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

Well... I haven't taken the digitals yet.....patience friends...patience

Tried getting the cowling and engine together late last night....but ran into some trouble lining things up..decided I was just too tired...LOL...

I am way behind were I wanted to be. I have not even started to paint mine. I made some progress this week though. As I am building the same kind of airplane with a similar scheme I figured it was best to paint them at the same time.

Um Jeeves I agree I would like to see how that paint scheme worked out. Good luck to everyone. I promise to have the beginnning stages of the painting done real soon. I hope by the end of next week.

I still need loads of practice on my sanding and cockpit painting but I am starting to except were I am now on the two that I am working on. Just need to do some finished sanding and then some more assembly as well as wash then paint. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel I still have some time to mess with though so I am not panicky yet. Wont reach that stage for a while yet. Thanks for all your help and support getting me through these first ones guys. I think that has really helped me a lot, I also think that when these two are finally finished I have more MOTOVATION to get some more to be companions to them. Thanks again to all and good luck to all.

yeah. No fair claiming victory with no proof.
Lets see some picts.

Mike,

Let's see it!

Regards,

I am unsure when I should stop posting progress pics ...I have pretty much the entire paint job done....and only the fine details are missing (landing gear, canopies, bombs, and propeller.....and of course decals.

This was a challenging one to paint-- probably the most challenging to date for me...but I think I pulled it off pretty well....

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lufbery I never knew that. Flight Journal had an article on the Tigercat, but it was written by Grumman test pilot Corky Meyer and was therefore focused on the plane itself and not its service. Regards,

Drew,
I've got the same article (I subscribe to Flight Journal - GREAT magazine!!), and I thought that it was a damned good article. The fact that the Tigercat could walk away from a Corsair in a climb really inpressed me. That article, plus the fact that I had never built one before, inspired me to build the Tigercat for the group build.

QUOTE: Originally posted by jimz66 Gary what were the Tigercat's used for? They are set up sort of like a P-38 right? I mean they don't look like a P-38 but they have three booms, one on each side with the engines and then the other in the middle with the cockpit right?

Jim,

The Tigercats were fighters. Some were nightfighters, which could be distinguished by an N in their designations (i.e. F7F-3N, F7F-2N, etc.) And, I guess they sorta resemble the P-38, except that they had a single tail, instead of the twin tail that the Lightning used.

QUOTE: Originally posted by garydmason Drew, As far as Tigercats go, the Navy rarely used them. The majority of them were used by the USMC. I've forgotten the exact reasons why.

I never knew that. Flight Journal had an article on the Tigercat, but it was written by Grumman test pilot Corky Meyer and was therefore focused on the plane itself and not its service.

Regards,

Gary what were the Tigercat's used for? They are set up sort of like a P-38 right? I mean they don't look like a P-38 but they have three booms, one on each side with the engines and then the other in the middle with the cockpit right?

Drew,

As far as Tigercats go, the Navy rarely used them. The majority of them were used by the USMC. I've forgotten the exact reasons why.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lufbery *grin* Gary, You finished your Tigercat (which I never knew were used by the Marines), are you doing another kit for the build? Regards,

Yep, I've already started on the new Hasegawa Harrier. I should have it finished by 30 July. Plus, maybe, just maybe, I'll have my Academy 1/32nd F/A-18C finished also. No promises, though. The Harrier is listed in the first posting. I updated it a few weeks ago.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jeeves Actually-- the wing tops did not have Alclad applied.....I probably should have for weathering purposes-- but since this is a pre-war Dauntless, I am going under the assumption that they had time to take good care of her

Isn't the Navy motto something along the lines of, "If it aint moving, paint it."?

Regards,

Well, I'm only doing one kit for this build, but I'd like to do a base and figure for it too.

I had hoped to get a few pictures of it posted today. All those shamrocks would look good Saint Patrick's day.

Regards,

Yeah Gary the rest of us are doing at least two. You do have plenty of time.

HE HE. Sorry you two I couldn't resist.

QUOTE: Originally posted by garydmason Good come-back!!!

*grin*

Gary,

You finished your Tigercat (which I never knew were used by the Marines), are you doing another kit for the build?

Regards,

Good come-back!!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by garydmason Drew, What's a "landing great"??? heeheeheeheehee!! Does that mean it didn't crash?

Oh, good catch. Actually, it should be "landing grate," part of the top-secret, underground arresting gear system installed at Japanese airbases during the Vietnam war.

Sorry for the confusion.

Regards,

oooohhhh.....Jeeves, never thought about a black underpaint - light enough metal coats could lead to some interesting panel discoloration. Gloss white I know is great for a chromish type finish.

Thanks

Come on Gary be Nice. You two are really at one another. I know it is only in good fun though.

Drew,

What's a "landing great"??? heeheeheeheehee!! Does that mean it didn't crash?

Hi all,

It's great to read about everyone's progress.

Tonight, I finally got the burner cans and landing great installed on my Phantom. Now all that's left to put on the plane are the gear doors, the centerline fuel tank, and the missiles!

Regards,

Thanks Drew and Mike. I appreciate the quick response.

QUOTE: Originally posted by jimz66 Hey Drew or Gary, I hope that one of you can help me with this, I have a photograph in one of my books that at this moment I cannot locate it. I have seen the markings that you are using Drew and the look sweet. I can't wait to see them finished. But I have decals from the USS Nimitz in 1977 and 1978, from Aeromaster for the A-7 from the VA-82 and VA-86, I am wondering if I can get markings for VMFA-333 from the same cruise? Or doctor them up, can either one of you help me? It would be great for a future diaroma potential. Thanks Good luck to all of you. Take care.

No problem.

The decals that came with the kit I'm building are for a Phantom of VMFA-333 on the Nimitz. The Monogram decals are a bit over scale and a little yellowed, so what I'd do in your shoes is just use the squadron and ship names, and maybe the plane's numbers from the Monogram sheet. Get the rest from the Fox One sheet.

The decals I have are 1/72 scale, but if you have access to a scanner, you can resize them and print them on some sort of decal paper. Testors offers a decal-printing kit for something like $5.

Contact me off list, and I'll make arrangements to send you the decals and/or scan them for you.

Regards,

Actually-- the wing tops did not have Alclad applied.....I probably should have for weathering purposes-- but since this is a pre-war Dauntless, I am going under the assumption that they had time to take good care of her I did a white primer...and then the yellow for the wing tops....and everything else had a black primer...and then the Alclad......

Hey Drew or Gary, I hope that one of you can help me with this, I have a photograph in one of my books that at this moment I cannot locate it. I have seen the markings that you are using Drew and the look sweet. I can't wait to see them finished. But I have decals from the USS Nimitz in 1977 and 1978, from Aeromaster for the A-7 from the VA-82 and VA-86, I am wondering if I can get markings for VMFA-333 from the same cruise? Or doctor them up, can either one of you help me? It would be great for a future diaroma potential. Thanks Good luck to all of you. Take care.

Jeeves did you put anything in between the Alcalad and the yellow? Or did you leave it as is?

Phew... what a weekend!

The wing tops are now yellow....just have to wrap the yellow around the wing to the very front of the bottom.... and the fuselage and cowling bands are done!! In actuality, I guess this will look like I am exactly copying the online build at the AM website, but really- I am using the Gatefold Book of WWII Aircraft from Barnes & Noble as my guide-- to build a squadron leader's plane flying out of Quantico, VA. Really- I guess the only difference is the numbers of the fuselage....

Looking good Mike!!!

Hey James, beautiful family man!!! That's definately a great excuse for not geting anything done!!! LOL Hopefully this weekend, I'll finish painting the zinc chromate, do the future glossing and start on the washes.....hopefully by next weekend I'll have the wash, and dry brushing done in the cockpit. I'm building mine with the left wing folded....I have yet to decide if I'll drop the elevator, as I've never tried that yet......but the flaps themselves will definately be dropped. I got my patch in today for the squadron I'm modeling, and will share that sometime this weekend......the teeth that were bothering me have been fixed, I had two root canals and a wisdom tooth extracted....so the temp crowns are on now. Unfortunately while eating this evening, I screwed up a whole nother tooth on the opposite side of my mouth. But it only bothers me when I eat right this minute, and after dropping $2500 this week to get the other teeth fixed, I may have to wait a couple of weeks to fix this new problem. Don't worry Gary, I'm working on getting them all replaced....I'm with you all the way!!!!

OK-- just finished applying the Alclad to the fuselage as you can see....did I mention how much I am growing to love this stuff!!!

Hey keeg - nice and congrats to you and your lovely.

Okay, here is an update on the harrier family. This is the B II conversion using the set from AMRAAM. The white line between the resin LERX and wing is a .40 card stock filler that I needed due to the cut location. If you use this set, make sure you cut the wings 4 mm forward of what they suggest.


Om a side note, I just got the TAV-8B conversin from c&h Aero miniatures and I am a little upset with meteor products - they have the conversion set listed for $75.00 and based on what's in it - it's a bit on the overly expensive side. To make matters worse, there was a double price tag on the top of the box. The tag underneath was for $49.00 - which I think would be more in the ball park. The resin castings are pretty good, but the scribing on the fuselage nose section is very light. If anyone is interested, I'll post pictures of that conversion set