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

Hope my models go smoother that my picture process!!

I am moving right along. i like this group build thing it is making me actually work. I do not usually work at this speed. It's like I have a school assignment or something. Sealed the top and bottom of the fueslage last night. Need to do a little more gluing then filling and sanding. Hope to do all that today.

Started my SBD-1 last night....have most of the interior fuselage detailing done.... I am trying to figure out what I want to use for the aluminum on the outside. Alclad is kind of tough to work with.....and I am not sure ModelMaster aluminum will hold up to all the masking I'll have to do..... decisions, decisions, decisions.

The same just happened to me...

Hey Ray, there's something kind of funny about your post.....wherever you post a pic, it asks for my MSN password....the thing just pops up when I come to this page. Same with your profile page....and I'm only getting the red X...no pics???!!!!

How bout now?

Folks,

There is no mandatory progress posting. Just whenever you feel like it, if at all, you can post your model's progress. It's entirely up to you. I will reiterate - this group build is for fun. Along the way, you learn a little history. But, the main emphasis is fun. Although, I have to admit, the kit I picked to build AIN'T!! I picked it because I've never built an F7F before, and the AMT kit looked ok.........in the box.

Lufbery,

Thanks for the kind comment. That one line, "The group build was a good idea", made my day. Thank You!!

Sergeant Major,

I love those Scooters, too. I think that, right now, Hasegawa has the best Scooter kits you can buy. I've got a few in my stach. Can't wait to get 'em built. Hey, what do you think of R. Lee Ermey and his show "Mail Call"? My favorite show, with my second favorite Marine hosting it (my FAVORITE Marine is my oldest son ).

Sorry all, not much for me to report yet. I did get the sprue trees out and washed in Dawn water, but unfortunately that's about as far as it's gone. I need some paint and such and just haven't had the time as of late.

Sergent Major must be a Jimmy Buffet fan. Nothing wrong with that.

I painted my exhaust cones and inside today. Futurized the cockpit prior to finish painting and weahtering. Hope to finish cockpit by tomorrow or the day after. Figure it needs some time to dry. No photos yet. I havent been brave enough. I will assemble the cones tonight and weather them tomorrow.

Then I will seal the top and bottom of the fueslage together then start filling, sanding and painting. Post again tomorrow or the day after.

Good luck to all keep us posted.

I know there is a post on how to upload photos somewhere in this forum. Can somebody point me in that direction?

Dazed and confused...

QUOTE: Originally posted by jimz66 Patience Drew it will come in due time. Hey how often are we supposed to update our progress?

Thanks for the encouragement. I'll tell you, some of those decals are really tiny in 1/72 scale.

I don't think there's any expectation regarding how often one should post progress updates. It seems to me, however, that if we're doing a group build, then we should talk about our builds and maybe post photos.

I know I'm very interested in knowing what others are working on and how it's going.

Regards,

I used to be a big Hasagawa fan but am deffinetly trending towards Tamiya these days. For the money you can't beat the overall quality. My last two complete (the optimum word) WWII builds were the 1/48 Bf-109E and the Spit MKI by Tamiya. Both were a joy to work on. Seems to me that Hasagawa stopped including ordinance with their kits about the time they came out with their ordinance sets. I first noticed it with the 1/48 A-7E. Marketting ploy no doubt. I cannot, however, pass on a Skyhawk kit. I love the Scooter! As the patch used to say, "A-4 Skyhawk, the Professionals Preference."

Patiance Drew it will come in due time. Hey how often are we supposed to update our progress?

Hi all,

This group build was a good idea. Thanks Gary. It's helping to motivate me to put an hour or so in each night. Right now I'm putting decals on the plane. It sure didn't look like there'd be so many when they were on the sheet! Overall it's going pretty well, but I've already placed two major decals slightly off from where they should be.

Part of the problem may be that I'm building a Monogram kit while the decals are really meant for a Hasegawa kit. The differences are minor, but noticable when I'm trying to align a decal with a particular panel line. The other part of the problem is that I'm simply not that good at applying decals yet.

Regards,

Adam,

I just started on my Tamiya P-47 Bubbletop last night (8 Feb 2004), and I can't beleive how well it all fits. It's probably the best-fitting kit I've ever built. I can hardly wait to start on my Tamiya Razorback now!!

How's your group build coming along? You can read about my horrors, I mean, progress in the subject "1/48th AMT F7F-3N Tigercat". I'll never build another one.

I haven't built any of my Tamiya stuff yet but it all looks really great. I've been wondering about Hasegawa myself... I'll have to give it a try.

jimz,

Hornet cockpits should be Dark Gull Gray FS36231. The Dark Ghost Gray that you said you used should be pretty close, though. I wouldn't worry too much about it.


Sergeant Major,

You're correct. I wasn't surprised at all. Did you have to submit a chit for your waiver? heeheeheehee!! Is your wife the NCOIC, or the OIC? I would guess that she's the latter.......

kik36,

If I had to make a choice between the two, I would go with Tamiya. They seem to have high levels of detail with less parts than a Hasegawa kit. Plus, they include ordnance with most of their kits. Hasegawa seems to exclude ordnance sometimes. But, it would be a hard choice to make. I'm kinda partial to both companies. The majority of my stash is Hasegawa & Tamiya (about 65%).

Heath I only have one Tamiya Kit but many Hasegawa kits. I love Hasegawa's attention to detail. The only Tamiya Kit i have is their 1970's release of the Lancaster and it seams to be a great kit.

Kept the color of my Hornet cockpit even though it may be to bright I will live with it for now. Painted the panels the best I can tonight will seal with future tomorrow then weather the day after.

How are the Hasagawa kits in comparison to the Tamiya kits?? I've really been enjoying the Clean casts on the Tamiya parts, and have been a little afraid to try a different company.

I'm back after taking time out of my busy schedual for massive computer problems that almost included a broken window (that would fall under the catagory of an "exit wound".)
VMFA-333 was deactivated on 20 March 1992. They were flying the 'A' model Hornet at that time. Negitave on the high vis.
For the build I am planning to do a 1/48 A-4 E/F Skyhawk (no surprise to Gary) and/or a 1/72 DH-4. I picked 1/48 A-4 because I have been dying to try the recent Hasagawa kits.
The wife sort of has me on a "build three before I buy one" compromise (my ever expanding collections are taking up a LOT of space!) but I got a waiver for the group build. I am optimistic about completeing both but now that I am a full time student again, still have a 13 year old at home, and all the other family type stuff, I am at least sure one of them will be up and running by July.

I couldn't tell you Drew I don't know that much about the History of the Hornet. I have heard that the squadron was decommed though so I knew that already. I think I found out about that from this website somewhere.

Hi all,

My F-4's a Marine now. I've been decalling her and it's going pretty darned well. I'm using Fox One decals and they're working beautifully. My only complaint is that the white is a bit translucent. I'm going to try and take some more pictures soon and post them.

I'm a slow modeler. I started this model last May, but I'm nearly done now. Some of what's taking so long is that I'm trying a whole host of new (for me) techniques. I also bought a house and moved in November -- a major time-sucker!

Regards,

Jim,

I haven't seen any photos of a hi-viz VMFA-333 Hornet. Doesn't mean there aren't any, I just haven't seen them yet. Also, they were decommissioned right after Desert Storm; were there any F/A-18Cs at that time?

Regards,

Does anyone know if VMFA-333 ever flew the C model Hornet and if there was ever a high viz paintjob and where i could find those decals. Not for this build but for a future one.

Well guys I got the few things I need to get started anyway. The only things that are missing I wont need until after I start working in March or so, so I am going to try this. I will be building some Marine Corps F/A-18C in 1/48. I airbrushed the cockpit yesterday, but I think the color is to bright so I will have to redo that. No biggie. I used Darg Ghost gray I think i should use something darker.

I just need to decide what decals to buy when the time comes. Good luck to all. and God Bless.

Hey guys, I'm still here just really busy. Wow, you would think I had three kids (years, 8, 2 and 2months), a wife, job and school or something.

QUOTE: Originally posted by garydmason jimz66, I know what you mean about the shocker of getting back into the hobby. I had about a decade-long absence when I was in the Corps, and when I decided to start building again, I had to learn all about resin & photo-etch & airbrushes & all sorts of other things that I had never heard of when I was a kid. Heck, I'm still learning!!

Anyway, Gary sorry I have to laugh, I'm still learning about resin & photo-etch. I only herd of them three weeks ago. lol
Oh, I'm building or a will be trying to build the F4U-1D. It was fighter used by the Marine squadron VMF-124 and VMF-213 assinged to the Essex on Dec. 28, 1944.

Hey Heath, Glad your airbrush is working for you. I HAVE YET TO USE MINE. Maybe tomorrow.
Talk to you guys soon.

Yeah, I know that Snap-On more or less took me on that one, but I have a set "tool bill" in my budget, and a set "model bill" as well. At first I bought it for the shop, thinking that a portable compressor would be perfect when painting panels and such inside the plane. I didn't realize it was a Badger, until after I had received it from Snap-On. Anyways, it ended up at my apartment for some reason or another, and never was used at work.

I've been spraying the Omni for a week now, and I am in love!!! LOL the ease of use and clean-up has suprised me so much, that I think I may be doing something wrong!!! 'Cause if it keeps being good to me like this, it's got to be a sin somewhere!!!! So far no clogs, and no troubles whatsoever. And all I do for clean-up at this point is spray thinner through it.....back flush it....use Q-tips......spray more thinner through it.....use Q-tips.....She's done!!! I may start breaking her down once a week, if I keep up such a vigarous painting schedule, but we shall see. I'm still a little nervous about tearing apart something that works so well, if you know what I mean!!

Good point, wibhi2. I do the same thing with my Aztek brush. I only clean the needles when I'm done painting for the day, though.

That's really the trick to keeping these things working properly (learned that the hard way).
I'll also yank out the needles and give them a quick wipe down after each session, and won't reseat them till I'm ready for the next.

Scott53,

Yeah, I've heard that, too, but I don't remember the exact details. I just make sure that I thin my paints properly, and blow a lot of clean thinner through the airbrush after each paint color & paint session. I've never had a clog problem with my airbrush doing that (I did clog a feed tube in a bottle cap, though).