Richard-368268

Hello I thought it might be good idea to steal special hobbies thunder and release a new 1.72 Westland Whirlwind fighter/fighter bomber, with perhaps d-day decals before their one comes out. You'd make a lot of money. The biggest gap in the market is simple and obvious, at the moment I have every single allied bomber in 1.72 scale (plus plenty of Luftwaffe and Italian planes), from all sorts of companies. I sold my Liberator because your new one is so much better. I understand that many model enthusiasts don't build planes with crew inside. I don't know why, unless perhaps people feel that doing so makes their models more akin to toys. I am a few months off forty, my name is Richard I build model planes... Anyway, I have many, many, many aircraft that need filling with crew. 1.72 scale, I think that many other people would also like to do the same, especially kids (big or small). Look at the range of figures you have and how many realistically don't sell, notwithstanding, paras, RAF groundcrew etc. You make scale model aeroplanes, yet you don't make a box of either different fighter pilots (either all RAF, Luftwaffe, USA, Allied, Axis, a mix etc) or indeed just bomber crews, generic bog standard bomber crews that fit. At the moment I buy all of mine off somebody who prints a very large variety in all scales and sells them on the internet, but they are a tiny bit too big for your planes. Work it out. Crew for planes. I'm quite happy to have a standard RAF heavy bomber crew pack and buy several to make them work for me. You don't even need to have separate appendages, we'd just cut and glue to fit. I realise this isn't cool, but I can promise you there is a massive market for it. Please listen Peace, Rich:)

Hello, my wishlist would all be 1.72 A new 1.72 Westland Lysander A new Westland Whirlwind fighter bomber A new 1.72 Hawker Hunter, with the option of the aircraft WT723, I ask for this as it sits on a pole on the Warwick road in Birmingham where I live and I walk past it every day A 1.72 Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle 1.72 English Electric Canberra B (1) 8 1.72 Fairey Gordon (an interesting change from the Swordfish) 1.72 Handley Page 0/400 1.72 Hawker Sea Hurricane 1.72 I.M.A.M Ro 37 (not the bis) or an I.M.A.N Ro 43 (I think people would like those especially the first in Freccia colours, it would be an interesting surprise) and finally a 1.72 Supermarine Seafire Good new range of kits this year, unfortunately I'd already bought an Airfix 2010 Hampden and this Whitley's previous release last year!

Hi, I've recently treated myself to an MPM Fairey Albacore that I was lucky enough to find for only £22. Considering it is the only model, or at least the only vaguely modern one that I can find anywhere I'm really chuffed with that. I now have every Fairey the Britishers used in WW2 except the Gordon, which is prohibitively expensive (I'm trying to collect almost every plane we used in WW2 in 1/72 (although not every variant except two different MK's of Halifax Mk 3 and the one with the front turret) and Swordfish with floats and without). I also treated myself to the first RN Airfix Bucaneer of the current range again for 22 pounds (I'm only interested in the RN Phantom and SHAR out of jets). For Christmas I'm getting a 'Sink the Bismarck' Swordfish and a Blenheim 1 (I only do 1.72). I only started collecting in September, but have been very busy, have over 40 kits and nearly every plane that I would like. Hopefully, it will all keep me going for years. It better do as I've sold lots of things to pay for them all. I'm currently experimenting with alternate FAA colour schemes, some of my own devising, for the prospect of doing almost every navy and FAA plane Dark Slate Grey and Extra Dark Sea Grey, doesn't fill me with excitement. I'm currently making a Barracuda and have been quite experimental with four different camo colours, unfortunately two didn't go at all and i had to paint over them, but that seems to be the way with every plane I try and make or paint (not very well) as I learn. Things always go wrong no matter how much time i take, but I learn and get there in the end. Sorry for going on so long. The last before all that was a Handley Page Harrow, very exciting. All the best and Happy Christmas, Richard :)

Thank you Sailorman, That is very helpful, I think I'll try it all with PVA. I was also wondering. In the case of these control panels, it is sometimes necessary to paint the plastic backboard to be seen through the film and the holes in the outer covering metal photo-etched control panel. Obviously, with poly-cement one needs to only stick plastic that is unpainted together. In this case, if I'm using PVA to stick the whole thing together, the plastic, then film, then metal, does it matter if I paint the plastic backboard first? I'm assuming not, but I just wanted to check, for I can't see any other way of getting the background colour behind the film to be seen through the holes in the metal outer control panel. Any advice on this matter, or any further suggestions/opinions on my previous questions would be much appreciated from anybody. Thank you very much to everybody for their help, all the best and Happy Christmas, Richard :)

Hi, thanks for the advice on the type of glue, I hadn't checked back, so I'll try that when my current tube is used. I just have a couple of further questions both relating to the same topic In quite a few kits I have a plastic control panel and a metal photo-etched panel to place over it, I'm assuming that the best way to stick two flat surfaces together would be to place a jot of glue on the back of a margarine tub or such, as recommended, then cover the flat surfaces (where they join) with an even covering of super glue, using a toothpick or sewing needle as suggested (thank you for that idea). Is this a sensible way of doing this? How do other people stick two large flat surfaces together? (large for 1.72 that is). My second question is,What do I do when the kit has a piece of detail film that fits in between the two, ie the film is shown to be placed between the plastic backboard and the metal control surface to add extra detail? I haven't it tried yet, so I don't know if the film is self-adhesive, but I assume that my normal Airfix brush-on poly cement would melt the film. In people's experience. what is the best way to stick these three layers together? Is it superglue for each layer? Any help in these matters would be very gratefully appreciated. I realise the first question is probably a bit obvious, but I just wanted to check. The film business though, I could really use some advice with. Thank you kindly and Happy Christmas, all the best, Richard

Thanks Ratch, I'll go for small and cheap and cheerful. It's not like I'll need much anyway. Two models with only a few parts for each. Thanks again, all the best, Richard :)

Cheers Ratch, I've managed to stick insignia letters the wrong way around by accident before and it looked the same (I was rubbish with decals when I first started, they kept on breaking or... well anything other than what I wanted, but I'm okayish now), thanks for your advice, I'll check it out, I guess the colours and detailing only works that way round. Thank you. I'll stick to the intended sides and make a fitting scheme some other way. Cheers, thanks for the help, all the best, Richard :)

Hi, normally when one applies a decal you slide it off and fix the side that was attached to the card to the surface. This may be a daft question, but do they work just as well if you slide it off and apply the side that was not facing/stuck to the card to the surface? Are they equally adhesive and does the detailing stay the same if one uses this method? It's just lots of decals for nose art are made for the left-hand side of the plane and I want two the same facing the front on either side, but they only make the ones I want facing forwards for the left-hand side of the fuselage. I was wondering if I bought another and slid it off, then applied the side that wasn't stuck to the card to the right-hand side of the fuselage, (so it would face the same way (forwards) as the one on the left-hand side) whether that would work. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, cheers, Richard

Hi, I've also just got my first kit with photo etch parts, so this is a really helpful thread, great advice. I'd just like to ask if anybody has any recommendations of a particular glue to buy in the UK, does anybody have any favourites, or are some better than other, or does it not really matter? I just would like to get the right glue the first time rather than having to try a few. Thanks very much, all the best, Richard

Thanks Ratch, yes that all makes sense, sorry to be a pain. Having only started making planes maybe near on two months ago I had no idea how anything worked, but it makes sense to me now. If I'd been doing this for years then I already would have all the planes i wanted within the run time, so it wouldn't be a problem. But as I'm waiting for membership it's just a bit of an inconvenience. I can always get them somewhere else if they do go. The ones I most want are the Typhoon, the Beaufort and the Mosquito. The Typhoon has been around for the longest 2019 maybe, then they've just introduced a new Mosquito, the Beaufort has been around for awhile, but not ages. I'll just have to see. I emailed customer services and the lady said that if I check regularly then right at the end they'll put up a last few available sign, so I'll be checking a few times daily. Thanks for your help. Once again sorry to be so grumpy. It's was just not knowing how things worked. Hopefully, they'll release some planes I want next year (though I've already bought most of them from other places), I'll see, thanks again, all the best, Richard :)

Hi Ratch, sorry, I thought that there was only one Beaufighter TFX on sale, or was before! A04019A was the code and out of nowhere it says it's been discontinued, though I don't know if that means out of stock, which it also says, or it has been chopped for good. The Mosquito I'm after is A04023, if they are going to start discontinuing kits without any warning (I have no idea if that is normal) then I don't know whether it's wise to wait till I get membership in New Years, or to even get membership at all in case they chop all the ones I would like! I've found somewhere that I can get a TFX and a Fulmar for less tha £30 with postage included, so I'm just going to buy that. I really like Airfix and have a strong loyalty to them but I've noticed several instances of poor communication or bad labelling (paint guides for models that don't include all the paints). I don't understand the point of having a 'last chance to buy section' if they don't use it. I can't plan ahead. I don't know whether these items are out of stock (which they have been labelled as) and have been accidentally labelled as being discontinued, or have been discontinued (as they have also been labelled) without any warning or communication. Sorry I know this has nothing to do with you Ratch but it's really annoyed me. I don't know where I stand or how to plan knowing anything could be pulled at any time. Oh well such is life. The money I'll save from this discount shop makes up for the points I would have got anyway. I just have a premonition of myself getting membership and all the planes I would like to buy being pulled before I can get any of them ;). Sorry to be a pain. This is nothing to do with you. Take care and look after yourself, I hope you are well, thanks for all the helpful replies. Very much appreciated, all the best, Richard :)

Hi Ratch, How about the Beaufighter TFX? I was waiting till New Year and Membership to buy that and they've discontinued it with no warning. It never appeared in the 'last chance to buy' section. If I'd known I would have bought it sooner to get the points, now I guess I'll have to get it somewhere else, there's been no replacement announced for that, so it's very frustrating. I'm new so I don't know how long things have been in circulation. I wish that they'd give some warning before withdrawing stock. I want my 10% discount and hobby points, grumble, grumble, grumble. I'm not happy at no warning being given, they have a section for it, I was rellying on it being correct. Now I don't know whether to get the older Mosquito I like or to wait for New Year. Oh well such is life. I'll get it somewhere else. Cheers Ratch, thanks for the help, all the best, Richard :)

Hi, I've noticed that the B-25B Mitchell has been discontinued. This isn't a great surprise as a new variant is coming out soon. I wasn't after that particular Mk and even if I was I could still get it off the web or eBay. What concerns me is, well I have regularly checked (once a week at least) the 'last chance to buy' section of the site and the discontinuation of that model was never mentioned. Therefore I worry that other kits that I am actually interested in might be discontinued without warning. Does anybody know if there was any warning given, or if there is given when a kit is going to be discontinued, apart from the 'last chance to buy section'? For it certainly didn't appear on there. Is there an email newsletter that one needs to sign up for that tells people these things? Did anyone else receive any warning? Basically, I'm trying to find out the best way of finding out when kits might be being discontinued and whether this was communicated to people, if not, was it a one-off, or do sometimes kits just become discontinued with no prior warning? Cheers, thanks very much, Richard :) PS I've just noticed that the Beaufighter TFX, an aircraft that I very much would like also comes up as discontinued, does this mean it is just out of stock or has actually been discontinued, if it's been discontinued I would have bought it much earlier and I am very grumpy for I won't get the points for it buying it somewhere else.

Hi Ratch ad Randall, thanks :) Yes I've realised it can be quite hard getting them to fit, especially into turrets. I bought two packets of 7 resin RAF WW2 pilots off ebay for just over a tenner, plus several packets of various PJ models figures too. The latter were originally for my Swordfish which I'm getting for Christmas, but like your picture Randall, I think I might have a hard time getting them to fit exactly, that's where having plenty of options comes in useful - and I don't mind chopping pieces off. I just had to do that for my Airfix Handley Page Halifax. The pilot it comes with doesn't fit unless you chop one of his legs off at the knee. Two of the figures that come with that would fit nicely in a ball turret for they are all curled up, so I might see if I can swap one and use it to crew my Avenger turret. I'll measure it all up and see. I think the key, as you both say, is having plenty of options and mixing and matching to make it all work. I think I can do every position, the only difficult one is the lying down bomb aimer on heavies or Mosquito, for that I'm either going to use a Ju 88 belly gunner or buy a soldier pack and convert one that is lying down and shooting. Every other position is doable if you have enough options and measure up carefully beforehand, maybe cut the odd piece off. It just annoys me, for you can buy 20 soldiers for 5 quid on here, so a bomber crew, even if it didn't fit everything (though you could convert), or a selection of pilots just seems like a no-brainer and would be so much cheaper. But never mind, that's the way it is, so PJ models will be getting my custom (and a very few others) and I will crew all of my bombers and planes no matter what it takes, although to be fair I prefer a kit that comes with the right armaments (the relevant rockets, bombs, torpedo, or preferably all ;) ). To one with men and eventually I'll have built up such a collection that I'll be able to find the right ones for everything. It's just another unneeded cost that could be reduced. The amount of time I've spent looking for rockets and little men... well I could have built several more planes in it. Thanks for the replies, all the best, Richard :)

Hi Peebeep, (and Ratch further down), thanks, that's really helpful, I don't have an airbrush yet and my hand-brushing skills are getting much better (I've got the hang of it now and feel confident, can get the results that I would like for non-blurred line techniques), I've only just started the hobby, so I'm not too much in a hurry to get an airbrush just yet. Maybe when I get on to bigger planes or I'm after the blurred line technique. I will be getting one, maybe soon or maybe after new year. I've just started the most recent discontinued Airfix Handley Page Hampden. It's the biggest plane I've done so far. For this one, I'm just going to prime it grey and hand brush it (airbrush and power pack plus black spray, for the moment, is money I could use better elsewhere), but as I say, I will be getting an airbrush soon, so when I get on to my Lanc and Halifax I might just use the techniques you've shown. Thank you very much, much obliged, cheers very much and to everybody who has replied. I'll just experiment and work out what suits me best - and thanks to Ratch for the info about priming white and yellow aircraft. I have a skua that I'm doing mainly white with a light grey top and I'm going to get a Tiger Moth and paint it yellow, so that's really helpful to know. Cheers guys, all the best, Richard :)

Hi guys, thanks for all your replies, much appreciated. I'm a fair way off doing my Lanc and Halifax (I don't have a Stirling yet and my US RAF heavies I'm doing as day bombers) at the moment (for I want to be really good before I do those) but I just got the most recent Airfix Hampden that I think I should be able to build without much trouble, so your opinions are all very welcome. I'll stick to grey, and I might be getting an airbrush soon anyway which could make painting large black surfaces a much faster process - although I've now found after a few planes that my painting skills have sped up a lot now I'm more confident and have a method and practice (vaguely know what I'm doing - holding the right end of the brush was a revelation). Also painting large black areas isn't difficult, I can just get some tape out and a big flat brush and go for it. All good. Thanks very much for all your help. Much appreciated, all the best, Richard :) Oh and PS for a plane that is majority white I'm assuming that priming white is okay?

Hi Ratch, thank you, that's a shame, it's hard to cobble together a bomber crew, can cost a fair bit of money. Thank for the site. They're all ones I've seen before. Most kits are ground crew or pilots standing around or sitting down for dioramas, not for crewing planes, manning turrets or the other roles. I can cobble together crews, even convert some, but the selection (and I've searched everywhere on the Internet) is rubbish. Hannants sell a good selection of two packs of pilots, then some faraway companies make full crews but they cost a fortune and then the postage costs a fortune. I've only found one dedicated Lancaster crew and one or two B-17 crews from such places, but they cost the earth apart from one B-17 crew that you can sometimes get on ebay for £25ish. Another good one is a Japanese bomber crew that is quite cheap (around twenty pounds with about twelve men) so I might buy that and convert them if the paint job doesn't convince. And that's it. Every option available to make up heavy bomber crews available (and only three are designed for that purpose and plane-specific). Sometimes you can find old crews on ebay (also resin packs of 7 RAF WW2 pilots that are cheap) so mixing and matching helps to diversify the group. But you'd think somebody somewhere would make one or two in Europe that are affordable and then sold in shops/websites over here. Pilots too. You can buy multiple sets of figures of types of soldier from throughout history from many companies yet not any of these. Anyway, such is life, thanks for your answer. Sorry for not replying to your replies to my duplicates post, I've only just discovered it, you see I had an email to say it had been deleted by the mods so wasn't looking for it, I guess what happened was it was moved to the correct section, thanks for your replies to that (sorry, I think I was in a bit of a grump when I wrote it) I'll respond soon. Thanks for all your help and responses Ratch, kindness and patience, very much appreciated, all the best, Richard :)

This is a list of 1.72 planes I would like to see, there are quite a few I would have voted for like the Halifax and liberator but I've bought them from elsewhere, so, (the ones with * are my very favourite choices) Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Blackburn Shark* Blackburn Roc* Blackburn Botha Blackburn Firebrand Fairey Seafox Fairey Gordon Fairey Albacore* Fairey Fulmar Fairey Barracuda* Fairey Firefly* Hawker Dantrop North American Harvard Vickers Vilderbeest* Curtiss Helldiver

Hi, Airfix make all sorts of kits containing soldiers and ground crew etc. I would love it if they made a similar kit for heavy bombers, one for the crew to populate the bomber. I've searched the internet everywhere and there is a huge hole in the market. Heavy and medium bombers used to come with crews but I guess that has gone out of fashion. If Airfix was to make a British one that would fit all the positions in a Lanc and could be used for a Halifax or Wellington or Stirling etc too that would be brilliant. I'm sure it would sell well for nobody makes them apart from obscure companies in lands far away for extortionate prices. 1.72 would be the best scale to start with, then if that did well you could try others. Then you could have a multi purpose American crew that could fit B-17s or Liberators or Mitchells or Marauders etc, some of them you might not need all of the figures but I doubt people would mind. You could make medium bomber crews too. The possibilities are endless. It wouldn't be expensive to develop and if it could be made so that it fit other companies' planes (which I doubt would be difficult, the scale should mean it should anyway), be almost universal, for different types and makes etc then I'm sure such kits would sell really well in all markets. Nobody makes them. You could even have variants to mix and match. I'm sure I can't be the only person that wants to populate my planes with crews and there is nothing on the market at all. To me it's a no-brainer. A seated pilot mixed set would be good too, with different RAF pilots. Even a mixed bag of bomb aimers and gunners and navigators lying down for Mosquitoes etc, the permutations are endless. I spend so much time trawling the internet for crew and so much costs far more than it should do. Nobody makes anything like this. To me it's an open goal. All the best, Richard :)

Thanks John, yes I've seen a few different techniques that people have used now for normal brush, but they do all seem quite time-consuming and also a bit of a faff, there is no general consensus about how best to do it, whereas there is much more information for creating this type of techinique with airbrushes, loads of videos and articles. So I'd like to try that. I realise that masking and cleaning take up a fair amount of time (well quite a lot to be fair). I think I still might get an Airfix airbrush and power pack though (it's not dear) to experiment with and see if it is for me. I think it will help me get a smoother finish too (although I've only just started so my painting skills should improve, especially with better brushes). Thanks for your input. I think it's best for me to just try everything and see what suits. At the moment painting takes me ages anyway (though I'll get quicker with practice). I guess it's just finding out what suits me best, Thanks for commenting John, very much appreciated, all the best, Richard :)

Hi, I normally prime my planes grey, but I was wondering for planes like my Lancaster and Halifax etc, well apart from the very top, the underside and body are all black in most cases. Would it save me time to prime them black? Ie would I then have to paint fewer or even hardly any coats for the body and the underside? Then would the brown and green camo on top still be paintable with a black primed spray? Does anybody have any advice, tips or tricks? It's just that obviously with these bombers there is a lot of surface area to paint black. What do people recommend? Thanks very much, Richard :)

Cheers guys, I guess I'll buy an airbrush then, there appears no easy way of doing this just with a brush and my own hand. The one on this website is cheap and I like cheap so I will buy and learn on that when I have some money. To be fair, after spending a very long time today painting freehand three coats on the underside of an aircraft, the idea of an airbrush is appealing more and more to me, and yes of course if I got an airbrush I would use masks (I don't see how you could do it otherwise unless trying for a specific effect). I already know how to make blurred edges doing that too so all good. It's just I'm only a few weeks into the hobby so was taking my time. But airbrushing seems the way to go. Cheers everybody I'd hoped I could get away with not having to learn to use one for awhile, but it seems like it will save lots of time and whilst I like painting detailed parts and interiors, large surfaces are a pain and easy to get marks on when brushing by hand. You've helped me make up my mind, thank you, all the best, Richard :)

Hi SD, nice to meet you. I really like your collection, I'm new so very envious of your painting skills and aircraft. I think I saw a post earlier asking about whether you had missed out any fleet air arm or navy planes (although this one might have been RAF only). Maybe I missed it, but one I very much like is an early bi-plane torpedo bomber called the Vickers Vilderbeest. Special Hobby have several good kits on sale in 1,72, one Mk III, which is the most recent, then not long before a Mk IV which is a Perseus engine version, then the one just before that is a float plane version which is my favourite, though it only comes with I think Portuguese decals whereas the others have British ones too. I was going to buy it, but I just bought an old Frog 1,72 Shark which I swear is the most difficult thing to build of all time. So that's put me off for a bit. I'll stick to the Airfix 'sink the Bismarck' Swordfish that I'm getting for Christmas, which looks far more doable for the moment :) Hope you are well, cheers, Richard :)

Hi guys, I really like the camo scheme on the new airfix Blenheim Mk1 1,48 pictured below. I have the exact same model in their old 1,72 kit. I'd really like to do the same paint scheme on mine but have no idea of how to blur the camo lines like they do in the picture below. I have some florey for the pin lines and know how to dry brush and I think a coat of gloss varnish right at the end would help, but as I say, how to do the blurry camo scheme is a mystery to me. I use humbrol acrylics and I only use brushes, no airbrush for the moment. The first model I made was a Tomahawk and despite reading everything on the internet I messed it up a bit (amazingly the next model has gone very well though building wise, I learn!), so I thought it would be perfect to use the Tomahawk to try out any techniques that people might recommend as it has basically the same colour scheme. Any ideas would be really welcome. I'd really love to learn this blurred-line technique. I've seen loads about it using airbrushes but can't find much about doing it just with brushes. Any help would be massively welcome, cheers everyone, Richard :)

Thanks Ratch, no problem,