Category: subassembly
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Bristol Beaufort Mk I – Part Three – Beaufitter
I used to think women were unnecessarily fussy about their shoes and clothes – everything had to be wrinkle-free or seamless. Men were not worried about that sort of thing. Then I took up scale model kit building and realised how much I had been fooling myself. I am hella fussy about the fit of…
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Bristol Beaufort Mk I – Part Two – A Colourless Evening
It wasn’t that bad – it was an evening spent at the workbench doing the first sub-assemblies for the the Beaufort. These were things that could be brigaded up for a spray coat of colour – fortunately the Bristol company turned out most of the interior of the plane in the British Cockpit Green. There…
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1932 Chrysler – Part Three – Fenders Or Wings?
Depends which side of the Atlantic or Pacific you are when you’re motoring. I call ’em fenders and British people call them wings – both are just as valid. What gets to be confusing, though, is when the English people start speaking about near-side and off-side wings. Right and left are also good English terms…
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1932 Chrysler – Part Two – The Curate’s Egg
I quite approve of the level of detail on the Chrysler engine – enough to look interesting without asking for insane complication. The wheels are rewarding. The white sidewalls are a stiff insert but once in are perfectly acceptable. The hubcaps have been touched up with that marvel of modern modelling; the Molotow pen. The…
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Curtiss Hawk II – Part Two – The Radial
I am always astounded at the enthusiasm of the Czech kit makers to produce ever-finer sheets of photo-etched brass. The Curtiss Goshawk has just such an offering, asking me to make throttle handles as fine as a hair. I have acceded to their demand to the extent of producing two fuel tank filler caps with…
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Aichi Val – Part Two – Not Quite Tamiya
I was a bit premature in my assessment of the Fujimi kit of the Aichi Type 11. It is closer to Monogram than Tamiya. The flash encountered was not too bad – nothing that knifing and sanding could not deal with. The location pins were in the right places. Yet the fuselage halves fit only…
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CT-155 Hawk – Part Two – First Mistake
First mistake was not reading the colour call-out fine print – and painting the wheel wells the wrong colour. A tiny print panel says they are all white inside. I painted them grey, same as the cockpit. ( The cockpit is correct. ) Fortunately this can be taken to mean I have primed them with…
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Lockheed Hercules – Part Four – The Office
But it may, or may not, be official. It’s hard to tell. I do like accuracy in aircraft. When I am a passenger on a commercial jet I applaud accurate navigation and safe landings. Yet I can be led astray easily when constructing my models and it often doesn’t bother me. Thus I can read…
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Lockheed Hercules – Part Three – Enough Meat On The Bone
In my recent builds I have concentrated upon small aircraft. This is fun and fine – it delivers quick satisfaction and another plane for the collection. But it sometimes seems as if there is very little going on – that the thing flies together in a day or so. I start to miss the meat…
The Little World 