Kenneth ONeill

Well, there doesn't appear to be a link tool icon, but the speel chucker is automatic (at least in W10).

This is why I normally use water-based acrylic varnishes (eg Humbrol, Games Workshop); they don't tend to react with pretty much anything!

John, the speel chucker's default dictionary is controlled by your (client) settings, and not by the website (server) settings.

Very much not "snap and glue" - The engine/transaxle comprises 14 parts (from memory) without including the parts for the swing(ing) wink axle and rear suspension (another 3 each side plus the engine bearer and chassis spine for another 8), the engine undertray, rear nudge bar, passenger compartment floor...

Well, MPC did R2D2 and C3PO in something around 1/9 scale in that timeframe. Airfix were releasing some MPC mouldings under licence in that timescale.

Northern Q.

Nice build - I agree about it needing a Cookie, since fitting that was the whole point of the bulged belly. The "cable duct" is a strengthening (and possibly anti-spin) strake though!

"hot" - a high solvent to pigment (and base) ratio, and probably contains a spirit based solvent. As up-thread "Mr Color" is definitely hot (varnishes more so than paints); other hot acrylics will include Gunze Sangyo "aqueous" hobby colour, and all Tamiya acrylics. OTOH Humbrol, Revell and Games Workshop acrylics use water as the solvent. Not dead sure about Vallejo, but suspect they're water based from the droppers used. DO NOT use Tamiya "PC" range unless painting PolyCarbonate (hence PC), like RC car body shells.

NO idea if that's period correct, but it looks mega anyway. smile

I agree with Ian about the "small screwdriver"; if you start to melt the handle, it's "too hot"!

I wouldn't swear to it either way, but other than 1:(fit the box) releases the closest I can come to Airfix offering "HO" scale stuff is things that are actually 1:76 scale and mislabeled as "HO/OO scale".

You probably have Paint on your computer (certainly it's still on this W10 machine) or can get GIMP for free. 90 degree clockwise and CCW manipulations are standard in both programs. On the other point, yes I'd use water-based acrylics on vinyl figures.

I can't help, not having an Airfix F-111 in the stash. Even if I did, I'd be more interested in swapping your (vac-form?) canopy for an original than in having a kit that's short a highly visible art.

1) Why not make these by wrapping 5A fuse wire round a paint brush handle to form the loop, and twisting the ends together to form the mast?

Can't be definitive without knowing the make of the decals, but all varnishes are "hot" compared with a paint from the same range. This is basically because there is no pigment in a varnish.

@feanor - I see what you meant; the base TSR2 kit was clearly produced to be built undercarriage down (after all, the test pilot refused to cycle the undercarriage on one of the few photo documented flights), but the Stratos4 version is iconically undercarriage up in the source series.

Yes, but you might want to take note that weathering is apparently often overdone based on some references (I read more biographies and unit histories than theatre and/or service picture books for example).

Good thought; it's not like the cookie shackles or dolly fit anything else but cookies after all.

Not absolutely certain, but I'd guess at NATO green (or black). Both available ready mixed from ayimat.

My ideal preference is to have larger clear parts (like wing tips) where the nav lights and acbs have tinted lens/covers, and smaller ones where you have tinted bulbs under clear covers.

Well yes, but I did a deep link of the web page under its own name. It's true that they weren't popular, but they were there (also TCVs, but normally they were used to move personnel rather than as tow vehicles for launchers and/or Blindfire.

Cheers; I wasn't sure, hence the second "?"

I can sympathise; I've even dry run assembly which worked fine, only to finish up with a prominent seam gap when I commit cement to plastic (eg Airfix 1/48 scale Westland Lynx, where I've had gaps above the cabin front on multiple examples.

Nice. Oh and "rough results" on Wehrmacht armour with green and brown over dunkelgelb camouflage are quite acceptable since the green and brown were normally poster paints mixed from solids by the units and applied in the field, using field expedient techniques, which might be spray guns, but could also be mops or yard brushes.

Having read jopres' comment above, my first ever plastic model was the Airfix 1/600 HMS Ark Royal (91), back in the days of 3 exploded views and written instructions. Take it steady, and look several times at any stage in the instructions you don't initially understand. Oh and "enjoy".