299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

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GuyMassey
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Having airbrushed without one in the past I decided to learn from past mistakes and build a spray booth. I firstly tried a low voltage solution using a PC cooling fan that I already had and 3D printing a back cowl on which to fit a hose. Needless to say there was not enough suck! So I then fitted a ply box on the rear with two £11 extractor fans and a cooling tray front to support a sheet of oven hood filter medium. The result worked beautifully and the all in cost was £37. So I can progress with the Stirling build again.
Attachments
The back cowl
The back cowl
20200528_113047.jpg (18.69 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
The Mk1 Spray booth that didn't work
The Mk1 Spray booth that didn't work
20200528_123536.jpg (30.57 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
The Mk2 Spray booth that did work
The Mk2 Spray booth that did work
20200604_165119.jpg (39.33 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
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GuyMassey
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Finally I can start to put the sub assembles together and start masking. It has been a long time coming but the end is coming into sight!
Attachments
The sub-assemblies come together
The sub-assemblies come together
20200605_090140.jpg (59.24 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
The sub-assemblies come together
The sub-assemblies come together
20200605_090317.jpg (67.41 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
The glazing is covered with Tamiya masking tape and the framing is drawn with a pencil and then carefully scored with a scalpel and the surplus removed.
The glazing is covered with Tamiya masking tape and the framing is drawn with a pencil and then carefully scored with a scalpel and the surplus removed.
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Last edited by GuyMassey on Sat Jun 13, 2020 11:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
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GuyMassey
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Final masking. I decided on paper masks set a couple of mm away from the surface in order to soften the edges. I have not used my airbrush for 10 years so this is an anxious moment for me. In a few minutes, I could spoil everything that I had worked on for so long! I printed out a scaled up camouflage pattern from the kit's instructions in order to position paper masking.
Attachments
Glazing masked. Note, I have not used the thick side windows that came with the kit.
Glazing masked. Note, I have not used the thick side windows that came with the kit.
P1170290.jpg (26.05 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
Paper masking being placed in position, having first sprayed the complete top of the model with flat earth. The paper cut outs are supported on small rolls of masking tape formed by rolling sticky side out around a wooden skewer
Paper masking being placed in position, having first sprayed the complete top of the model with flat earth. The paper cut outs are supported on small rolls of masking tape formed by rolling sticky side out around a wooden skewer
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Top sides done, and not needing too much touching up. I'm quite pleased but know that I would have done better 10 years ago!
Top sides done, and not needing too much touching up. I'm quite pleased but know that I would have done better 10 years ago!
P1170294.jpg (38.6 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
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GuyMassey
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

The top sides are now masked and the whole bottom area and fin is sprayed with matt black
Attachments
The top surfaces are masked
The top surfaces are masked
P1170298.jpg (38.83 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
Black down!
Black down!
P1170299.jpg (42.21 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
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GuyMassey
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

So we have finally arrived at the downward slope of this build. I have also decided that as I have the Italeri MkIV Stirling sat on the shelf waiting for to be built, that this one should represent my Father's MkIV as used to drop troops on TONGA and take a Horsa to Normandy during OVERLORD. So 299 markings for "P Peter". I could only narrow the serial down to one of eight, so I used EF305 for no other reason than I was drawn to it. The Italeri model will now become one of Father's Arnhem aircraft.
Attachments
Masking for the invasion stripes added, with reference to photographs found online.
Masking for the invasion stripes added, with reference to photographs found online.
P1170301.jpg (61.57 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
The stripes are hand painted, much as they were added on the real thing in 1944. For this reason I decided that rough edges and slight show-through in places would be acceptable. The cowls are hand painted copper and exhausts in bronze and dry brushed with black. The area where the decals sit was firstly "gloss varnished" with Quick Shine Floor Finish and when dry they were floated on using Humbrol Decalfix and pressed into position with a sheet of kitchen towel. When everything was dry the whole model was brushed over with Satin Cote and left to dry.
The stripes are hand painted, much as they were added on the real thing in 1944. For this reason I decided that rough edges and slight show-through in places would be acceptable. The cowls are hand painted copper and exhausts in bronze and dry brushed with black. The area where the decals sit was firstly "gloss varnished" with Quick Shine Floor Finish and when dry they were floated on using Humbrol Decalfix and pressed into position with a sheet of kitchen towel. When everything was dry the whole model was brushed over with Satin Cote and left to dry.
P1170304.jpg (69.22 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
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GuyMassey
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

The last parts were added, including the antennae, rear turret and scratch built aerial and pitot tubes.
Attachments
20200611_191202.jpg
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20200611_191226.jpg (64.94 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
20200611_191334.jpg
20200611_191334.jpg (71.15 KiB) Viewed 147796 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
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GuyMassey
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

The top of the piano would not do for my final pictures of this build, so I grabbed a couple of simple background props in the form of a grass sheet and sky background left over from a model railway project. As you view these you may notice that in the later ones I have added a little weathering, including chips on leading edges, rivets and also exhaust staining on upper surfaces (airbrushed white and then black). I have also since added the aerial wire to the tail fin. I hope that you enjoy these pictures as much as I have enjoyed the build. It is worth mentioning that Shorts of Belfast built all 2,383 full sized aircraft in half the time that it has taken me to produce one 1:72 scale model!!!
Attachments
20200611_193015.jpg
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20200611_193107.jpg (19.72 KiB) Viewed 147793 times
20200611_193045.jpg
20200611_193045.jpg (36.35 KiB) Viewed 147793 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
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GuyMassey
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Part 2
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20200611_194524.jpg
20200611_194524.jpg (20.6 KiB) Viewed 147792 times
20200611_193127.jpg
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20200611_193112.jpg
20200611_193112.jpg (16.33 KiB) Viewed 147792 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
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GuyMassey
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Part 3
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20200611_195205.jpg
20200611_195205.jpg (30.99 KiB) Viewed 147792 times
20200611_194801.jpg
20200611_194801.jpg (44.88 KiB) Viewed 147792 times
20200611_194547.jpg
20200611_194547.jpg (56.03 KiB) Viewed 147792 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
User avatar
GuyMassey
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Posts: 249
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Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Part 4
Attachments
20200612_181118.jpg
20200612_181118.jpg (34.04 KiB) Viewed 147792 times
20200611_200936.jpg
20200611_200936.jpg (38.55 KiB) Viewed 147792 times
20200611_195317.jpg
20200611_195317.jpg (36.68 KiB) Viewed 147792 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
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