Meteor NF.12, 46 Sqn, RAF, 1/48th scale.

[Airframes]

Thanks Wojtek and Michael.
Having a break for lunch and a bit of relaxation, then I'll have a look at joining the fuselage.

 

[fubar57]

Beauty

 

[Crimea_River]

Great looking pit Terry. All that typing can't be "resting your hands", surely.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Geo and Andy, glad you like it.

I was very tempted to add more detail to the cockpit, and do a better job on the instrument panel and seat harnesses, which are rather basic representations. But I have to keep reminding myself that these are not intended to be competition or museum display models, and this one, in particular, will have it's heavily-framed canopy in the closed position (to prevent damage or loss to the side-hinged canopy, if it was in the open position), so a lot of the finer detail will be difficult to see anyway.
It really is difficult trying to build 'OOB' and not add fine detail, but I must get used to it for now, as spending time on such detail would be wasted, and the time would be better spent on ensuring a clean and neat build, with a good paint finish, something I intend to practice on the majority of my BoB 'Hardest Days' collection, when I eventually get started.
Dougie Barr's words keep coming back to me, when I mentioned converting the NF.11 to the NF.12, and the difference in length (which, in this kit, is fairly close to that of the NF.12 anyway, it being slightly shorter, but longer than the various dimensions published for the NF.11.), he said if it was a complicated job getting it right, don't bother extending the nose, or even removing the 'blister' and adding the fin fillets, just build it 'as is', because no one would notice, or know the difference anyway !

As for my wrists, I've had some strong pain-killers which have reduced the inflammation and eased the pain a bit, and I'm now going to relax for a while. In fact, as I'm further forward than anticipated, and it's looking like it's going to be a sunny, if somewhat cool evening, and it's the May 'Bank Holiday' here in the UK, I might just go to the pub for an hour or two, and sample a couple of pints of Storm Brewery pain killer !
And don't call me Shirley .............

 

[Wurger]

 

[rochie]

nice work Terry

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Karl.
Just about to tackle the fuselage and get it closed up. If it happens to get tricky due to stiff hands and wrists, I'll put I aside and leave it until either later tonight, or tomorrow - I don't want to spoil a 'good run' at this stage !

 

[Crimea_River]

Get thee to the pub!

 

[Airframes]

That's the best speech I've heard all week !
Sod it, the model can wait - I hear the sound of beer engines !!!

 

[Crimea_River]

You're still here Roger. Over.

 

[Airframes]

I've got a vector to go over, meeting Roger, and Victor, over.

 

[T Bolt]

Very nice looking cockpits Terry

 

[turbo]

Do it when you get back from the pub Terry, what could go wrong?

 

[Gnomey]

Looks good so far Terry!

 

[parsifal]

I don't agree that's a basic effort at the pit terry. I was thinking to myself "wow, look at the detail in that work!"


Lucky b*gger getting to pub whilst im stuck at work

 

[Airframes]

Thanks vey much chaps, it's really appreciated.
Michael, thanks for the compliment, but the detail is all from the kit - I just painted it and high-lighted a few things.

Been looking at photos and plans of the NF.12 cockpit, and I've discovered why there was a little interference around the top of the instrument panel. Classic Airframes have this raked at an angle, around 35 to 45 degrees, which I had to increase slightly to get it to fit, and the lower panel is angled forward, into the cockpit, to clear the front of the nose wheel housing,
Photos show the panel slightly raked, but not much from the vertical, so it would have been better to lengthen the cut-outs on the side walls, and move the panel back, toward the seat slightly.
The front cockpit assembly appears to be ever so slightly too far forward, maybe by about 1 to 2 mm, so this hasn't helped the fit.
Too late now, and not a real problem, as it looks acceptable enough, and can only just be seen when the closed canopy Is in place.

Anyway, I went to the pub, had a couple or three, then came home and fell into bed, to sleep for England !
I did not attempt to do any modeling !
But earlier today, I got the fuselage joined, which went together better than expected. This was joined in stages, starting at the tail, and the large open space on the bottom, where the wing fits. helped by allowing pressure to be exerted from the inside, to align mainly the upper joint and eliminate, or at least vastly reduce, the possibility of a 'step' in the joint, bearing in mind there are no locating pins to aid alignment.
I had intended to use strips of plastic, cemented inside the fuselage halves, to help align the halves, but these couldn't be fixed in such a way to make even contact on each side, and didn't help much, so after trialing the first strip, I abandoned this idea, and worked as described above.
There's a very small gap at the extreme rear tip of the fin 'bullet' fairing, where a nodule of excess plastic was removed from the inner face, but this can easily be filled when the fairing filets are added.
The joint immediately in front of the cockpit has been un-glued for now, to aid fit and alignment of the nose section when fitted.
Trial fitting shows the probability of a small 'step' in the joint at this area, first noticed when initially 'dry-fitting' the parts and now confirmed,so a small 'filler' strip will be added, and sanded back once the joint has set.
I'm currently working on that at the moment, and hope to get that completed very soon, and move on to the engines and wings.

Pics blow show the state of play to date, along with that small tail-end gap, indicated by the red arrow.

 

[Wurger]

 

[SANCER]

After a while away out circulation, I have enjoyed the process you are carrying here Terry.
It's late but from here I'll accompany you with a good beer, ... the afternoons have been rainy here, ... I'll make the sacrifice ... Cheers!

Luis Carlos

 

[Crimea_River]

All's well Terry.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks again chaps, and it's good to see you back Luis - cheers with a beer !

Got the final clean-up done on the fuselage joints, and the nose joint unevenness identified, corrected, and the nose cone fitted.
Just waiting for the nose joint to set enough to allow me to move the model, then I'll get the final photos and post them - back in half an hour or so.