Kit restoration

This will be an ongoing thread of some pre-built models being restored and/or resurrected from scrap. I've been asked to provide some WW2 aircraft models to hang from the ceiling in a former coastal Fort now a museum. As all mine are usually cold war/modern era and built wheels down, I'm repurposing some old models I acquired in various stash purchases over the years. The idea behind using this approach is as follows; 1 I thought repainting already built models would be faster than new builds; 2 I hate throwing anything away; 3 they all deserve a second chance!

Whether my theory on saving time actually works remains to be seen. Here we go.... 

Mr Muscle oven cleaner bath for the well built but rough painted examples.  

Matchbox Wellington. One of the Matchbox kits I never did as a kid. 

Not sure what paint was used for the black. Nothing will shift it. 

Matchbox Corsair and original tooling (1950s) Airfix Lancaster. I've a feeling the Corsair is a step too far. 

Very well built (but unfinished) Me110. I think this is one for the shelf rather than the ceiling, it's too good. 

While attempting to rub down the Lanc it literally fell apart. I have no idea how old this is but was acquired with a stash of 40 year old kits. 

I put a call out here and on ARC forum for some replacement kit decals to restore basic markings. Got a good response for several. 

Rough mossie. 

Looking even rougher is a Matchbox Beaufighter but build quality is good. If it is, as I suspect, built by the same teen or pre-teen hands as the Airfix mossie, it shows how Matchbox made it easier to get their kits together without as much mess (or melted plastic)  

Stripped back to bare plastic, a quick fill/n/sand and some tamiya lacquer paint satin black as primer. Humbrol dark earth and modern dark green enamel sprayed freehand. 

P-47 (as seen in first pic) Humbrol olive drab and 64 light grey. 

More modern Airfix kit decals applied after a few coats of brushed on Johnson's Klear.  

Looks much better now 

Canopy was glue damaged but the original builder made a decent effort with thin strips of black electrical insulation tape. I didn't think I could improve anything here so left it as is. 

Tamiya matt coat, lacquer paint again. This is brilliant stuff. 

Quick spray of some matt grey and rubber black. Enough for the place it's going. 

And don't forget the bottom, the bit that will be seen.  

 

I've actually impressed myself with how well this turned out. 

P-47 again. I've cut off the remaining 3 prop blades to give the impression of a spinning propeller.  

Tried cutting discs from clear plastic. This worked well on the P-47, but was a disaster on the lanc. I abandoned the ides fairly quickly.  

And finally in position. It will do for now. Hopefully some other modellers will be inspired to add better examples for this display.  

Decals are old spare Matchbox kit ones. Again I'm impressed myself how well it turned out considering what I started with.  

Arg-hhh sounds about right!? 

Three more sad examples lined up for possible resurrection in the Fort. Matchbox, old tool Airfix and Italeri B-25 Mitchell bombers. Already started disassembling and attempted paint stripping on the Matchbox. The other paint is not too bad so I'll just give a light spray over. Surprisingly judging by this pic they are mostly complete. Most are missing some elements of landing gear but they will be wheels up anyway. The biggest issue so far is the lack of ailerons on the Airfix. I think I have spares somewhere in the attic though.  

This is the one with most work ahead. Believe it or not though I've got most parts except some gun barrels.  

This will get what's left of the U/c cut off, a few spots of filler and a fresh coat of aluminium.  

The Italeri is the best built of the three. The paintwork is actually decent too but the underneath is duck-egg blue! So repaint is in order! 

Not sure what was going on here with captain red.... 

Enough here for all three versions, although as the matchbox is a short nose, it will get fictional markings.  

It's like a lucky dip. I'm travelling to the Fort Monday, can I get one (or more) finished by then? ?? 

Both main wheels broken off and one missing. At least the two small doors are present. Remains of u/c legs to be cut off and doors closed.  

Tried removing the 40 year old decal with the strongest adhesive tape in the house. Won't budge. Yet, a modern expensive aftermarket decal, with added sol/set and sealed with clear, will lift if it gets a sniff of low tack tamiya tape anywhere near it. Typical..... 

Hole to be filled. It won't be seen when hung from Ceiling so a small bit of aluminium tape will cover it. 

Spent the longest single sitting of this project so far masking the Italeri canopy and nose glazing. Nose glued back on, canopy tacked in place and Humbrol 88 olive drab, 64 light grey. 

Matchbox canopy also masked. This was actually more frustrating than the Italeri one. 

Airfix was a bit easier... 

Aluminium tape over hole. 

Looking ok. The original builder used masking tape and brushed the duck egg blue heavily leaving a bit of a "step" down both sides of the fuselage. Didn't really notice it until I sprayed the grey. Too late to do anything now. The olive drab went on a bit patchy leaving a lovely faded/weathered effect straight off. Pity ive to gloss it for decals.. 

Tamiya LP silver. Sprayed in the direction of airflow to simulate more weathering.  

Still no sign of the ailerons. Plastic card may be in order... 

Hu64. "Army" decal finally covered. 

After multiple brushed on coats of Klear/Future, decalling started. B-25D-5 41-30058 "Lucky Bat" of 499th BS, 345th BG, "Air Apaches", Pacific theatre.  

Taken from Superscale 72-691.  

I like this motif. Although i broke it in 2 I sort-of got it back together.  

B-25J-22 44-29655 "Toofie's Taxi" of 498th BS, 345th BG "Air Apaches". I love the Native American motif on the tail here. Taken from Superscale 72-689.  

It worked! 

A bit of colour. For this option the cowling rings should be yellow, not blue, but I used the blue for a couple of reasons. 1; yellow wasn't going to cover in one coat 2; i was already painting blue on the other one! 

Ripped both fuse insignia with my stupid thumbs. Had plenty of spares thankfully. Off to bed now, matt coat tomorrow and some light weathering. Remove masking, add gun barrels and clear discs for spinning props, hopefully done then. Oh, and scratch some ailerons... 

Never found any ailerons so 2 strips of plastic cut and shaped. They are flush at the bottom, but not at the top. But will only be seen from below so... 

Closer look.. 

Clear discs added to represent spinning props. I'm not convinced by these but i was asked to put them on by the boss... hubs are simply tamiya silver sprue from an old Brabham BT50 1/20 kit. Unpainted and a 3mm hole drilled in the centre of the discs. 

I spin them on the desk to deliberately scratch circles on them to give an impression of movement. Not sure if it can be seen here 

Easiest way to square everything is to butt them up against the cowls 

Toofies Taxi complete. 

 

See what i mean about ailerons? Quick brushed on coat of tamiya LP matt aluminium  

Guns are simple streched sprue  

 

 

And Lucky Bat completed. Happy with this... 

For what i started with.... 

Now for the matchbox.. not as bad as it looks actually.  

Some quick brushes of Tamiya Extra Thin.... 

Replacement u/c doors from sheet plastic.  

Masked tail.. 

..and top turrets 

And everything glued back on. 

Trying to keep wings level and even. Will leave it overnight and hopefully finish tomorrow.  

Hu64 light grey under 

And Hu66 olive drab upper 

Found an old set of Italeri decals that i didn't even know I had. Even better that they suit the correct version B-25H. However, they are old. When was the last time Italeri spelt their name that way???!! 

Here goes nothing... 

Ok. It worked. A small puddle of Klear under it and a gentle touch. 

After 10 mins looks good. Rock on... 

All done! 

Discs added and some smoke weathering  

Again quite happy with how this turned out! 

 

Gave a quick matt coat to hide the klear satin... 

Packed and ready for travel next Saturday. Will post more pics when they are in position.  

Update, and in flight. Matchbox.  

Airfix "Toofie's Taxi" airborne... 

Italeri "Lucky Bat" leading the way. 

Formation flight...