Air Campaigns
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OFFICIAL: Sopwith-Hawkers-BAe Campaign
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Monday, February 24, 2020 - 09:18 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Looks like several folks made vacu-form canopies for various Mk I & II Hurricanes for various kits (Airfix, Revell and Hasegawa) but lots of luck finding one.

Now if you needed a Spitfire canopy, for no obvious reason, I have two of them despite having not purchased a Spitfire kit since before 1972. To be fair, Airfix did provide me one for use on their A4D-1 Skyhawk



Indeed, I'm not sure of my odds on that...

What might be a possibility is that I've been toying with the idea of getting the Arma Hobby MkIIc kit. Now I think that comes with 2 canopies. Would anyone know if I could pinch one of them and fit it to the Airfix MkI?
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 - 10:38 AM UTC
work continues on the main assembly of Airfix's 1/72 Hurricane
to achieve some level of accuracy for the camo pattern I used a photo copier to enlarge the painting guide to the same size as the model. Airfix either by design or change happened to make their painting guide exactly half size to the model, so it was a fairly simple affair of scaling up by 200%.
It was then a matter of cutting out the different colours and then laying them over the model and lightly penciling in the shapes.

After completing the line work, liquid mask was applied with a chisel pointed match stick

Hoping to apply the dark green tonight
AussieReg
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
#007
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 - 10:53 AM UTC
Nice neat work on the masking Russ, looking forward to the results now.

Cheers, D
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 - 11:16 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Nice neat work on the masking Russ, looking forward to the results now.

Cheers, D



Thanks D

pushing as hard as I can to get this over the line asap, so I can start the 3 kits (yes 3) for the Big Three campaign and the Me262 for the Schwalbe campaign
AussieReg
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
AUTOMODELER
#007
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 - 01:46 PM UTC

Quoted Text

pushing as hard as I can to get this over the line asap, so I can start the 3 kits (yes 3) for the Big Three campaign and the Me262 for the Schwalbe campaign



Big Three going all-in! Nice!

I'm going to have my hands full with the Schwalbe dual build and then the Race GB on AutoModeler kicking off on April 1.

Cheers, D
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Friday, February 28, 2020 - 12:02 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

pushing as hard as I can to get this over the line asap, so I can start the 3 kits (yes 3) for the Big Three campaign and the Me262 for the Schwalbe campaign



Big Three going all-in! Nice!

I'm going to have my hands full with the Schwalbe dual build and then the Race GB on AutoModeler kicking off on April 1.

Cheers, D



Sounds like we've both got our hands full, D

Well the masking's off Airfix's 1/72 Hurricane

I'm not entirely happy with the result, the liquid mask has left a scratchy edge in a few places. Nonetheless it is what it is. I also decided that it would be better to spray the red planels on around the gun ports than to use the provided decal...




next up comes the clear gloss coat prior to decals then another before assembly and pin washes... getting close now...

and good news just in: Airfix are sending a new canopy!
PasiAhopelto
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Uusimaa, Finland
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Posted: Saturday, February 29, 2020 - 06:49 PM UTC
And done:



Two more photos in the https://gallery3.kitmaker.net/showgallery.php/cat/31829.

Thanks for an interesting campaign.
Propster
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Western Australia, Australia
Joined: January 01, 2019
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Posted: Saturday, February 29, 2020 - 09:38 PM UTC
My completed Sea Fury.





MichaelSatin
Staff MemberCampaigns Administrator
AEROSCALE
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Colorado, United States
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Posted: Sunday, March 01, 2020 - 02:37 AM UTC
Very nice Pasi and Stephen!

Michael
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Thursday, March 05, 2020 - 09:04 PM UTC
Congratulations on some very nice builds, Pasi and Stephen!

Airfix 1/72 Hurricane rapidly coming into land. Shiny coats are on, decals on, more shiny coats and pin washes on before the final laps

up close



more soon
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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United Kingdom
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Posted: Sunday, March 08, 2020 - 10:02 AM UTC
Great work guys.

Finally got some paint on my Hurricane.
I used Vallejo's Modelair RAF Azure blue. A really nice colour that looks a good match to wartime colour photos I have (bearing in mind picture and print quality). Sprayed beautifully over a white primer.
Next up the upper cammo.
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Sunday, March 15, 2020 - 10:53 PM UTC
I'm calling the Airfix 1/72 Haker Hurricane done!

Yes, it's missing it's canopy, but hopefully this will turn up soon enough. (Before the end of the month would be nice, Airfix )

This model has fought me all the way, but that in no way is a reflection on the kit. It's more that what I've done hasn't turned out the way I'd have liked, from the decals not working properly, the camo pattern not masking cleanly and to things like the smoke stains being way overdone.

Still, on the plus side I did try some new things like the wing tip lights from clear sprue

Not sure if I'm going to take the time to properly photograph this one for the collection as I'm not really happy enough with it. I might even get another fabric wing kit so as I can try to do a better job next time...

Pics in the gallery







Thanks to Michael for running a nice campaign
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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Posted: Saturday, March 21, 2020 - 06:45 AM UTC
Great work Russell. The Hurricane has turned out great. Hopefully your new canopy will arrive soon.


Work continues on mine. Managed to get the final paint on today. Will get some photos taken when I've removed the masks.
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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Posted: Sunday, March 22, 2020 - 07:29 AM UTC
Masks removed.
Not looking too bad. Needs a little touching up in a few spots, but I'm happy with it.
I used Revel Aqua 16 Sand and 82 Dark Earth. These paints get a big thumbs up from me! Airbrushed beautifully, easy to thin and clean up. And importantly, tough. No peeling off with the masking tape which I've had some acrylics do in the past.




RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Sunday, March 22, 2020 - 09:39 AM UTC
Thank you Stephen!

Your Hurricane looks great! The colours seem really nice!

Good to hear the acrylics worked nicely! I'm still apprehensive about making that switch!

Meanwhile one brand new canopy has arrived from Airfix and will be duly painted and fitted soon
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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Posted: Sunday, March 22, 2020 - 11:41 AM UTC
Thanks Russell and happy to hear your new canopy has arrived safely.

I'd recommend the Revell Aqua paints. Very easy to work with. They're thick straight out of the pot, but that means that they last longer. I used a bit of water and Windsor & Newton acrylic flow improver to thin it. Worked like a charm.

I do like the colours. I thought they may be a bit too bright, but studying wartime colour photos they were indeed bolder than modern desert colours.
It will need some dust pigments, exhaust and cordite staying and some chipping to tone it all down. Malta was very harsh on aircraft. Dry, dusty and sandy. And that's not even taking into account combat! She's a little factory fresh at the moment.

Work has got us all on a reduced timetable at the moment. In-between the jobs I can do at home, I'm hoping to spend a few minutes as and when I can finishing all the little bits on the Hurricane.
Still got to mask and paint the canopy for one thing.
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Sunday, March 22, 2020 - 08:19 PM UTC
Thanks for the recommendation Stephen

Definitely got some experimentation to do with available paints and thinners down under!

Looking forward to seeing how the weathering goes. Take care with the canopy!
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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Posted: Monday, March 23, 2020 - 08:24 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks for the recommendation Stephen

Definitely got some experimentation to do with available paints and thinners down under!

Looking forward to seeing how the weathering goes. Take care with the canopy!



The canopy curse struck me today!
Part way through masking I managed to crack it. Rats!
Luckily though, Hobbyboss put two in the box. An open and closed options. Crisis averted.


RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Monday, March 23, 2020 - 08:43 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Thanks for the recommendation Stephen

Definitely got some experimentation to do with available paints and thinners down under!

Looking forward to seeing how the weathering goes. Take care with the canopy!



The canopy curse struck me today!
Part way through masking I managed to crack it. Rats!
Luckily though, Hobbyboss put two in the box. An open and closed options. Crisis averted.





Phew! That was a close shave!

Lucky there is a spare canopy with the Hobbyboss kit, Stephen!
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 12:15 AM UTC
It was.
Hobbyboss moulded the canopy parts incredibly thin. Slightest bit of pressure was all it took to crack.

I don't know what Hobbyboss' spares policy is, so if there wasn't another I would have had to shelve this one so close to the finish.
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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Posted: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - 05:39 AM UTC
Spent the afternoon getting the decals on.

I tried to use Humbrols Decalfix, rather than my usual Microsol and Set. Can't say I'm won over with it. It seems to be more like an adhesive rather than a setting solution and had a few bizarre results. Notably a white residue on the wing roundels.
I'm hoping it will fade when they're dry.
Lesson learned. Stick with what I know works in future.



phantom_phanatic309
#372
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Posted: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - 11:43 PM UTC
Checked the decals this morning and found a tiny tear in one wing roundel. They also have a slightly bumpy feel. I thought these may have been air bubbles so tried pin pricking and applying a little Microsol. No effect at all. Definitely feels like dried adhesive under them. Strangely, the decals on the fuselage don't have this. Just those on the wings. Maybe on the vertical surfaces the solution was able to run out from under them better.
Humbrol Decalfix is certainly something I will not use again.



To try to fix the problems, I've put on another coat of Klear, which has removed the weird discolouring and painted over the tear with some Revell Lufthansa blue enamel.



By way of comparison , here's a lower wing roundel applied with just a spot of Microset and left over night to dry. Flat, smooth and conformed into the panel lines.



I think I know what I'm sticking with in the future!
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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Posted: Thursday, March 26, 2020 - 08:31 AM UTC
Time for some stencils.
As neither the kit nor the Xtradecal set has any, I'm using Techmods set. Enough for 6 aircraft on the sheet, including 2 in night finish. There are a couple of variations on some of the stencils and it has the port side wing stencils in white should anyone be finishing one with black and white wings.



They went on with no trouble.




All going well I should have her finished over the weekend.
RussellE
#306
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Victoria, Australia
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Posted: Friday, March 27, 2020 - 12:14 AM UTC
Good to see you've got the problems with the decals fixed, Stephen... Looking very nice now, especially like the canon!

PS, what's the difference between microsol and microset?
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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Posted: Friday, March 27, 2020 - 01:17 AM UTC
Thanks Russell.
Got a matt coat on today and did a little weathering. Just to give it a dusty look and tone down the desert sand.

Microsol is easily the stronger of the two. It will soften the decal and make it conform to difficult surfaces. Sets a bit weaker but does the same job. Of course it's very important you don't touch decals while they're drying! They can smudge and stretch very easily.
They can be very aggressive and I've had issues in the past with both attacking acrylic paint. Never any trouble with enamel.
As it was my first time using Revells acrylic, I wasn't sure how they would react. Hence me using the Humbrol. In hindsight I probably should have experimented first. I was probably using in completely the wrong way.
I can certainly see it being useful with older decals that have lost their adhesive over time.