Author Topic: Where the hell have I been?  (Read 14293 times)

Offline tc2324

  • Just slightly on the edge of madness......!
Where the hell have I been?
« on: April 29, 2014, 10:36:10 PM »
Non whiffery - Viewer discretion advised

In the past year or so I haven`t really been at the whiffery like I used to or contributed to the forum as much as I would of liked.

Mainly because, shock and horror, I`ve been busy completing real world builds of 74 Sqn RAF types. Greg has asked my to post these so all abusive comments can head his way...  ;D

So it`s taken me a year to get as far as this......,





In turn they managed to make their way to the annual 74 Sqn reunion earlier this year.



`Tiger` types in 1/48 scale.







One area of interest from air and ground crew alike was the `what if` aspect. ie, types that were rumored to be destined to go to 74 but never actually made it. Over the next 9 months or so I`ll be looking to correct that so a few more posts from me on here.

Now, my other real world passion is VF-111 `Sundowners`. So when not indulging in 74 Sqn builds, and to make life a little more interesting, I`ve been building their various types as well when i need a break from all things `Tiger`.

Again, all in 1/48. The early mark Fury is actually a converted F-86 kit which I scratch built to make more `Navy`









In case your wondering why the Hellcat is positioned as it is, I like to see the kill markings and they were only ever stenciled on the starboard side.

That`s about it and happy to post progress reports if there`s an interest?
Whiffing is for Life...., not just for Christmas!!!

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2014, 11:58:51 PM »
Love the green tint on the F-4J UK, love the project as a whole to be honest.  I tried to do the same thing about twenty years ago, i.e. a 74 Sqn build but gave up, didn't even manage to collect all the models, did end up with 3 or 4 F-4B,J,N,S though.  There is still room for you to flesh out the build with the multiple marked of Lightnings and Hunters that 74 used.

Love your work  :)

Offline jcf

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2014, 01:31:28 AM »
Sure post more, as Greg, and we other mods, have said from the start, BTS is not a what-if modeling only
site. It's about all modeling full-stop.

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Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
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conspiracy.”
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Online LemonJello

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2014, 01:50:33 AM »
Some seriously gorgeous work on display in those photos.  By all means, please show more!  What did you use for the metallic effects on the jet exhausts? 

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2014, 01:55:13 AM »
Love the green tint on the F-4J UK,

It was a colour screw-up when the UK bought these F-4's after the Falkland War, they came painted that way from the States but the RAF couldn't be bothered to re-paint them.  I've got a 'Walk-Around' book by Verlinden Productions in their Lock-On series, #10, which shows them. 

tc2324 has got the colour quite well matched   :)

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2014, 02:52:17 AM »
Sure post more, as Greg, and we other mods, have said from the start, BTS is not a what-if modeling only
site. It's about all modeling full-stop.

Exactly!  Anyone making abusive comments will have some serious questioning... C:-)
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Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2014, 02:52:42 AM »
Great work mate! :)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Doom!

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2014, 03:03:39 AM »
A couple of nice collections!
Doom!
Jeff G.

Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2014, 04:10:46 AM »
Nice of you to make such a grand entrance like that after a long absence from the forums.  If that is what you are doing while away then by all means please continue but at least keep us interested with WIP updates so we don't get to thinking we are no longer held in favour for a visit :)

Seriously though, that is an incredible number of finished models you have put together.  I hope everyone was appreciative of your hard work for your 74 Squadron display when it was finally on the table for all to see. 
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Offline Weaver

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2014, 05:54:26 AM »
An excellent collection of very well built and painted models: by all means show us more!  :) :) :)

Isn't it odd the little details that appeal to you for no rational reason? I always like to see that white-painted section of spine on Lightnings....
« Last Edit: April 30, 2014, 11:54:00 PM by Weaver »
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Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2014, 06:02:02 AM »
Nice work! I especially like the SE-5, which I've always had a soft-spot for.

Great having you make such an excellent return, tc!

Brian da Basher

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2014, 06:34:48 AM »
Love the green tint on the F-4J UK,

It was a colour screw-up when the UK bought these F-4's after the Falkland War, they came painted that way from the States but the RAF couldn't be bothered to re-paint them.  I've got a 'Walk-Around' book by Verlinden Productions in their Lock-On series, #10, which shows them. 

tc2324 has got the colour quite well matched   :)

It was the F-4J(UK) that got me interested in 74 Squadron to start with, there was an article in a magazine I was buying at the time that outlined the buy including the paint mix up, from memory the article said the green tinge was from a tint in the (not so) clear coat applied over the finished scheme.  Accidental or not I think it looked great.

Wasn't the whole idea of re-raising 74sqn to provide air defence for the Falklands?

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2014, 06:41:51 AM »
Great work all around

To get to show them off at a reunion like that is fantastic.

Offline FAAMAN

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2014, 02:21:05 PM »
Amazing work!! 8)
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Offline tc2324

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2014, 08:37:34 PM »
Thanks all for the comments.  :)

To answer some of the questions.....

What did you use for the metallic effects on the jet exhausts?

Sprayed silver, soaked in a dark wash and left to dry for a few fours and then sponged on some `soot` weathering. Pretty simple but effective.

It was a colour screw-up when the UK bought these F-4's after the Falkland War, they came painted that way from the States but the RAF couldn't be bothered to re-paint them. 

There have been many questions and ideas as to how the green/blue/grey tint came into being. After speaking with the air and ground crews I can confirm that the main reason was that after stripped down and reworked on to RAF standards, every aircraft was given a bright yellow primer. This was then followed by a light coat of the US equivalent of Barley Grey. What they didn`t factor in was that the yellow would kinda show through the light coat of grey, hence the weird looking hybrid.

I hope everyone was appreciative of your hard work for your 74 Squadron display when it was finally on the table for all to see.

They were thanks Jeff. A lot of the `tigers` were very interested in them and many a story came out.

Wasn't the whole idea of re-raising 74sqn to provide air defence for the Falklands?

IIRC, I think 29 Sqn went `South` and 74 were brought in to fill the gap left by them in the UK air defense.

I`ll shortly post a couple of shots of my upcoming 74 and VF-111 work.

Thanks again guys.



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Offline Litvyak

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #15 on: April 30, 2014, 09:09:29 PM »
Very very very nice!!

I've had a similar idea in my head for a long time, but with RAF 111 Sqn and RCAF 407 Sqn.

Also Phantoms... <3
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Offline Kerick

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2014, 01:20:55 AM »
Great work. You can post more of those any time you want!

Offline taiidantomcat

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2014, 08:10:23 AM »
 :o Wow you have been busy!!  :) :)
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Offline tc2324

  • Just slightly on the edge of madness......!
Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2014, 11:42:00 PM »
Thanks again chaps  :)

Here`s where I`m at with my next `Sundowners` build......,






...... and I`m about to start on this for my next 74 Sqn project. (Apologies for the long post but it`s a good story).

As you all know, the collection so far was displayed at the recent 74 Sqn reunion and one of the first people I met was a lady by the name of Janet Southward. Her husband Jack was a pilot on the sqn during the late Meteor/early Hunter days and sadly passed away in 1992.

Knowing that I was starting the F.8 Meteor soon, I felt it would be very apt to build it as Jack`s aircraft and display it for next years reunion. An email recently from Janet stated the following aircraft in Jack`s log book.

'W' WA 997
'F' WA 891
'K' WA 874
'T' WE 885
'J' WL 163

Plenty to choose from then.

Step in Ian Cadwallader who flew with Jack in those days and was a New Zealander on exchange with the RAF. He has supplied me with the following pictures, some not previously published, for reference and has suggested that 'S' WA 824 would probably be the correct serial to use in Jack`s case.

The first picture is an air to air and shows Ian at the controls of `J` WL 163.



`P` VZ 524   June 1956



`Y` WF 656    Belgium 1956



'K' WA 874



The coloured ones were all taken from colour slides hence the various tones but still good for reference work.

Now for the kit.







Your `bog standard` Classic Airframes kit with a mish mash of plastic and resin.

IIRC from my CA Meteor F.4 build, the cockpit section is going to give me a headache.......!
Whiffing is for Life...., not just for Christmas!!!

Offline Logan Hartke

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #19 on: May 01, 2014, 11:58:01 PM »
Very nice!  You should make some "what if" Sundowners aircraft to add to your collection.  ;)



Cheers,

Logan

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #20 on: May 07, 2014, 04:08:22 AM »
That's one gorgeous F-14!

Well done!

Brian da Basher

Offline tc2324

  • Just slightly on the edge of madness......!
Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #21 on: May 07, 2014, 09:55:16 PM »
That's one gorgeous F-14!

Well done!

Brian da Basher


Cheers Brian. Not quite finished yet, still awaiting a new canopy after I messed the last one up.


Very nice!  You should make some "what if" Sundowners aircraft to add to your collection.  ;)



Cheers,

Logan


 ;D  Like that Logan.

I am looking at going down the VF-111 route shortly, but at a more sedate F-18E route.
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #22 on: May 08, 2014, 10:23:40 AM »
Given that VFC-111 is currently flying F-5N's, how about a F-20N for the "Defenders of the Conch Republic", as their poster says (they were at the Carswell Field airshow a couple of weeks back).

Offline tc2324

  • Just slightly on the edge of madness......!
Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #23 on: May 13, 2014, 10:45:08 PM »
`Molly` is now completed.

F-14A Tomcat
`Miss Molly` CAG Bird
VF-111 `Sundowners`
Bu. No. 161621
NL-200
USS Carl Vinson
1989














My next `Sundowner` will be a whiff. ;)
Whiffing is for Life...., not just for Christmas!!!

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Where the hell have I been?
« Reply #24 on: May 14, 2014, 02:54:20 AM »
 :)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.