Finally got "Classy Peg" underway last night, mostly just clean up of the parts for the suspension. Had to take a break to confirm that the instructions called for the wrong form of roadwheels, (flat concave, rather than pressed spoke). Thankfully the kit include the right kind as well. (Hurrah for reusable sprues.)

Plan to get a bit more done tonight and then snap som pictures.

Hey everyone one! I have the P-40B painted and a coat of future on just waiting for the decals to arrive for LT Welches marking for the plane he few that fateful day

Okay progress is being made! Italeri's kit of the Panzer IV H was made when moulding complex shapes wasn't that easy so they broke up all the panels and guards etc and you get to build the fighting and engine compartments, each and every panel just about. (See pics)

This kit is also made to have the tracks and suspension "operational". There are collars for the wheels, idlers and drive sprockets etc. The end of the shaft is melted by a heated screwdriver to the collar thus allowing the part to turn. I thought about it and went with a wood burning tool to do the job. Perhaps a little more fierce than the screwdriver but it worked a treat so long as it was used quickly as applying it too long quickly melted the collar and shaft.

The Tamiya stick on Zimmerit is actually going on pretty well. There is a little cutting and fudging required but nothing beyond most modellers skills, just take it slowly and carefully. Most of the "stickers" have been a little oversized so trimming to fit makes it look .... uh well kind of "applied".

The metal barrel lifts the look of the whole kit plastic just can't match the crispness of detail. I've also ordered some metal barrels for the bow and co-axial Mg34's as the kit parts look truly sad when compared the the main gun.

I'm going to give the Panzer IV the full Schurzen treatment although I am debating whether to replace them with some much thinner plasticard. I've looked at photo-etch but that's horrifyingly expensive! Not to mention complex!

Anyway enough rabbiting on here are some pics so you can see for yourselves.

Chris,
You're really improving that old kit. That dark green plastic makes me think of Monogram kits of the 70's. Once tou're done, it'll look as good as any modern molding.

Keep it up!

Gaz

Rodney----Great progress on the -40. Looking forward to the Lt. Welch markings. Still say Welch, Taylor and the others who got in the fray that morning should have gotten a MoH.

Chris----You really have done an admirable job on the improvements of the PZ IV. Nicely done.

Regards,

Ian

Progress has been made on the T-45!

Started off with the cockpit.



Went with aftermarket resin seats, but photoetch detail, which required removing the resin straps. One complaint about the resin seats is that they are modeled with the safe/arm handle in the armed position and I'm not at a point where I feel comfortable hacking the seat up to scratch build a safed up handle. I had to settle for the seat safety pin being in place (excellent eduard fabric remove before flight streamer). Additionally, the instructions called for olive drab cushions, which is not accurate to the jet.

Roger, the bang-seats look great. Nicely done indeed!

Best wishes,

Ian

Nice ejection seat Roger!

Going good on that Panzer Chris!

Looking good on the P-40 Rodney!

And here's the 1/32 Tamiya F4U-1A, all finished. And I hardly lost any parts!





This is one of a series I'm planning on doing (if I live that long) of 1/32 American WWII single seat fighters in the colors of their highest scoring aces. Here's where I am:



Though truthfully I'm planning on replacing the P-51 with Cripes A Mighty 3rd using the Tamiya kit. One step forward...

Keep up all the great work going on here!

Michael

Just a small update, the M4A3 is coming along, but as I'm starting in a new position at work in a few weeks time, the progress haven't been as fast as I'd planned.

Michael,
That's an impressive collection of fighters there!

Gaz

an update on my build- f4u-4 corsair
i had the fuselage and wings all assembled and off it went to the spray booth. i sprayed the gloss sea blue and left it on the stand in the spray booth to dry. when i went to check on it a little later i found it on the floor with the wing broken off the fuselage.
turned out to be better off because the blue rattle can paint gave me fits. i kept getting air bubbles forming after i sprayed the paint. i had to sand and re-paint several spots.
here's where i'm at right now

i need to paint the white ring on the front cowl, finish decals, clearcote (with semi-gloss) then add the rockets and mount it to the stand and wire it to the battery pack.
i would like to try showing the rockets firing but i will see. trying to think how to do it.
joe.

Joe,
I like the way your Corsair is turning out. I don't know much about rattlecan paint, unfortunately.

Gaz

Sounds like the propellant was still in solution with the paint and when it turned back into a gas created your bubbles (just as a thought).

My immediate thought regarding the Rocket Projectile (R.P.) is wire buried inside of cotton wool teased out to look like smoke with the wire attached to the rear of the rocket and then attached to the wing so the aircraft supports the R.P. You could also attach a LED to the back of the rocket and run it off the power source to mimic the rocket motor. (just don't ask me how LOL)

Thanks Gaz!

Hard luck on the -4 Joe, but it looks like you're going to salvage it!

Michael

evidently neither do i-lol i should have just decanted it
i do a lot of car models and use rattlecans quite a bit but i never had that happen. then they are all high gloss paint if that makes a difference.

joe

thanks mike, i'm working hard on it. your corsair looks real good too. i have the same kit. need to decide on decals before i start it.

Chris, you may be right. maybe the can is defective.
i was thinking along the same lines for the rocket but was thinking of using plastic rod. maybe the wire would be better.i was just going to airbrush the cotton "smoke" to show flame. does anyone know how they were fired? could they be selected individually or they fired randomly? i was planning on having the two inboard rockets (one each wing) firing.

joe

Not sure on the Corsair Joe but with the Typhoon/Tempest the rockets could be fired singly in groups of two or ripple fired. There was some concern that firing them all at once you would lose to much airspeed. I'm guessing the Corsair would be similar?

Hello,

My entry for this campaign, Mil Mi-4.


It's from the company KP, Czech.
Regards,
K.

thanks chris didn't think of that, makes sense. so it really doesn't matter which rockets i show firing as long as they are not both on the same wing.

joe

neat looking kit. look forward to seeing it built.

joe

My thanks gentlemen for your kind compliments regarding my efforts so far with the Panzer IV. Things are progressing further I received my brass barrels for the MGs in the mail yesterday and have fitted them to the kit.

I've also been working on the schurzen and after looking at the plastic hangers provided for them decided I'd be better off making replacements out of brass wire, which I've done. I've drilled the mounting holes all the way through so I'd have more of a gluing surface. I do wish I'd invested in the grab handle maker when I had the chance earlier this year it would've simplified matters no end.

Any how here are some progress shots to bring you up to date.

Signed myself up for the campaign. Got myself a T34/85 to do.
This will be my second ever kit, really looking forward to knocking it out. I may get a detail kit if I find one at a decent price too.

Mitchell,
I built an Academy Tiger I recently and found it had plenty of detail. The only thing I didn't like was the Academy tracks. Fruils cost as much as another kit, but once you've had them on a big tank, you'll compare every other kind of track to them. Friuls favour big tracks like on Russkie and late German tanks.

Gaz

Thanks mate I will check them out.
Cheers, Mitch.

Here we go.