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Ratch

Graeme will post his progress here

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and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Tue 07 Apr 2009 06:34 am Post subject:

My build will be the Meteor F.III and V1 flying bomb combo, mostly OOB

(At this point) the Meteor will be the 616 Sqn at RAF Manston with the grey/green camouflage and done " wheels down". The V1 will be in the half n half light/dark camouflage and on a scratchbuilt section of launching ramp (ie something very simple).

I have ideas for some minor fiddles with the build which I'll look at when I reach them.

Graeme

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Sun 19 Apr 2009 09:29 am Post subject:

Time for some background.

This kit came unboxed. It was water-damaged stock sold on ebay. So there's no box art to show. But I'm sure there's one somewhere in the forum.
The instructions are a bit warped as a result of the water treatment but that's it. Everything else was bagged and well protected when sent through the post.

So lets see what you get.

A Doodlebug

Yes, there are all of four parts! Even some tiny Japanese Mecha kits I've built have had more to them (Fit was dreadful but that's a different story).

A Meteor - by comparison with the V1 lots of parts.

A Stand - probably won't use it

What happened to the stands with the ball-n-socket joint? They were Airfix weren't they?

Some "stickers" (as my son Harry calls them)

Paints and something to daub them on with.

If I've got a recent Humbrol of the same colour I'll use it; otherwise I may need these paints. Or I might buy some (shock horror!)

All that leaves is the instructions, 8 pages worth, but only 3 needed for the build. I've photcopied these singly so I can makes notes and lay them all out at the same time.

Another preparation I've made is to take all the HUmbrol paint numbers listed in the painting guide and make a table of them with the Humbrol name and what they're used for.

From this decipherment, I've figured out that the mixes quoted are for modifying the paint with satin varnish, and that most of the colours quoted are for painting the pilot. I'll use whatever is appropriate from my (ancient) Citadel collection. I've added a column to the table for these notes and printed a copy off to keep handy.

Finally a quick look at the interweb to get some pseudo-reference materials - shots of aftermarket parts for the 1/48 Meteor, bits from museum walkarounds. Things to keep me on track and inspired.

Graeme

thomasweir · Posted: Sun 19 Apr 2009 11:32 am Post subject:

You will find it is a joy to build.

Ratch · Posted: Sun 19 Apr 2009 12:38 pm Post subject:

I think the ball & socket stands were Matchbox

but that's Off Topic

Only two days before the kick off

_________________
and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Thu 23 Apr 2009 19:53 pm Post subject:

Time to get started. Son off to bed, Mrs L out to drama rehearsal, tea brewed up. Lets warm up on the V1. First swap camera batteries, then take a picture.

The sprue. Out of the bag there is next to nothing to it - 4 parts - two for the fuselage two for the pulsejet. All very crisply moulded though with recessed panel lines. Perhaps a bit deep bit they'll be shallower with a coat or two of paint.

Cut from the sprue, slice off worst of the remaining sprue gate, test fit - there'll be gaps to fill and the locating pin at the rear won't go in - quick trim, test again, quick lick of liqiud cement and we get to here.

Clothes pegs are ideal for these sorts of round surfaces. You can just see the gap at the "tailplane" where there's a bigger cutout than needed into the bottom piece of fuselage (its upside down in this pic)

Now while that sets up, put camera batteries on to charge and see what's on the tv.

Graeme

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Thu 23 Apr 2009 21:46 pm Post subject:

Nothing on the box so I stuck the other two pieces together.

Not so good. Big gap in front of where the pulse jet slats would be so that needs filling. Worse from behind; instead of the jet pipe disappearing into convenient darkness - the locating pin is glaringly present. Once the glue has set hard, I will drill it out.

Started pressing filler into the gaps on the fuselage. Ancient Humbrol filler so about as sticky as an old blob of bluetack. I'll do some more tomorrow.

Time for bed....

Graeme

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Sat 25 Apr 2009 19:19 pm Post subject:

Update time

Since last I have given the body of the V1 a good run over with file, emery board and wet n dry. On looking at the fuselage once dried, there was a nasty step where I hadn't lined the halves up well. Given a second go I might well clean off the locating pins and do alignment by eye.

Having disgruntled myself, I restored some of the circumferential panel lines and gave it a coat of grey primer.

The seam is still there but I think it might largely disappear when the camo scheme goes on. I'm not painting it yet so I'll let it lie for the moment.

Graeme

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Sat 25 Apr 2009 19:28 pm Post subject:

On to the jet engine.

Last I left it, there was a blatant gap at one end and it was nearly blocked at the other.

Taking up a 3mm drill in my fingers, I drilled out the locating pin from the exhaust.

No longer blocked. The hole seems off-centre but I think its caused partly by the outside not being circular.

The intake end has a gap. Should have looked down the end when testing the fit! I've cut the end off a cocktail stick and used that to tamp some filler into it. I'll figure out how to smooth it down later.
I'll check the seams after filing, a coat of grey, and more filing.

Graeme

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sat 25 Apr 2009 22:32 pm Post subject:

Admire the effort.

For those hard to fill spots I've being trying out using Mr. Surfacer 500 applied with a cocktail stick or toothpick (normally several layers required). To smooth it back I use a cotton bud dipped in Mr. color thinner, discarding the cotton bud as it fills up with putty. Cannot always get a completely smooth finish but eliminates the most obvious.

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Sun 26 Apr 2009 10:43 am Post subject:

That sounds like a good idea. I've been scraping with the end of a file. I might try a rub around with a cotton bud dipped in liquid cement. Same principle but different materials.

Graeme.

Ratch · Posted: Sun 03 May 2009 16:31 pm Post subject:

How's it going Graeme

_________________
and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Sun 03 May 2009 19:17 pm Post subject:

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Sun 03 May 2009 19:26 pm Post subject:

More Meteor prep work but for the wings.

Looking at the wing wheel wells, I thought they were just too empty. On a meteor there's a single large undercarriage door and a single strut undercart leg. That makes for a very plain wheel well without anything else to break up the emptiness.

So I added some more "texture" again not accurate, just something to make it look less empty.

These pictures show what I did from either direction.

I've added thin (depthwise, my ability to cut narrow width isn't that practiced) strips of the same plastic running front to back. These are so thin that they conform readily to the curve of the wing.
I've added another wider strip to the inside of the engine nacelle. This is thin enough to flex readily when the two halves of the wing together but it will blank off the wheel well looking outboard. The fuselage closes the inboard side and I don't think I'll bother with front to back.

I think the next stage is to start painting the pilot and finalise and prime the cockpit and wheel wells.

Graeme

Heinkel51 · Posted: Mon 04 May 2009 02:17 am Post subject:

Nice work there Graeme

Ratch · Posted: Mon 04 May 2009 13:31 pm Post subject:

Very good

_________________
and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Mon 04 May 2009 15:18 pm Post subject:

Here's some sprue shots, should have included these earlier

Not too many parts - about the average number for this size of Airfix aircraft.
You can see the very wide sprue attachements for the fuselage - though as I think I said earlier they are very thin in the other direction and leave little extra plastic to be removed.

Graeme

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Tue 12 May 2009 20:10 pm Post subject:

update time

First occasion back in front of the build- weekend away and other things to do.

We start painting. First up is the pilot. No priming, just a cleanup with an oval file. The thickness of the canopy will obscure most detail (unfortunately) and colour.

The flying suit in blue, this is nearest-colour-available-from-the-collection; Citadel Enchanted Blue.

Life jacket, Sunburst Yellow from the same range

Face, Bronzed Flesh. These are all straight from the pot with the same brush quickly cleaned and dried between colours. I'm aiming for a single opaque coat which thankfully these old paints of mine do deliver. There is a fair bit of detail on the pilot - shame it will be hidden. Inadvertent advert for a certain Nottingham-based company. I didn't use that one, I used the "Standard" brush which is the next size down

Lastly helmet and gloves in Snakebite Leather. I'll do the boots when it's all dried and I can safely hold him by the other end. I can't think how to do the goggles justice, so I may let them alone.

Graeme

GraemeLeggett · Posted: Tue 12 May 2009 20:16 pm Post subject:

And for cockpit prep, I slap on some black (Chaos black)
I've added in a shelf behind the seat back and its nigh invisible in this shot. Isn't there on the real thing but there's a big hole straight into the fuselage to disguise.

As I had some black left on the brush I ran it round the front wheelwell. It'll be a good undercoat for the silver/aluminium later. A habit/tip I picked up a long while ago. Black for silver and other similar metal colours, brown for gold and the like.

Won't be too long before the sides go together....I hope.

Graeme

thomasweir · Posted: Tue 12 May 2009 23:29 pm Post subject:

looking good