North Essex Modellers
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NORTH ESSEX MODELLERS NEWSMarch 2021 Intro Apologies for the rather late issue of this newsletter, which –barring any late mishaps- should just about get out to you in time to avoid me having to re-label it as the April edition! Part of the reason for the delay has been my internet router giving up the ghost last week, which served to highlight (especially in the current pandemic) just how much the internet has become an essential feature of modern life. Anyway, enough of my excuses! Thank you to all of this month’s contributors, and do read on…. Show Biz No, don’t laugh, I’m, serious! Assuming the UK’s anti-Covid measures continue successfully and the progressive lifting of lockdown runs to schedule, we may anticipate a resumption of model shows during the summer. With that in mind, we aim to secure tables at the Billericay show on July 25. Don’t count your chickens just yet though! New Airfix Bristol Beaufort – reviewed by Mike Well folks, I am lucky enough to have obtained the long awaited Airfix Beaufort courtesy of Jadlam Racing. It's an early Mk1 torpedo bomber from 1939/40. The aircraft is one that was widely used based in the UK, Egypt and Malta. It was also built in large numbers by the Australians. It has been poorly represented by kit manufacturers. It was designed to be produced as either a torpedo strike aircraft or light (medium in 1939) bomber. It was produced in 2 main variants: the Mk I powered by the under-developed Bristol Taurus and the MK II powered by the much more reliable Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp. Due to the effectiveness of the P/W engines in hot climates the MKII was used extensively in the Med and India until the Taurus was developed properly. The kit comes on 5 sprues of light grey plastic and one of transparencies. The first thing you notice is that some of the moulding is not very crisp-especially the U/C legs and other delicate parts. However, you do get both the original and modified flaps with the plates welded on behind the nacelles to improve handling and the under nose 'scare' gun turret - next to useless in an aircraft that hugged the waves!. There is plenty of interior detail available and other detail is up to usual Airfix standard. The parts breakdown suggests that Airfix may have other Beaufort variants in mind for later release: the bomber variant could be produced with the addition of a sprue providing bombs and a bomb bay (the bomb bay doors are included in the kit), whilst the Bristol turret for the Mk Ia (as fitted to the Blenheim) is also included, although the twin Browning guns are not provided. In addition, the engine nacelles are not moulded to the wings which means that a Mk II could be produced. Airfix missed a trick here because the engine cowlings, nacelles and U/C doors on the MkII are different and they should have moulded these parts onto a separate sprue to allow for easy forward manufacture as is done by the likes of Tamiya and Hasegawa. Some Beauforts had ASV aerials fitted so I am sure that after market parts will soon be available for these aerials and the MkII parts and those for Australian variants as well as extra interior details that can be seen through the transparencies. Oh to spend £20 on the kit and £50 on improving it! If anyone wants to know what it was like to fly the Beaufort in combat, read Torpedo Leader and Torpedo Leader on Malta by Patrick Gibbs. Also available is the Warpaint book. I aim to start building this soon so will hopefully do an update in April or May. Bovington anybody? Dave S has been in touch over the last month, contemplating life after lockdown and what we could do for our next club outing. He reported having had his first Corona jab but seems to have caught another bug instead: building AFVs! He adds “once this virus thing has receded I would like to pay a visit to the Bovington Tank Museum down Dorset way…..I was going to have a couple of nights Bed & Breakfast to give the museum a fair go”. Could be an interesting idea, plus there could be other museums to drop in on en route. Do drop me a line if you are interested….. And the Winner is….. Thanks to everyone who sent in their votes on the theme of the October competition. The third most popular suggestion was “South East Asia”, with “Hasegawa” as runner-up. But the clear winner was “Simply Red”, hinting that we could be in for a scarlet table-full of models come October. However, our most popular themes inevitably allow some scope for individual interpretation, and of course maybe your take on “Red” is purely political, whilst don’t be surprised if Geoff comes up with a bust of Mick Hucknall….. Whatever happens, we each have 6 months to produce out entries. In the Workshop Plenty of modelling going on over the last month, judging by the news I have received. Do read on…. Graham In touch recently has been Graham, who confessed to not having built much since we went into lockdown, but has provided photos of his latest project. He takes u the story: “I wanted to try something a little different, - something more visually arresting, So, having read about Judas Goats, I thought I would try to build one, using an old Airfix Liberator kit. It proved quite challenging, but made my brain work. So I chose 'First Sergeant', the Judas Goat assembly ship for the 458th Bomb Group based in Horsham St Faith in Norfolk. Having removed all the armaments from the plane, and built it, I had to find a way of reproducing the paint work. No commercial help seemed to be available, so I rejected the option of freehand painting it! Instead, I decided to use decals for the spots. I made the decals using a pattern from the internet. To reproduce the right configuration I had to cut the pattern on the diagonal and then turn it to fit the plane. The other markings were also homemade decals. I am quite pleased with the finished result, - by no means perfect, but certainly unusual (I think!)”. The fruits of Graham’s diligence are shown below (left). I think Graham be proud of an unusual and very eye-catching model ! Daniel Daniel has continued his theme of Handley Page aircraft, with his latest cardboard model (above right) depicting the Hastings transport. This joins his HP collection of Victor, Halifax and Hampden. Mark Last month Mark gave us details of his progress on the German battleship, Gneisenau, but progress is currently stalled whilst he awaits delivery of some etched brass watertight doors. So, a quiet month for Mark? Not likely! “Meanwhile I've got this offering underway (see below), Italeri's M47 Patton, which represents tremendous value for money and can be sourced for £20 or less second hand. The kit allows various versions to be built and has a plethora of parts even down to tiny handles to open various equipment lockers! More than enough to keep me busy for now”. Kevin Not much model-making for Kevin over the last month, who adds “I’m afraid the only painting I have done this month is my hall and landing”! Jon S Most readers will recall Jon as a club regular from his days based at Colchester Garrison, prior to moving to the south-west a few years ago. However, he has stayed in touch with the club and recently provided an update on events, including a delay to his anticipated return to civilian life. As Jon relates: “In my last 2 years, I decided to use my option of a 2 year extension as I didn't fancy looking for a new job in the midst of the pandemic! Had a lot of time off last year, which was much needed as spent most of 2019 away, during which I completed the 1/16 Tamar class Lifeboat in the picture (below left), but life now back in as normal”. Jon adds that the lifeboat was built from a “multi media kit with glass fiber deck and hull, printed styrene sheets photo etch and various white metal fittings, plenty of scratch building. Intended as long term project but was completed over lockdown 1. It’s fully radio controlled with multiple functions”. Jon’s other recent builds comprise the following: ICM 1/35 Chernobyl fire engine (bottom right): “very nice kit and a surprisingly large model”. 1/144 CVR(T) Scimitar, 6 parts in resin and white metal from the down gone PG models. Airfix P-51 Mustang, a “back to basics” build, straight out the box, brush painted with Tamiya chrome silver ! 1/76 CRARRV unknown manufacturer from eBay represents 47G of the Queens Royal hussars D Squadron on Exercise Prairie Storm 2 2019 (below right). Jon quietly notes “Commanded by myself”! Colin F Colin has recently finished a 1940 Ford sedan delivery van, built from an AMT kit. He adds “This was a bit of an experiment for using Alclad candy colours that I have had in the stash for a few years, it was sprayed through my airbrush using Alclad bright base silver as suggested by the company. I am not very satisfied with the results and tried spraying, wet and dry sanding and respraying three times till I got a semi successful finish.