I think this is shaping up very well Martin. I see the ex-insect Mossie has turned out very nicely.

Thanks Shaun,

It's certainly getting there.

regards,

Martin

I think this is about as good a pose as I can get with the 'gash' stand. The Me262 needs more of a bank away from the viewer, which I will hopefully resolve for the true stand, but the Mossie looks good to my eyes:



regards,

Martin

You've been making lovely steady progress throughout the year. Where are you at the moment with it?

James,

Both aircraft are finished. A colleague at work has photoshopped a backing picture for me and I'm mulling aspect ratio. I'm thinking 7:3 width:height and I'm thinkinig of having a curved backing sheet of ~2.5ft with a height of about a foot.

I'm about to hassle my father-in-law to help me put a stand together. I then need to laminate the backing, add it and mount the aircraft. I'm still confident that I'll have a nice display, but I'm wondering if it might not be a bit . . . big?

regards,

Martin

Sounds like you've got it hand. We've got plenty of space so it can be as big as it needs to be (but no bigger ). eg. Beany's G for George was 2x2ft.

No further progress on the stand On the other hand, Me262 take 2 (with more of the surface detailing remaining, and scribed LE slats and gun-bay):



The mottle doesn't look anything great at this stage, but I reckon it'll take me another couple of nights of stippling to get it the way I'm trying to. Whether that's any good, of course . . .

I wasn't happy with the colours or the mottle on the first one. Here they are together.



regards,

Martin

Yeah I think you are right as you build up the stippling and it will start to come together.

Oh, and does anyone want to take a guess about what is the lighter green on Take 2? The darker green is RLM82 from xtracrylix and it's from the same range.

(Incidentally, and for comparison, the lighter green on Take 1 is supposed to be RLM81).

regards,

Martin

Do I hear the lid of a Luftwaffe colours can o' worms opening?

Is the second 262 replacing the first one you did?

Cheers
Jim

It may do . . . if it gets finished in time. However, my priority is to sort out the base and back board.

regards,

Martin

I'm calling the mottle finished on the Schwalbe. Here it is:





Johan der pilot has been robbed from Schwalbe Take 1, and the canopy is just dry-fitted thus far. The decals are courtesy of EJSnotgrass - many thanks to him. I now need to bleach them a bit on the window.

The SC250s are now resplendent in RLM70, and waiting to be fitted.

regards,

Martin

That looks superb Martin, excellent work. Nice one to Iain for sending you the decals as well. Hopefully there is still enough UV about to bleach them as you say, if not actual sunshine. I've just had some for an old Airfix S-3 Viking in the window for about 3 months and they've come up a treat - I know you haven't got that long, but if you trim the decals right down to the ink and float them on with Klear they shouldn't be a problem. From what I've seen, it looks like everyone producing a diorama for this years display has gone up a gear or two in the quality and imagination being put to use. I just can't wait to start soaking in the admiration from the public and other modellers alike!!

Cheers
Al.

@ Al,

Thanks!

@ Everybody,

I've put a thread in the "Wants & Needs" sub-forum, but I'll repeat the request here: I'm looking for pics showing the shape of the original Airfix Dogfight Double stand (if memory serves, this was a stylised 'A' shape with a lowish cross-bar). I'm trying to incorporate the outline shape in my base for the DD build, and I'd like to get the overall layout close-ish. Could anyone show me a pic?

regards,

MArtin

OK,

Some kind person found me some pics of the original 'A' shape DD stand, and I'm going to incorporate this shape into the base (bear in mind that the angle of view of the box art is horizontal so the view is 'back' and not 'down'). I'm also going to prop up the front of the base so that people don't have to get quite so low to see the proper effect.

Some decals on the Schwalbe (Iain's decals are still blu-taked to a S facing window waiting in vain for the sun. I did try to use the underwing crosses yesterday, carefully trimmed off the carrier film, then realised that they were too big to go on the FROG's wings.



I will probably have to use the '11s' 'as is' if I don't get any sun by next week, then I need to get down to some serious weathering.

regards,

Martin