Monogram Mafia III

I've heard dipping the canopy in Future will prevent it, but I like your way; saves time.

stikpusher

DD, nice to see your Hun back up here again. I am looking forward to seeing the finished bird.

Thanks a bunch, stik. I'm hoping to get some more done on her today & tomorrow. Kinda rainy here in the Charlotte area, so it's a good day for modeling.....

Sounds like a good plan Dawg. I feel the modeling bug creeping back into my veins as my days off approach...

You ever have to make yourself get on the bench and do some modeling? I'm finding that happening more often lately......

Yes, although that is starting to lift a bit this week

cbaltrin

Spinner is becoming usable (I was having my doubts). I coated it with filler, chucked it in the drill press and went after it with a coarse sanding stick.

CB. while Monogram kits (especially the newer issues of their older molds) do have a rep for fit issues, they have always been pretty good in the dimension and shape accuracy realm. Nice work on that spinner!

stikpusher

Monogram kits...have always been pretty good in the dimension and shape accuracy realm.

Agreed!  Monogram kits always "looked right" to me. They don't price you out of the hobby either. Always been a Monogram fan.

Best  cockpit  detail  hands down.

I really need to get something done this weekend. I have to get the fuselage primed without the wings attached so I can check my scribing because there's no way to fix scribing errors once the wings are on...well there's no easy way anyway... Man this project is dragging...

Yeah, I hear ya... I have a few projects of my own that are dragging and I keep getting sidetracked away from...

I'm already getting excited for MM IV.

Dullcoat shot last night.  Hope to finish this one tonight

Bring her on home, Freem!

Got the wings on. Starting to come together. 

Getting closer to the finish line now

First off, please let me apologize for not commenting on the excellent work being demonstrated here-all of the builds have been outstanding.  I have been following on a daily basis, but just not taking the time to acknowledge the quality of the builds.  We have moved to a house so I have an official 'man cave' to setup my airbrush and hopefully will be able to get things unpacked and find all of my supplies in the very near future.

I did get started on my first build-the Monogram Slingster-I was able to get the chassis complete along with the engine block & transmission.  All of the chrome parts are soaking to remove the plating-will try some Krylon Chome and see how that works.

Hope to get some primer on the chassis this weekend and maybe even some paint-no plan of action yet regarding colors & such-but I am committed to the Competition Coupe version-a chopped body on top of an obsolete dragster, making it competitive in a new class at the strip.  Also, the Slingster will take a back seat once all of the extras for the Monogram F-100 Super Sabre arrive-that one will be a cross-over for this GB and the 50th Anniversary Vietnam GB-won't make the deadline but I'm going to give it a shot.

The Slingster surprised me with the ease that the chassis went together-thought alignment would be more of a challenge.  And the flash isn't bad-only down side is the chrome plating, but that's the case n most auto kits.

Nice progress so far there Bob. I am looking forward to this one. Gotta love those old dragsters,

Gonna stick a fork in this one and call it done!  Major Robert S. Johnson's P-47D-15-RE April 1944. Kit built OOB and I used Superscale decal set 48-429.

My -47 bubbletop is now covered in aluminum and hopefully it'll be done this week or early next!

I'm glad to see this one done! Can you get a few more photos of her for one to put on the front page?

Will do, Stick!  Took that shot with my phone just to get one out there, got better ones on my camera that need downloaded when I get a minute.  Meanwhile number two is all shiny in aluminum.............

Chris-nice job on the razorback and the bubble top is coming along well,  Is that foil and if so, what is your technique?

Thanks Stik-I'm a fan of old school drag racing-I took these pics last summer at the NHRA Reunion Tour in Bowling Green, KY-they are coming in handy for reference & inspiration.....if I could just add the rumble of the nitro burning altered's with a little tire smoke....

bob--thanks!!  The bubbletop is covered with plain old household aluminum foil.  The technique comes from an article in the April (i think) 1988 issue of FSM.  The adhesive is made from paint or dope thinner and spray adhesive-I used 3M no. 77.  Pour out some thinner and spray the adhesive into it to make a honey like consistency. I stir it up and spread it around on the foil with a piece of balsa 1/8"x 1 or 2".

Cut a piece of aluminum a little larger than the area you want to cover, lay it on the plane, and burnish it down with a 1/8" pc of balsa about 3/8-1/2" wide.  The balsa "gives" over raised lines and rivets. Aluminum foil has a shiny side and dull side--I used the dull here. It also has a grain to it and you can vary the look by turning it and/or polishing, sanding or scuffing individual panels (ck references).

Decals adhere well although they might need trimmed close. I wipe the plane down with an alcohol wipe to get any adhesive and finger oils off before decaling.  They can be sealed with Future.  I did a Monogram P-51 around 1991 and it still looks good both foil and decals still holding and I did not seal them.

I think there is an article from the July 02 issue that can be found on the How To tab above that uses a similar format with a different adhesive.  

The whole thing took maybe 3 hours plus a couple of hours to let the thinner dry and the adhesive tack up.  For the more masochistic one could do it panel by panel.

Excellent job, Freem! Halfway home(I would say half made, but that don't sound right, lol)!

Chris, that silvery Jug is looking real good! I have not yet had the stones to try a foil covered build, but one of these days I do need to try it. I am pretty sure that Microscale makes a foil adhesive in their line of products, where ever you find all their decal solutions and such... And no rush on the photos of your OD Jug. I'll be here, its done and all is good...

Bob, I haven't been to the races in several years, but I think what I liked most was the sound and the smell of the fuels and engines... very unique on both of them,,,, One of these days I'll get back out there, Pomona or Fontana...

Hi freem. Nice work. You're motivating me to get to work on my razorback. I only have one complaint.. Your pictures are too small :-)

freem

Gonna stick a fork in this one and call it done!  Major Robert S. Johnson's P-47D-15-RE April 1944. Kit built OOB and I used Superscale decal set 48-429.

My -47 bubbletop is now covered in aluminum and hopefully it'll be done this week or early next!

Well I got an hour at the bench this morning. Was able to clean up and rescribe exactly 1 horizontal stabilizer on my P-51 and added 1 more treatment of Mr Surfacer to the radiator intake (what a nightmare that part is).  Wow. This kit is dragging me down. It better be worth it! :-)

When is the cut off date?

No cut off date as of yet.... You want in, or want to do two more, go right ahead...

I got an old monogram Fokker d-7 crossover from the WW1 gb I have not started yet...OK?

Theuns