The Little World

I finally figured out what I liked about the Israeli 3401 Catalina that is displayed at Hatzerim – they have painted it a shade of blue that has always called to me. My first car, the late lamented Renault 10, was painted this blue-grey and it has set a lead that I’ve followed for many of my vehicles.

The Academy Cat as a kit is superb to build. The interior fits where it is supposed to go and the fettling needed for fuselage closure was absolutely minimal. There were no dihedral problems nor any hesitation when the time came to fit the wing. The tail planes snapped in place and MEK welded them on. There is not a drop of filler anywhere on the boat.

The weight distribution is such that a back stand will be necessary, but I cannot blame Academy for the laws of mass and material. I’ve plenty of spare material to fashion an unobtrusive one.

I’m very grateful to the photographers who have circulated around Hatzerim in the Negev to capture this and other old IAF planes. This one appears in Google pictures in various stages of repair – including a final finish in blue gloss Navy paint. I’ve decided not to go to this complete gloss as the colour coat has brought up the rivets so well. The decals have a coat of Mr Color UV clear to help stay on and the 3402 marking is stencilled on anyway. I was frustrated in my search for any white lettering that would be suitable – and I looked through the entire SMCWA spare-decal box as well. If I get to a major model exhibition in the next year or so I am going to bite the bullet and spend money on 1:72 sheets of 24″ and larger letters and numbers – black, white, and grey. They always seem to be needed and unless you stick to kit sheets, you never have what you need.

Again, the bow pen and wooden skewer were the tools for canopy painting, and again the business of using the canopy covered in masking fluid as a cockpit seal worked well. I took the precaution of sealing it twice and had no bleed-through of paint. I am also pleased when the colour scheme for a plane is darker as it makes the painting of the canopy bars more effective. The fussier modellers who look at a canopy glued down but not faired in with putty – and I have rarely done that – may speak to my associate, Miss Scarlett O’Hara and she will serve them with a helping of fiddle dee dee.

As far as Catalinas in the future, I do hope to locate a lighter colour one – and one of an earlier marque – to add it to the RCAF Coastal Command section of my museum. I must go over to Scalemates and see what possibilities. I want a Mk I flying boat, not an amphibian, and with the older turret if possible.

Oh, and as these are the last of the Ventura decals, I can bid them a farewell. Not a fond  one, however, as I think that insignia printed on 12mm MDF board would probably have gone down easier. Three soakings with Micro-Sol and there are still small wrinkles. The wretched task has determined me to learn to spray my own stars.

I’ve worked out a scheme using simple ingredients – Avery sticky labels passed through my inkjet printer – and if it can cope with the 3402 serials on both sides of the tail I must surely be able to make it work for simple roundels and insignia. The last lot I tried to paint worked out cross-eyed, if that is a thing, but I think I know how to ensure that doesn’t happen again.