Well I'm calling it a night. Day one went well, if a little slowly. I was at the office all day, and went by the LHS one last time on the way home to buy my Xmas Santa stuff for two of you.
First I primed both kits. The Mach 2 1/72 Douglas Skyshark A2D-1 and the Tamiya 1/72 Douglas Skyray F4D-1. I had originally purchased the Skyray with the goal of using it's pit as a model for scratching the Skyshark, which did not come with one and had a closed canopy, but that wouldn't do. I've put the Ford aside because it'll fall together later if I give it's box a good shake, I'm sure.
First I separated from the sprues and cleaned up the Shark fusey halves. Out of four or five points of alignment- the front where the spinner goes, the IP in the cockpit, the blade antenna on the spine, the tailwheel well, the tail or the wings, NO TWO paired up. So when the time comes, I'll line up the wing roots and everything else will have to be sanded to match. I cut the pit opening much larger based on this alignment.
Next I dipped the clearies in Future, and cut the Shark canopy in two. I built up the Shark spinner, and that'll be a whole project to smooth out. I cleaned up the prop blades.
Last I spent most of the evening scratching up a pit for the Shark. Here's from back to front: Tamiyas Skyray pit, the Mach 2 Shark pit, and in the front my all new one. I'll take better pictures when it's painted but I'm real happy with it. Tomorrow I hope to finish the offices, build both airframes and start painting final colors. They're both really pretty schemes.
See you all tomorrow.
Bill