Bridlington & Wolds Scale Model Club Forum
Models => Modelling Projects => Topic started by: cph64 on August 25, 2020, 12:30:42 PM
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This is the old Frog Trailblazers kit of the Gloster Whittle dating from 1968 coming in a tray type box, so it's another Classic Plastic. I started this last year then lost interest as I soon realised there would be a fair amount of work involved in it. There are newer kits on the market from Pavla, High Planes and more recently Clear Prop all with far more detail, but here goes.
The biggest and, as far as I'm concerned un-fixable, fault is that the fuselage is too long. All the other things like the lack of control console and tub detail can be fixed. Also there is a huge discrepancy in the size of the two figures included, one appears too big for 1/72nd whilst the other could be his child! Including the two figures and transparency the kit only has 24 parts, but it does have poseable ailerons and rudder (bonus?).
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David and Goliath perhaps?
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David and Goliath perhaps?
I think David Blain (Blane)
Who else can magic such differing figures?
Bigkev
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The ejector marks were prominent in all areas and had to be carved and sanded down. Notice also how the two sets of wing parts have the same numbers, the same was true for the stabilisers also. Detail was added to the cockpit using Evergreen strip and a console from the spares box. Trial fitting of the cockpit tub revealed that a combing would have to be made for above the console. Pondering on how to due it I hit on the idea of using the brass rubbing principle so it was out with the pencil and paper. Once I had the shape I PVA glued it to some scrap brass sheet then cut it out and trimmed it the fit. As the cockpit transparency has a flange on it this had to be sanded down to get a good fit, after which the inside of the flange was painted to blend it in when fitted permanently. The main sections were then glued together and joints filled and/or sanded before the undercarriage was fitted. Once everything has cured it will be time to paint.
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Sweet, that Chris.
Bigkev
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Lot of effort on a dinky little thing, keep up the good work.
Haddock
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Looking good.
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Another good one coming along
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Remember Chris,
Small can be beautiful.
Cheers,
Bigkev
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Remember Chris,
Small can be beautiful.
Cheers,
Bigkev
Just look at me!
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Remember Chris,
Small can be beautiful.
Cheers,
Bigkev
Just look at me!
No comment!
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Remember Chris,
Small can be beautiful.
Cheers,
Bigkev
Just look at me!
No comment!
Sometimes, the delicate detail in a small model, can overshadow, all that detail in a bigger scale,
I'm not sure what you were implying to Zak!
Chris is always well turned out.
Bigkev
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Remember Chris,
Small can be beautiful.
Cheers,
Bigkev
Just look at me!
No comment!
No comment also.
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Remember Chris,
Small can be beautiful.
Cheers,
Bigkev
Just look at me!
The comment was about Haddock being small and beautiful.
No comment!
No comment also.
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Small model but a hand full at the same time.
Nice one Chris.
Andy.
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During the build I had to try to recreate the shape of the intake as in the kit it was just two parts of the cockpit tub which left a gap, This was firstly filled with Evergreen strip then Perfect Plastic Putty was built up to try and get the correct shape, It's not perfect but I'm happy with it. The underside was painted with acrylic Humbrol 24 Trainer Yellow and once this had cured it was masked ready for the upper surfaces to be painted. This was done free hand and with a hairy stick (my airbrushes went on furlough!!!) using Humbrol 29 Dark Earth, and 30 Dark Green. As seen in the photo the box illustration doesn't match the paintwork on the original, which I've tried to match. A point to watch out for is that there were two air-frames built and the paintwork isn't the same for both a/c. Close but no cigar!!! Another thing that became apparent is that the decals are for later markings when the Dark Brown was over-painted Dark Grey, so the Prototype marking wasn't used if doing it in Brown/Green. Also the kit doesn't supply the correct canopy for later nor the small auxiliary fins added near the tips of the ailerons. All these faults are corrected in the Clear Prop kit. The more I look at the kit the box has it right when it says 'Frog painting guide', the a/c looks like a frog!! Upon removing the masking it became clear that a small amount of touch-up work will be necessary before varnishing and decalling.
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Looks good though Chris.
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After my senior moment when I called the paint Dark Brown instead of Dark Earth it was onto decalling. I should have known better with 50 year old decals. They shattered in places and as I didn't have the right era replacements for some I had to repair as best possible and coated all the others to be used with a layer of Klear. The kit fuselage roundel is too small so I sourced that from the spares box, again an old one, from the Frog Kittyhawk!! Despite coating these and all the others needed lashings of Micro Set and Sol to get them to settle down with some flaking still occurring. The ID numbers are too big but they're the only game in town and there's no markings for the nose etc. Also missing is the pitot tube, which again came from the spares box.
With this model you can't make 'a silk purse from a sows ear' but you can make a very good onion sack. In it's time it would have been a brilliant kit but now it's showing it's age, like us all, and has been surpassed by better releases. Strangely enough though I am satisfied with what I've achieved with it, so although it won't make the front of the display cabinet it won't go to the shelf of shame!!
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Great work Chris,
I'm sure you will have made this 'Oldie' look the best for the here and now.
Credit to you sir.
Bigkev
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It looks very good Chris.