Thanks Greg. Thanks again Mike

Good-looking twin. Wouldn't know by looking it caused you such trouble.

Thanks for posting this one.

Just caught up on this, and now I'm even more impressed by how your PE-2 turned out. Thanks for pointing out the shortcomings you encountered, and for posting the photos - it'll help and inspire when it's time to tackle the kit!

Mike

Thank you Mike

I can't discern the fogged gunsight from the pictures you've posted. All I can say about the clear parts on your model is that I think you did a fine job and I wish I could build kits with the clear parts looking 1/2 as good as they do in your build.

Thanks John and Joe. Like all kits it has it‘s good and bad points. I figured if nothing else I can at least share my experience with it in the hope that it may help other modelers avoid the same pratfalls. I’ve never had a model distort like that escoecially considering the minuscule amounts of glue that I used on those parts

Despite your issues, she turned out great. I'm glad you decided to share it.    

Looks nice, Robert, glass included.

I think Zvezda tries too hard to keep parts to scale and sometimes that just isn't practical.  I have the MPM 1/48 Pe-2 and I'm sure it has its own miseries.

Thanks Guys! I actually wasn't sure if I wanted to post this one or not.  I started it in the spring and got fed up with it for several months.  As far as fit issues, I didn't have and major gaps or seams to deal with but IMO the parts on this kit are WAY to fragile.  Especially the landing gear assembly.  If you look close at the strut toward the bottom of the picture you will notice that it looks a little funky.  I put both struts together using Tamiya thin glue and using the same amounts.  When I came back the next day it looked like someone had taken a heat gun to one of them.  It was all distorted and it reminded me of how a dead spider folds up.  I have no clue why.  I was seconds away from smashing it when my wife said, just shut up and fix it.  I spent most of the weekend trying to do just that.  It broke mutliple times and it's a pretty patchwork affair.  It broke again one last time when I put the wheels on at the end.  I was tempted to make it a "flying" model with the landing gear retracted and to fly it into a wall.  Other issues .. the side gun and front gun broke multiple times.  The have instructions on putting in the rear engine parts with the closed engines. I wouldn't waste my time.  You don't seem much of them and it made it far harder to get the engines to fit. Likewise the figures.  They have to be in just perfect in the front, or the canopy won't seat right.  Despite multiple test fittings I still had to do some modifications. The gunsite is fogged. I tried just a tiny amout of super glue for it and it fogged right up.  I should have just painted it black but I noticed how terrible it looked after the canopy was on and I certainly didn't want to mess with that again. I think the clear parts are some sort of vinyl.  I usually can sand and polish them down with some polishing pastes and then a coat of future but a never could get them back to clear and the future seemed to make them look foggy.  Initially it was a hoot to build and I was excited about getting all the little fiddley bits on.  Unfortuneately the landing gear snafu really soured me on it and in the end I just wanted to get it done.  Hope this helps

Gamera

That's a beautiful job on her your Imperial Majesty!!! 

Love the camo! 

 

And if it's the same mold as the Historic Model kit my hat's off to you. Worst @#$$@#$@% kit I've EVER built... 

 

Thank You my good friend Mr Garibaldi

Looks great!

I have that kit in my stash, but hesitent to start it- I know it will be a big project.  Your build is encouraging me.

That's a beautiful job on her your Imperial Majesty!!! 

Love the camo! 

And if it's the same mold as the Historic Model kit my hat's off to you. Worst @#$$@#$@% kit I've EVER built... 

Very well done! She’s a great looking build.

I'm also curious about the clear parts issues -any suggestions? I've got the kit and have read a couple mostly positive build reviews, and look forward to tackling it over the winter.

Yours looks really good, especially the shading and chipping!

Mike

Good job on a good looking airplane.  

I have this kit in my stash.  Any build or mold issues other than what you've noted?

That looks great - I've never seen this plane before.  Looks like you worked out the canopy issues as they look crystal clear.  Curious how the waist and ventral gunners saw what they were shooting at.