I hope.
Some more work on the Valom Wellesley depicting a Long Range Development Unit aircraft from 1938 has brought the 'thing' to this stage:
The decal options enable representation of any one of the three aircraft that left Ismailia for Darwin, Australia, on 5th November. Two made it, and I chose Flt. Lt. A. N. Combe's aircraft, L2680, which arrived in Darwin on 7th November, after a flight of 7,157 miles. That record stood until 1946, and for a single engined type, it still stands (I think!).
All that means that it was quicker to undertake the record-breaking flight than to build this kit! I'm still having odd difficulties with it. This evening, it was time for the decals. The whole thing had been given a nice shiny, decal-friendly finish using Johnson's Klear. I also used Micro Sol just to ensure that the decals conformed to the geodectic traced surface. But, for some unknown reason, there appears to have been some reaction between the Micro Sol and the Klear, leaving whitish marks around one roundel and the wing walk signage (funky 'footprints'). On reflection, it could also be the glue from the decals. Whatever it is, I've not experienced it before.
Still, as soon as it's all dry, I'll seal everything in, add pitot tube, lights, and aerial, and then I'll turn my attention to the Pz III. Surely nothing can go wrong there?
Absolutely splendid!
ReplyDeleteMy thanks, kind sir. It just seemns to be a really RAF-y 'plane, if you see what I mean.
DeleteI concur with James!
ReplyDeleteOutstanding work Stephen.
Ah, the camera never lies! (Much).
DeleteI concur too!
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts of setting up a solo game soon?
Alan
Yes, one must be on the cards. I'm so dam' busy with work that I never seem to get the time. But Easter's not that far off...
DeleteFurther to your comments about long term kit storage. I've never had too much trouble with really old decals. Sometimes a bit of yellowing but this can often be cured by a good dose of direct sunlight. But I would recommend storing them separately from the kit. And I would also advise storing vinyl and rubber tracks separately or at least isolating them (eg in polythene) from the rest of the kit. One theory is that some of those batches of Matchbox kits (eg M16) where the tracks disintegrated in the box was due to interaction between the tracks and residue from the mould ejector medium on the plastic parts of the kit.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Dave
Thanks, Dave. Your comment sparked off a memory from the past, and I used it in tonight's post. Cheers!
DeleteSeriously cool model!
ReplyDelete