Donald Dickson II
My father was a flight mech on these in Nam and back here in the First Heli. Awesome copters.

Łukasz Gliński
Nice, this camo reminds me the latest&greatest refit of our local Navy W-3 SAR helos. Thanks for WiP pics, now I'm even more afraid to start mine

Treehugger
Tricky, seeing all those bolt heads. I have this Bell 212 kit in 1:72 and I really have to sand off the boltheads because I have to add filler into the seams (and sand flush).

Łukasz Gliński
Interesting biggie

Dutch
Ray, I am interested to know your thoughts on the Welsh 737 versus the new Aeromodl kits (if, you have one.) Progress is looking good! I see it's on a stick. Are you planning on giving it away as a presentation model? K/r, Dutch

Chris Parsons
Great eye for detail! Meticulous work as well.

Ray Seppala
Thanks Gents, @Dutch, I don't have the AeroModl kit (is the 727-200 released yet?). I am sure the AeroModl kit will have a lot more detail and make less work for a project like this, unfortunately they have only announced up to the -500 and the price is a bit rich for me at the moment when you include shipping to this side of the planet. It is for me I put some on sticks so I can display more and layer them.

Dutch
I agree with your thinking. But, you are definitely adding sufficient and simple detail to really make it authentic. I also like the 10/11 Sqn theme. It goes along with your many Orions.

Łukasz Gliński
Just found out it's vacform Any tips&tricks for joining such a huge vacform fuselage?

wilky
I wasn't expecting a vacform too

Ray Seppala
@Łukasz, each fuselage half is 2 parts but it doesn't help much. I reinforce the seams with strips of card to get more surface are to glue rather than just but join each half. I still ended up with a lot of puttying and sanding though. The bulkheads Welsh supply also help but need a bit of work to get them to the right diameter.

Alex K
Excellent! (the livery that you didn't use from the Magna kit might give you a clue on why I was so interested in this conversion Thanks for posting these and again congrats!

Ray Seppala
Thanks Alex, this was for a club group build. QANTAS is 100 years old this year and we are(?) having a display at our comp in November (if it goes ahead that is). I noticed the Greek airline decals and Scottish ones as well, I didn't know so many airlines used these after the war.

Alex K
Well, yes, "ELLAS - Hellenic Airlines" was founded with the help of -precisely- Scottish, using a number of their Dakotas and a couple of Liberators. There were other operators too, worldwide, from France to Alaska... before and after. It is so nice seeing one of those civilian Liberators being built - and this is a marvelous and original contribution of yours to the QANTAS group build! Once again, congrats!

Dutch
Wow! What a beauty! Very nice work Ray. I have een remiss in not visiting your albums lately! K/r, Dutch

Łukasz Gliński
Wow, a civilian Liberator, didn't even know such things existed

Skywalker
Nice plane.

Dutch
So Ray, how do you like the Contrails engines? Can't wait to see this one done as well.

Ray Seppala
I found the Contrail engines a bit rough and some shapes simplified and apparently they are oversize. I now have the Zvezda kit but will eventually finish this one.

Ray Seppala
Well, this one has transformed to a 4 engined 777, I was not that happy with the Contrail ones after all, an appropriate Aussie What - If scheme to go on it. Some small things to tidy up and it will be finished.

Dutch
Ray, you are the master of transfrmation! At first I thought A340. Then I looked at the windscreen and said, wait a minute! Boeing! But Boeing what? I love it! And not that unplausible. Very nice finish. Are you going to patent it before Boeing does? Might fund your retirement account, or at least keep the beer flowing! [BTW, I am always curious to see what kits you have going on in the background!]

Ben M
How do you apply the long window decals on airliners? Do you cut them into sections and apply them that way?

Ray Seppala
Cheers guys, @Dutch, it seems there are others who do build spotting in my build photos. I do have too many on the go and cycle through them as I get bored with the current builds @Ben M, I used an aftermarket decals set for the windows, Flying Colours sheet for a Singapore Airlines B777-300, the windows come in short sections, which are divided up by the cabin doors. The trick is to keep all the sections of window lines and door decals aligned down the length of the fuselage. For sheet that have longer strips of windows I cut them up to make them more manageable, usually 3 - 4 inch lengths.

Ben M
Thank you for the tip Ray. I have been building a dirigible and it had some loooong decals which inevitably broke into pieces while I tried to apply them. So I just applied one broken piece after another, and fortunately the pieces that were too damaged were simple enough to repair with a paint pen and a straightedge on the model. It got me thinking how people did airliner decal windows because I have a 1:72 DC-9 I want to build soon. I'll just chop them up at good breaking points and carefully align them like you do. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out!

Chris Parsons
Very nice!

Dutch
Beautiful work Ray. I am enjoying your progress. Natural metal finish looks extremely authentic. K/r, Dutch

Rob
Looking very nice, Ray

Ray Seppala
thanks gents, I just finished last night

Dutch
She's a beauty!

Rob
Gotta love a Lancaster(ian)...and a Spitfire and a P-3 and a Huey and...and...

Ray Seppala
Thanks Dutch and Rob, been there, done that all three of those

Thomas Bischoff
Love to see a Lancastrian being built - looks like it will turn out great

Łukasz Gliński
Great finish

Alex K
What a great companion to your Quantas LB-30!!! Respects!!!

Ray Seppala
Cheers!

Spanjaard
beautiful!

Cuajete
Very nice and unusual model. Congrats!

Mark Medwell
Great job Ray... have you had a go at making a RAAF Lincoln? I have the Alley Cat and Red Roo conversion sets, and I'm wondering how hard the conversion is... they look pretty good in the box.

Ray Seppala
Thanks guys, @Mark I have the same conversion sets. It is not on the radar for a while, when I get into the Strike SQN groove I'll do the Lincoln, Canberra, F-111 and Super Hornet. I don't think the Lincoln conversion will be too difficult. If I can more of less scratch build a Falcon 900 then a conversion set with all the parts supplied should be a walk in the park. Meanwhile I will be trying to finish up the P-8 shortly.

Ekki
Very good work.

Dutch
Nice work Ray! Just beautiful. I built this one almost 40 years ago, but your build looks much nicer than mine did. The only thing that survived was the long sensor boom which made it onto my YRF-4C Phantom II kit-bash.

Dutch
Ray, you tempted me to buy another Minicraft F/A-18 FSD kit. I also obtained Caracal 1/72 F/A-18 Hornet: The Early Years decal sheet.

Ray Seppala
LOL! Pity I have built this one, it looks like a nice sheet. I did have a hankering to the do the first twin seater in the orange/white scheme before it was changed to TPS. But decals are hard to find.

Glenn .
This is great! it's just like viewing my collection but made up! Great work Again!

Luc B

Dutch
Very nice!

Clifford Keesler
Wow!.

Łukasz Gliński
What a collection, wow!

wilky
Gonna miss the old Orion.
I lived in Adelaide and was in the Air Training Corp in the eighties and was able to inspect the inside of the P-3B shortly before they retired.
Would have loved to see inside a C but we weren't given that opportunity

Bryn Crandell
Very nice. I have one of those in my meager stash.

Patrick Hagelstein
Beautiful build!

Ray Seppala
Thanks guys, just thought I would update the pictures, been finished for a while

Clifford Keesler
Well done Ray.

Rob
I'm thinking of rebuilding mine in a very similar display to yours, Ray - nicely done!

Łukasz Gliński
Incredible project! As Dutch mentioned earlier on - unbelievable amounts of bravery and perseverance can be spotted here. Will watch with huge interest

Ray Seppala
Thanks all, yes @Burkhard D, you see correctly. The 1/144 kit has been used as a reference from some corrections.

Dutch
Yes, I see the cargo triumvirate in Photo 59!

Dutch
Ray, quick question. How did you stretch (brand used) the C-130H/J-30 / L-100-30on the left in photo #59? I plan on a KC-130T-30 in USMC marks and plan on using the old Airmodel vacuformed stretch conversion. I would be interested in your comments. R/ Dutch

Dave Flitton
So....where is the C-5?

Ray Seppala
@ Dave Fllitton, I have a 1/144 C-5, that will do for me! @ Dutch sorry about the REALLY late responce, the C-130-30 is an AMT AC-130H that I am butcering back to a C-130J-30. The extensions are polystyrene plugs made by a gent in Sydney under the 'Hoot Owl' branding. He mainly makes these conversion parts for himself but knocked up a few sets when I asked about them.

Dutch
The ESCI/ERTL/AMT 1/72 C-130 is my least favorite Herk kit. Shapes are just wrong! But, in the hands of a master such as yourself, I am sure the results will be outstanding! My only concerns about using the old Airmodel plastic are two: the brittleness of the old plastic and the thickness (or thinness) compared to the thickness of the kit parts. It will require much internal bracing / reinforcing.

Scott Dutton
Wow, I admire your courage on such a task, great work

Dutch
Coming along very nicely, Ray! Are the walkways decals? Very sharp, I say!

Ray Seppala
Thanks Dutch, I ended up masking and spraying the walkways. It is almost ready for decals, just need to add a few final parts and finish assembling the PE fins on the Hellfires, they are very fiddly

Dutch
Ray,
Fiddly! Yes, I know what you mean. I am in the final stages of assembling the TomyTec 1/144 UP-3C and the 40 odd small and extremely fiddly antennas, flap tracks, & Nav lights are about to drive me crazy. Thankfully, they provide extras, as I have lost or ruined a few already. I am spending at least as much time on this last step as in assembling the whole model. In fact I am looking for one of those lighted magnifiers that bolt to the desk top. It will be well worth it. Carry on!
Dutch

Thomas Bischoff
Looks like a lot of well invested work

Ray Seppala
And finished!

Nathan Dempsey
Nice finish too

Dutch
Woohoo! Congratulations Ray, you did it! And she looks wonderful. Another beautiful creation.

Thomas Bischoff
Looking great!