Richard's Academy/Airfix Hellcat for Simon

[rtfoe]

Hi Guys,

I just put this next to the AFV kit and was disappointed that there were two evident disparities between the two. One was the hull width and slope and the other was the position of the main gun.
1. The width and sharp slant of slope on the Academy kit is easily dealt with card and spacer with some putty but I will have to remove the tools from the sides first.
2. The original gun was moved off center 2 inches to the right for easy removal and maintenance. On both the kits they are off center but are both wrong as the Academy kit is short of 2 scale inches, the AFV kit has overshot the 2 inches. I won't attempt to correct them as major work needs to be done to both gun mantlets, its supports and the interior loaders ammo storage box. Both breeches are cantered 45 degrees correctly. I can live with the disparities of the guns. The AFV gun barrel though needs some work...the tapper on the brass barrel looks odd.

Proceeding with the changes tonight.

Cheers,
Richard

[scottie3158]

Richard,
Looking forward tot he corrections.

[Richard48]

Some fine surgery going on here.Like John i struggle with p.e.Usually glue meself to the damn stuff.Think Simon would approve of this.
Rich.

[rtfoe]

Thanks Scottie and Richard,
Simon would definitely approve of this but wouldn't have wished me to have it. Am I the first casualty? I normally don't get injured much in my builds but this can't be a coincedance...


Just slicing the tools off the side sponsons produced an accidental jab. Nothing serious and bloody like Simon's squirter. :tears-of-joy: Checked for any sharp ends of the blade had not been left imbedded, some anti-septic cream and plaster and I'm back scratching.

Cheers,
Richard

[Guest]

Oh good grief - this one is being Simoned alright. Terrific work Richard and well worth spilling a drop of blood over (funnily enough I'm reading Dracula at the moment).

[Si Benson]

Yay blood :smiling4: lol....classic Mr T!!
In all seriousness, hope it’s nothing too bad Richard.

build is coming Along very nicely :thumb2:

[papa 695]

Coming along very nicely.

[minitnkr]

Coming on nicely. My effort has drawn blood as well. Just a minor slice. Bram Stoker or Anne Rice?

[rtfoe]

Thanks Guys, I'm doing ok...just a pin prick but the amount of blood it produced was surprising. With Paul now included and more that might get injured we can start a blood bank. Fingers crossed it doesn't happen. :smiling4:

I know of Bram Stoker but has Anne Rice's version been made into a movie?

Cheers,
Richard

[Neil Merryweather]

I know of Bram Stoker but has Anne Rice's version been made into a movie?

Cheers,
Richard

Yes, with Tom Cruise in 'Interview with the Vampire'
I'm not really a horror fan but I enjoyed this

[rtfoe]

Yes, with Tom Cruise in 'Interview with the Vampire'
I'm not really a horror fan but I enjoyed this

Yes now I remember seeing her name in the credits and wondered why it was so different from the usual Vampire movies.

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Updates to the sponsons progress... earlier there was a worry that the Hellcat looked near complete or more than 50% done. Now you'll see how far it is from that. I wonder if Academy made their own scale measurements when planning this production. Simon probably knew it was something he could work his magic on...I'm just skirting the issue.

I scraped as much of the primer off so that the glue could work better.



Added the 1mm spacer at to top edge and braces for the sides and center which I found later not necessary for the other side. I sanded it to a wedge shape.



I added another 1mm thick sheet for the outer sides. Now the slant is more vertical



Re-stuck back the tools and exhaust...



Next I worked on the rear mud guards to add more spacers because of the new slant of the sponsons.

Cheers,
Richard

[scottie3158]

Richard,
Lovely work all round.

[Jim R]

Hi Richard
Blood is essential in a Simon T tribute build.
Sides look good - a neat job.
Jim

[Lee Drennen]

Richard. Glad we have Rick H building Med.Cars on the forum we may need them if this persist. Looking good though