Tal Afar Dave

Wings and cockpit assembled.  Fuselage tacked together with intake strakes mounted.  They had to be filed down at an angle so that the intakes could be properly fitted.

TAD

Sorry about the sloppy pic posting.....trying to remember again how to properly add them!

Great start there Dave!  Looks pretty good so far!      It is also obvious that you are doing a lot of test fitting and pre planning.  Good job!

Ken

jimbot58

Hello again!

Well, after being taken down for much of the evening by an upset stomach (something I ate?) I finally felt up to work in the hobby room.

 2 things I worked on was finishing up on closing the F-8 fuselage. Took me 2 sessions as I take a lot of time to babysit the process. I spend most of it to be sure the two halves line up to avoid that step you can get. This kit does go together  very well, and the areas I glued last night barely took a few swipes with a sanding stick to make them disappear. The nose and the section behind the cockpit are done. I did have to add a drop of CA for filler where the parts had been attached to the sprue and left a bit of a flaw.

I also added a few more PE parts to the Flanker seat. Hard to see them as they are mostly black on black. I think I mentioned that there were something like 13 or 15 pcs. to add to the seat. I only can do a few at a time as it is so unnerving!

A few things I did on previous sessions was to drill out the gun barrels (easy) and also open up the scoops on the rear of the aircraft (not so easy!) Micro-drill and pin vise time!

You can sort of tell the scale I'm working with as you can see the color cup for my airbrush behind the aircraft in the background.

Jim

Good work Jim!  The ejection seat is looking good.  And great job on opening those gun barrels and vents!      Looks much better than leaving them filled in.

Ken

jimbot58

I did read something very helpful in the latest issue of FSM I always have trouble with painting the areas around the wing root. I always end up with grainy paint and clear is even worse. I guess there is a vortex that occurs there, the paint swirls around and partially dries before contacting the surface. I read the cure is to paint and mask the two areas separate. Seems like a pain, but sounds worth a try.

Jim

Thanks for passing that along Jim!

Ken

Duke Maddog

Thanks Jim! I had thought that I;d purchased an F-35 before that had 33rd TFW markings but I couldn't find it. Once I finish this one it'll probably pop up so we may yet have the chance to build two together. I don't remember what maker the other one was though. I do like the open bays and will be doing them all open on this model.

jimbot58

I did read something very helpful in the latest issue of FSM I always have trouble with painting the areas around the wing root. I always end up with grainy paint and clear is even worse. I guess there is a vortex that occurs there, the paint swirls around and partially dries before contacting the surface. I read the cure is to paint and mask the two areas separate. Seems like a pain, but sounds worth a try.

Jim

I usually spray in at an angle from the front or back parallel to the fuselage to avoid that vortex. That way the paint goes in and has an outlet on the other side, thus no vortex. I've never had an issue with grainy paint on my wing roots. Just a thought...

Thank you for that tip Duke!

Ken

jimbot58

mikeymize

Great looking work guys. I want to build the F-35 as well but couldn't stand the thought of masking off all those zig zags. I understand one of the kits out now has decals for them and that's the one I'll buy when the times comes.

Yes, that masking is going to be a bear when it comes down to that. The Hasegawa kit recently released is the one that has the decals. 9From hobby search Japan:

The one minus to the Hasegawa kit is that it does not have open weapons bays. But that may be what somebody wants as you really don't see these aircraft on the tarmac with the bays open.

As I said all the kits offered so far are different, and each has it's own plus and minuses. I understand the Tamiya kit has a very nice detailed engine you install inside the fuselage and never see again.

Well, most of the work tonight was clean up of seams on both the Crusader and the Warthog. I also made a bulkhead for the back of the A-10. The only problem is, when I went to paint it, I don't have the color I need! Seems I remember tossing out a few bottles that had gone bad, and I think this was one of them! Unfortunately, all the hobby stores I could get to close by the time I get off work! Oh well, it's not like I don't have 2 other projects to work on until then, though I tend to be a bit impatient when I want something!

Jim.

Murphy's Law!  And I know what you mean by being impatient.  You get your mind set on doing something, and you will try anything to get around an obstacle.

Ken

jimbot58

mikeymize

Looks like the Hasegawa kit will be then Jim, i'm aware of the potential for problems when it comes to decals for stuff like that but I just can't face the prospect of taping all the angles without losing my mind (I've lost too much of it already!)  For those that can pull it off with masking and paint my hats off to them.I remember painting a JU-88 canopy years ago and I though I was going to get a aneurysm!

You want to talk of insanity?

The PE kit arrived for the A-10 today.

The challenges?

The kit is partially built already, and....

The PE set is not made for this manufacture of kit!

First off, they provide a new cowling for the forward cockpit:

Yes, there are other parts that go in those grooves, such as the HUD.

This means major surgery! Cut, cut, cut......

That hole in the center is suppose to take the big ol' clunky solid clear plastic bit that is to represent the HUD. Bye-bye!

Offending bit removed successfully!

I see an opportunity to add just a bit more weight to the nose, while I'm at it!

I tried to pop the seat loose to better work on it, but I did a very good job cementing it in! It won't budge! Oh well!

The kit supplied instrument panel was very difficult to put in place, and actually fell out while I was cutting. So long to it! It fell to the floor and I'll let the carpet monster keep this one.....

New instrument panel consists of 3 layers for assembly. These are not self adhesive on this one, so I puddled on some Future and stacked the parts. letting it be the "glue".

Just to give you an idea of scale, I backed up a bit and put a #11 blade next to it....

Is any further evidence of my insanity needed?

And to think - I do this to relax? Sheesh!

Jim

P.S. Another battle damaged A-10 that came back!

Still an amazing aircraft!

J.

Good job on cutting out that instrument panel.     

I use that exact same technique with gluing the PE instrument panels together using Future.  Works like a charm.  Then I add more after the first coat is dry to the dial faces to help give them that "glass" look.

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

Duke Maddog

Thanks Jim! I had thought that I;d purchased an F-35 before that had 33rd TFW markings but I couldn't find it. Once I finish this one it'll probably pop up so we may yet have the chance to build two together. I don't remember what maker the other one was though. I do like the open bays and will be doing them all open on this model.

jimbot58

I did read something very helpful in the latest issue of FSM I always have trouble with painting the areas around the wing root. I always end up with grainy paint and clear is even worse. I guess there is a vortex that occurs there, the paint swirls around and partially dries before contacting the surface. I read the cure is to paint and mask the two areas separate. Seems like a pain, but sounds worth a try.

Jim

I usually spray in at an angle from the front or back parallel to the fuselage to avoid that vortex. That way the paint goes in and has an outlet on the other side, thus no vortex. I've never had an issue with grainy paint on my wing roots. Just a thought...

Thank you for that tip Duke!

Ken

Forgot to comment there but that's great advice! I painted some gloss black on a F-86 last week as an undercoat to a NM finish and the wing roots came out rough where the paint had half dried before it hit the model. I'm definitely giving that a try- thanks!!!   

You're welcome guys for the tip. It has always worked for me. And Ken, the work I did on the F-35 took about two hours of time. I had to stop there as there were parts that needed drying and some painting will need to be done before I can go on.

More to come...

jimbot58

I want to see this movie!

I agree with you Jim, I look forward to seeing "Fury" as well.  But I will wait until it comes out on Blu-ray.

Ken

jimbot58

modelcrazy

Read the comments afterward. Wow, I supposed there were those kind of feelings about America and our roll in the war but never really realized they were that volatile of hateful.
I feel sad for the future.

I couldn't get the lower half of the page to load so I could read the comments.Just kept saying "loading" with little circle that rotates. From your reaction, it probably would *** me off anyway. My Dad served proudly in that war for 3 1/2 years!

Jim

A big salute to your Dad Jim!   

Ken

jimbot58

Well, that aside...

Cutting and carving on the A-10 to make that instrument panel fit! you would think that if these kits were accurate, things like this would be interchangeable. The cockpit of the  Revell/Italeri kit must be larger.

A test to be sure the cowling would fit right. I had to trim a bit off the bottom of the panel as it was a bit high.

Then a quick check to be sure every thing will clear the windscreen:

All looks good so far. Next, I'm having to sand a bit on the edges of the side consoles to make them fit. PE can be a pain even when your working with a set that's matched to the kit your working on!

Last before I called it a night: Just one more good size fishing weight to assure no tail dragging planes here!

Nice ejector pin mark on the back of that seat, huh? And look how out -of-scale that control stick looks...

Enough! Off to bed!

Jim

Great work once again Jim!     

Ken

jimbot58

Tal Afar Dave

Mikey,

You are spot on in your critique of the Youtube comment gang!!

I finally got to read some of those comments by opening it up on my android. And that's just it: I read a few then quit. A bunch of people trying to have a battle of wits and most of them seem to have come unarmed!

I guess something on the Youtube site doesn't work with Firefox, and I never use IE, so I didn't try that.

Just the same, I don't care about the comments. Dribble, dribble, dribble.....

Jim

Just way too funny!!   

I agree with everyone.  I tend to think that those comments are made by grade school children who got a hold of their parents computer when they weren't looking!

Ken

jimbot58

What a waste of a night! My power was out for almost 4 hours! Going to bed wasn't an option as I have said before, I have issues with insomnia. Drove down to Walmart to wander around for a while, but how interesting is that? read for a while on the Kindle, but then the battery was dead, so I went out in the truck so I could plug it in and finish my book. I did doze off for a while out there, so now I'll be up for hours!

Isn't amazing how much we rely on our utilities and such?

I whine about this, but what about people who are caught in storms and end up going days without power in the middle of winter? I should keep my mouth shut!

Really sorry to hear about your night Jim.  What a bummer.

I have a generator in case we lose power for an extended time.  If there is a big winter storm in the forecast I will buy several 5 gallon container's worth of gasoline to keep it running just in case.  Since I converted our furnace and cooking stove over to natural gas, the generator would have enough power to keep the furnace, refrigerator, and a few lights running.

We had a really bad ice storm back around 1991.  The electric was out for several days.  I don't want to go through that again.

Ken

Duke Maddog

You're welcome guys for the tip. It has always worked for me. And Ken, the work I did on the F-35 took about two hours of time. I had to stop there as there were parts that needed drying and some painting will need to be done before I can go on.

More to come...

Wow, you are a speed demon!  It takes me a couple of hours just to get a small amount of building done.  I guess that must come from experience.

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I watched a documentary (again) about experimental aircraft produced by Germany during WW II.  My interest in the Horten Ho 229 was peaked.  So I looked around for any available kits.  And to my pleasant surprise found that Zoukei-Mura is getting ready to release a 1/32 scale version next month!

Here is a link to the page with more description:

 http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/products/sws08_Ho229horten.html 

Very cool!

Ken

Well my friends, so it begins. I am going to post a "Notice to Quit" at Mom's most likely this evening. I have been trying work up into this, and have decided that enough is enough! I went to the house today for the sole purpose of shutting down the sprinkler system before I begin the eviction process. It was a good thing as it hardened my resolve! It is such a mess with trash everywhere, carpets are all stained and there is just sh*t everywhere! I'm working 6 days a week (yes, I worked today!) while my 24 year old nephew sits on his backside, playing with his X-box, and lives in a $220,000 home for free! AND trashes it out!

It's tough, as this is family, but then I no longer believe that "blood is thicker than water" nonsense! You can pick your friends, but not your family I always say, but sharing some genes is no reason to allow someone to be treated as I have been. A friend does you wrong, you don't keep them around! Same for family!

Sorry to go so off subject, but I had to get some of it off my chest....

Jim

Been away for a bit guys and trying to catch up. Way too much happened in the past few weeks, but, gotta say some epic work being done, especially with all the PE!! Anyway, feel your pain Jim with the family woes, my wife's side had a similar situation a few years back..always NOT good.

As for building, I did finally manage to get the Olive green down on the Lightning. Gonna try to get some more work tomorrow, but, I have to work later in the evening, so, we'll see. I really thought I'd get more progress than this (unlike me). anyway, just for an update, here's the Lightning as she is at the moment:

Wow, Ken!!  Cool find!  Always liked that Horten!!!  Not sure that I'm ready to take the plunge yet on a kit like that though......really neat the way that they make their kits!!

Dave

That's crazy, Jim!!  You have my condolences!!  My mom had issues with some pretty crappy tennants and had a time getting rid of them....Even worse that it's family!

Good luck in the process!!

Dave

]Thanks for the tip, Jim!!  You really saved my bacon!!  Putting a couple of sprue rods at the engine exhaust and right behind the intakes kept the fuselage halves from bowing in on each other at the bottom and really helped establish a good dorsal seam!!!

Cheers, and thanks a bunch!!

TAD

jimbot58

Well my friends, so it begins. I am going to post a "Notice to Quit" at Mom's most likely this evening. I have been trying work up into this, and have decided that enough is enough! I went to the house today for the sole purpose of shutting down the sprinkler system before I begin the eviction process. It was a good thing as it hardened my resolve! It is such a mess with trash everywhere, carpets are all stained and there is just sh*t everywhere! I'm working 6 days a week (yes, I worked today!) while my 24 year old nephew sits on his backside, playing with his X-box, and lives in a $220,000 home for free! AND trashes it out!

It's tough, as this is family, but then I no longer believe that "blood is thicker than water" nonsense! You can pick your friends, but not your family I always say, but sharing some genes is no reason to allow someone to be treated as I have been. A friend does you wrong, you don't keep them around! Same for family!

Sorry to go so off subject, but I had to get some of it off my chest....

Jim

Hi Jim,

I am really sorry to hear about the distress you are going through.  But you are in the right, and doing the right thing.  You should feel better knowing that you are standing up to your nephew and forcing him to start taking on the responsibilities of life!  And you are not responsible for taking care of him.

Ken

Rob Sherman

Been away for a bit guys and trying to catch up. Way too much happened in the past few weeks, but, gotta say some epic work being done, especially with all the PE!! Anyway, feel your pain Jim with the family woes, my wife's side had a similar situation a few years back..always NOT good.

As for building, I did finally manage to get the Olive green down on the Lightning. Gonna try to get some more work tomorrow, but, I have to work later in the evening, so, we'll see. I really thought I'd get more progress than this (unlike me). anyway, just for an update, here's the Lightning as she is at the moment:

Looking good Rob!     

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

jimbot58

Well my friends, so it begins. I am going to post a "Notice to Quit" at Mom's most likely this evening. I have been trying work up into this, and have decided that enough is enough! I went to the house today for the sole purpose of shutting down the sprinkler system before I begin the eviction process. It was a good thing as it hardened my resolve! It is such a mess with trash everywhere, carpets are all stained and there is just sh*t everywhere! I'm working 6 days a week (yes, I worked today!) while my 24 year old nephew sits on his backside, playing with his X-box, and lives in a $220,000 home for free! AND trashes it out!

It's tough, as this is family, but then I no longer believe that "blood is thicker than water" nonsense! You can pick your friends, but not your family I always say, but sharing some genes is no reason to allow someone to be treated as I have been. A friend does you wrong, you don't keep them around! Same for family!

Sorry to go so off subject, but I had to get some of it off my chest....

Jim

Hi Jim,

I am really sorry to hear about the distress you are going through.  But you are in the right, and doing the right thing.  You should feel better knowing that you are standing up to your nephew and forcing him to start taking on the responsibilities of life!  And you are not responsible for taking care of him.

Ken

A little time this afternoon spent in the hobby room at last.

The cowling and HUD for the A-10:

I've been thinking of how to cement it in place and finally came up with building a small pedestal behind the instrument panel. I figure to put a good size drop of 5 minute epoxy in the middle of it, press the thing into the cement, and I should have time to adjust it before the epoxy sets up. CA can be a pain sometimes as it sets before your ready.

It's a little tall in the front. I will need to file it down a bit, but I have to wait until the cements holding it all sets.

View from the rear: still plenty to do in the cockpit so there's no rush to put that cowling in place anyway. Got to work on the seat, and that thick stick is killing me!

Ken: Don't remember if I commented here or not but I picked up the 1/48th Zoukei Mura Shinden last year and it's an excellent kit, looks like the 1/32 Horten is even more detailed, you should really enjoy this one.

Rob: Very nice work, excellent pre-shading there!

Jim: Hope things work out, gee some people do need a good swift kick in the keister sometimes.

Got a big jump on my progress yesterday and today. Lots of pre/post shade showing through 3 coats of Future. It'll tone down with the final dull coat:

After a big decal session. NO complaints about anything about the Cartograph decals. They went on great. If I had to make a comment, I'd say they were a bit thick, but, with MicroSol, they settled down nicely on the Future surface. Lots of long thin lines; I thought they'd be a pain, but, they were easy to lay down:

The kit came with a FOD protector (nice touch):

That's all for today. Gotta do the tires, missiles and re-fuel prod. Almost there. Gonna call this one done this week!

Nice job Rob!

Looks very good.

Steve

Rob Sherman

Got a big jump on my progress yesterday and today. Lots of pre/post shade showing through 3 coats of Future. It'll tone down with the final dull coat:

After a big decal session. NO complaints about anything about the Cartograph decals. They went on great. If I had to make a comment, I'd say they were a bit thick, but, with MicroSol, they settled down nicely on the Future surface. Lots of long thin lines; I thought they'd be a pain, but, they were easy to lay down:

The kit came with a FOD protector (nice touch):

That's all for today. Gotta do the tires, missiles and re-fuel prod. Almost there. Gonna call this one done this week!

Nice work! Wow! You get more done in one weekend than I do in a month of weekends! Guess I build at a more casual pace. It doesn't matter how fast a person does a kit though, how you build is a choice. After all it's a hobby!

jimbot58

Son Of Medicine Man

jimbot58

Well my friends, so it begins. I am going to post a "Notice to Quit" at Mom's most likely this evening. I have been trying work up into this, and have decided that enough is enough! I went to the house today for the sole purpose of shutting down the sprinkler system before I begin the eviction process. It was a good thing as it hardened my resolve! It is such a mess with trash everywhere, carpets are all stained and there is just sh*t everywhere! I'm working 6 days a week (yes, I worked today!) while my 24 year old nephew sits on his backside, playing with his X-box, and lives in a $220,000 home for free! AND trashes it out!

It's tough, as this is family, but then I no longer believe that "blood is thicker than water" nonsense! You can pick your friends, but not your family I always say, but sharing some genes is no reason to allow someone to be treated as I have been. A friend does you wrong, you don't keep them around! Same for family!

Sorry to go so off subject, but I had to get some of it off my chest....

Jim

Hi Jim,

I am really sorry to hear about the distress you are going through.  But you are in the right, and doing the right thing.  You should feel better knowing that you are standing up to your nephew and forcing him to start taking on the responsibilities of life!  And you are not responsible for taking care of him.

Ken

Things did not go as I planned: not when I end up taking a 5 hour "power nap". Shot the heck oug of my Saturday!

Not surprising with all the overtime you have been putting in at work!

Ken

jimbot58

A little time this afternoon spent in the hobby room at last.

The cowling and HUD for the A-10:

I've been thinking of how to cement it in place and finally came up with building a small pedestal behind the instrument panel. I figure to put a good size drop of 5 minute epoxy in the middle of it, press the thing into the cement, and I should have time to adjust it before the epoxy sets up. CA can be a pain sometimes as it sets before your ready.

It's a little tall in the front. I will need to file it down a bit, but I have to wait until the cements holding it all sets.

View from the rear: still plenty to do in the cockpit so there's no rush to put that cowling in place anyway. Got to work on the seat, and that thick stick is killing me!

Looks good Jim.  Sounds like you have an excellent plan put together.     

Ken