THis will be a much esier build than the MiG-3, and there will be very little white!

Great kit for the COVID blues! The guns are a bit fiddly, but it's a modern Tamiya product, so I found it to be well worth the effort. Hope you do as well - looking forward to your WIP! 

Cool. I've never heard of this aircraft. Gonna follow along and check it out!

jeaton01

THis will be a much esier build than the MiG-3, and there will be very little white!

 

mrmike

Great kit for the COVID blues! The guns are a bit fiddly, but it's a modern Tamiya product, so I found it to be well worth the effort. Hope you do as well - looking forward to your WIP! 

 

Yeah, I built one years ago. It's a beautiful detailed well-fitting kit! I think you've love building this one. 

Cool!  Seems $20 is a steal.  Following 

So now it begins. After doing a little research on fuselage color all of the images I checked the color was always different. I was going to go with a IJN set from Vallejo but couldn't wait for it. Decided to go with the Tamiya instructions and make my own. I had the basic blue and added some silver to make it "metallic". Lo' and behold, even though I have a least a dozen shades of green, I do not have basic green. Here's a tip only great artist and very few model builders know about....blue and yellow make green!! First attempt at painting the color was too dark and blue. Primed it white and added some more yellow to make it greener. Should of put a coat of silver undeneath it to make it pop. Some parts of the fuelage end up silver anyways. More than pleased at how it turned out.

Now the fun begins...If you like detailed interiors for a decent price, this is the model for you. I will be working on this CP and gun mount for a month. I will have to break out my Magnifying light and sit hunched over  all summer. Hello, Advil!!

You're off to a great start! 

Well, I guess I am back to my WIP. I am sure I was missed. I havent touched a model in 5 months. I guess I figured with Covid-19, I would be a modelling machine. WRONG! Gardening, Golf(regular and disc), Outdoor Fun, Working Out Maniacally, I haven't really thought about it much. I see my bench everytime I lift weights(back to 10 reps of 195lbs...not to shabby for 56 year old, 160lb A-hole!) 

I started back on my CP and plan on "futuring" tonight. I tried to upload pics on Imgur. No Dice...website over capacity or maintenance problems. Now everybody go look at real WIPs and not some hack who is wasting everybodies time! 

Looks good! Now that winter's setting in, maybe the modelling bench will be more interesting.

A few days progress. It looks a little better than the picture, but not much. My mastery of washes is years away. And also brush-painting. My hands were actually shaking because I was so out of practice after taking all these months off. I do know I need a better system of magnification. Optivisor or a better light/magnifier combo. Maybe Santa will bring me one, along with a nice camera.

Side Note. Lost a part to the pilot seat assembly and spent an hour looking for it. Went to bed wondering if I threw it out or washed it down the sink, cleaning my paint pallette. I was planning to scratch build it, but figured I would look one more time. found it in less than 10 seconds under my AB hose.(I know I looked there at least 3 times!) There is a God.

Another Pic. This is a pretty good kit if you are looking for an OOB build with some detail. And at a good price. Highly recommended. I wish I was a better, more patient modeller. Looking at other builds, people have done great things with this kit. Amazed how they dry brush details I wouldn't even atempt! I even looked at buying punches to do IP decals. No thank you, I will stick with my VJ decal medium...

Finished up the fuselage halves details. Again, my camera phone sucks and I don't take good photos.

They actually look better in person. You can't see my red buttons!!

Today I buttoned up the fuselage and added the wings. Like Gamera said earlier, this is a well-fitting kit. I only had to sand for 2 seconds some paint and primer near the front wing root area for the wings and fuselage to fit perfectly. Kits like this might get me to love modelling again! You can't see it well but I have spackled the crossmember at the back of the CP. Only reason was because I have to primer and paint the interior in a spot I missed before glueing. Otherwise I would have left it alone.

Now back to doing sub-assemblies!

Question...I paint everything, even if it won't be seen. Seems like the majority of modellers do. It would bother me if I didn't. What do other modellers think?

The gun assembly and radar gizmo before I put on the canopy and back fuselage piece. And yes I need a new phone or better camera...or the ability to take pictures. Take your pick. So far, a great fitting kit....

How the heck have I been missing your updates here!?! Lemme kick myself... 

You're doing a great job on her! As you said it's a gem of a kit. I'm tempted to build another one! I've got the version with all the radar antenni sticking out of the nose around here somewhere. 

DasBeav

Today I buttoned up the fuselage and added the wings. Like Gamera said earlier, this is a well-fitting kit. I only had to sand for 2 seconds some paint and primer near the front wing root area for the wings and fuselage to fit perfectly. Kits like this might get me to love modelling again! You can't see it well but I have spackled the crossmember at the back of the CP. Only reason was because I have to primer and paint the interior in a spot I missed before glueing. Otherwise I would have left it alone.

Now back to doing sub-assemblies!

Question...I paint everything, even if it won't be seen. Seems like the majority of modellers do. It would bother me if I didn't. What do other modellers think?

 

for me I've been trying to avoid painting anything that didn't show. A painful experience but I'm telling myself to use that time to detail what will be seen.  The FW-qop was the one that set me on thisath lol spent a bunch of time on the IP and then realized when assembled it sat so far back you could pretty much just tell it was painted but couldn't see any details. 

Gamera

How the heck have I been missing your updates here!?! Lemme kick myself... 

You're doing a great job on her! As you said it's a gem of a kit. I'm tempted to build another one! I've got the version with all the radar antenni sticking out of the nose around here somewhere. 

 

So far, no serious issues. Would like to see the radar version. It must share some sprues because I have seen some antennae! I will put them aside just in case you break them and need spares! 

Last picture before getting buttoned up. A little cosmetic work and off to prime!

Progress? All well, so far. My cat Maxwell did knock my Iwata NEO AB over and bent the needle. I had to use 'Ol fake NEO from China. It worked schockingly...has only sprayed Future in five years. 

Ouch, sorry to hear about your troubles but she's lookin' good!!! 

Gamera

Ouch, sorry to hear about your troubles but she's lookin' good!!! 

 

I've bent my needles a few times between the two of them lol. I just keep bending them back and polishing them back to sharp. 

I've learned to be real careful lol.

M. Brindos

I've bent my needles a few times between the two of them lol. I just keep bending them back and polishing them back to sharp. 

I've learned to be real careful lol.

 

Almost done with my first build in a year! No major problems with the kit. Did forget to put the rubber bushings in the props. No big deal except I spent 20 minutes the night before on the carpet looking for one I dropped. Putting the cannon barrels on the guns behind canopy is going to be fun. Can't see the guns! Even with a little pen light I just see darkness. 

Painting bombs and drop tanks tonight and the yellow lines on the prop blades. Tomorrow I start the decals.

Ooopsie...I deleted too many photos on Imgur. Lesson learned. Finished up build Saturday. Turned out pretty good except I screwed the pooch trying to fix canopy because of user error.(embarassed to tell whole story)

This is a very good fitting model kit with plenty of detail for an OOB build. Somebody with more skill could do a great job with this kit. Highly recommended! 

98% on Rotten Tomatoes!!

...To the front! Nose piece not fun to mask...

Bottoms up...ironic because I am a TeeTotaller...