Crimea_River
Marshal
I know how you feel. I just finished off a Pinot Noir. Good work there Red Leader.
1/48th Mitchell II - Allied Advance and Defense of the Reich WWII.
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- #223
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Andy and Paul.
Just trying to get my hands and wrists warmed up ready to get back to it, but not having much luck. The atmospheric pressure is up and down like a fiddler's elbow, and consequently my hands, wrists and upper arms are stiff and aching like hell !
Maybe if it settles down later this afternoon, I'll be able to get something done.
Just trying to get my hands and wrists warmed up ready to get back to it, but not having much luck. The atmospheric pressure is up and down like a fiddler's elbow, and consequently my hands, wrists and upper arms are stiff and aching like hell !
Maybe if it settles down later this afternoon, I'll be able to get something done.
Great work so far Terry!
Looks good Dogsbody
T Bolt
Colonel
Love those radios Terry
Wildcat
Major
Yeah, great work on the radios Terry!
JKim
Senior Master Sergeant
Nice interior work... the radio equipment is depicted convincingly.
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- #229
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks chaps.
Still slowly plodding along, making the ammo boxes and feed chutes. Darned fiddly work, as my hands have declared independence, and formed their own Popular Front for the Liberation of Digitalis !
Still slowly plodding along, making the ammo boxes and feed chutes. Darned fiddly work, as my hands have declared independence, and formed their own Popular Front for the Liberation of Digitalis !
- Thread starter
- #230
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
I've finally got a bit more done, although it was very slow, and somewhat painful work, as my hands, particularly the fingers, are still very stiff and painful, and trying to handle small parts has been bl**dy difficult and frustrating.
But enough of my whinging, and back to the Mitchell.
Although not much will be seen of the radio compartment, once the cockpit floor and seats are fitted, enough light gets in to warrant adding at least some semblance of the fittings which would be prominent, and would be missed if not added.
The 'Gee' Indicator and its associated R/F unit have been fabricated from 'Evergreen' channel and plastic sheet, and fitted to the port side of the compartment. I admit that the location of these items is purely a 'guesstimate' on my part, as I have been unable to find any photos or descriptions of the actual location within the compartment, with only brief mentions of the use of 'Gee' in various publications.
As this unit will be seen only as a dark shape, it has been constructed as a simple box, to the correct dimensions, without any wiring, and only a vague representation of the cathode ray tube screen and controls painted onto the front face - and even that won't be seen once the fuselage is closed up.
PICS 1 and 2 Show the 'Gee' indicator, and the R/F unit (grey, rectangular box) in place.
PICS 3 to 5 Give some idea of what will be visible through the cockpit canopy, with much of this being obscured by the seats, and the distortion of the canopy itself.
PIC 6. Ammo boxes for the waist guns were made, again using 'Evergreen' channel and plastic sheet, and fitted in place. These await the addition of basic attachment brackets, and then they'll be painted.(apologies for the poor pic, and colour balance - I had trouble holding and operating the camera properly).
PIC 7. Spare .50 cal guns from the Revell B-25J kit have had the barrels removed, leaving a short stub to mount in the waist windows, and the flexible ammo feed chutes have been added, using a smaller size of 'Evergreen' plastic channel. Hand grips and the recoil buffer tubes will be scratch-built and fitted, along with ring sights and the counter-balance pulley cables, and then the guns will be painted.
The 'feed chutes' will be bent to link up with the ammo boxes, and painted silver, with the inside of the channel in a brass colour, to represent the rounds.
Swivel mounts will be fitted to the bottom of each gun's receiver, using plastic rod or tube, before mounting the guns through the slots in the waist windows - a job I just know is going to invent a whole book-full of new swear words!
Once construction is complete, and the model has been painted and decalled, resin gun barrels will be 'Superglued' to the stub barrels, which protrude through the windows by about 2 mm.
PIC 8. Something I almost missed, had it not been for sending some info to Wojtek regarding RAF Mitchells.
A porthole for the strike camera has been drilled and reamed, just aft of the rear entrance hatch, just off-center, on the port side.
On the 'J' model, this was slightly further aft, just in front of the frame where the crawl-way to the tail starts. Close scrutiny of the photo of my subject, shows that, on this aircraft at least, it was further forward. The inside area, beneath the floor, has been painted matt black and, once the model has been painted, the porthole will be glazed, either by punching-out some clear sheet, or, more likely, by using PVA or Humbrol 'Clear Fix', and should pass scrutiny. It wasn't worth the effort to try to add the lens of the F24 camera, because a) it would have been almost impossible to fit it between the floor and the fuselage, and b) it's highly unlikely it would be seen anyway.
I've got to the stage where I'm starting to get impatient, mainly due to the frustration of not being able to get much of the 'fiddly' work done, and want to close-up the fuselage, and move on to the construction of the rest of the model.
Fortunately, once those ammo boxes, guns and feed chutes are painted and installed, there's only the dorsal turret pedestal to scratch-build, which should be fairly straightforward (the turret itself can be attended to later), and the cockpit has to have some basic detail added, before fitting into the starboard fuselage half.
Once that's done, the nose compartment can be detailed and fitted, after adding the nose gear leg, and stuffing the void in the nose with as much lead as can be packed in there, as I know from previous experience with B-25 models, that they need a lot of weight up front to avoid a 'tail sitter'.
Regarding the rest of the construction, there's quite a bit to do to the wings, as some detail is only represented by engraved or raised lines, and, of course, those resin cowlings have to be adapted to accept the carb intakes and cowl flaps from the kit parts.
Thanks again for following this build, and the next time I announce that I'm going to do a simple conversion, tell me to wake up and join the real world !!!
But enough of my whinging, and back to the Mitchell.
Although not much will be seen of the radio compartment, once the cockpit floor and seats are fitted, enough light gets in to warrant adding at least some semblance of the fittings which would be prominent, and would be missed if not added.
The 'Gee' Indicator and its associated R/F unit have been fabricated from 'Evergreen' channel and plastic sheet, and fitted to the port side of the compartment. I admit that the location of these items is purely a 'guesstimate' on my part, as I have been unable to find any photos or descriptions of the actual location within the compartment, with only brief mentions of the use of 'Gee' in various publications.
As this unit will be seen only as a dark shape, it has been constructed as a simple box, to the correct dimensions, without any wiring, and only a vague representation of the cathode ray tube screen and controls painted onto the front face - and even that won't be seen once the fuselage is closed up.
PICS 1 and 2 Show the 'Gee' indicator, and the R/F unit (grey, rectangular box) in place.
PICS 3 to 5 Give some idea of what will be visible through the cockpit canopy, with much of this being obscured by the seats, and the distortion of the canopy itself.
PIC 6. Ammo boxes for the waist guns were made, again using 'Evergreen' channel and plastic sheet, and fitted in place. These await the addition of basic attachment brackets, and then they'll be painted.(apologies for the poor pic, and colour balance - I had trouble holding and operating the camera properly).
PIC 7. Spare .50 cal guns from the Revell B-25J kit have had the barrels removed, leaving a short stub to mount in the waist windows, and the flexible ammo feed chutes have been added, using a smaller size of 'Evergreen' plastic channel. Hand grips and the recoil buffer tubes will be scratch-built and fitted, along with ring sights and the counter-balance pulley cables, and then the guns will be painted.
The 'feed chutes' will be bent to link up with the ammo boxes, and painted silver, with the inside of the channel in a brass colour, to represent the rounds.
Swivel mounts will be fitted to the bottom of each gun's receiver, using plastic rod or tube, before mounting the guns through the slots in the waist windows - a job I just know is going to invent a whole book-full of new swear words!
Once construction is complete, and the model has been painted and decalled, resin gun barrels will be 'Superglued' to the stub barrels, which protrude through the windows by about 2 mm.
PIC 8. Something I almost missed, had it not been for sending some info to Wojtek regarding RAF Mitchells.
A porthole for the strike camera has been drilled and reamed, just aft of the rear entrance hatch, just off-center, on the port side.
On the 'J' model, this was slightly further aft, just in front of the frame where the crawl-way to the tail starts. Close scrutiny of the photo of my subject, shows that, on this aircraft at least, it was further forward. The inside area, beneath the floor, has been painted matt black and, once the model has been painted, the porthole will be glazed, either by punching-out some clear sheet, or, more likely, by using PVA or Humbrol 'Clear Fix', and should pass scrutiny. It wasn't worth the effort to try to add the lens of the F24 camera, because a) it would have been almost impossible to fit it between the floor and the fuselage, and b) it's highly unlikely it would be seen anyway.
I've got to the stage where I'm starting to get impatient, mainly due to the frustration of not being able to get much of the 'fiddly' work done, and want to close-up the fuselage, and move on to the construction of the rest of the model.
Fortunately, once those ammo boxes, guns and feed chutes are painted and installed, there's only the dorsal turret pedestal to scratch-build, which should be fairly straightforward (the turret itself can be attended to later), and the cockpit has to have some basic detail added, before fitting into the starboard fuselage half.
Once that's done, the nose compartment can be detailed and fitted, after adding the nose gear leg, and stuffing the void in the nose with as much lead as can be packed in there, as I know from previous experience with B-25 models, that they need a lot of weight up front to avoid a 'tail sitter'.
Regarding the rest of the construction, there's quite a bit to do to the wings, as some detail is only represented by engraved or raised lines, and, of course, those resin cowlings have to be adapted to accept the carb intakes and cowl flaps from the kit parts.
Thanks again for following this build, and the next time I announce that I'm going to do a simple conversion, tell me to wake up and join the real world !!!
Crimea_River
Marshal
Good stuff Terry. You were either very courageous or short sighted to tackle this one! I'm sure it will turn out well int he end.
Nice job Dogsbody
T Bolt
Colonel
Beautiful work Terry
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- #235
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks very much indeed chaps, it's much appreciated !
Considering I want to do as many virtually 'OOB' builds as possible (adding just basics such as seat harness and brake lines), to reduce the size of the stash, I was neither courageous or short-sighted with this one - I was bl**dy stupid !!
I should have either built this as a 'normal' RAF Mitchell II, 'OOB' with minimal internal additions, or built the B-25J kit OOB as a RAF Mitchell III - someday I'll do a 'normal' build, but until then, I hope to have more to show either later tonight, or sometime tomorrow.
And I've just noticed, the feed chute on the Browning is in the wrong place !
It's attached to the side of the receiver, and should be further forward, where the feed slot is moulded !
Considering I want to do as many virtually 'OOB' builds as possible (adding just basics such as seat harness and brake lines), to reduce the size of the stash, I was neither courageous or short-sighted with this one - I was bl**dy stupid !!
I should have either built this as a 'normal' RAF Mitchell II, 'OOB' with minimal internal additions, or built the B-25J kit OOB as a RAF Mitchell III - someday I'll do a 'normal' build, but until then, I hope to have more to show either later tonight, or sometime tomorrow.
And I've just noticed, the feed chute on the Browning is in the wrong place !
It's attached to the side of the receiver, and should be further forward, where the feed slot is moulded !
Looks great so far Terry!
T Bolt
Colonel
I know how you feel Terry, I haven't done any major scratch building since that B-24 a wile back. I've been trying to keep the builds as close to out of the box as I can since then because even though I love the scratch building it just seems to take too much time.
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- #238
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Hugh, and I agree Glenn.
It's sometimes hard to resist adding just a touch more detail, which always seems to snowball into a major project, but I've been mentally going through the stash, and noting which kits can be built more or less out of the box, and still be more than acceptable models.
I reckon I can manage it, with minor additions, with around 70% to 80% of the kits. The rest either need some scratch-building or corrections, due to the kit contents, or, in some cases, would be really improved with extra detailing, especially if intended to be part of a diorama, as some are, this Mitchell probably being one of them.
If I don't stick to this, then, as you mentioned, some builds will just take too much time, and I'll be too old and knackered to get through all the kits in my stash, each one ear-marked for a particular aircraft or event.
When I get to start on my 'BoB - Hardest Days Collection', I think that the majority will be basically out of the box, with the minor additions already mentioned, the BF109Es being an example. With eight to build, and one to re-paint, it will probably be done in a 'production line' fashion, doing probably two or three at a time, and the same with the Spitfires and Hurricanes, otherwise with 25 models to build, I'll never get the project finished, let alone get other builds done.
Some of the others will get the extra detail treatment though, but even then, this will be kept to a minimum wherever possible.
I'm still fiddling around with the guns and ammo feeds, test fitting to ensure the guns, feeds and ammo boxes all line up with each other, and that they can be fixed into the waist windows at the correct angles, and I hope to have something to show sometime tomorrow.
My stiff hands, fingers and wrists are really slowing down this relatively straightforward task, and it's starting to bug me !
Once the base for the dorsal turret pedestal has been aligned and fitted, and the scratch-built pedestal tested for fit and height, the cockpit detail can be added, including making and fitting the throttle, pitch and mixture levers, and improving the seats and instrument panel, the latter being a plain panel, intended to have a decal for the instruments, the kit offering being very basic and inaccurate - the spare decal from the B-25J kit will be used instead, with scratch-built switch panels on the lower edge (the 'J' kit has engraved and raised panel detail, so the decal is surplus).
With that relatively simple job done (in relation to all the b*ggering about with the rest of the interior), the cockpit can be fitted, and the fuselage halves joined, allowing some real progress on the rest of the model.
Thanks again for the continued interest in this build, and I hope to have more to show tomorrow.
It's sometimes hard to resist adding just a touch more detail, which always seems to snowball into a major project, but I've been mentally going through the stash, and noting which kits can be built more or less out of the box, and still be more than acceptable models.
I reckon I can manage it, with minor additions, with around 70% to 80% of the kits. The rest either need some scratch-building or corrections, due to the kit contents, or, in some cases, would be really improved with extra detailing, especially if intended to be part of a diorama, as some are, this Mitchell probably being one of them.
If I don't stick to this, then, as you mentioned, some builds will just take too much time, and I'll be too old and knackered to get through all the kits in my stash, each one ear-marked for a particular aircraft or event.
When I get to start on my 'BoB - Hardest Days Collection', I think that the majority will be basically out of the box, with the minor additions already mentioned, the BF109Es being an example. With eight to build, and one to re-paint, it will probably be done in a 'production line' fashion, doing probably two or three at a time, and the same with the Spitfires and Hurricanes, otherwise with 25 models to build, I'll never get the project finished, let alone get other builds done.
Some of the others will get the extra detail treatment though, but even then, this will be kept to a minimum wherever possible.
I'm still fiddling around with the guns and ammo feeds, test fitting to ensure the guns, feeds and ammo boxes all line up with each other, and that they can be fixed into the waist windows at the correct angles, and I hope to have something to show sometime tomorrow.
My stiff hands, fingers and wrists are really slowing down this relatively straightforward task, and it's starting to bug me !
Once the base for the dorsal turret pedestal has been aligned and fitted, and the scratch-built pedestal tested for fit and height, the cockpit detail can be added, including making and fitting the throttle, pitch and mixture levers, and improving the seats and instrument panel, the latter being a plain panel, intended to have a decal for the instruments, the kit offering being very basic and inaccurate - the spare decal from the B-25J kit will be used instead, with scratch-built switch panels on the lower edge (the 'J' kit has engraved and raised panel detail, so the decal is surplus).
With that relatively simple job done (in relation to all the b*ggering about with the rest of the interior), the cockpit can be fitted, and the fuselage halves joined, allowing some real progress on the rest of the model.
Thanks again for the continued interest in this build, and I hope to have more to show tomorrow.
A great effort Terry, love the progress....
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- #240
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks Wayne, it's very much appreciated.
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