Flankerman
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About Flankerman
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- Birthday 01/12/1947
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1/48 Su-30MKM Flanker-H (Hobby Boss Su-30MKK Conversion)
Flankerman replied to Fighting Eighty-Four's topic in In-Progress Pics
Great progress - looking good so far. Can I just point out that the raised circle below the IFR probe recess is way too prominent and needs sanding back a bit. The raised circles (there's another one on the starboard side) are actually pop-out lights to illuminate the probe during flight refuelling - and they are pretty much flush with the surrounding skin surface. Keep up the good work. Ken -
A little more..... The first coat of Halfords Grey Plastic Primer shows all that nice detail........... ....especially the excellent etched decking - most realistic..... Ken
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If anyone is still following ??? A little more progress......... The kit supplies the propeller housings - and very delicate castings they are!........ The modeller has to supply the prop shafts - either from plastic or brass rod - BUT the instructions quote their length as 5mm - instead of the correct 11mm (according to my measuring)........ The deck guns - QF 4in and 20mm Oerlikon - are each made up from a resin breech and a mounting pedestal - with a turned metal barrel provided by Master-Model of Poland. The parts are tiny - almost at the limit of my eyesight and dexterity - but they make up into stunning models in their own right..... the 4in even has a hole at the sharp end !! For reference - the 4in (left) is just 15mm long The instructions continue to have silly errors with the numbering of parts - there is no mention of the 4in's mounting pedestal (part 7) and the 20mm resin parts are 8 & 9 - not 7 as quoted on the instruction diagram. These minor quibbles aside, this really is a stunning kit - you just need a degree in Micro Surgery to do it justice!! Although..... if I can do it, anyone can. Ken
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Decking complete....... It really is quite delicate - but perfectly etched.......... There is a slight mistake on the instruction shet - where the part numbers don't agree with the numbers on the etch.... For example part 8 on the instruction sheet is actually 10 on the etched fret, instruction sheet part 10 is etched as part 9 and part 9 on the instruction sheet is on the fret - but not numbered ! Minor errors and easily identifiable. Ken
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I have made a start...... I cleaned up some casting 'flash' and washed the parts in warm soapy water and made a start on adding the decking parts. I had thought that the etched brass decking would simply be stuck down onto a flat deck to provide detail - but it is much better than that! The etched parts are actually grilles that fit over recesses moulded into the deck - just like the real thing! So before adding them I painted the recesses Panzer Grey - on the grounds that it would be easier than trying to paint inside the recesses AFTER the grilles were in place. Not like me to be thinking ahead............... In the above photo, the front torpedo hatches, an open weave forward grille and a closer weave rear grilles have been added - with more still to add. This really is a quality kit - I am very impressed More later Ken
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1/48 Su-30MKM Flanker-H (Hobby Boss Su-30MKK Conversion)
Flankerman replied to Fighting Eighty-Four's topic in In-Progress Pics
Rom, we were both right about 'Blue 04'...... It was originally a pre-production Su-30MKI - as the picture caption in Yefim Gordon's Su-27 Flanker book says...... But then in the text he says..... "The Su-301-4 and Su-301-5 were further converted as the Su-30MKM prototypes" So it was a Su-30MKI AND a Su-30MKM !!!! Cheers Ken -
1/48 Su-30MKM Flanker-H (Hobby Boss Su-30MKK Conversion)
Flankerman replied to Fighting Eighty-Four's topic in In-Progress Pics
Rom, if it is the camouflaged '04 Blue' you mean - that was a pre-production Su-30MKI for India :- Although - the photo above shows it fitted with MAWS and LWS - so maybe it also served as a development machine for the MKM ? AFAIK, the Su-30MKM (for Malaysia) were only painted all over grey on the top surfaces (unless you know different?). The MKM is visually different to the MKI (apart form the different avionics) I made a 1/72 scale MKI & MKM a few years ago - using the Heller Su-27UB as a staring point...... Indian AF MKI at left, Malaysian AF MKM at right - the MKM has lots of 'bumps' - for the MAWS (Missile Approach Warning System) and LWS (Laser Warning Antenna) fitted. Happy Flankering Ken -
1/48 Su-30MKM Flanker-H (Hobby Boss Su-30MKK Conversion)
Flankerman replied to Fighting Eighty-Four's topic in In-Progress Pics
Don't you mean the Hobby Boss Su-30MKK ??? You are starting with an MKK (Modified (updated), Kommercial (Export), Kitei (China)).... and ending up with an MKM (Modified, Kommercial, Malaysia). Happy Flankering Ken -
One of the things I picked up at SMW Telford was a new resin kit of the Royal Navy submarine HMS Tabard - (thanks Chris for the heads-up) This Group III T-Class sub is made by Starling Models and is an excellent kit of an iconic British WWII sub. The resin parts come in a stout cardboard box - filled with polystyrene 'worms' to protect the contents.... The 8-page instruction booklet is well printed with eay to follow steps.... Note the two types of gun emplacement. Colour painting guide. Superbly cast one-piece hull - with some 'flash' - but no air holes or bubbles - excellent casting The rest of the resin parts. Gun barrels from Mastermodel, etched brass fret and decal sheet. This is a quality kit of an important British submarine - and if it proves as popular as it should, we hopefully can expect more from Starling Models. I can't wait to get started. Ken
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Finished at last - my conversion of the AFV Club USS Gato into the USS Sealion in her transport role designated LPSS. I think I've made the raised decking too high. The Marines helicopter is a Shapeways 3D printed S-55...... It hasn't turned out as good as I would have liked - but I'm blaming failing eyesight and fat fingers... The helicopter main rotor blades are scratched, the crew figures are from a Fujimi set. Not perfect, but something a little different. More of my 1:350 scale subs are here. Ken
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I'm doing all this by eye - I have no drawings - so it won't be 100% accurate..... Adding the side panels..... Blended in with filler.... It's exagerated in this view - but I might have got the raised decking a tad too high??? Here's a top view... A quick squirt of primer - and it doesn't look too bad.... Ken
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I'm just worried that I won't find any 'Marines' white lettering in my spares box - stars and bars should be OK - but painting those windows etc black is going to be a challenge .... and my eyesight is failing - which combined with my fat fingers - is not conducive to micro-modelling. I'll do my best. Ken
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When she was converted to the transport role, Sealion's forward engines and torpedo tubes were removed to make room for storing equipment. I have filled in the recesses for the tubes...... The raised decking is made from plastic card - scored to match the kits decking.... The new decking attached - with the new fairwater temporarily in place..... .... with the helicopter on deck (just to see what it looks like).... Ken
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Ever since finding this photo of the Balao-class sub USS Sealion, I have wanted to try and model her...... All I needed was a 1/350 scale model of a Sikorsky HRS-3 helicopter to place on her widened deck aft of the fairwater..... Then I found that Shapeways Models made a 3D-printed S-55 helicopeter - so I was ready to start... I'm using the AFV-Club Gato-class sub as a starting point....... Sealion is a Balao-class sub (improved Gato), so I needed a late-style fairwater - also made by Shapeways..... The S-55 helicopters are sold in blocks of 4 - and they are simply stunning.... Here's a single example - all of 36mm (1.5in) long....... I just hope my failing eyesight and fat fingers can do it justice... All I need to do now is widen that decking aft of the fairwater........ watch this space. Ken
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As long as that producer supplies decals - for all 3 variants...India, Malaysia and Algeria. I used decals from my spares box for the MKI and Zotz decals for the MKM - but they are now difficult to obtain. It would be good if you could do all the versions Kotey ....... - even if Zvezda don't do the kit. Ken