Biggles - Revell 1/72 Camel - bag and sprues

Over on Revellations, they are running their inaugural group build of any Revell kit, so I though I'd join in with a Revell 1/72 Sopwith Camel.

I grew up on Biggles stories, and loved the WW1 stories, so I just have to do a representative Biggles machine.

A nice bagged Camel

Not too many parts, a bit of flash and that pilot is leaving, I've got an Airifx "hands on nuts" pilot that with a little knife work should do.

I would say some gentle Fill'n sand on this one, the parts do look delicate.

Airfix 1/72 Whirlwind - finished

Well I've done as much as I want to on this so its done.

 

A fun build, apart form the crappy decals, form this older boxing.

Eastern Express/Frog Blenheim Mk1

Well this one I've been on and off for over a year, the big earthquake we had in September managed to loose some parts, so I lost heart. But I have finished the painting and decalling on this now, and only needs the scratch built replacement bits for the engines and aerials built.

I wanted to do a Mk1F representing the one (L6836) flown by Flying Officer Ashfield, and crewed by Pilot Officer C. Morris (Observer) and Sergeant R.A. Leyland (AI Operator), who on the night of the 22/23 July 1940 shot down a Dornier 17Z of 2 Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 3, becoming the first airborne radar intercepted kill in history.

Vac formed a canopy, and replaced the Frog engines and cowlings with Airfix ones.

I blanked off the rear turret, one of the books that got me on the night fighter kick, mentioned that 21 Blenheims were converted in late Sept 1939, with AI MkII and had their rear turrets removed. So I reasoned that the FIU may have had a few of these, and the lines of the Blenheim look so much better with out it.

I'm not sure of the codes, FIU was ZQ, but I havn't been able to find out the individual code letter, I just  did an I for intercept.

The vac canopy is a huge improvement.

Airfix 1/72 Whirlwind - decals

Old Airfix decals arrgh arrgh, I love them, yeah right, these are out of register, how did they ever let these things go out of the decal shop with them out of register? the check marks are out of register, whoever did their QA??


So the roundels, and codes needed slicing to remove the white out of register. Then the things are brittle as well, I had a few places I've had to touch up.

Got to paint the exhausts, satin coat it, do the cockpit framing, and the landing lights.

Airfix 1/72 Whirlwind - start paint

Well been having fun masking and airbrushing, just got the Dark Green on tonight, and have unmasked, its the fun part unwrapping the toys..

I do like that black wing scheme, on to decals.. yummy