..
Cheers
Warren

Oh, and I may be wrong, H may stand for Helicopter and J for Photo Recon......

U is Utility. The RCN used the terminology as well, so VU-33 was a utility squadron which flew T-33s towing targets for us sailor types to try and shoot down, for example.

In any case, We're concerning ourselves with aircraft belonging to VP squadrons and their equivalents.

My Aurora sits somewhat neglected at the back of the workbench, awaiting the next delivery of round tuits.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/round_tuit

I recently got me one of them round tuits.
back in November, I had planned to build an Aeroscale Neptune kit for this campaign, but found I was missing a part. Jessica found me the contact info for the kit builder, who did eventually came through with replacement part, so I have complete kit, but as it is so rare and valuable unbuilt, Ive decided to set it aside until such time as I learn to make resin castings and can duplicate it for my own use.
So I am going with plan B, Anigrand PV-1

airframe complete, minor filling may be required we'll see what a coat of primer shows. next to assemble the props, a particular Anigrand challenge.


This aircraft has a P in its designator, and did serve with VP squadrons during WWII, but my plan is to paint it up in a post war Reserve status, probobly fictional, as few if any of them survived the war, superseded as they were by the PV-2
like this one seen at Oakland

Well, it's progress, but painfully slow.


The fuselage is closed up, but the joins were a bit messy.

Another two steps forward (and one back) on the Halifax




Colours are not right. I'm using a different camera from my normal one. LHS of the Fuselage I lost a chunk of paint to the masking tape and some of the engine masking has failed. Out of Tamiya Dark Gray so sprayed Humbrol Enamel and I was impressed. Green is Tamiya Olive Drab

..and an update, touching in complete, wheels and props fitted and painted

Well, I'm just back to the ice and snow after a couple of sunny weeks in Mexico. I had a chance to get back to my Gannet. Hopefully I can begin painting in the next week or so.

I'm not going to have time to devote the necessary work the Argus needs, so this campaign's build will be the Aurora.
The fuselage closed up and test fitted to the wings.


White Milliput doesn't show up against white plastic very well, but it's there; the central 9 forward Sonobuoy tubes were omitted from the Aurora, so they need to be filled. The second-last tube on the outer Starboard row is larger, because that one's designed for manual launches. That one needs to be drilled out to a larger diameter once everything is dry.

Is there to be no Nimrod?

No Shackleton either

Look on the first page!

I was hoping to join in with my Airfix nimrod but unfortunately (as is the norm at the moment) life precluded me from joining in.

I still have a half built 1/144 Welsh models vac form that I started for the vac form campaign but its too far on for entry into this campaign... maybe HQ3 though

Sorry Richard, forgot about that one.
Quick post to report the Halifax complete and pictures in the campaign gallery. A couple of samples:


Enjoyed the build but the kit was showing it's age, the Revell B1 I built a couple of years ago seemed better, I don't know whether Revell reworked the moulds. The Heyford was a lot better too.

Hi All

This is the kit I am working on: