Uutisvirta

Marius
Good luck Andy!
The Algerian is interesting, but in case you need more inspiration, there were a couple of metallic Egyptian ones with colorful tails and interesting unit markings.
This decal sheet here is particularly well documented:
MiG-17 Around The World - As.. I (ModelMaker D72155, 1:72)

And preview pictures of the instructions can be found here:
super-hobby.de/produ..27.html?partner_id=9

And btw, I am not sure if this is of interest to you, but the seat from the Airfix kit is wrong. It's a weird representation of a KK-1 seat which the MiG-17 never had in the series production. You would need a KK-2 seat, which is offered by Pavla or Amigo Models, but it's very very difficult to find anywhere.

Andy Ball
Thanks Marius, the decals aren't in the best of registers either.I wanted to do aluminium to again test my skills in this medium. I'd heard about the seat issues, and with the one supplied. Perhaps I'll check the differences to see if there's a wprk-around?, do you know of any?

Robert Podkoński
Taking a seat, of course! 😉 (in the near future I intend to mash up the Kovozavody and the Airfix kits in order to build the proper Polish "Last of the LiM's")

Cuajete
I can't miss this! 👍

Andy Ball
Robert, can't you do it through the Airfix with some aftermarkets? I've pretty much assembled it today/yesterday- the fit is pretty good. Not sure if it was me or the kit, but some attention to filling around the nose is all so far….

Andy Ball
Hey hey Cuajete amigo! Glad to have you along !!

Robert Podkoński
It is simply because I have had Kovozavody kit in my stash 😉 - the decals are better (the ones included in Airfix kit are not wholly adequate...), yet Airfix is much more modeller-friendly, as you've proven this above 🙂

Cuajete
Well done so far, Andy! 👍

Andy Ball
@Robert- good to know, and hope we'll see it soon.
@Cuajete- more done tonight on account of your encouragement!
Thanks Slavo!!
It could be a quick build?

Bernd Grün
Interesting topic, Andy. follow with interest. 👍

Andy Ball
Thank-you Bernd, still in a quandary over what to decal it.

Bernd Grün
In my opnion Cambodian would be the favorite. 😉

Cuajete
I agree with Bernd. I also prefer the Cambodian one for the red ray, although the Algerian would also look very good in Andy's master hands. That snake and the grey-upper over aluminium could be very nice 👍

Waiting for the next progress.

Bernhard Pethe
Ich schaue da mal mit zu.
Die R-3S an der MiG-17 finde ich interessant. Kannte ich bis jetzt nicht. Sicher eine koreanische "Erfindung" .

Andy Ball
Thanks Sukhoi242 and the others for having a look.
Gentlemen- I love the suggestions for decals, but on inspection the Cambodian ones are off register, the N Korean and Algerian are about the best to use on a '17F….watch this space!
Thanks @Cortex!

Andy Ball
I won't be making any Korean sidewinder "look-a-likes", Bernhard, the Dear Leader wouldn't assist with the blueprints

Andy Ball
Thanks Rui and Patryk S, hope to provide some entertainment!

Ekki
Watching too.

Andy Ball
Hey Ekki, cheers!!

Andy Ball
Mirko, thanks. I'll post some "short finals" soon.

Andy Ball
Thanks Helio and everyone else….I'm pretty much done with this. Overall a quick and relatively painless build.

Cuajete
Looks great, Andy! 👍

Andy Ball
Thank-you Cuajete, I'm saying 'done' and will reflect on whether to weather it!

Maciej Bellos
Should you weather it, "Dear Leader" will probably have some "words" with you...
Lovely result Andy!

Robert Podkoński
That NMF looks great, Andy! (but Soviet-build planes never looked shiny, as they were covered with some 'protective' transparent lacquer, to the best of my knowledge. Here you can see few museum examples: Polish Air Force Museum - Dęblin | Album by podkon - it's up to you, whether to tone down the shine or not. Personally, I would leave the NMF as it is now 😉 )

Bernd Grün
Nice finish of your 'Fresco'. I like it. Cheers, Andy! 👌

Andy Ball
Thanks Ogre-Trombone!
In glorious utopian make-kingdom of Socialist Republic I will leave as is for now. The dear leader may have expected the guns to have fired at the fascist whores south of his border, so perhaps a little gun smoke, Marciej?
@Robert: I love the fact the Polish would not polish their MiGs…get it?…@ Bernd, vielen danke mein Freund!

Robert Podkoński
LOL! 😄

Marius
Andy, that's actually a really good looking MiG-17! Congratulations on the very good looking model! I don't remember seeing a North Korean one too often.

For the sake of the discussiom, I'll also add a short comment regarding the shininess: Robert is right that they were covered from the factory (together with all MiG-15s, and early MiG-21s) with a varnish coat mixed with a metallic pouder (5%-10%). The result varied depending on the factory. Nevertheless, I am not convinced that the museum pieces from Robert's link are that representative though, since some are repainted in actual silver while those which weren't are of course afected by the age (Aluminium turns really matt after some decades).

Overall, if we're looking at photographs from the 50s-60s, there were several skin panels which were somewhat shiny, but many rather semi-matt.
One fast example:
[img1]

But if I were you, I wouldn't change anything anymore, you model looks very good the way it is and taking photographs of models in NMF is in itself a bit tricky sometimes due ot lightning, at least in my case.

Andy Ball
Thanks Cuajete!!, and Marius - do you think a coat of semi-gloss may help tone it down, or matt even?

Guy Rump
Missed this, very nice indeed. 👍

Andy Ball
Thanks Arif and &Guy, you caught us in the end!, cheers.

Andy Ball
Thanks/Merci Curatorm

Andy Ball
Patryk S: both myself and the Respected Comrade General Secretary thank-you for your like.

Villiers de Vos
Very nice work.

Andy Ball
Thanks Peter and Villiers- (I will let Kim know)

Andy Ball
Pierre: merci aussi! Et M. Kim envoie ses salutations.

Ekki
Very good work!

Andy Ball
Ekki: you're too kind!, however, thank-you

Łukasz Gliński
We definitely deserve more pics from the Dearest Leader's inspection 👍

Andy Ball
Due to the Imperial Fascists blockade of SD card technologies- we may need to wait….
Thanks Connor for the look

Andy Ball
Thank-you Felix and others in your appreciation!

Spanjaard
count me in 🙂

David Taylor
in as well

Andy Ball
Cheers @Spaanjaard and @David! Glad you've come along....

Micky
Watching with a lot of interest Andy. I will start this Lanc Revell Kit next week!!

Daniel Klink
Following!👍

Carlos Martin
I'm in!

Andy Ball
@Micky, Daniel and Carlos: graçias und danke!

Andy Ball
@Micky: my cousin married a farmer whose family bought the airfield back from the RAF after the war - the original WWII control tower has been restored and the hangers have been used for dry-storage. Only the runways are dug up, the layout is still plain to see. There's a book called "On the Wings of Freedom" which details RAF Bottesford: originally Manchesters flew until the Lancs arrived including briefly PO@S, then the USAAF...Somewhere I have a photo of the Tamiya model held by one of the Australians who flew from the airfield. My cousin had a WWII reunion in 1995 for those who could still make it (they were in their 70's and 80's), they had hundreds who came from all over the world!, and they still keep coming...often the children/grandchildren.

Micky
@Andy...cool...what a story! Such a place with that history...lots of emotions. Thanks for sharing!

Nathan Dempsey
Great subject Andy (& a dual build). I'm in.

Andy Ball
@Nathan, honoured to have you along....

Gary Kitchen
@Andy I'm in as usual. I have the Revell kit on its way for my war memorial collection so will be following closely for tips and inspiration. 👍

Andy Ball
@Gary: cheers fella!, I hope to provide them...

Guillaume Blanchet
Interseting subjet, will be watching.

David Januska
Very inspiring project, really educative. Watching.

Guy Rump
Definitely watching, I'll be building the older version of the Airfix model soon so I'll be interested to see the differences. 🙂

Munkyslut
I'm watching this one! Really interesting to see the differences in manufacturing quality from Andy's descriptions.

Andy Ball
@Guillaume, David, Guy, Monkyslut: many thanks for your comments and interest. @Guy, if you have Gen-2 Airfix Lancaster (not the burning engine landing box art, Gen-1), it is apparently good. Third generation, (this one), lifted the bar in details/engineering - not, apparently, dimensional accuracy. @Monkyslut: I'll do my humble bit for comparison - I think there has been a three-way comparison somewhere [Hyperscale?] including the Hasegawa mould, and theirs is an overpriced, less-accurate kit according to sources. I've bought both my kits...so I have no partisan interests in either.

Munkyslut
Thanks Andy, I'm just interested to see how the Airfix offering stands up to direct competition.
Plus as a bonus it double ticks my weakness for heavy bombers 😉

Andy Ball
@Monkyslut: I think Revell's edging it over 'fix currently - ironic: German company does RAF heavy bombers really well - Stirling/Halifax/Lancaster.....

David Taylor
be interesting to build the old Airfix stirling against the Italeri offering.Lots of US in 48 but no Brit bombers,shame.

Andy Ball
@David indeed, and shame!

Nathan Dempsey
I have to keep reminding myself this is 1/72. Looking awesome on both so far Andy.

Munkyslut
This is brilliant stuff! The details are fantastic, if I can achieve half of this I'll be satisfied😉

Micky
Good progress Andy, I am starting the Revell's Lanc so I will watch with interest. Thanks for sharing!

Guillaume Blanchet
Guillaume Blanchet
Nice to see the progression. Looks bigger tahn 1/72

I could spot the Airfix just by the decals. They are on the thick side. I remember having to use lots & lots of decal softener to have the rivets ans other molded details show trough the decals. Bur I really like the little map. My kind of details..

Dave Flitton
Hoping this goes smoothly.

Andy Ball
@Nathan: thanks for the comments....save to say, the Revell's proving the more 'fluent' of the two builds. @Monkyslut: what?, you?...you'll double it and more!.... @Micky: she's a good kit...in UK it's £10 (one-third) cheaper than Airfix, and not one third less in quality. I say, spend less on the plastic and transfer the savings to some after-market additions. @Guillaume: the map shows "target tonight.....Dresden" by the looks! @ Dave: smooth and some clear-air turbulence to report thus far!....

Guy Rump
The Revell one is looking good, the Airfix one, well I'm sure your perseverance will reward you with your usual high standard aircraft. 🙂

Cuajete
It seems that I wrong to buy the one from Airfix. Good progress, Andy 👍.

Micky
Thanks for the tip Andy!

David Taylor
If push comes to shove the Airfix one could metamorph into its predecessor.

Daniel Klink
Great stuff andy, and stunning detailwork here 👍
Just have to check the halves with my Lanc B.II by Airfix. That looks horrible pic 7,8

Daniel Klink
With my Lancaster fit is fine and no warping effect!
but why Airfix has tooled it with 11!!! ejector pins on each fuselage half?

Andy Ball
@Daniel: glad yours is cool, I think their plastic and no doubt the moulding process adds to the issues. The Do-17 has issues too- around the bomb bay and wing spar sections.

Andy Ball
@David: do you mean make it into a Manchester?....I'll keep preserving!

Andy Ball
**perservering**

David Taylor
BY all accounts with its X24 cylinder Vulture engines the Manchester was a mare,nobody like to fly in it .

Andy Ball
So, autumn's here....the outside workshop I work in is a bit cold and damp 🙁
The air compressor seems to be shooting through condensation into the paint, (grrrrr), and paid-work is eating into the evening's light.
But, I soldier on....., inspired by the BBMF Lancaster that made a pass over the village yesterday enroute I guess to RAF Coningsby/Scampton....4 Merlins playing their sweet symphony...... Inspiration and mojo re-awakened.....and a couple of photos added to show I'm not dead yet....

Munkyslut
Have you got a condensation trap on your compressor?
Worthwhile addition if ya painting in typical dank British autumn & winter 👍

Wish I'd seen the Lanc!......... my inspiration had to come from many beers 😉

Andy Ball
Indeed I do Munkyslut, I drain it, but there's still some condensation in it, are you able to give any advice?, I am in the process - when I can - of looking on YouT for airbrush troubleshooting, I'm deep-cleaning the H&S too.

Łukasz Gliński
Glad to see you're alive 👍 Damp is coming everywhere, not only in the UK😉
Looking forward to reading some comparison observations between Revell and Airfix.

Andy Ball
Haha Ł, very much so...no COVID here, yet. Feel I have a whole project to re-equip my studio with insulation and heat....and may change the compressor too. I guess you'll have more extreme weather where you are than us damp-Englanders!

Łukasz Gliński
Not so much actually, at least in my corner of the country😉
I guess the extreme damp counts as extreme weather, doesn't it?😉

Gary Kitchen
@Lukasz extreme damp feels like a particularly under-stated British bit of extreme weather. Not for us the hurricane, cyclones, Twisters, blizzards and monsoons that other parts of the world justifiably label as extreme 🙂

Gary Kitchen
Saying that I heard that rainfall to date in October ( the wettest on record) was enough to fill Loch Ness! Not sure if that has been scientifically verified though.

Łukasz Gliński
@Gary: has the estimation included the Nessie?😉 Sorry for OT, Mr.A😉

Guillaume Blanchet
My 2 cents on the water in the compressor issue. Mine dosent have a purge valve so I try to keep it in a dry place. Usually Inside the house close to a heating source. I also let it purge itself when strating it up fo9r a few minutes. But if there is too much humidity in the air the water will accumulate again in the compressor. At that point, I usually purge it again when necessary for 2 minute and always spray away from the model to check if there is water before directing the paint stream toward my model.

Good luck with your studio improvement.

Gary Kitchen
Andy good to see you're active again although focussing in on the big Spits it looks like. How fairs the Lanc?

Andy Ball
Hi Gary, yes the Lancs are on the workbench too, just a little to the right....they're being painted when I get to the Spit's Dk.Green/Earth - goal to finish all by summer!

Andy Ball
We have progress on Revell's offering- I will be held short by the decalling issues though. (Photo 22). The great thing about a Lancaster is you can build the sections independently- wings and tail planes…

Guy Rump
From what I've been able to look up, the Lancaster WOII Rathbone was flying LM308 which was part of 5LFS (Lancaster Finishing School) which had the Sqn code CE. Hope that helps.

Guy Rump
Hi Andy, I've noticed something else that might help. on one of the sites it mentions Lancaster I LM308. The Lanc that they were flying that morning was a Mk III so the call sign could? have been CE I (I'm confident that CE is correct). Hope that helps. 🙂

Micky
Good to see progress again Andy. Good luck with the radio sign!

Gary Kitchen
Keep on keeping on Andy 👍

Andy Ball
Thanks Guy, I noted the chronology of 5LFS crashes in our area. In the spring-summer of 1944 they were all RC@x. Then EE134 crashed at Syerston in November 1944 with code CE@O, which appears the time they changed the squadron code. My 2 Lancasters were Jan-45 as you know. I'm going to contact the records office in Kew and see if they can help. Thanks so much for the comments!

Andy Ball
Thanks Micky!, I love your build too- been having a peek to steal ideas!

Andy Ball
Thanks Gary, you're helping the mojo!!

David Taylor
Imperial war museum has a load of archived material as well Andy.

Andy Ball
@David: I've got a reference from Kew: AIR 29/614/4...they talk of 5LFS and hopefully may have the details of the unit's planes and sorties...., but I will ask IWM too, thanks.

Cuajete
Well done so far, Andy 👍

Andy Ball
Thanks Cuajete- trying to level both builds up...Revell's ahead by about a day/day and a half...

Andy Ball
Both kits are now nearly level at build stages - see photos.
It really is a case of "you pays your money, you takes your choice"....
Airfix is the better product (if the warping wasn't there I'd be even more impressed), but Revell is a sweet little build and 2/3rds the price of Airfix (when I purchased here in the U.K.).
Without sounding smug, I'm not really on a budget when it comes to model acquisitions and building, so I'd take the Airfix one just ahead of Revell's offering.

Cuajete
Nice, Andy... Both kits looks so good 👍
Thanks for show the differences.

Gary Kitchen
Well done Andy. These feel a like a long time coming! You must be really glad with the progress you've made now. Fab stuff

Micky
Huge project Andy and research as well. History is always present in your projects and is always a key part for us as modelers. Looking very good the 2 Lancs! Cheers

Andy Ball
@Gary: I'd be no use in the Ministry for Aircraft Production!! I think this will be finished soon- to be frank, I'm a bit fed up with trying to clear the workbench- but it is the cause of doing these that keeps you going! I really thought I'd have finished Revell today, another 3 hours and I'll declare 'landed'.

Andy Ball
@Micky: yep. Bit off more than I could chew, but this is important to those who met their violent end in pastures 400-600m from my house 🙁

David Taylor
What will you be using for aerial wire Andy.I still have some stretchy filament from Aeroclub,dreading running out.

Andy Ball
Hi David, great prompt!, I'd almost forgotten…
I'll use Ushi's "rig that thing', I think it's a nylon filament, strong , stretchy but a bugger to unravel!

David Taylor
Bugger causing you more work LOL.

Andy Ball
Yeh, thanks. Sort of…

Villiers de Vos
A very nice finish.

Andy Ball
@Villiers, many thanks, I've learned from Revell's and will apply a slightly different technique to Airfix.

Guy Rump
Great results. Food for thought for the Revell Lanc I have in my stash. 👍

Andy Ball
Yes Guy, I'd say Airfix wins it by a head and neck. The dihedral is more realistic, the upper mid turret looks better and what were Revell thinking of with their aerials? But Revell still is a great kit, good that you can leave the wings off to aid painting.

Cuajete
Fantastic job, grateful comparative and very nice tribute.
Congrats!

David Taylor
Nice job Andy.

Andy Ball
Thanks Cuajete- hope I've enlightened anyone to these excellent kits. Of course, it's only my opinion!

Andy Ball
Thanks for looking in at the end David. One day there may be a display stand to go with these.

Łukasz Gliński
Grand looking Lanc, A. Lovely subtle weathering 👍 It really makes me consider starting mine after the summer.

David Taylor
Once I figure out how to download pictures from my phone you can have a giggle at my offerings.

Finn
A gem!

Micky
Congratulations Andy! Following since inception. Very happy that you got the RC of the 5 finishing school. Excellent work and research. Very instructive. I am currently making an specific misión of an A4Q from Argentina and enjoyed a lot the research and modifications to the Argentinean versión that even Airfix missed. I I deeply understand the tribute that we try to give. Cheers my friend!

Andy Ball
Thanks Ł, I can't wait to see your start, plenty of Polish ones to model surely?- which make is it?

Andy Ball
Go on David, you want to!....

Andy Ball
Thanks Finn, BTW I do like your "Harvest"!

Simon Nagorsnik
Wow, fantastic result!

Andy Ball
Thanks Micky, loving the Argie Scooter you're doing. Likewise, you're paying your homage to those who had to do their duty irrespective of the outcome.

Rui S
Beautiful work indeed 👍

Andy Ball
thanks, again, Rui S - love your AFV work on there

Andy Ball
Thanks Simon for your spot.

Łukasz Gliński
Having Revell's in stash, hard to choose particular noseart

Andy Ball
Will it be a 300 Sqdn B.I or B.III?

Łukasz Gliński
Really hard to decide, that's why it's waiting for so long

Rui S
Well, I like your aircrafts work a lot 😉

Andy Ball
Ah, Rui S….obrigado

Andy Ball
Cheers Finn👍

Andy Ball
Thanks Gary!

Neuling
Impressive! And beautiful! 👍

Andy Ball
@Neuling- you are so, so kind. They meant a lot to me to get them right. I walk past the memorial to both crews just about every day.

Andy Ball
Thanks Sukhoi242, appreciate casting yours eyes over them.

Andy Ball
Thanks Rando Dude for your comments!

Andy Ball
Thanks squidward89! Hope you like them!

Andy Ball
Thanks Pietro!

Andy Ball
Thank-you Felix and others

J35J
Great work with the duo build! Top result👍🏻

Andy Ball
Cheers J35J, if you're ever tempted to build one…there are two great kits….

Andy Ball
Thank-you Roge and no doubt, others!

Bozzer
I'll hop on this ride. It's a kit, on my list.

Goldman
Great progress. The engine does look good