1/144 Leigh's Aeropostale Boeing 737-200 group build

[F-27pax]

Here's my entry in this project, I have two Airfix kits so I will probably make another one, but we'll see how it goes.

Yesterday was the monthly Modellers of Ballarat meeting so I took along the Airfix kit to make a start on it. At our premeeting dinner Wedgie suggested to me that I should make a freighter, something to do with not having windows to fuss with. So, I decided to make a freighter, but this one has got windows. Here is a picture of what I'm aiming to replicate in my own modest little (1/144) way.



See, no passengers. This would have made TOR very happy in his previous job.

I started work at the meeting. If I remember right, this kit was first released in the 1960s or 1970s and it looks like it too. However, it is a simple little kit to put together and I made some good progress, to the entertainment of some of the members who supplied me with many useful suggestions.



One of the topics of conversation that came up is 'what is the decisive moment in making any model'? The answer with this model is the windows, whether to use Krystal Kleer or decals. I've become a decaller so the windows have to be filled. I do this with Selley's Knead It, a nice two part filler that takes about ten minutes to set. I push it from the inside out so it fills the windows and bulges out a bit. After a few minutes when the stuff is almost set I run along the window line with my knife, cutting all the little blobs off neatly. Job done.







After that decisive moment, the rest of the assembly is straight forward, and here is what I'd done by the end of the evening ...



and here are three of my helpful audience, Mark, Wedgie and Sean (half of him anyhow).



When I got home I set the wings at an appropriate dihedral and left everything to set.



Thus ended the first day.

[hrtpaul]

Nice work mate and a nice scheme you've chosen. I put the wings my frist one before filling and sanding while I left them off the second 1 and I found it much easier filling/sanding.

[F-27pax]

Here is progress on the second day, not much to look at but the phase of getting rid of all the imperfections. First, a rough sand back to knock off all the rough bits and the raised panel lines and give a bit more of an airfoil shape to the wings. Then out to the paint booth for a coat of Tamiya AS-12 to highlight the problems that need attention.



When that's dry on with Tamiya white filler and then sand back.





Then, out to the paint booth for another coat of AS-12 and then back with some Mr Surfacer to finish off the remaining imperfections.



Tomorrow, the whiting process perhaps.

[TheChronicOne]

Looks good. I like the AS-12 approach as "primer."

[F-27pax]

Today's work involved two processes. First was sanding back the model to finish off the preparation for painting and the other was preparing all the little fiddly bits for painting too. The first part was not much effort, a good rub all over with some 400 grit wet and dry and a good wash in the kitchen sink. Those little fiddly bits were more of a nuisance, particularly the undercarriage doors that needed a lot of trimming to bring them down to something like scale thickness.

Since this one is going to be white all over it is easier to stick on the undercarriage legs so the model sits off the ground while it's being painted. I'll have to do something about protecting the legs during painting so they don't get broken off or become hidden in layers of paint.



With everything prepared for painting, it's off to the paint shop. I call it that because it is in the garage at the other end of the house - even I don't like the smell of lacquer permeating the house.



Here we are, back with the first coat of Tamiya white primer. I've taken to decanting the stuff from its rattle can and running it through my nice new Badger Sotar airbrush because that gives me a lot more control over what goes where.



I'll give it another coat of primer later in the day and let it sit for a day or so before putting on a few middle coats of white to give it a good density.

Thus ends the third day.

[RayS]

Progressing nicely Leigh, I like you paint 'jig'. It looks very efficient. I might look into setting something like this up.

[Graeme H]

Nice work so far and with the speed you build Leigh this will probably be finished on the weekend, and can you please do something to cheer Wayne up, he looks totally miserable.

[Ansett A330]

The three Judges for "Australia's Got Scale Modelling Talent" ...

[Ansett A330]

... , and can you please do something to cheer Wayne up, he looks totally miserable.

That's because he's playing the "Simon Cowell" Role on the Judging Panel.

[F-27pax]

Wayne looks like that because he's thinking about that bottle of Wild Turkey 101 waiting for him when he gets home and, boy oh boy, is he going to enjoy it.