What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

Lexus LS480 F Sport with missing right side door mirror playworn in places

[McColm]

Friday 20th June 2025

Mad dogs and English men go out in the midday sun, I just popped into the local shops, posted a few letters and did a bit of food shopping. Came back almost soaked with sweat, bath time and pyjamas.
They wanted me to go to Northolt and I said no no no, my contract manager agreed that its too far for me, this was changed to Harlow so I sent them a photo shot of the tfl journey planner 3 hours 14 minutes by public transport as I don't have access to a car. Negotiations have led to three days training at Number 1 Canada Square next week up by Canary Wharf.

Back to the R/C cars, the Nissan NSX Japanese Police car. I can't get to the screws holding this together but I can change the stickers to the chequered pattern of the Metropolitan Police and then give it a clear coat of varnish. Sourcing the missing wing mirrors and maybe a little bit of touching up the paint work.

[McColm]

Saturday 21st June 2025

Today is the longest day and also over here in London the hottest which is why I'm managing a reception desk near Liverpool Street Station which has air conditioning.
I've been online and discovered Hawkeye Models based in Australia who provide decals and conversions for military aircraft in 1/144 and 1/72 scale. They are going to release decals of the US COASTGUARD for the Bristol Freighter. I wasn't aware that they used them, could be a whiff. They also provide a conversion set of the Lockheed EC-130V with US COASTGUARD decals in 1/72 scale and the Boeing TE-7 Wedgetail in 1/144 scale. I'm not too sure on the postage and packing prices to the UK but it's going to be very expensive.
I have an idea to use the Grumman Hawkeye rotodome and stand with a Lockheed C-130 without the stilts. Another C-130 will be purchased as I still intend to build the twin engined concept version .
The 1/72 Revell Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic Anniversary model is due next week with parts going on the 1/72 Lockheed Cormorant MR.1 and the Sea Hercules.
What's leftover could go towards an AEW version.

[McColm]

Tuesday 24th June 2025

If anyone needs me today I will be attending three training sessions on the 44th floor of Number 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf.
I have been highly recommended for this, which usually means either someone in my past has remembered me or it's a genuine request to the contracts manager for his or her best security officers subjected to availability.
As you know modern technology doesn't usually work when I try and use it. I have downloaded a QR scanner and there's the option of reporting to the main reception and getting a printed pass. I can ask if the lifts are working as 44 flights of stairs seems a bit daunting.
The highest building that I have worked at was Centre Point Tower and this has 36 floors,  I was the fire officer/courier desk .Well I delivered the post to all the floors after it was sorted out.
Canada Square is about 40 minutes from my doorstep allowing for walking time and 8 hour shifts, early and late.

[McColm]

Friday 27th June 2025

I have been training on the reception desk of the headquarters of the Spanish Bank BBVA, they used to have three banks that served the Spanish speaking community in London but they decided to close these down, there's branches in Spain,  Turkey, Indonesia and Istanbul. They have the main office up on the 44th floor of Number 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf but have recently rented space on other floors.
It's a busy reception split into early or lates with alternative weeks of 7 hours and 8 hours respectively. Security is tight and there's a lot of 'cut and paste ' for the transferring of emails to lists and Guest Logs. Four logs with a printed sheet or sheets if the WiFi connection goes down which is a regular occurrence being so high up. Canary Wharf does provide free WiFi on the ground level.
Tuesday was the late shift, loads of reading and practical experience.
Wednesday was the early shift, more reading and practical experience.
Thursday was also another early shift but flying solo and help provided by way of checking what I had done. Which went rather well as the supervisor wants me back to cover the holidays if their regular person isn't available.
 I'm was having problems using my bank card for contact less payments on the buses, it worked for the Underground. On the way home I had to walk from North Greenwich Underground Station to Charlton,  so I followed the bus route. A pleasant walk through the Millennium Village, I now know where the Imax cinema is,  B&Q and IKEA are.
Feeling tired,  just waiting for the delivery of the 1/72 Revell Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic Anniversary model kit to arrive. I might have the weekend off, a pleasant surprise since I have either worked the days or nights for the past two months.

[McColm]

Sunday 29th June 2025

I have been awake since 6am this morning and progress on the 1/72 Lockheed L-400 Sea Hercules MRA.1 is coming along nicely. I must admit that I have had problems uploading photos from imgur.com onto this site and written various backstories but due to changes to the build I have removed them until it's in the paint stage on the exterior.
 Whilst the Sea Hercules MRA.1 is drying out from the filler/putty I have been working on the 1/72 Revell Dassault Aviation-Breguet Atlantic 1 Anniversary model kit, this will become an AEW & C platform with the Grumman E-2C rotodome plus it's stand. This was a real world proposition by Breguet when the Atlantic 1 was launched and reviewed in 1971 by the British hoping that France would also place an order for either the FASS radar system with a pair of Rolls-Royce turbofans or a rotodome with a pair of Rolls-Royce Tynes. The M.A.D. boom and ECM vertical tail fin pod would be removed along with the maritime equipment.
Surplus Atlantic ATL1s would have been converted and export orders may have included India,,
Pakistan had ordered the Atlantic so naturally the AEW version might have persuaded them to buy a few more. Some of the illegal immigration and customs agencies may have been tempted to buy the Atlantic AEW as an alternative to the Lockheed P-3AEW.
 A rummage on the long-term restoration shelf has revealed a 1/144 C-130 that has seen better days. It's in the process of being converted into the Lockheed L-400A ( the twin engined C-130). I have removed the two outer engines and the inner engines only have two propellers each. This model has been painted in RAF colours with decals. A little bit of filler/putty has been applied.
Having read that Consolidation had considered the LB-22 a twin-engined version of the Model 32 which was to become the B-24 Liberator. I too have a badly damaged 1/144  RAF Costal Command Liberator which is undergoing conversion to the twin engined variant.
I have also been listening to episodes of Judge Judy, I know that USA law is different to British law, but I help laughing at some of the cases.
As to the Chinese Money plant, after a bit of pruning it seems to be growing with new leaves sprouting.