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Batista Butcher Bird! 1/48 Scale.


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This is one of the rare occasions when I divert from my usual never-ending jet-based projects and explore the wonderful realm of piston-power. It is nice to have a change of scene once in a while.

I doubt I'll ever get to build a FW-190, but I do have a fondness for big radial-engined sluggers, and always find the yellow-nosed Luftwaffe schemes attractive.

The Cuban Sea Fury featured on the Aeromaster sheet (48-702) checks these style boxes, and gives an opportunity to model a 'different' (i.e. silver) machine. This appears to be Maj. Enrique Carrera's ride, 541, which actually did some mischief! I know this is on Castro's score card, but the Sea Furies were originally supplied to the Batista regime so I can have my weak alliteration...

A bit of history is available here:

Sea Fury in Cuba

Skies Over Giron

I won't be doing much in-progress posting, but will show just the basic points.

This is what I have to work with:

TrumpeterFBII.jpg

In some areas, the plastic is reminiscent of very early kits. This is the seat:

FBIIseat.jpg

Hilarious.

There is no attempt to represent the formidable Centaurus engine (despite cowl panels being moulded separately...) and a sort of grooved disc is all you get to fit behind the admittedly huge spinner:

FBIIenginefront.jpg

Oh well, black paint and faith in God, SeƱor!

My very first GB effort; more grief as it happens on this channel.

lagb.jpg

Edited by ChippyWho
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  • 4 weeks later...

Onwards and downwards...this is the Eduard interior all good to go:

P5050017.jpg

P5050015.jpg

P5050016.jpg

The seat is a big improvement over the plastic:

P5050018.jpg

There is some detail for the sidewalls:

P5050022.jpg

As I want this done to a decent standard, I'm boxing in the cartridge ejection slots in the lower wing, so there is not just a void behind them:

P5050024.jpg

(This may seem picky, but I like to go the extra few yards!)

Still plenty of modeling fun in store...

lagb.jpg

Edited by ChippyWho
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The other key detail area (besides the interior) is the main gear bay; this is the Aires item painted up:

P5100003.jpg

P5100004.jpg

I can find no definitive reference for the color, so went with 'Very Metal'! This was done by airbrushing Humbrol 056 Aluminium, then experimenting with Humbrol 2700 metallics (Steel and Aluminium). These are weird things, apparently thinned with naptha...they break down instantly on a paintbrush into a kind of dry dust. However, if you lightly moisten a brush with thinner and work this powdery residue into it, you can obtain a metallic shine similar to SNJ or Rub 'N' Buff! I used this to highlight some panels, it is not so obvious in the photos but I think it looks OK.

Now for the main assembly!

lagb.jpg

Edited by ChippyWho
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  • 4 weeks later...

Almost there, but the canopy is sooo wrong it ain't true! Why is it, when I can find 100s of pics of this thing on Gurgle in a few seconds, that a major manufacturer cannot work out what the canopy looks like? The kit one appears to belong to a P-47D...

I'll live with it until I can source a vacform replacement or something.

Should have some finished(?) pics up later.

lagb.jpg

Edited by ChippyWho
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