Flankerman
-
Content Count
6,222 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Calendar
Everything posted by Flankerman
-
USS Parche (early) from Mikro-Mir 1/350
Flankerman replied to Flankerman's topic in Work in Progress
I've made a start. As is usual with Mikro-Mirs limited-run kits, the parts exhibit some flash - quite an amount on this new model and it seems to be getting worse...... After scraping it off, I added strips of plastic card to aid alignment.... Joining the two hull halves reveals a prominent joint line....... .... that needs the application of filler...... The diver lockout chamber is in three parts - again with lots of flash (note the unfettled top piece)...... -
Madhatter..... Google is your friend..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Growler_(SSG-577) It is currently on display at Pier 86 in New York.... https://www.intrepidmuseum.org/The-Intrepid-Experience/Exhibits/submarine-growler Stay Safe.. Ken
-
I'm calling it finished...... It's a great kit - if a little 'over engineered', but it looks good when finished..... Close up of the bridge and two missile launch tubes... The bow - with optional open torpedo loading hatch.... The rear end - with replacement 3d-printed props.... It's a big beast - and is being upgraded and kept in service to replace the too-expensive Typhoons. The Delta's are named after Russian cities - in this case Tula - note
-
I found it almost impossible to construct the multi-prt props provided by Zvezda and wondered about how to replace them......? Now, Michael Fuller has produced a set of 3D Printed props and very generously gave me a set. He has made both 5-blades 'paddle' and 'scimitar' styles - and they are superb.... They fit the Zvezda model perfectly.... Mike says they will be available commercially on eBay ........ With the props attached, the model can now be completed Thanks once again Mike....
-
I was intrigued to see (IIRC?) that there was a close-up of the F-14' windscreen area in one shot - and there was what looked like a piece of string taped to the anti-glare panel !! Presumably a simple yaw indicator??? Fascinating stuff that showed how difficult it would be for a modern high-performance jet to dogfight with a WWII prop fighter. The Zero could out-turn a Tomcat, causing it to overshooet and the heat signature from the Zero's engine is probably at the limit of the IR seakers on the F-14's Sidewinders. Back in the 60's - during the
-
I've started.... Being a typical short-run kit, all the components have large sprue gates and all parts have to be 'cleaned up' and 'fettled' before assembly... The nosewheel bay is made up from four parts, the mainwheel bay from five....... The cockpit (which doubles as the intake trunk) has eight parts (not including the etched seatbelts).... The jetpipe is in two halves - with a turbine face and two-part central cone..... All the sub-assemblies (minus the ejection seat) ready to fit(?) inside
-
Amodel did one a few years ago - one of their worst kits I ever made..... ... they also did the trainer version - the Tu-128U 'Pelican'...... Great work on the new Trumpeter kit Alex it's looking very good - and much better than the horrible Amodel kit.... A couple of points to note though - despite what Trumpeter label it as, it isn't a Tu-128M. The 'M' (upgraded version) had a flat-topped fin - as in the Pelcan model above - not the raked fin tip of earlier versions. Also - the Fiddler at Monino is a
-
Ilyushin Il-102 - the last Sturmovik (update 20/04/2020)
Flankerman replied to Sebastijan's topic in In-Progress Pics
That's really nice Seb... Those colours look absolutely spot on - are they as recommended in the kit - or did you mix your own ?? Stay safe Ken -
Braving the lockdown, my postman Martin has just delivered this new kit from Mikro-Mir Having already built a model of the USS Parche.......... I was going to pass on this new kit - until I realised it represents the pre-stretch early version........ As the boxart shows - the sail is different, she carries a DSRV (as a cover for her covert ops) - and the hull is 100ft shorter..... The shorter hull is is two halves - split horizontally... The only other sprue carries the sail, diving
-
I can see where you are going wrong PSM......... You are spelling 'Amodel' incorrectly !!! It's all one word - capital letter 'A' - followed by lower case 'model'..... No spaces, no hyphen, no capital letter M - just a single word 'Amodel' - it's right there on the box!!! On a more serious note - you are doing great work and I admire your progress Keep overcoming all those obstacles - it is very character-building and I'm following with admiration.... Ken
-
Thanks for the kind words Simon - greatly appreciated. The Tamiya I-400 is a superb kit - I built it some time ago... http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_submarines_350_scale.html#Japanese_I-400_Class Don't make the mistake I did - can you spot it??........ The Seiran can't take off - 'cos the crane is in the way - but the crane can't fold down - 'cos the plane is in the way... Have fun - and stay safe.. Ken
-
Wow Patrick - that is some progress... hats off to you... Are you going to try and build the wheel wells in situ ?? - you're a brave man..... It's probably too late now - but I took this photos of a mockup Buran cockpit section in Moscow in 2008... I'll be following with interest..... Ken
-
Having built their An-124.... http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/modl_an-124.html It was obvious they would be doing the Mriya - so, about seven years ago, I purchased five 1/72 scale T-72/80 tanks so that I could reproduce this image... This was for a record-breaking flight where the tanks acted as self-loading cargo - all 250 tonnes of them. I've spent lots of money on big models in the past - but at the asking price for the new An-225, I think I'll pass on this one... Ken
-
The Delta Flyer...... The hull is painted - using my favourite acryllic car sprays from a rattle can - Hycote Red Primer (with Halfords Red Plastic Primer at the bows for a little contrast) for the anti-fouling red lower hull. I thing plain black is too stark, so for the upper hull I use Halfords Volvo Dark Grey - a very dark off-black. I was worried about the decals - Zvezda include the white waterline markings split into four sections that look delicate and fragile But they are superb - they are going on perfectly (so far!) they are thin, but o
-
I normally just use a light grey (gray?) - but it should really have a bluish tint - so I guess you could add a little light blue to a mix. Humbrol 65 Helblau could also be used - with a little grey added. As you can probably tell - I don't usually get too hung up over exact colour matches........ Ken
-
When I came to fit the conning tower sub-assembly - it just wouldn't fit. I tried to push it in from the front - but the assembly diagram showed it sliding in from the top...??? But there was no way that my conning tower could go in that way..... there are bits in the way. So I scratched my head, studied the Zvezda instructions again, cursed the kit designers..... Then a few brain cells stirred into life, a couple of synapses sparked, some cogs started to move - and it dawned on me.... I had glued the top decking to the B
-
Your header says Su-27 - but the text says Su-25 ??? No matter - they are both - more-or-less the same... I use Humbrol 131 on my Flankers - but I wouldn't get too hung up about it - there are so many variations on 'Russian wheelhub green'..... From this.... .... through this..... ... to this.... The choice is yours........ (more images of Flanker wheels here...scroll down the page a bit) :- http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/flanker fins.html Stay Safe
-
The hull is 48.6cm long. The real thing is 456ft / 139m long - the US Navy Ohio class is 500ft / 170m Ken
-
I decided to forego the 'working' features and glued the rudders and aft diving planes in place........ I'm too old to be running round my lounge, holding the model and whooping 'Dive', 'Dive' 'Dive' - or in Russian.... 'Погружение', 'Погружение', 'Погружение'..... There are four cooling intakes and four outlets on the lower hull.... each made up from two parts. Port side of the missile compartment is added - the starboard side has still to be attached.... The starboard side in place and the top decking adde
-
The latest from A&A Models growing range of obscure Soviet aircraft - the 1949 Sukhoi Su-17 Type 'R' :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-17_(1949) Box art.... Fuselage and port fin insert..... Wings, tailplanes and upper wing fences.... Engine, wheels, cockpit etc... Two decal sheets, open or closed canopy and etched fret. Not shown are the self-adhesive masks for the wheels and canopy. Painting guide - keyed to Humbrol enamels.....
-
A quick burst of grey primer reveals all the joints....... Hull sides.... ...and along the keel. The two diamond-shaped holes are for the uprights on the display stand - they have been filled in. A few sessions of sanding down the filler soon had those joints (nearly) hidden..... Almost there.... (it's much easier to work with grey rather than black) In the meantime, I made a start on the bridge/conning tower/sail. Zvezda gives two choices - masts up or retracted - and th
-
What you say is very true Gabor - but sometimes the reverse is true........... I called out the post about 3D Printed instrument panels as being an April Fools joke.... but I got egg on my face when it turned out to be true... In these days of Fake News it pays to be wary - but not (as in my case) too cynical.... As an aside - what do you guys call April Fools Day??? There was a quiz question on TV - and they said that the French (and the Italians IIRC) call it 'April Fish Day' !! But, then again, that might itself have been an April
-
In fact it was in April 1944 - on the 1st....... Nice one Gabor....... Kyen
-
Remember the date folks...... Oooops sorry - they are real.... I must stop being such an old cynic.... Ken
-
Progress.... The lower hull is in two halves (actually thirds - counting the top section) - and attaching one side is easy, because you can apply glue from the inside... I attached to port side lower hull section first... View from the staboard (open) side showing the glue applied to the bulkheads and seam.... Whilst waiting for the glue to set I built up the stern section - the fixed diving plane assembly has to be trapped between the upper and lower halves - note the spigot for the 'working' upper and lower rudder