AIRCRAFT - USMC Group Build (ends 7/30/04)

No not fun or pretty at all. I think the worse part of it is reliving the experience including the feeling of the knife making the cut. My stomach gets queasy every time.

I almost did that in high school woodshop. Cut my finger with the bandsaw right down to the tendon. Right on my pinky. Right at the joint between my hand and finger. Wasen't pretty or fun. I will tell you.

QUOTE: Originally posted by jimz66 Drew I wonder if it is just the two of us. Havent heard from anyone else in while. Then again I am the panoriod type. Maybe everyone is building, painting, sanding, or whatever. Good Luck.

You forgot cutting fingers - almost lost my finger tip late last week. Thankfully not on the model. The reason however is even worse. I cut it on a loaf of walnut rasin bread with a serated bread knife. AV-8B is 50% complete - starting to sand the major components. trying to decide wether or not I am going to put the strakes
or the 20 MM canon on the underside and what kind of load out I am going to have for the pylons (besides the extra fuel tanks). Also waiting on Revell's AV-8B II and Hasegawa's AV-8B II+ to arrive from squadron. Got the resin conversion from AARAM - it looks good.

Guys & Gals,

Hi. I'm back after a week of being gone all over the country. When duty calls, you gotta go, I guess. I started out Monday 16 Feb 2004 in Chapel Hill, NC, at the UNC Medical Center. Finally got home late Tuesday 17 Feb 2004, then headed out to Louisville, KY, the next day (Wednesday 18 Feb 2004). Went to Las Vegas starting Thursday 19 Feb 2004, and just got back from there at 0200 today (22 Feb 2004). No modeling or Internet the whole time. So, unfortunately, I haven't been able to answer the questions posted to me until now. Sorry. I do see that everyone (except for me!!) is making great progress on their projects. My Tigercat now has landing gear (although it's not finished yet), and I've started on the paint for my Academy 1/32 F-18C Hornet. Maybe I'll have that finished by 30 July 2004 as well.
I hope that everyone is enjoying their projects. I want to reiterate that this is for fun more than anything else, so don't get caught up in the rivet-counting. As long as your plane wore those markings (regardless of the vaiant), that's all that matters. I can't tell the difference between an F-18A & C, nor can I tell the difference between an F-4J or N, so don't worry about versions too much. Just have fun. Take your time. Enjoy.
Someone else has mentioned that a listing of what everyone is working on would be beneficial, and I think that it's a great idea, so I will compile a listing as soon as possible. If everyone involved in the Group Build could e-mail me at the below address with your projects for this build, I will put them all in one listing here to make it easier to refer to, instead of having to read a bazillion postings to see what everyone is building.
That's all for now. I gotta get ready to leave tomorrow morning for Goshen, Indiana.........

SEMPER FI!!!!

jimz,

Let me redefine what I meant about "accurate markings". As long as the plane wore those markings and the paint scheme depicted (i.e., P-40's weren't used by the USMC, so they shouldn't have USMC markings, OR, Corsairs weren't used by the USAAF, so.......), then it's ok with me. In other words, I couldn't tell the difference between an F-18A & an F-18C, so I wouldn't worry about that type of accuracy too much. If an F-18 (regardless of it being a C or A variant) wore the markings you're depicting, then it's ok with me. If an R4D is being built, I couldn't tell the difference between the different variants of it......... I hope that this is making sense. Just have fun with this. Don't get too caught up in the EXACT, to-the-date-and-time accuracy of your model. Just have fun.

jimz,

As long as you don't post it on this forum before 30 July 2004......... except for in-progress photos.

Hi group, sounds like everything is progressing smoothly and am looking forward to seeing the projects. Today I am painting the cockpits on the Tamiya F4F Wildcat and F4U-1 Corsair. I spent the weekend a couple weeks ago with friend USMC Ace (actually twice Ace in a day!) Col. Archie Donahue, who is the subject of my build and he signed the boxes and thought the kits were "neat" Here's some info on him if you have time. http://www.dallasjournal.com/articlesview.php?ID=218 He was just recently inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. I would like to know the history of your builds as well! Great group, and thanks

Tim Landers

Drew how do you do that thing with the quotes?

I agree are you doing just one? I am going to do two Hornets from Hasegawa in 1/48. Drew I hope to start a new group build are you interested. It is for anything in Natural Metal Finish. Due Date is October 31.

QUOTE: Originally posted by jimz66 Drew I wonder if it is just the two of us. Havent heard from anyone else in while. Then again I am the panoriod type. Maybe everyone is building, painting, sanding, or whatever. Good Luck.

I'm sure others are working on their planes. One thing I'd like is to see a list of who's working on what.

That's just so I can put a screen-name to a project a little easier.

For the record, I'm working on a Monogram 1/72 F-4J in VFMA-333 markings.

Regards,

I'm with you all the way!!! My attention span is around 5 minutes, and then.....WHAM!!!! Out of nowhere, I have another briliant project!!!! Good thing my Girlfriend doesn't mind all of the kits lying around

Cool keep us posted. I am glad I joined this group build, it is giving me the extra umf to get things done. I am one who has a hard time staying focused.

Jim, I'm still here, just been waiting on my PE, Resin seat, and resources I ordered onlie....should get it all this week, and then I'll be full blown in the game!!!!

I'm gonna start priming tomorrow. And then it will probably be sanding again.

Drew I wonder if it is just the two of us. Havent heard from anyone else in while. Then again I am the panoriod type. Maybe everyone is building, painting, sanding, or whatever.

Good Luck.

All the decals are on my plane! I just need to paint and attach the landing gear, and then attach the missiles. Then the plane will be done.

I'm going to make a base with tarmac and add one-two painted figures.

Things are going really well!

Regards,

I got my decals yesterday and they look great. I cant wait to see them on the finished products. I finished working on the first one for now. I have a little more sanding to do. But it is on hold now as I need some superglue to install the cockpit panel in my A model. So before I go any further I will wait until I have that piece in place. At least for now. I would rather paint both aircraft at the same time as they are the same paint scheme.

I wish more of you would make more regular posts so we can compare were we all are.

Jim,

I'm glad you found an answer to your quandary. I'm in a similar quandary with an F-14D kit that I'm going to build. It's the Fujimi F-14D kit, but the cockpit has the wrong instrument panels. The kit also has the wrong under-nose sensor pod for the D model.

I have an extra sensor pod from the Revell-Monogram F-14D (a fine kit in its own right). I may try my hand at casting the Revell instrument panels in resin for use with the Fujimi kit.

And all of this is because I got decals for an F-14D of VF-31 during Operation Enduring Freedom! I'm a slave to my decals.

I may even get some air to ground ordinance to make the plane better reflect its role during that conflict.

Regards,

Drew I have two Hornets from Hasegawa. But the problem is that I have robbed parts from the A to replace the litte ones I lost from the C. The C is the one I am building.

I think that the rules that Gary said were that it had to be an accurate paint scheme. Althougth I can just wait until I can buy another set of decals. That will give me time to work on my painting. I can just wait a while that's all. I am going to replace those missing parts when I get some resin, the next time I buy a Hasegawa Hornet. It took me a long tome to get those tiny pieces on. So I do not wan't to take them off. If I read this group build two weeks earlier, then I could have done the A model. I suppose I could leave them off. but I would rather not.

I am missin the little pieces between the intakes (Both sides, these two I am not so worried about.) The one that I am worried about is one of the six pieces that attacth to the upper fuselage and the verticle stababilzers.

Changed my mind just after I made this post. I am going to go with the other kit. I am going to buy another set for the C model later. I will use this set from twobobs from the Mariens. I did not want to go the other way because the only other paint scheme I have for the A is that nice Superscale set from VMFA-321. So I will be doing two aircraft for this build after all. I can always add those pieces later. I didn't wan't to do that because I was affraid that I wouldn't be able to match the right colors. If it is a one color paint scheme it wont be so bad.

Jim,

As I understand it, the only requirements for this build are that the kit be a Marine aircraft, and that it be done by the end of July.

As far as I know, kit/decal accuracy only matters to the person building the kit. I would be mortified if we started nit-picking each others' models.

If I were in your situation, I would probably just put the decals on the A model plane.

Regards, and good luck!

Gary if your out there, I hope all is well. I may have a problem. I posted a new post about my Hornet for the Group Build yesterday. I ordered decals from Twobobs on the main page they list them as F/A-18C's but in reality they are F/A-18A+'s. I asked what the difference was and Bob over at Twobobs only said that they have the IFF antennas on them. Will this still suffice for the group build or should I choose something else for decals? They are accurate markings. But would it be ok to stick them on a C rather than an A or an A+. The Decal sheet lists under "Whats Out There" F/A-18A/C so I wonder if this is ok. Thanks.

Refer to the responses in my Hornet Help wanted post I made and was answered this morning.

I hope not. i am going with multiple techniques I have heard about from others.

I am using enamals.

Hey jimz66, how does that work out with the panel lines? Does the ink bleed through the base coat then each succssive coat? Are you using acrylics or enamels?

I will be painting my NMF on my Hornet tomorrow. That will be the basecoat. I am going to use Model Master Enamels to finish my Hornet. I will paint the second coat on Saturday or Sunday after applying ink pen for the panel lines. Then I will paint the second coat on Tuesday or Wednesday. Can't wait to get this one done. I am feeling exicted about finishing it. I hope to finish in about three to five more weeks.

I think my decals were shipped today can't wait to see them. They look great I got some good deals over at Twobobs. I have stocked up on some that are going to be future projects.

Well all, I'm going to sit down and start on the OV-10 tonight... hopefully I can get an update on here soon. It sounds like you're all getting off to a good start... sorry to here about the troubles Gary. I'll try to get a good start and maybe get some "progress pics" up.

usmcsm....sounds like my kind of hobby shop, will check it out when I can get over to Yuma.

Excellant instrument panel site there, usmcsm - thanks for that link.
I use the ejection seat site alot. Any see the article of building your own flight simworking cockpit on that site?

kik36 -
Thanks. It's the resin seat that came with black box set #48018 and the seat belts are moulded in. A real fine brush and a steady hand (no coffee for atleast 2 hours before) help in painting those details - otherwise it's the standard drybrush/wash deal. Since I usually have a hard time with washes I'll also mix my own shadow colors using a combination of dk blue/black and the base color - again applied with a steady hand
and a fine brush. It ain't perfect, but it works for me.

Drew,
Check out this seat site too!!!! It is fantastic!
http://www.ejectionsite.com/frame_sg.htm

Thanks for posting the link to that awesome web site!

Regards,

All,
While researching I found this site which I believe most of us can use. It contains pictures of instrument panels of quite a few planes and almost all of those mentioned in the build so far.

http://gra.midco.net/mlgould/

My neighbor was over when I found it. When I said I had to get it out on the forum he said "why? Then their models will be as good or maybe better than yours!" I told him that was the idea! Some people just don't get it.

Might have to change my plans. Rummaging through my kits I found the Fujimi 1/72 EA-6A. I might have to go with it.

whibi2,
Looking good amigo!