aeroplanegrippers workbench

[Clashcityrocker]

Nice Mosquito.

Nigel

[aeroplanegripper]

Hello everyone again,
While I’m waiting for my Mosquito to dry, after its finish of Flat coat, I thought I would make a start on my next project. Another kit that has been in the stash for an absolute age, the 1/72 Hasegawa P-40E Kittyhawk. I will of course do it in the colours of 112 Squadron RAF as used in the Desert War. Though I won’t be using the kit supplied decals as they have suffered the Hasegawa cracking!

Here’s the obligatory shot of the box contents:

Here’s another one with the raised panel lines which will require a rescribe, which I find quite enjoyable and therapeutic in some weird way.


I have recently bought the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces book, P-40 Warhawk and Kittyhawk aces, so I will have a look and whose aircraft to do.
Thanks for letting me share.

[secgeek]

Hello everyone again,
While I’m waiting for my Mosquito to dry, after its finish of Flat coat, I thought I would make a start on my next project. Another kit that has been in the stash for an absolute age, the 1/72 Hasegawa P-40E Kittyhawk. I will of course do it in the colours of 112 Squadron RAF as used in the Desert War. Though I won’t be using the kit supplied decals as they have suffered the Hasegawa cracking!

Here’s the obligatory shot of the box contents:

Here’s another one with the raised panel lines which will require a rescribe, which I find quite enjoyable and therapeutic in some weird way.


I have recently bought the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces book, P-40 Warhawk and Kittyhawk aces, so I will have a look and whose aircraft to do.
Thanks for letting me share.

Have you thought of a dio with the example recently found in the Libyan desert?

[aeroplanegripper]

Hello all,
Well finally after 6 weeks, the Mosquito is finished. After a coat of Xtracrylix Flat I added the props, gear doors and engine intake grills and navigation lights. I’m reasonably happy with the finish, but think there is room for improvement on the masking, and I forgot to include the whip aerial, well I’ll get to that.

The aircraft is marked up as a Canadian built F-8 example as operated by the 3rd Photographic Reconnaissance Group based at La Marsa Tunisia in November 1943. This aircraft was captained by Maj James Setchell and operated in North Africa and Italy, where she was lost in an accident in August 1944.

In the end, it was built out of the box, with a mixture of decals from my spares box and the set issued by ADS (nose art and Serial No). All paints were Xtracolor RAF Dark Green, RAF medium Sea Grey, RAF Sky and RAF Ocean Grey. Though I enjoyed building this kit, it took an absolute age, what with work and life creeping in and slowing down my normal slow builds even more!

Thank you to everyone who commented kindly on my build over the past weeks, and I’ll be carrying on with my next build of the Hasegawa 1/72 Kittyhawk Mk IA. Here’s Capt Buzz Malvern and Maj Roy Oak in a period shot, for a bit of fun.

Thanks for looking and letting me share.

[Ian]

There's not a lot of room for improvement, Mark! You should be very proud of her. She looks lovely!

[shangos70]

Lovely Mossie. Top job.

[secgeek]

Another excellent job. Remember you will see minute flaws because you know they are there. The rest of us enjoy the overall finish. BZ

[Sissel]

That's a wonderful completion. Well done!

[jssel]

Very tasty Mosquito. Great work.

[aeroplanegripper]

Hello everyone,
After the build of the Mosquito, I have cracked on with the Hasegawa 1/72 Kittyhawk Mk 1, this is quite an old kit and dates back to 1977, and comes with the very empty cockpit (block seat) and raised panel lines all over. So the first thing I did was break out the dynamo tape and trusty scriber. Here’s the Starboard fuselage post scribing.

I affixed the main wings together, and then did the scribing, after which a polish up with various grades of Micro Mesh sheets. I have done a quick dry fit and there is a bit of a gap on the port wing root, which I have seen mentioned on the web before.


Horizontal stabilisers


I have decided after research to do the aircraft of Sgt Rudolph Morris “Blue” Leu RAAF of 112 Sqn, who had a total of 6 kills before being shot down and made POW in Jun 1942. His aircraft, which was shared by many aircrew, was Serial No AL 255 Code GA-T.

Tomorrow Ill joining the fuselage, insert the cockpit, stabilisers and some priming of the ancillaries.
Thanks for looking and letting me share.

[fearless frankie]

You can't have too many Kittyhawks, cracking job on the wooden wonder and the black and white photo only needs a couple of black dots and watermarks and it would be on a par with the GA-T one.

[aeroplanegripper]

Hello everyone,
Just a quick update on the progress of the Hasegawa 1/72 Kittyhawk Mk 1, I have now finished on the fuselage interior, a quick priming, some interior green to the cockpit, and the addition of some spare resin throttles, map box and radio fixtures. As the kit supplied seat looked like and orange box block, I used a spare P-47 seat from the spares box and used that, it’s not identical but would suffice.

I affixed the fuselage together and all seemed quite well, and polish up with the Micro Mesh sheets revealed a few minor join issues which I will check when it’s primed. I also attached the horizontal stabilisers and used some tape to hold them while it dried.

Tomorrow Ill affix the main wings to the fuselage, where I’ll know there be a gap to the wing roots, and then give her a clean before priming.
Thanks for looking and letting me share

[smilzo_mm]

Great Mosquito and nice detail on p-40! I like them!

[ShaunW]

Great looking Mossie Mark and I like the period shot that you set up as well. 6 weeks to finish a kit sounds quite fast to me

[aeroplanegripper]

Hello everyone,
I have now done some more of the build of the Hasegawa 1/72 Kittyhawk Mk 1, the main wings have been offered to the fuselage and there’s the gap! I filled this with a little CA and followed up with a little filler and the old trusty cotton bud and nail varnish remover. A light sanding with Micro Mesh sheets has bought it up OK.

I was aware of another gap, behind the pilot’s seat but didn’t think it would be as glaring, even when the canopy was fitted. So I have cut a small piece of styrene sheet to fit behind the seat and hide the void! I will provide updates to see how this fits in, I have primed it already and will paint it Interior Green and slot in.

I had also fitted a spare PE IP I had for a Spitfire and affixed it to the blank IP, it fitted quite snugly and I think will do.

I have painted the 250lb bomb, Prop and Spinner and will provide pics as soon as work and life allows. The canopy and rear panels are to be masked next and providing the armour plate fits OK I will give it a wash and a prime.
Thanks for looking and letting me share.