The Little World

I use that title because in many respects this Special Hobby build has taken the full measure of several things; my patience, my eyesight, and the remnants of several paint containers.

The patience started to run out early on when the instructions called for the rudder pedals to be folded up out of photo-etched brass. You cannot see them but you are meant to know they are there. This is akin to religious faith. You are also asked to exercise your mind to imagine up machine gun belt magazines and throttle levers. I am glad I allowed to let myself be imposed upon as much as I did – it will streamline my experience with my next Special Hobby B-18 Bolo when I build it.

The eyesight went when I tried to decipher the exact positioning for a number of components in the diagrammatic instruction sheet. Now you’d think that with kits that are as mechanically vague as the short-run offerings from Czechoslovakia that they would compensate by making detailed and easy-to-understand instructions. I must be fair – the information you need is generally there, but it can be hidden in plain sight with only arrows and disappearing lines to indicate which item goes on top of which ledge.

The paint situation was not dire – I did have enough to finish the plane in the camouflage scheme, but the two main top colours were in partially-filled cans and they literally sprayed out to the last drop. As they are slightly different shades to that of the regular paint I use, it was a close-run thing. It reinforces the thought that I really must standardise on one range of colours and and materials and just get good with it. All the other paint makers would seduce me if they could, but in the end you have such an odd range of shades that you never really seem to hit the mark.

The final flat finish is very pleasing but it came with the news that the material – Testor’s Dullcote – is not going to be available anymore. I am furious as I just discovered how good this is  – now it is ripped off me. There’ll be other matte varnishes, but it’ll be testing time again to see which ones are safe and effective to use.