I've been itching to try this kit since I saw the build in the magazine. Finally got around to it.
The kit itself is extremely detailed and well formed, although how some of the pieces fit together is a bit odd. In some cases trial and error was necessary since the instructions weren't clear. One example of that is the supporting framework for the magnonometer (the extremely long bit) which was a bit confusing until I played with the parts for a while to figure it out.
The size of the smaller pieces made it difficult to mask the connection points. I ended up painting on the sprue for many of them and touching up later, or sticking them into putty using the connector so it wouldn't get any paint. That led to some finicky tight fits for some items later on, and more than a few colorful adjectives along the way. Even without the photo-etch set, this kit is FRAGILE. It was a bit of work to keep it supported safely during the build process, and especially at the end when all the instrument booms are in place.
My favorite part of the kit was the planet. As with the magazine build, I represented Nepture rather than trying to paint an inverse image of the Earth. It took quite a few differnt shades of ModelAir before I was happy with the blue, and then I dabbed on some high clouds with a brush and faded them a bit.
This is the first time I've attempted photo-etch, and I suspect that I picked one of the more challenging sets to start with. Even with a large photo etch bending tool, it was pretty nerve racking to get things into shape. It's mainly luck that it came out in any shape at all. :)
It was pretty cool that while I was finishing this up the other day, I saw an article about how scientists were going through old data, and found evidence from Voyager 2 that Uranus is spilling atmosphere into space. I feel pretty lucky that during my lifetime we've taken close up photos of all the planets of our solar system.
This kit was near the edge of my skill level, and it turned out as you might expect with that being the case. But it was a fun build.
Thanks for looking!
Mark
