Airfix Hawker Typhoon 1/72
Here's the Gunze Super Metallic Stainless Steel on the cockpit floor structures. Probably too bright for reality but in the dark recess when the fuselage is closed up, I'm hoping the high reflection will make it more visible and give a pleasing effect...
Fueselage halves together now. Quite a lot of filling, sanding and engraving needed due to asymetry in the port and starboard halves. 🙁
Fingers crossed this seam will come good after some primer and a bit more attention...
I couldn't figure how to add the groove for the anti-shimmy tail wheel tyre, so settled for a painted shadow round the tyre circumference.
Not sure what the three tiny photo-etch pieces behind the head armour are, but they are a challenge to position. And as I feared, almost all the cockpit enhancements are now invisible. 🙁
Added a wash to help spot ghost seams and wobbly rivet lines. Also engraved some missing ports, and added a base for what I think is a formation light (???) behind the head armour. Plus the rail from the Eduard etch set for the canopy slide.
Rudder dry fitted - with brass rods to give a more positive location
Oops! Rivetting overlap. Add to fix list.
The fuselage halves join seam in front of the windscreen is proving troublesome, but I am persevering...
Quickboost exhausts dry fitted and looking nice.
Starting to look like a Tiffie!
Cannon bay will be a mashup of Airfix, CMK and Eduard parts.
CMK resin bay, cannon breeches and ammo boxes, plus Eduard etch and ammo cut down from a Dragon 1/35 MG42 ammo belt. Oh and a little styrene.
After the cockpit detailing became invisible, at least there's no worry this work will be wasted. So I expect to mess it all up soon...
Cannon bay mash up almost done. Dry fitted only - which is why the parts are only roughly postioned.
I decided to replace the kit RP-3 rockets, but the High Planes resin ones were poorly cast and warped, so old school scratch building was the only option.
It took me weeks to get these done and quite a bit of starting over! Glad to have it behind me and move on with the build. #remotivated
My inspiration for this build with sincere gratitude and acknowledgement to the Golley family.
Squadron Leader John Collins DFC and bar. CO 245 Squadron. KIA 11 August 1944. Buried Ranville War Cemetery.
Commentaires
16 21 November 2020, 14:19
Neil PatrickAfter weeks of fiddling around, this is starting to come together. It began as an OOB build but as usual, the lure of aftermarket proved too much and the Eduard set for this kit was used. Gunze Super Metallic paint was a delight to discover with a grain that's so fine it rivals Alclad and is more durable (stress reducing when endlessly dry fitting photo etch into small spaces). I took these photos to record what's there, because very soon it will be more or less lost forever.
The Eduard etch set is wonderful and a coat of Tamiya clear more or less eliminated the pixellation which is the price of such finely printed parts.
As I don't have a huge library of RAF references, the Valiant wings book on the Typhoon has been invaluable at revealing small details that the kit overlooks.
Rosie the rivetter has begun her work on the fuselage after the over deep and wide Airfix trenches were reduced a little with careful scraping and polishing.
Am hoping it won't be too long before this collection of bits starts to look like a Tiffie, but doubtless something will crop up soon to create more delays...
21 November 2020, 14:44
Neil PatrickThank you very much. Plenty of time left for something to go wrong!
12 December 2020, 12:42
Neil PatrickThank you Guy. Weapons are the next hurdle. Am presently grappling with the cannon bay and rockets...
28 December 2020, 11:46
Neil PatrickYou're very kind Andrea. If it turns out half as nice as your 109, I'll be very happy (and suprised!)
4 February 2021, 08:54
Neil PatrickThank you Erik. Your builds are beautiful. As a newbie I'm greatly encouraged by everyone's support. It will help push me through to the finish line eventually I hope.
4 February 2021, 22:50
Erik LeijdensVery good scratch work Neil! Those rockets look superb, especially in 1/72!! 👍
12 April 2021, 18:29
Neil PatrickThank you Eric. It was very slow and fiddly, but I hope worth it in the end...
12 April 2021, 20:19
Andy BallHi Neil, mind if I watch...and plagiarise?, I'm on the Brengun one as we speak....you seem to have control over yours better than mine!
29 December 2021, 18:01
Thomas KolbVery nice job! I am impressed by your riveting skills, I cannot seem to get anything but a wobbly series of holes.
29 December 2021, 18:26
Neil PatrickHi Andy. I don't think you need to plagiarise me. I gather the Brengun kit is superior and I think your builds are great. But delighted to have you in the trench with me nevertheless. You've encouraged me to get back in the saddle as I have been coasting along these last few weeks with a Matchbox T34. Rockets or bombs sir? PS no good aftermarket rockets on the market hence my crazy scratchbuild...🙄
29 December 2021, 20:18
Neil PatrickHi Thomas. Thank you for the kind words. I'll tell you the little I know. I have used Rosie the Riveter for 1/72. The horizontal lines are done freehand not along tape. I just take the positions from plans then mark the lines with a pencil and ruler. The circumferential lines round the fuselage are marked with tape though. Rolling the wheel along the lines slowly and sighting the wheel like a gun sight allows tiny corrections of direction if needed. To my pleasure I found this tool naturally tracks fairly straight at least on flat surfaces like wings. Crises only develop on the curves...😩
29 December 2021, 20:27
Andy BallAgreed Neil, no decent rockets and no 1000lb bombs….so like you, over to improvisation!! Keep going you'll be rewarded soon!!!
29 December 2021, 22:25
Neil PatrickWill watch your build with interest Andy. Just had a thought that scratching 1000 pounders might be harder than rockets, but at least there's only two of em! 🙂
29 December 2021, 22:53
Neil PatrickApologies for the back to frontness, but I wanted to share the original inspiration for this build. Many years ago I was given the memoirs of a Typhoon pilot named John Golley. John served in 245 Squadron in Normandy including the great panzer-busting battles at Mortain and Falaise. The book was a gift from his son and consequently I treasure it. It's a really great book which is still available and I recommend it if you want to get into the cockpit and 'feel it' with someone who was there. John Golley's CO was John Collins who died on 11 August 1944 in Typhoon MN933 coded MR-? I shall finish the model in the markings of John Collin's earlier mount MN819 as a tribute to him and all the other men who flew these most dangerous missions and did so much to wreck the morale of the German armies in France.
30 December 2021, 00:13
Andrea BrencoThanks Neil, this is really what modeling is about, to me at least: try to understand men and their machine.
30 December 2021, 00:22
Neil PatrickMy pleasure Andrea. I agree. Our humble hobby seems a small tribute to such great sacrifice and duty. But that's how I see it - a tribute.
30 December 2021, 00:38
Guy RumpYou'd never believe this was a 72nd scale aircraft. Excellent modelling Neil. Looking forward to the final result 👍
19 March 2022, 20:32
Neil PatrickThank you gents. You're very kind.
@Lukasz - maybe, but I've stalled recently, whereas yours will soon be looking magnificent I'm sure. I'll be weeks or months behind you.
@Guy Thank you. I'm pleased with things so far, but still plenty of time and opportunities to mess things up!
20 March 2022, 21:43
Andy BallHoping you'll recommence this one? I'd love to see those rockets loaded and painted
1 March 2023, 14:27
Neil PatrickAww schucks guys! Just when I was about to move it into 'temporary' storage so I could clear the decks to crack a new kit open. But you're right, I should get it across the line asap now... please don't hold your breath though!
2 March 2023, 23:08
Neil PatrickHaha. Thank you Andrea. Your latest builds are spectacular as ever, so I trust your advice!
3 March 2023, 00:34
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Airfix kit with Eduard etch
