Mighty 8th GB 1-Nov-2010 - 31-Oct-2011

lew, i think the Special Hobby kit is the most popular. I think Airfix used to do one, not sure about any others. Those aircrfat have some nice schemes. i am sure you will do it justice.

Main assembly complete. Next up - minor seam repair. Joy. Hoping to be priming by the weekend.

Another look at the filled wings. 

Bish,

Can't remember the maker of the kit, just that it was in Argentine markings.  Will let you know if I pick up on Friday. 

Which Pucara kit is it. I can it you have seen the ones being built, some nice work there. Some nice paint schemes possable with those.

It's unusual for me to be building something from the winning side. I am looking forward to doing some armour myself, having touched any of that for over 18 months.

Bish,

Yes, the B/C is still in the works.  Truth be told, I'm getting kinda tired of building inlines, getting a hankering to build a round motored bird.  Saw a Pucara in Argentine markings at the local shop, if it's there Friday I may be joining your Falklands build.  Unlike my usual builds, it will be of the losing side.

lew, changed that, will you still be building the B as well.

Richard, thanks for sticking with it. It would have been to easy to just throw in the towel. Your doing a damn good job with it, look forward to seeing some paint on it. And i must get over to the NMF GB, see what going on in there.

Doogs, looks like your also putting some work into your Stang. So i guess those tubes are ratteling around in the wings.

Lew, will change that, and be nice to get another one going.

Richard,

Hang in there.  Will mosey over to the NMF build and check out your B-17. I have one in the stash, looking forward to seeing yours. 

Doogs,

Your Mustang is looking great.  I've got two of them on the table for my club's group builds for the Nationals, so I'm concentrating on those at the moment.

Bish,

The Academy D is going to serve as a paint mule for my Nationals build.  Will be replacing it with a Tamiya D.

Richard - eesh! Sorry to hear that your decompression build has turned out to be such an unfortunate kit! Nice to see you sticking with it, though! Just think, if worse comes to worse, you can stick it in the background for photos of 1/48 aircraft and do fun forced perspective things with it!

Made a bit more progress with my Mustang last night. I've been alternating, so Mustang one night, Spitfire the next, then the Panzer III, then back around. 

Last night's big to-do was filling the seams on the wings. I got the job done by dabbing Mr. Surfacer 500 into the appropriate seams (had to build up with 4-5 passes). Went back over with 400, then 1000 grit paper. I'm planning on several more sanding passes, but I need to get some paint on the wings first to make sure I've got the seams completely filled. Thing so, but it's impossible to be 100% certain.

I also managed to knock both other gun tubes into the wings. So I guess I'll be redoing those closer to painting time.

Lewbud,

Would you believe me when i say this is my decompression "on-the-side" build? I am doing the new tooled revell B17G for the NMF GB and this thing i work on while the fort is drying or otherwise waiting LOL. It was supposed to be fun.....

Richard

Richard,

Got to commend you on your sticktoitiveness.  I probably would've binned that sucker a long time ago (actually probably would've smashed it with the ban hammer so it never graced my table again).  At least it will look (somewhat) like a Mustang when you're done with it.  I think you've earned yourself a nice vintage Monogram kit to build after this one.

Ok,...

Going to make this official... This kit is without any doubt in my mind whatsoever THE worst kit i have ever had the misfortune of spending money on and i can tell you gentlemen i have had a few in my hands that were pretty nasty....

No control stick, incorrect IP, no radio set, no radiator exhaust, wrong riveting, wrong prop, wrong dimensions, oversized and ridiculously thick, oversized canopy(in one piece mind you)..... the list goes on and on...

But i can tell you i have tried my best to overcome the most obviious defects in this kit by adding the stick, exhaust, radio set and those v shaped thingies that go on landing gear legs. Also  filled and sanded to my hearts content on this one. Oh and did i mention the vast amounts of flash on each and every part? In some cases i had to more or less cut out the part from a lump of styrene.... Compared to how it was this canopy actually looks good to me

Sorry about the rant guys but i just had to speak out to people who share my hobby.... To be honest this kit is so ridiculous that i am having good laughs working on it

Anyways,... i am more or less ready to paint this thing...WIP's soon gents!

Richard

Opps, sorry red, will sort that. I was just deleting the names of guys who had to drop out. Then i can start messageing people to see if they can are still able to do their builds.

My P-51B should probably go, too. I have no idea what's on my build radar after this current trifecta, but almost certainly not another 'Stang. 

Unless I break down and pre-order a certain glorious 1/32 specimen...

jbrady

Bish: Put me down for one of those Beechcraft. I'll get squadron and station to you as soon as I do a little research.

J are you still planning on building this. I was just editing the front page, takeing off names of peeps who have had to drop out. And i noticed i hadn't added this to your list.

Some great work guys. The P-47 is looking very nice red, be great to see some paint on her.

Great job on those blast tubes Doogs.

Things are picking up against nicely now.

Woot! I did it! Goodbye nasty kit nubs, hello metal blast tubes!

Lol that is a good idea.  I don't work on that bench but I do keep a piece of carpet  on the one I do use ....mainly just keep clear pieces  on it

red - I like your idea of putting the carpet monster right there on the bench. Maybe including it in the action keeps it from getting all resentful and eating parts?

For the 4th, I'm focusing exclusively on the one American subject on the bench (well, the Spit I'm building is a USAAF Spit, but still). The cockpit got its oil bath last night, and it's been tacked into the fuselage. Hoping to glue the halves together tonight and (fingers crossed) get around to the guns.

Well not much of an update but I haven't posted any pics in awhile.  The P-51 is at about the same stage as the P-47.  I had to strip the yellow since it was a little thick and was showing under other colors, so I'll shoot the Alclad first and then do the yellow last.  I'm gonna be doing ALOT of painting this week

It's starting to look like a Jug and I will hopefully have the painting done by th end of this week

Thats one thing about kits that does me sometimes. Its hard to tell what are new kits, re-issues or even re-issues of someone elses kit. And the kit numbers can't always be relied on.

Doogs,

Well,....:

You are correct about the radiator exhaust... will have to fashion one of evergreen. Also the radio is missing and im pretty sure i can find a thing or two more before i am done with it...

When i bought it, i was hoping to have one of the new revell molds in my hands like their excellent P47D and GO229 in the same scale, based on the fact that the kit entered their website somewhere last year ish... Turns out to be a repop. Also the riveting is completely made up.

The only thing going for it is the decals, the price and the fact that it can be recognised as a P51... Nevertheless i am going to see this one through, im a bit stubborn like that

Richard

kermit

Hey Richard, do you have any other views of the underside? I'm typically not a big stickler for 100% accuracy, but wow, I'm pretty sure that thing's missing the radiator exhaust. And that whole lower fuselage loses that distinctive kink from the exhaust to the tailwheel (though the latter may be an effect of the angle of the photo).

Nice tip, i will try it out on a spare part before i do the parts in the B-17, see how it comes out.

Bish

Doogs, sorry, i missed that earlier post. That is a lovely finish you got, looks just like vanished wood.

But do you think you would get that sort of finish from mass produced WW2 aircraft. That's the sort of finish you get on old fashioned hand built cars, and the guys that built these would be the same one who built WW1 aircraft. But again, its a lovely finish.

Yeah, I agree. I think where I'd change would be using flat varnish rather than gloss after the clear orange/yellow step. No way a P-51 floor would be that shiny, even brand new (since it was just plywood...)

Doogs, sorry, i missed that earlier post. That is a lovely finish you got, looks just like vanished wood.

But do you think you would get that sort of finish from mass produced WW2 aircraft. That's the sort of finish you get on old fashioned hand built cars, and the guys that built these would be the same one who built WW1 aircraft. But again, its a lovely finish.

Richard, thats coming along quickly, but ye, alot of work on those wing joints. A couple of little sink marks there as well.

Doogs,

Absolutely lovely wood grain effect! I will certainly give the clear orange touch afterwards a go next time the subject appears on my bench

Well,...

What appeared to look like a fun and cheap low part count "quickie" turns out to be demanding more attention than i had hoped for:

Richard

Thanks Richard. I wasn't happy with the wash method so had removed it and thought about trying straight oil paint. I will give that a try tomorrow night.

Probably overkill for a 72nd fighter pit, but here's how I did wood grain in my Pup:

http://doogsmodels.com/2011/03/31/wingnut-wings-sopwith-pup-build-report-1-with-the-grain/

IMO it's the overcoat of Tamiya Clear Orange/Yellow that really sells it.