As I'm about to head back to work after a month's holiday, its a good time to clean the bench, and look back at 2017.

Not quite the in depth work in progress article I had in mind when I started this page. In all honesty, Like a lot of modellers these days, my time at the bench is limited with everything else that work and like throws up.  What time I have is spent building, and Ive found photographing and writing in progress blogs eats into that modelling time. Anyway, I will put more photos up on the completed build page later today.

Well, this didn't get  documented in as much detail as I first thought it would, what with a garden makeover going on and work getting in the way, detailing all steps sort of fell by the wayside.
However the Kittyhawk Airacobra now wears its Royal Air Force colours, and I must say, they suit it
Paints are enamels. Yes, I have swapped over to acrylics, but I have still have quite the collection of Xtracolour enamels and I just cant bring myself to throw them out, so I am slowly using them up where I have the colours for whatever I am working on.

A set of masks for RAF Airacobras is made by LF Models.  Available through Hannants.  I used these to mask the Ocen Grey before applying the lightened RAF Green.  I then freehanded all the demarcations with straight out of the tin green as the real aircraft exhibited dark outlines to all the green areas.

A 72 scale build that has taken waaaaayyyyyyyy  too long.  The Bronco Models Glider finally leaves my bench, so I can press on with the airacobra.  More photos in Completed Builds.
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After pondering the interior colours of RAF Airacobras, and putting the question out there on the Britmodeller forum http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235015252-bell-airacobra-mk1-cockpit-colour/&    I think this is one of those questions that will never be definitively answered and can serve only to mire the modeller into stalling their build as they seek to find that elusive answer.  As much fun as research is,  I elected to make a call of Bell green in order to move the build along.
 Despite  almost exclusively using acrylics these days, I still have a stock of Xtracolour enamel paint I just cannot bring myself to throw out, so their Europe 1 Green served as my "Bell Green".
Once the base colour was laid down, a smudge of black was added and then blown in around all the ribs to serve as shadow.  The colour cups then emptied and a lighted green added to centres of the panel which will be visible through the open engine cowling.
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 The assembled and painted engine was also glued to the floor section and work started on adding some of the more visible oil lines using  insulated wire.
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Kittyhawk provide plenty of interior detail in their Airacobra kit, so I decided to take advantage of it.  Right from the start I knew I wanted to show off the unique features of the aircraft.  That meant having the mid mounted engine visible and the car type entry doors to the cockpit open as well.
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First model off The Cutting Mat for 2017 is Kittyhawk's 1/48 Super Etendard Modernise.  Additional images have been put up on the  Completed Builds page.

I've decided 2017 should be "The Year of 32 scale" for me, so despite my first project for the year- any year- usually falling in a heap,  Im pushing ahead with the Kittyhawk P-39 Airacobra, which, according to reviews, is not the easiest build.

This one will be done as a RAF Airacobra Mk1 from 601 SQN though, just for something different, well, not really different as most of my U.S aircraft seem to end up in British or Australian markings

Most of you reading this will have probably made your way here from my Facebook page, Cutting Mat Capers and I'd like to thank you all for liking the FB page and dropping in here to have a look too.  To be honest, I don't think FB is the best platform for comprehensive WIP posts, hence me starting this site.  It's not my intention to use this site as a soapbox for my thoughts on the hobby or where its heading, others do that, and  far better than I could.  
​This will simply be a place where I can document my scale modelling journey  and current projects.  I hope you will continue to check in.
​Bruce