July 2022 Workbench

[ShadowDragon]

Not much happening this month apparently. Certainly my aeroplane stuff is on the back burner; although I'll need to get those Valom Sopwith Camel kits out soon enough. So what's been happening in my domicle????

My focus has shifted towards 17th century privateering - 28mm skirmish games. Samples of Dutch privateers in a tartana:



All part of Firelock Games' Summer of Plunder tournament. Not having enough pirates painted up I've re-located my tournament actions from the Caribbean to Japan...mind you I've used the Firelock Games Iroquois list for the Japanese.



Also, very much on my work bench - oil painting. After years away from this I've returned to the art. I'm following online lessons by an English artist, Michael James Smith, in photo-realism. Here's my first study completed this week - the purpose is learning how to paint winter trees.



Well that's what's been on my workbench of late.

[camelbeagle]

Well, all of that is pretty darn awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[malachi]

Very impressive, Paul!

[malachi]

I suppose these accrue to the thread since I squeaked them in on the 1st. An couple of in-progress pic and snaps of profile/photo inspirations.

[ShadowDragon]

Thanks, chaps. Nice work on the Pups, Chris. Shapeways???

[malachi]

Thanks, Paul. Yes, shapeways:

N6203 'MINA' of 3 Naval Sqn and later Seaplane Defence Flight, LH Slatter. profile = p40 Sopwith Pup Aces of World War 1, Osprey. A shapeways Reduced Aircraft Factory model.
A6204 of 46 Sqn RFC, Lt DR Cameron was shot down by Seefrosta Flugmaat Kunstler June or July 1917 and made POW. Based on pic p. 121 Seefrosta, Aeronaut Books, Schmeelke. A shapeways decapod model.

[Guntruck]

Chris, I very much like the painting, you are very talented. Paul, I like the Pups too. Realised it is over 18 months since I painted an aircraft (other than Choppers), I must get back to it.....

[tikkifriend]

WoW Paaul that pinting is superb

[Stumptonian]

Excellent work, guys.

Paul your miniatures painting has always impressed me but that Winter Tree painting is fantastic.

[Teaticket]

Really nice painting Paul. Your planes are always wonderful and now this! Supurb!

[Flying Helmut]

The pirates and the Pup are very nice, but that tree painting is marvellous!

[ShadowDragon]

Thanks again, chaps. But I must acknowledge Michael James Smith, the instructor. He is great. Here's a time lapse video of him painting an English robin, which is one of the lessons (done real time - not time lapsed).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF76KADB5YE&t=559s

[RJG173]

I found this floatplane on a LEGO website and thought it quite interesting. I got some parts and built it. I have two questions for the more learned folks.

1) Does this appear to be based on a real airplane or completely imaginary?
2) Is the blue/white/blue a legitimate national marking or did the designer make this up?

[Willi]

It has been awhile since I have posted anything on my own. My brother Bob and I (bb401) have been model building through the pandemic and just recently were able to post an AAR for a battle held at Gamestorm recently, but today I thought I would share my most recent build since it is in 144 scale. After the Great War, Pan American was formed and a big aircraft was envisioned to fly to the Orient. The Clippers were invented and graced the skies over the Pacific from 1935 to 1945. The first of the great Clippers were produced by the Martin Company. The M-130. Three were built, later the bigger Boeing B-314 also entered service, but the original M-130s were the China, Hawaii and Philippine Clippers. The Hawaii Clipper intrigued me because of it's mysterious disappearance on July 28, 1938. On a flight from Guam to Manila at 12:15AM it simply disappeared. One minute on the radio, the next - Gone. No wreckage was ever found and it goes down in history as only conjecture as to it's fate. Was it a freak storm precipitating catastrophic failure or was it Japanese spies the highjacked the Clipper to a Japanese base to avoid delivery of money to the Chinese - we will never know.



Here is the Hawaii Clipper in Honolulu being christened with coconut milk, May 3, 1936.



Taking off.

My point is that I found a 1/144 scale M-130 by Glencoe Models. It was a frustrating challenge due to old molds and thin disintegrating decals, but a month of work and some DIY got it done. Additions to the kit is all the rigging and radio wire, the cylinders of the motors using 0.020 inch styrene rod, cut outs of window panels over the cockpit and the use of window glue and the lighting of of the cabin with LED chips. I present some photos of my journey.



I thought a bit of WoG scale might help the imagery.

[malachi]

Amazing Willi!
REP

[Windy Jack]

So what's been happening in my domicle????

Also, very much on my work bench - oil painting. After years away from this I've returned to the art. I'm following online lessons by an English artist, Michael James Smith, in photo-realism. Here's my first study completed this week - the purpose is learning how to paint winter trees.

Well done on the photo-realism, Paul. I had to keep looking at it and telling myself, "No. It's not a photograph!"

[Willi]

Amazing work. I agree, at first I thought it was a Photo.

[Teaticket]

Great job on a beautiful plane!

[milcoll73]

love the clipper William!!!!