Another spawn from
the Dungeons of Matchbox, with the usual colorful Ectoplastic treatment. This
beautiful model is also part of the batch I got for Christmas. And bloody happy
for sure I was.
After opening the box I realized I have seen a decal review on Internet
Modeler of a civilian version, and following a fast search I order the set from
Whiskey Jack Decals. I will elaborate on this matter later.
So there I was, battling valiantly again against the multicolor Ectoplastic, but
always with a smile on my face.
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images below to see larger images
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This Stranraer model
is really beautiful -the 30's definitely have some special charm- and builds
easily. I added some details to the cockpit, in the usual (un)educated guess
path, that made for a mostly empty space. but, in spite of being a civilian
version, I didn't add any passenger cabin detail, hidden behind the now very
common and accepted excuse of that because of those tiny windows little -if any-
can be seen later of the interior.
The only part of the kit that made me frown were the struts. The central ones
are way too long, and some of the exterior ones are too short. I found them
difficult to position and the whole process of attaching the upper wing found me
making good use of words that will make a seasoned rapp singer turn pale.
Rigging info is not provided, but there is a fair amount of images on the
Internet, which helped me with it and some other details, like aileron linkages
underneath the lower wing.
I used enamels for the exterior, two shades of aluminum and silver, but the
yellow wing tips and tail band where airbrushed with acrylic. Since I didn't
have the lemon yellow suggested by Whiskey Jack Decals available, I used Utrecht
artist acrylic, which of course unfortunately is meant not to flow, and diluted
it with Model Master acryl thinner. Several coats were laid down to build up a
solid color, that matched to my satisfaction the yellow in the fuselage side
decals.
The conversion to the civilian
version, a Canadian machine of Queen Charlotte Airlines Ltd., requires some
changes: the gun positions have of course to be deleted and blanked off and
there are also changes in the engine/propeller area and other minor details, all
explained in the Whiskey Jack decal instruction sheet. I did part of my home
work, but as you can see in the images, I left some areas as they were, in part
for lacking references (dorsal position) and in part for being lazy or not
wanting to wait to finish the model (engines, propellers). Fuselage side windows
were done with Testor's window maker, and the cockpit transparency treated with
tiny decal strips -the frame is very heavily depicted-.
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I have a single
word for the after market decals: excellent. You have to be aware, though, that
they have a continuous carrier, so you will have to carefully cut all the
subjects and trim them.
The decals MUST be handled carefully, and before cutting them a clear coat is
suggested (I used Future, three coats, airbrushed). I tried them with and
without decal setting agents, and I think you are safer without them, but you
have to be patient. Let them alone. I wasn't familiar with this type of decals,
so I cut a piece (the decal company logo) and tried it on a very challenging
part, the engine nacelle of a Roden kit, covered with louvers. I included the
photo for you to see how well it adhered, without decal solution, but it took
two days. I repeat: let them alone. The colors are good as is the definition,
but I encountered minor misalignments in the fuselage side decals (if you make
on part of the image align with certain surface features, other parts are not
aligned and vice versa, but I repeat: minor issues. The decals conformed well to
all the surfaces and even endured some repositioning with remarkable stoicism.
Faithful to the time honored tradition of paying attention to the collected
references After I was finished, I discovered a plethora of inaccuracies, but
I'm so happy with my Stranraer that I really don't care.
Another Matchbox old kit provided me with a degree of satisfaction that I seldom
find in more modern kits. One to enjoy.
Gabriel
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