Pete's Skyhawk

[stillp]

I didn't prime it Tony. I occasionally use primer but haven't found it makes much difference to lifting. Then again I've only ever used Revell and Vallejo primers.
Sod's law, I've decided to leave it a couple of days before masking again, and it's started raining so no chance of gardening.
Pete

 

[yak face]

I didn't prime it Tony. I occasionally use primer but haven't found it makes much difference to lifting. Then again I've only ever used Revell and Vallejo primers.
Sod's law, I've decided to leave it a couple of days before masking again, and it's started raining so no chance of gardening.
Pete

No chance of getting in the garden then Pete , you’ll have to self isolate indoors and console yourself by doing some Online retail therapy , perhaps a nice Amodel kit ?

 

[stillp]

Or, on the other hand, perhaps not!
Actually I need to get the gearbox/overdrive oil changed in my 1:1 Triumph, so that'll keep me busy for a while. Might change the engine oil as well while I'm under there.
Pete

 

[yak face]

Or, on the other hand, perhaps not!
Actually I need to get the gearbox/overdrive oil changed in my 1:1 Triumph, so that'll keep me busy for a while. Might change the engine oil as well while I'm under there.
Pete

Don’t forget to save the old engine oil and send it to Amodel to use as a mould release agent

 

[stillp]

The upper colour seems to have gone on alright:

But I just realised I've painted all the gear doors grey when they should be white on both sides!

Feeling a bit nervous about removing the masking in case the white comes off again.
Pete

 

[stillp]

Seems to have come out OK:

A little bit of bleeding under the masking

But at least the ailerons are OK.

I don't know what happened here though:

It should be easy to trace the culprit, we have his fingerprint!
Pete

 

[Mini Me]

Ooops...call Scotland Yard! Nice progress Peter.

 

[stillp]

And the latest bit of clumsiness - I masked the tail hook for the black/white stripes, then lost it. Pushed my wheeled chair back to look for it... and ran over it.

Not repairable, so I cut the end bits off and CA'd them to a length of 0.8mm brass rod. I'd have preferred plastic, but the thinnest I've got is 1.1 mm, and sprue-stretching is beyond me.
Anyway, here's the replacement:

I'm in two minds about whether to risk painting the stripes, or try some strips of decal, or just leave it white?
It's starting to look quite 'busy' underneath:
Thanks for watching
Pete

 

[Mini Me]

Hi Pete, I vote for black and white stripes. Rick H.

 

[stillp]

I had a feeling you might Rick! How am I going to paint stripes on something 0.8mm diameter?
I tried a strip of decal, but it wouldn't wrap tightly enough.
Pete

 

[Mini Me]

If it were me, I would have chucked that baby up in my moto-tool and spun it at low rpm while holding my brush to it and let the paint flow. Then trim it to length and add the ends. Sounds like a lot of fuss for some high visibility stripes.

 

[stillp]

That might have been a good idea Rick, before I'd cut it to length and stuck the ends on!
I couldn't find any good way to rotate it mechanically, so in the end just twiddled it between thumb and finger while holding a brush against it - did half the stripes, let it dry, then did the other half, then a bit of touching-up and here we are:

Not perfect, but it'll do for me. I'll get that stuck on later, and I think that's all the gluing finished, so it can have a gloss coat, then decals tomorrow with a bit of luck.
Stay safe,
Pete

 

[stillp]

Looks as if all that weight I added was enough

Sits very solidly on the wheels. Needs a few touchups around those leading edge slats.
Pete

 

[JR]

Good out come after the trails you've had Peter.
Tis nice to read I'm not the only one to forget or in my case try things the wrong way round !

 

[Mini Me]

Let me tell you Peter, It looks better than the one I tossed off the "Fantail" of the USS Intrepid in 1972 because cracks had been detected on a routine inspection of the dye penetrant nature, conducted by yours truly. At that time the cost of replacement was $6,000.00 US. Just a drop in the proverbial bucket, if you know what I mean. Rick H.

 

[colin m]

All looking very nice Peter.

 

[stillp]

Let me tell you Peter, It looks better than the one I tossed off the "Fantail" of the USS Intrepid in 1972 because cracks had been detected on a routine inspection of the dye penetrant nature, conducted by yours truly. At that time the cost of replacement was $6,000.00 US. Just a drop in the proverbial bucket, if you know what I mean. Rick H.

Hey Rick, many thanks for the compliment, and the great story! Where were those cracks? Must have been serious to junk the whole plane.
Pete

 

[Mini Me]

Pete, It was just the tail hook that was scrapped. The cracks were detected at the edges of the hook face, the part that catches the wire. If ignored the hook would have failed at some point causing the pilot to abort his landing and "Bolter" off the angle deck. There would have been no way for him to land safely. Clear as mud, right?

 

[stillp]

Oh yes Rick, I should have worked that out from the $6,000!
Pete

 

[stillp]

Well, the decals were a little bit troublesome. The 'stars and bars' on the left wing didn't seem to want to settle in the right place, and it split while I was trying to get it right. Luckily the pieces joined up. After that I didn't worry too much about getting the exact correct placing, but it seems to have come out pretty well. Here's a teaser:

I'll post a completed thread later.
Pete
Edit: Completed pics at https://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/under-a-fiver-petes-skyhawk.35100/#post-496371