- The Airfix Tribute Forum -

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Fri 01 Feb 2008 15:39 pm Post subject:

In light of various comments, I'm in the process of masking the side windows and canopy in preperation for painting.

I may switch to a monocolour (All over black?

) scheme due to the potential difficulties involved in spraying the camouflage around the rigging! Think

For what it's worth & all the best

farmroad38 · Posted: Tue 19 Feb 2008 09:39 am Post subject:

Any more progress Sarge? Has the rigging put you off?

_________________
Cheers,

Adrian

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Tue 19 Feb 2008 20:37 pm Post subject:

Nope.....The toilet fell off the wall next door in dad's (purpose built) bathroom so I've been preoccupied with chasing insurers, plumbers and builders and not really in the mood for modelling!

I also recently got into BF2 and the hours have just flown by!

I'm not 100% confident about the rigging, having only done it once or twice before (with dad's help) over twenty years ago. I've got most of the kit that I need now and I have built the Tigermoth to practice on, so I'm certainly up for giving it a go with the advice and guidance of you more experienced aeroplane builders.

I won't be airbrushing the Rapide as nothing has happened in the garage for some time.....The desk I was to be using has been purloined from one of our office buildings by a former tennant.....Our agents are in hot pursuit!

All the best

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Wed 20 Feb 2008 18:05 pm Post subject:

Well I've made a little progress, but I've also had a minor setback.....I had masked the cabin windows with tape and intended to seal the edges with 'Maskol', however recent posts put me off that product a bit, so I bought a bottle of 'Windsor & Newton Art Masking Fluid', foolishly thinking it might be a better bet. It's very liquid and as I applied it around the edges of the tape I watched in horror as it vanished through the gap into the tiny voids between the transparency and the fuselage!

I had a feeling that trouble might be afoot so I removed one of the window masks.....Well most of it!

Suffice it to say that my cabin windows are now hermetically sealed, but with some rather ugly latex divots here and there around their edges.....This just doesn't happen with tanks!

For what it's worth & all the best
EDIT - It get's better.....The damn stuff dries completely clear (Contrary to what the spotty toad in the shop told me when he flogged it to me!

) making it rather hard to determine what's masked and what's not!

Loll · Posted: Wed 20 Feb 2008 21:17 pm Post subject:

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Thu 21 Feb 2008 21:11 pm Post subject:

Probably a silly question but, regarding the vertical tail of the Rapide, it should presumably be vertical.....Mine leans off to port by a degree or two!

I think my fuselage may be twisted!

For what it's worth

Loll · Posted: Thu 21 Feb 2008 21:54 pm Post subject:

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Thu 21 Feb 2008 22:23 pm Post subject:

This is not so much a build, as a series of hassles joined together with glue!

I shall be resorting to brute force to correct this and all further issues.....Now where are my mole-grips?

For what it's worth & all the best

Ratch · Posted: Thu 21 Feb 2008 22:37 pm Post subject:

Its enough to make anyone want to build a tank

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

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Thu 21 Feb 2008 22:39 pm Post subject:

A platoon even!

All the best

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Sat 01 Mar 2008 22:01 pm Post subject:

I'm on the blag for decals again!

Would anyone have spare roundels and the like to make up this fella:

'K8' Kenyan Airforce 1941.....East Africa!

There don't look to be many markings other than roundels and I'm not fussed about an exact match. Unfortunately my roundel cupboard is bare.....I picked up a Walrus the other day in the vague expectation that there might be a set in there.....No such luck!

Australian planes are very popular theses days aren't they.....Are they trying to sack the queen again?

Anyway I'd be willing to trade tanky type decals or maybe some spares if anyone can help out.

TIA & All the best

Ratch · Posted: Sun 02 Mar 2008 10:07 am Post subject:

Andy, I have some Almark RAF Type A1 roundels (with the thick, yellow outer ring) in various sizes that are not very well centred

If you're interested, PM me

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

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Sun 02 Mar 2008 18:28 pm Post subject:

I've found out why they want you to fit the top wing first.....Filling the twin canyons on the underside of the upper wing root is going to be a pain with the lower wing in situ!.

My upper wing parts appeared to 'meet in passing' at best and I've lost the navigation lights and some leading & trailing edge detail sanding them into a best compromise. The line of the fuselage roof is now a little bumpy too!

Squadron Green and my coarsest rasp to the rescue!

All the best

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Mon 03 Mar 2008 16:59 pm Post subject:

Filling the wing root gaps was every bit as tricky as I expected it to be. The leading edge of the wing was out of alignment with the section moulded onto the fuselage and there was a severe step where the front of the wing part met the cabin roof behind the cockpit.

Quite a bit of detail was lost sorting these problems out and I even managed to damage my fuselage transparencies, despite them being protected with masking tape, so coarse was the rasp needed to start smoothing this mess out.

The space between the upper and lower wings and the position of the damaged transparencies meant I couldn't get my rotary tool in to polish the scratches out.....So I resorted to an old electric toothbrush and a variety of abrasive pastes. The finest was 'whitening toothpaste' so my model is now plaque free and minty fresh!

I'll be glad to get this one finished!

For what it's worth & all the best

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Thu 06 Mar 2008 16:47 pm Post subject:

Tonight I am painting pilots and breaking out the Milliput in order to get this one sealed painted and off my workbench.....Or mousemat to be strictly accurate!

For what it's worth, all the best

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Tue 11 Mar 2008 14:11 pm Post subject:

'Biggles' is now permanently entombed in the Rapide.....Muhahahaha etc.

My canopy really didn't fit too well, much Millput still to be sanded back.....Time is running short, so I've started undercoating the lower surfaces in 'Trainer Yellow'.

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Tue 11 Mar 2008 23:38 pm Post subject:

One step forward.....Two steps back!

There was a big lump of uncured Milliput right in front of the canopy!

I've repeated the process, this time with Squadron Green. The canopy didn't melt, so the Rapide escapes going through the wood-chipper.....For now at least!

For what it's worth

Loll · Posted: Wed 12 Mar 2008 01:11 am Post subject:

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Wed 12 Mar 2008 03:10 am Post subject:

No the nice men in suits and ties tidied that one away if you remember.....Anyway enough of this Off Topic

nonsense!

Loll · Posted: Wed 12 Mar 2008 03:22 am Post subject: