Shrinking the Shelf of Shame, episode 4: Valkyrie!

This big beauty got stranded on the SOS after I had decided that all of the panel lines should be engraved. That's a lot of scribing and sanding. My patience was not then up to the task...

I remember following its story in my youth, always feeling that it was the Coolest Thing Flying. Even today, the last surviving example, held at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, looks fast and futuristic. Designed to strike at Mach 3 at intercontinental ranges, it was made obsolete before becoming operational as the focus moved from men to missiles, in offense and defense.

This big AMT/ERTL beauty was fairly complete when I lost my mojo, lacking wingtips and landing gear. It will need an extensive cleaning, completion of panel line work, some seam filling, prime and paint.

Not sure how the decals will have survived...

I pre-painted and shaded the gear so it could be assembled, shown here drying. It will be added after paint and decals are complete. 

I've had to declare a truce with panel scribing. I am not happy with my tools and techniques,  and will finish the upper surface, the forward fuselage in particular, and move on. I really needed to have addressed that before any panels were assembled, or you create too musk risk of damage to what you've already built.  Live and learn.

Shown, some Tamiya panel liner added to scribed ejection hatches.

My plan is Tamiya white primer, followed by Tamiya acrylic gloss white. Keeping fingers crossed...
The Tamiya white went on well, leving some of the panel lines show through. Despite being white over white, it required the better part of two bottles to cover adequately. 

How will those uncautiously aged decals go on?

Fairly well, actually. Slight yellowing of the film, noticeable only if you look for it.

Time to take some glamor shots.

Surprised how much you can see through the windows.

Red Tail - Airfix 1/72 P-51D - Tuskegee Airman Lt. S. Ellington

 

The P-51D of 1Lt. .Spurgeon Neal Ellington, "Lollypoop"

The Airmen!

It seems I like the stories of "Firsts" or the out of the norm.  My previous work was the Po-2 Night Bomber of the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Regiment - the only All Woman regiment of the Soviet Union in WWII.  That was a delicate 1/72 Bi-plane with significant rigging.  I needed a rest!  Airfix kit of the P-51 was just what I needed, although every kit does have it's challenges. Silver is always a challenge although I did not expect this......

.....I have drawn circles around the "pins" for insertion into receiving holes.  Well, I guess the styrene did not flow completely into the molds because a couple of these "pins" were not there!!!  I had to think of a way to assemble pieces DIY!  A bit of sprue here and a drop of cyano gel there (between tire and wheel cover) did the job as you will see later.

But first, the interior.  The kit has some nicely molded detail, plus a very nice instrument panel decal.

A nice seat, radio equipment etc, painted in accordance with cockpit photos.

In order to close up the fuselage it was necessary to install the prop.  The way it was attached to the sprue facilitated its painting and application of decals.

Tail and wings were a quick and easy assembly.  I had painted the rudder and tail planes red while still on the sprue.  I did mask the fuselage.

Lt. Ellington was "dressed" in his flight suit on the sprue as well.

The Testors Silver enamel started at the tail.  I like the 1/72 scale for hand painting and work from panel to panel avoiding the panel lines.  I do this with a very small brush that I have cut short.  The paint is applied in a stipple fashion with not much paint on the brush. Almost a dry brush that allows rivet depressions and panel lines to stand out without an enamel or acrylic wash, although some washing is done on the wings later.

I took care of the anti-glare panel and the windscreen frame.  With the bubble canopy, frame painting is reduced to the minimum (which is a nice change).

The next silver is around the wheel wells.  the interior green was applied to the molded framework of the wing while still on the sprue. Note some wash used for the brass casings discharge.

Once the gear wheels and covers were painted the attachment went smoothly since the fit into the wing receiving holes was well molded.

Eventually a decision will need to be made, either closed,

or open???

Panel by panel the silver is applied first on the underside,

working around to the top surface.  The order of panel painting was chosen to minimize handling of previously silver painted surfaces.  No matter how long you let silver dry, if you leave your fingers on it long enough you will leave prints!!!  A clear topcoat will be sprayed on after decals are set. notice that the red spinner is paint whereas the red on the fuselage is a decal.  In this photo you can see that some panel washing was done.  Thinned Gun Metal applied and over paint immediately wiped off with paper towel.  My panel by panel silver application easily covered any leftover wash.  The exhaust manfolds (again painted on the sprue) have been inserted into the receiving slots, and Lt. Ellington has taken his position in the cockpit.

Decal application followed as surfaces were painted.  Once the underside paint dried, on went it's decals.  Look closely.  The kit is supplied with almost any decal you can think of.

Moving to starboard,

then port and upper wing surface.  There is more to go!  FYI, the canopy is still dry fit.  The decision to open or close is still being debated (in my head).

The drop tanks were painted and assembled and decaled while on the sprue.  As an experienced modeler I have a tendency to assume I know what to do and too quickly remove parts from the sprue.  This must be resisted.  The drop tank hard points are not identical, plus I was supposed to drill holes in the bottom wing half before assembly - Ooops!  Fortunately I studied the hard points and got them and the tanks oriented correctly.  From instructions I spotted the forward most hole location and drilled it.  I snipped off the rear of the two pins on the hard point, scraped off a bit of silver, put down a drop of cyano and put the tanks in place - whew - another bullet dodged.

Those yellow stripes on the bottom were a bit tricky as they were in 4 pieces and had to be lined up.  Some needed trimming to remove edges as well as drawing the xacto tip along panel lines (after they were dry) and adding additional Microsol.

We are just about done here.  A few more teeny decals, pitot tube and radio mast and this little kit will be done.  Airfix 1/72s are nicely detailed and fun to build (still trying to make up my mind on open or closed canopy).

A simple mistake determined the canopy to be open.  I hit the upper side with Dullcoat without masking the windscreen - D'Oh!  Two other things.  First the antenna mast is too small and disintegrates coming off the sprue, so I had to replicate with stretching some sprue!  Also I realized that since I had painted the tail piece on the sprue early on, I had not considered washing the panel lines.  Fortunately it was easy to do now that I had sprayed on the Dullcoat because any overage could be quickly wiped off.

The End.

DETOUR: we interrupt this SOS program: 25-28mm tabletop castle hoardings

The wall section is one piece of a late medieval castle for use with tabletop minatures and rules. This was something I started decades ago when my kids were into Warhammer and we had taken a trip to England and Wales. Caernarvon, Conwy, the walls around York and Clifford's Tower, all served as inspiration. I intended to freelance a castle based on the concentric castles ala Beaumaris. I was using lots of styrofoam in various hobbies so this was the base material of choice. Given a coat of Woodland Scenics flexpaste, it would stand up to any paints or glues I might use on it. But a large castle requires a large effort, and lots of time to build and space to store. I forged ahead until I began painting the gatehouse.

Although I liked the result,  painting it essentially stone by stone was going to require more than I was willing to give...so pn the shelf it went.

Fast forward 30 years or so.

2 events conspired to help pull the project off the pile: cleaning the basement and the random discovery of the Barron's War ruleset.

I had a freestanding wall section that would be placed at right angles to a corner tower (not shown) to extend the castle walls.

Having always wanted to do some hoardings on these walls, I seized the moment and my stash of balsa and got busy.

First, to choose a basis for my project. Set in a pre gunpowder and pre machicolation period, I would base it on a "putlog" style, but without actually using putlogs, as I wanted to make it removable.

I looked up a few designs, modified to accommodate my deeper walls (using internal walkways)

 I used 1/8 square balsa, dragging a razor saw over the surfaces to create an exaggerated grain. I made one frame by eye, measured and drew it, to create a pattern for creating uniform copies.

You get slightly less than 2 frames from a 3 ft piece (so buy extra)

I use some quick drying white glue called Tacky Glue which speeds the process. A sheet of waxed paper taped over the drawing and we're off. (You will need to change it out once or twice before you're done.)

I placed the frames 11/2 in. apart to match my crenellations, which, I discovered,  I should have measured more carefully ;-)
A total of 12 frames will be required for each 18in. wall section. Have a selection of mini clamps, self closing tweezers, and small rubber bands handy to attach the stringers that connect the frames, as well as the floor and front wall. Patience and/or a talent for profanity will help.

Two stringers run along the top, a bottom plate under all the rear uprights. I used smaller sized balsa for these.

The decking and wall was built of 1/32 in. Basswood cut into strips. They were cut to length, slipped in place, and the locations for the arrow loops marked with a pencil. They were then removed and the loops cut out. I opted for simple rectangles; many styles existed. 

(Yes, the depth of the overhang is based on the bases for your minis).

Although hoardings were typically not a permanent installation,  and thus a raw wood finish would be appropriate,  I just had to hit it with some stain.

I guess mine have been up for a while ;-)

For roofing, I wanted quick and dirty, and removable. 

I used a sheet of chipboard joined in the middle by some lowly Scotch Tape (OK, the Super Sticky variant) and printed out slate roofing on my printer. (I have a store of roof, wall, and road textures saved for various scenery projects) The bottom edge and sides were trimmed with a sharp exacto to give an irregular edge. The underside of the edges of roof and shingle edges were blackened with a Sharpie, and fastened together with double sided tape. 

On the bottom, I glue some balsa planks to keep it centered and from sliding forward, yet easily removed. 

Archers! To the walls!

Here's my drawing. You'll need to match the design to your walls. Happy Hoarding!