Monogram Mafia IV Group Build

I received both kits today and started on the 32. The engine first. The instructions said it is a blueprinted small block Chevy....OK, I guess, I dont know the diffrence. So it's Chevy engine red then.

Thank you Tony, I'm looking forward to them. I enjoy detailing the engines plus these old Fords look cool. Not sure I'm going with yellow though. 

We don't get to see many Hot Rods in GBs. Cool choice Steve. I haven't built one since the ZZTop Eliminator 34 Ford back in 1990. I know you'll work some magic with them. Very good to hear that you're feeling well :)

Cheers

Tony

Don Stick,

Now that I'm back in fighting form, I'd like to try this again. I have 2 cars coming and would like to submit them to the family as my contribution.

They should be arriving sometime next week.

Great star on the thunderstreak! Love the cockpit!

Thanks Ed!

I can't believe it's been a few weeks since I last posted any progress.  There have been some changes to my medications which have worn me out, and I haven't had the energy to get to the bench.  However, I finally managed to get some paint on.

Nice job on the Do335!

I just tried to build the Monogram Wildcat with my granddaughter.  The plastic was very brittle and a little warped.  The fuselage finally cracked in about 5 places and I had to send it to the round file.

We're working on a Revell 1/32 Wildcat now. Going better.

I like your idea of making the harness hardware by wrapping wire around an appropriately shaped item- a great idea! Much simpler than coming up with a jig... I’m gonna be using that idea since much harness buckle hardware has other shapes as well...

silentbob33

Those seatbelts look awesome! How did you make them? I always go with the "more is better" approach when adding weight to the nose. I have an F-80 that I just barely put enough weight in. It tail sits every time a squirrel farts in China...I make sure I don't have that problem any more.

 

Thanks! The seatbelt material is a foil tape. It has a bit of adhesive on the back, but not much. Just painted it and cut it into strips. I also noticed that Dove Chocolate wraps their candy in a foil that might work for seat belts, but I haven't tried it yet. The hardware on the belts is wire from some sort of connector or phone charger. I wrapped it around the tip of a triangular needle file, then cut the coil with a utility razor. 

The extra weight is nice, but I'm afraid of dropping the model. Dropping is never good, but musket balls tend to have some inertia and keep on going- smash!

After a rough start, we are up and moving on this GB! My intent was to build the old 1/48 F4F Wildcat, with the wings in the down position. That didn't go very well. It seems these kits build best as intended, with all the moving parts. The seams were impossible (for me at least) to fix, and after generating a pile of plastic sanding dust, wound up in The Pile of No Return. I didn't have the heart to trash it, but there she sits. 

So, on to the F84F Thunderstreak.

My dad was in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard in the 50's and 60's during the time they were phasing into jets. He has some artistic talent, and won a contest at the base for the painting scheme. I'd love to finish it in the same scheme, but have yet to turn up any references. 

The kit is very nice for it's age. It has finely raised panels and a bit of flash but the detail and fit are good. 

I started with the cockpit. I'm building it out of the box, but did add some seat belts and harnesses made from aluminum ducting tape and wire. 

I could tell this was going to be a tail sitter. The fuel tanks are large and with the exhaust assembly and large tail it would need some weight up front. Fortunaley there is ample room up front for weight. A 150 grain 270 bullet fit perfectly inside the intake assmebly, and a 60 caliber musket ball forward of the cockpit probably was overkill, but I'm not taking chances!

Update- All the main parts are put togther. Most things fit fairly well, but there is still some seam work and rescribing. The wing roots and stabilizers took some shims and putty, but they went together. 

I'm not sure what these hooks are on the underside of the fuselage, near the airbrakes. Any thoughts? They don't seem to appear on the instruction sheet drawings or any reference pictures I've seen. 

I'm also wondering what kind of bombs are provided with the kit. Can anyone identify them?

After wiping down the plastic with rubbing alcohol, I primed with decanted Rust-Oleum American Accents primer. I've yet to have paint peel  from masking after I started using this stuff. It goes on very thin, does not obscure detail at all. I vary the coverage a bit to give the top coat some variation. As long as there is some primer on the surface, it will provide enough bite for the top coat. 

I am going to top coat it with Model Master acrylic aluminum. To me, it provides a durable finish, and when burnished, looks very realistic. 

Thanks Stik! So far I'm pretty please with how it's looking.  And don't tell my doctor 

silentbob33

Thanks Tony! Everything went great and I'm hoping to get back to the bench today. I may have cheated a bit and primed it this weekend. Hopefully I can get the preshading done today.

 

”may have”?

Well, in any case it’s looking good. I like how you added the fences on the LEXs in front for the vertical stabilizers.

All the best with it Bob.

Cheers

Tony

Great start on the sub Chris!  I don't think I've ever seen that kit before.

Glad to see you back Josiah, looking forward to seeing your F-5 come together.

I'm still plodding along.  Lots of filling and sanding on this bird.  Not to mention flash and ejection marks on every. Single. Piece.  But now she looks like an airplane.  Going to maske the cockpit and get some primer on her.

Also have the drop tank and ordnance ready for paint as well.

I probably won't be getting much in the way of bench time the next couple of days.  My kidneys have recovered enough that they've taken me off of dialysis, which is great news.  Tomorrow morning I'm going in to have the catheter removed and they want me to avoid moving my arm for a couple of days afterwards.  

Sub looks good so far

I've decided on my first kit for this build. Not starting it yet as I've got a couple I need to finish up first but I'll start with the F-5E seen below:

Untitled by Josiah McDonald, on Flickr

Finally starting my builds.  These two beauties have between them around 40 parts!

Not going to show the nuke reactor.  If my study of images is close, the hatch is in the wrong location anyway too far forward.

That looks like a great technique, Silent Bob!  Will have to try that myself as I can NEVER get those tiny stripes to look right!  I've actually started work on my two builds....not much to show, but I got the interior put together, which consists of an instrument panel, pilot's seat with floor pan, and several seats for the crew.  I'd forgoten how tiny things were in 1/72nd scale!  My eyesight has certainly gone south!!

A simple, basic kit, the Dornier is still holding its form well, and looks pretty good taped up for a fit test.

Great work all the way around everyone; your work has inspired me to build again after a lengthy break.

TAD

F-18 is looking good SB. Nice work on stripes on those ejection handles!

Gentlemen and Lady,

I've been watching everyone's terrific builds going on, and am especially impressed with Silent Bob's Arrow; completed while undergoing chemotherapy.  Well done, sir!!  With that in mind, I'd like to join the build for the home stretch.  I would like to build the 1/72nd scale Dornier Do 17Z "Flying Pencil," and the 1/48th scale F-5E Freedom Fighter.  Both of these kits are unstarted, and photographed within the last few days.

Here's the Dornier:

And here's the F5E:

There may be a few extra Monogram kits in there, just in case.......So, Don Stick, whaddaya say?  Can I get a piece of this action??  I know da rules and your expectashuns... I await your decishun, Boss.

MKelley

Ok, gentlemen I just took the time to go through the entire MM IV thread. The quality of work here is outstanding. Considering that a lot these are from molds that are 40 or more years in age. I know that a lot of people do not like these because they are not a shake the box and they fall together. I like them because they look right when they are done and with a little work they are as good as most of the other ones on the market for a heck of a lot more money. Keep up the great work all of youse guys! Thanks for letting me participate.

 

These kits are what I call 'skill builders'. I also like there low parts count. Most of all, for me,  building a kit that I remember from my youth provides a special kind of enjoyment.

Mkelly,   great looking liberator! Been wanting to build the same scheme with the old revell 72nd scale kit !

Have a decent start on my second entry, the 1/48 F/A-18A.  This is the "Hi-Tech" kit with a small sheet of PE in the box.  I won't be using the ladder, as I've read it's incredibly fiddly.  I'm also going to make a few modifications to the exterior to update it to a F/A-18C.  The cockpit is done and ready to go into the fuselage.  I'm going to keep the ejection seat out until after painting for ease of masking.

That would be the PB2Y Coronado. No, I did not know had to Google it.