Monogram Mafia IV Group Build

Thanks shamoo!

DasBeav, thank you!  I was away from the bench for 2 months, it happens to everyone for various reasons. 

Devil Dawg, took me a while to get back to the bench but once I did......lol.  Thank you.  I never thought I would try my hand at weathering.  I really debated if I was going to build Flak Bait or another Marauder because of it.  I felt I couldn't build Flak Bait as a nice shiny new plane.  To me it just felt like that would not be doing the plane justice after everything her and her crew went through.  Now I've learned a few new things for the next plane that needs to be a bit dirty and greasy, lol. 

Thanks mississippivol!

jeaton01

So I have a request to join with two builds.  I'm going to start on a B-26 for the Midway GB, thought I would put a note here if anyone wants to follow, and I am also starting on an F-80, as a P-80A-1 using the Fox 3 conversion set and decals for Lil' Abner, a plane flown by Rex Barber (who shared credit with Thomas Lanphier for shooting down Yamamoto's Betty).  Here's the box art and parts for the P-80. 

With permission I will post the finished pictures for the B-26 here when it is complete.  Or should I post the B-26 in progress here as well?  What say, Don.  Am I gonna get an offer I can't refuse for asking this?

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure if the Don has gone into hiding yet, may he forgive me for being presumptuous, those selections are good (I'm assuming the Marauder is the good ol Monogram ). Please share your wip if you will!

DasBeav

Hello again. Been slacking on GB. Did some "Masking"....doesn't have to be perfect at this stage so don't laugh. I would paint tonight except someone forgot to empty dehumidifier. Basement is a little "swampy".

 

Looking good, dabeav!

I once got a humidifier and a dehumidifier for Christmas, so I put them both in a closet and let them battle it out......

Keyda81

Thanks Jeaton!

I wrapped up on "Flak Bait" this afternoon.  Here's a bunch of pics for viewing. 

The 2 completed for this group build.

 

Holy Smokes, Miss Keyda!! Slow down!! I can hardly keep up with your posts! Seriously, though, great job on that B-26! You've done something with it that I've only attempted once or twice, and just don't do it anymore - weathering. Outstanding job on it! It looks real to me.

oortiz10

So, I was able to get the cockpit and cargo area completed.  I used some paper and old PE buckles to make a few belts. I also painted and cut up some Band Aids to give the seats some texture.   Not 100% accurate, but it adds a bit visual interest.  

 

 

Ortiz, your builds are looking great! BandAids - now THAT'S a great idea! I never woulda thoughta using those for seat cushions. Great idea!

Gary

shamoo

There's a lot of good stuff going here.  I've actually made a bit of progress myself.  I hope it's up to the caliber of work I'm seeing here.

Got the seams at the wing roots smoothed out without losing to much raised detail.  Got it painted top and bottom.  FS 36173 on top and FS 36440 on the bottom.

IMG_20171014_171439339_HDR by David Brownlee, on Flickr

Used silly putty to mask off the cockpit and unfortunately the pilot came out with the putty, so I'll have to put him back in.  Got the canopy masked and painted, and am currently paintiong the propellor, inside of the flaps, and the wheels.  I just finished applying Future to the airframe and will start applying decals today.

I plan on starting the Stearman stunt plane in the next few days.

Dave

Another great build, Keyda. I have to pay closer attention to this thread, everybody is making progress and doing excellent work....except me! I wear size 9 1/2 cement shoes, Stick.

Hello again. Been slacking on GB. Did some "Masking"....doesn't have to be perfect at this stage so don't laugh. I would paint tonight except someone forgot to empty dehumidifier. Basement is a little "swampy".

They look good, Keyda!

Thanks Jeaton!

I wrapped up on "Flak Bait" this afternoon.  Here's a bunch of pics for viewing. 

The 2 completed for this group build.

So I have a request to join with two builds.  I'm going to start on a B-26 for the Midway GB, thought I would put a note here if anyone wants to follow, and I am also starting on an F-80, as a P-80A-1 using the Fox 3 conversion set and decals for Lil' Abner, a plane flown by Rex Barber (who shared credit with Thomas Lanphier for shooting down Yamamoto's Betty).  Here's the box art and parts for the P-80. 

With permission I will post the finished pictures for the B-26 here when it is complete.  Or should I post the B-26 in progress here as well?  What say, Don.  Am I gonna get an offer I can't refuse for asking this?

Looking good, Keyda.  Glad to see you are feeling well enough to get back to the bench after your loss.

Got the decals on the Marauder, officially making her "Flak Bait"

Did some touch ups, pulled masking, and attached the front landing gear. 

I'm done for today.  Hopefully I can finish her up tomorrow.

Hey FSM,

It's been too long since I've posted some progress, so I figured I'd share what I've been able to get done.  Before I do, I'd like to congratulate everyone on their progress.  Some great work has been posted here.  Please, keep it up!  Seeing your builds has really kept me inspired.

So, let's see what I've done on my two builds.  First, the UH-34:

So, I was able to get the cockpit and cargo area completed.  I used some paper and old PE buckles to make a few belts. I also painted and cut up some Band Aids to give the seats some texture.   Not 100% accurate, but it adds a bit visual interest.  

I cut the center pedestal down on the instrument panel because some dry fitting showed that the IP shroud interfered with the installation of the windscreen.

In this last picture, behind the cockpit assembly, you can see that I've scratched a simple roof for the cargo area. Without the roof, you can see up into the upper parts of the fuselage.  I figured the roof would eliminate that "see-through" aspect of the kit.

I think the next step will be to close up the fuselage. 

So, here's what I've been able to get done on the Super Hornet:

After gluing on the intakes, I figured I was gonna need some help with the seams, so I ordered my secret weapon...

After it arrived, I glued the fuselage halves together.

The fine tips were immediately useful and allowed me to get the putty exactly where I wanted it.  One of the great things about this putty is it cleans up with water so no sanding was needed to clean up these seams.  I just used a moist earbud to wipe away the excess.  The seam isn't perfectly filled, but it looks way better than the huge gap that was there before.  I'm sure the joint will look acceptable under a coat of paint.

I was able to get the rear fuselage seams cleaned up pretty well.  I used a little CA glue and rescribed the area as well as I could. 

Some of the lines you see in the photo above are filled with CA.  The CA dried clear and so it looks like those lines are still there.  They pass the "feel test," but of course I'll double check after I get some primer sprayed on.

The seams under the LEX were filled with Mr. Surfacer.  I'm going to get the LEX cleaned up before I get the nose glued on.  That'll be next.  I'll get the nose attached and cleaned up, then I'll move to attaching the wingtips and attacking all the wings' seams.

Hopefully, it won't be too long before I can start spraying some paint.

Thanks for stopping by.  Feel free to share your comments, questions, or criticisms.  

Cheers!

-O

stikpusher

 

 

Keyda81

Stik I'm not sure how to link stuff from imgur either, is there another free site that you think I could use for the finished pics, or maybe PM you the link? 

 

 

 

I would not ask you to switch your image hosting sites. That's a bit too much. But yes, if you can just PM the copied link, I'll give that a shot.

 

Ok, when I finish up the Marauder I'll take some pics of both seperately with a white backround.

I've made leaps and bounds on the Marauder today.  It's a crappy Sunday, so I've spent pretty much all day at the bench.

Underside painted neutral grey.

It felt like it took 2 hours to mask it off!

Top side olive drab.

All the masking peeled off.  Always a very nerve racking part for me, lol.

Some chipping and scratches added all over the place, lol.  Hope I didn't go overboard. 

Just taped the cowlings/props on to see how they look.

Added some oil and grime in places, again hoping I didn't go overboard.  I seen a B-17 over the summer, and honestly that thing was loaded in oil, it was just about everywhere!

Clear coated, getting ready for decals!

Keyda81

Stik I'm not sure how to link stuff from imgur either, is there another free site that you think I could use for the finished pics, or maybe PM you the link? 

I would not ask you to switch your image hosting sites. That's a bit too much. But yes, if you can just PM the copied link, I'll give that a shot.

There's a lot of good stuff going here.  I've actually made a bit of progress myself.  I hope it's up to the caliber of work I'm seeing here.

Got the seams at the wing roots smoothed out without losing to much raised detail.  Got it painted top and bottom.  FS 36173 on top and FS 36440 on the bottom.

IMG_20171014_171439339_HDR by David Brownlee, on Flickr

Used silly putty to mask off the cockpit and unfortunately the pilot came out with the putty, so I'll have to put him back in.  Got the canopy masked and painted, and am currently paintiong the propellor, inside of the flaps, and the wheels.  I just finished applying Future to the airframe and will start applying decals today.

I plan on starting the Stearman stunt plane in the next few days.

Dave

More progress on the Marauder this week. 

Coat of primer on her finally, exposing all the work that needs to be done!

This is my firt crack at weathering and trying to make stuff look dirty and used, hopefully I'm doing alright.  I used Tamiya smoke on the wheels, engines and prop hubs.  Seems to resemble oil pretty well.  I used chrome silver to make chips and scratches on the props.

Second coat of primer, and still more work to be done.  I just can't get the main seam and wing root seams to go away!

Stik I'm not sure how to link stuff from imgur either, is there another free site that you think I could use for the finished pics, or maybe PM you the link?

Made lots of progress of the F-14 this morning. Mostly filling and sanding and Slo-Zapping fuselage joints. Also did a final (hopefully) round of filling/sanding on the 190.

Devil Dawg

 

 

stikpusher

I hear ya on the old vs. new kits cost and engineering. But I am certainly more than a bit disheartened at many new kits that turn out to have basic shape issues (among other things) that the older kits got right. For the increase in price, the computer aided design and increase in reference material should quash that out the gate. It’s wrong to have to go buy expensive AM to correct an already expensive new tool and theoretically better researched and designed kit. 

 

 

 

Gotsta agree witcha about the inaccurate shapes. With the technology that's out there nowadays, that shouldn't even begin to be an issue.

 

 

Exactly. Why did it take over 50 years between the old Monogram P-40B and the new Airfix P-40B to get it right? Several companies tried in the meantime and failed. And Monogram did it the old fashioned way by hand. 

Its not like the F-117 when it was new and the aircraft was classified for shape details. There are P-40s in museums worldwide.

stikpusher

I hear ya on the old vs. new kits cost and engineering. But I am certainly more than a bit disheartened at many new kits that turn out to have basic shape issues (among other things) that the older kits got right. For the increase in price, the computer aided design and increase in reference material should quash that out the gate. It’s wrong to have to go buy expensive AM to correct an already expensive new tool and theoretically better researched and designed kit. 

Gotsta agree witcha about the inaccurate shapes. With the technology that's out there nowadays, that shouldn't even begin to be an issue.

I hear ya on the old vs. new kits cost and engineering. But I am certainly more than a bit disheartened at many new kits that turn out to have basic shape issues (among other things) that the older kits got right. For the increase in price, the computer aided design and increase in reference material should quash that out the gate. It’s wrong to have to go buy expensive AM to correct an already expensive new tool and theoretically better researched and designed kit.

stikpusher

 

Devil Dawg

 

Thanks for the compliment on the TBD. BUT, I guarantee you, you DO NOT want this kit in your stash - it sucks big time. Not sure if any other company produced this aircraft in kit form, though, so this might be your only option. I bought this one earlier this year from a fellow local club member for $17, and wish now that I had never seen the thing!  

Gary 

 

BLASPHEMY!!! INFIDEL!!!!

That TBD is a classic and not that difficult!

But there is a new tool 1/48 kit of the TBD released a couple or four years ago by Great Wall. And it will cost you many times what you paid for this one.

 

Oh, no doubt that it's a classic, but the particular one that I'm building IS difficult!  I wouldn't mind it so much, but I usually have little time to build due to my job, so anything that gets in the way of me completing a kit gets me just a bit annoyed and/or discouraged. I guess it's probably why I have so many Tamiya & Hasegawa kits in my stash - when I do get to build, I can build those with little to no issues, and get a completed build on my shelf, usually in a month or less. Please don't think that I'm knocking anyone for building Monogram or Revell or Lindberg kits - I just don't have the time to fix all of the issues that these kits have. For me to have some motivation and a want to build a kit, I need to see some completed stuff on my display shelves, and that's hard to do with the aforementioned kits.

I always liked the VF-142 Ghostrider tail markings. Especially the low vis version. 

More work on the F-14A and 190 this week(pics later). 190 got some more filling/sanding -- gett ing close to paint.

F-14 has rear fuselage joined/filled/sanded. Separated the horz stabs and worked on their mouting hardware. wing halves are joined and modified for post-paint installation.

Probably gona be a  VF-14, 101, 41 or 142 bird from this decal sheet. The VF-41 bird would eliminate the need to rescribe a radome demarcation line IMO! Hey, actually any of the birds with white radomes would do the same.. hmm.

Devil Dawg

 

 

stikpusher

The reference, part, or advice you need always turns up after the project is past that point... 

 

 

 

 

Hah!! Ain't THAT the truth!! Especially when you're talkin' scratch-building a kit, and as soon as you get it finished, a model company puts it on the market.

 

Seriously guys? Everyone knows the best reference is the box top. Well that is what I tell myself when I find myself taking this to seriously...

Nice builds docidel. Love seeing those Monogram B-29's built up!

Devil Dawg

 

Thanks for the compliment on the TBD. BUT, I guarantee you, you DO NOT want this kit in your stash - it sucks big time. Not sure if any other company produced this aircraft in kit form, though, so this might be your only option. I bought this one earlier this year from a fellow local club member for $17, and wish now that I had never seen the thing!  

Gary

 

 

BLASPHEMY!!! INFIDEL!!!!

That TBD is a classic and not that difficult!

But there is a new tool 1/48 kit of the TBD released a couple or four years ago by Great Wall. And it will cost you many times what you paid for this one.

Devil Dawg

 

 

stikpusher

The reference, part, or advice you need always turns up after the project is past that point... 

 

 

 

 

Hah!! Ain't THAT the truth!! Especially when you're talkin' scratch-building a kit, and as soon as you get it finished, a model company puts it on the market.

 

Yup... I don’t know how many times I converted a kit to something else and then that happened. 

I know as soon as I do that long dreamed of DD Sherman one day, that will happen again...