South Pacific Group Build 7 August 2006 to 7 August 2007

Ive almost got my interior ready for paint.  Hows everyone else doing?

Moving slowly...very slowly.  I have the full Aires resin and PE detail set for this.  Aires is a bit notorious for fit issues, even with thier suggested kit.  One of the cool things about moderating a build is you set the time parameters...on this one I will need the whole year.

I would post pics but how exciting is a cloud of resin dust and yours truly sanding?

Living Legend wrote:

Ive almost got my interior ready for paint.  Hows everyone else doing?

My P-40E has been put together but I've been waiting forever for my paint to arrive. The LHS and Hobby Lobby don't carry the color I need, and two on-line sites have it backordered. Squadron to the rescue...Normally Squadron is one of my first choices, but I was hoping for a different brand of paint and had to settle for Testors Acryl. FS34102 has sure been a difficult one!

The AMT  A-20G is coming along nicely. I glued the cockpit and turret into the fuselage halves last night and as we speak the Mr. Surfacer is curing on the seams. I'll wait to see how nicely the wings fit, but so far the body pieces has gone together nicely.

What scale is that A-20?  It would be interesting to build one of every aircraft the 42nd BG flew for a cieling display.. like a flyover if you will.

A little work done, the wash is done and wiped off, I have to finish puttin the rear gun compartment together maybe tonight then pics before I close up the fuselage.  the wash was a little dark on the raised detail in the interior so I came up with the bright idea of using it almost like preshading, I am going to try to shoot a light coat of interior green on it and see how it comes out... I think it will work fine though!

 

It's the AMT 1/48 "G" offering. I am pleasantly surprised so far with the kit. Having made some crappy kits, I expected the worst when it cam to fit. But so far, other than some minor gap filling, it's been a nice kit. I can see where PE for the interior would really spruce it up, but I'll display a closed canopy. I like the lines of the A-20.

Here's a pic of the A-20 next to the 1/48 Hasegawa P-40E. My FS34102 paint FINALLY arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to spray!

 

Here's a close up of the P-40. I'm really happy with the results of the body work. This was my first "minor surgery" in trying to  add the tail piece, getting rid of the unnatural vertical panel while keeping the horizontal lines straight.

Nice work!  No signs of the surgery at all, well done.

My Jug is sitting still right now.  Opened the resin bits and have been prepping them while the finish work on my 109 for the BoB and the Vampire for the OOTB is drying...slowly oh sooooo slowly...

I have the pit, wings and engines done on my ventura no piccys yet though

Looking good mucker!

Getting ready to paint the camo on my P-400.  I should have some progress pictures up by the end of the weekend.

 

HOLY

 

You guys are fast!  I am going bare knuckles with some sub-assembly and there is paint being finished?!?!

Way to go!

The builds all look great!  If you finish early don't be shy if you want to drop back in with another build there is an entire year set aside for this...the IJN and IJAF are really under represented on this one (hint )

....and I haven't even picked a subject yet!  But some great work so far-I really like the P-39.

The pace is blistering!

My submission will be the Academy P47D Razorback, 1/72 scale.  With it will be the full Aires detail set.  This constitutes approximately 70+/- resin and photoetched parts.  Never done anything like this...at all.  Up to about 11:00 am yesterday I have been pretty much an out of the box guy.

Now here is the problem...In cutting the wheel bays out I got a little nuts (pic #1) and just took too much off.  I know it can be fixed with some sheet styrene application.

Pic #2 is the ammo and gun bays...same story there and you can see the repair work.  Rescribe and sanding still to come.

My question is...does any one have any good AM parts installation tips or has anyone worked with this specific set?

Joe:

Why do you pic such a small scale to super detail?! Those are compliments, not complaints. I admire your courage to take on such a challenging build. I have no doubt the end result will be in stride with your other excellent work, only much more detailed. Keep the pics coming.

 

Here are a few more P-40E. Now that the decals are on, I really like this bird. Lt. Vought had a really neat Warbird.

All shiny for decal application.

After Polyscale Flat (my favorite)

From the front-left

 

I've still got a lot of detailed touch-ups/painting to do before completion. Then it's on to the A-20, which is moving along nicely, as well. Since we do have a year, I may try my hand at  a Japanese subject matter...still deciding.

 

1/72 fits my modelling budget the best and it also fits my available storage/display space.  after my initial foul up on the wheel wells I am seriously reconsidering 1/72 for an super detailing effort.

Your P40 is excellent...the nose art is fantastic!

I can't argue with that...we all have budgetary and space restrictions. I tried 1/72 once and just couldn't manipulate my paws to work with something so small. I am amazed by the 1/72 work that comes across the forum.

Other than my clumsiness with small parts, the other reason I chose to stick with 1/48 is the wide variety of selection. In general are their more kits available with 1/48 than 1/72 or is my suspicion wrong?

I hope you stick with it on the super detailing of the 1/72. You have the entire year to work at your own pace, and you've got us forum members behind you all the way.

 

Started to paint the interior/bomb bay/pit and wheel wells.  Moving along at my normal slow rate it seems... I may just for fun grab a 8 gun nose J and do it as well, not sure yet but Im thinking on it.   Nice job on the P-40 looks good.

Well gents, I have tried to fix the error on the first wheel well.  Nope, aint gonna happen .  I ordered another kit to serve as my back up.  I am not giving up on this!  Seems I am learning something every time I touch the kit...really.

I started work on the starboard gear well and figured something out.  I strapped the wing half to the bench using masking tape, inside facing up.  The tape was placed around everything but the molding for the well.  Then I went at it with a very coarse sanding stick.  In about five minutes I had the initial desired result!  I will try and post some pics tonight.

Now why I did not think of that at first, well who knows ...gonna cost me an extra buck or two though.  I may write all this stuff down and do a "...for Dummies" on a first superdetailing project! LOL

Okay here is the first attempt to knock out the molded wheel well

Terrible!

So much so, that I have ordered a second kit for boo-boo fixes.

I went at the other wing differently.  Flipping it over to show the interior I strapped it to the work bench and took a very coarse sanding stick to the molded well.

In about 5 minutes I acheived the initial desired results.

While I am waiting for the second kit to arrive I am going to work on the cockpit.

Zip- That is going to be one SPECIAL B-25. I bet it will be your favorite model in your collection.

Mike- Looking good........your instrument panel is especially nice. Sure hope mine will turn out.

Joe- Methinks that P-47 will be exceptional. So many modeling challenges ahead and ALL are good.

mucker- That P-40E is really looking good......Polyscale flat is also my favorite flat finish

I've made a small amount of progress on my P-40....while sanding and fitting the interior parts I found out they can be installed after the fuse halves are joined....the cockpit and cooler parts are sprayed and now to use a very small brush and magnifier and try to paint the tiny details.

Yesterday I picked up a Prismacolor silver pencil to try to highlight the instrument panel details....we shall see.....they are barely there....

Cockpit weathering thoughts...........seems to me that the cockpit interior would be HEAVILY weathered with a very light brown dust color.......those ocean breezes and dust from the island would build up in the interior......and I suppose there weren't a lot of vacuum cleaners around :D

Hey Jerry,

Suggestion:  When you get the pencil get a pack of artist's blending stumps.  They are very handy for picking out details.

The weathering of these aircraft is going to be interesting.  We all have seen the IJN/IJAAF planes that look like they have some sort of skin malady.  But watch out for the over weather! 

Most of what I have read talk about constant maintenance efforts.  Granted they were'nt about smooth multiple coats of a fine carnuba wax on the exterior, but every thing was towards keeping the crate in the air...not a criticism just a suggestion.  The old "how much weathering is enough?" arguement is a waste of time, build what you like and like what you build applies here!

 

Hiya Joe,

I already picked up the silver pencil, but will look for those blending stumps soon, possibly tomorrow.

I'll clarify on my weathering comment......yes indeed, the planes would be well maintained and flight-worthy. I am sure the instrument panels would not be covered in dust, but would be wiped down prior to flight. But my thoughts were that the floor would be quite dusty in a light brown color...as well as the nooks and crannies all over the cockpit sides......On models, I usually see the dark brownish dirt washes, it just seemed to me that in the South Pacific the dust would be a lighter shade.

Hey Jerry,

I did not mean any offense by the tenor of my post.  Point of fact, based on the fact that there was quite a bit of sand, including crushed coral used to cover runways, I think lighter colored washes would be acceptable, perhaps even correct.

While I wait for my back up kit to arrive in the post I have finished the starboard wing, wheel well and gun bay installed. I did have to fillsome gaps at the leading edge though.

The pit is assembled and awaiting install, but before that happens I have to fit the wings, so the back up kit becomes even more important.

How is everyone else doing?

JoeRugby wrote:

While I wait for my back up kit to arrive in the post I have finished the starboard wing, wheel well and gun bay installed. I did have to fillsome gaps at the leading edge though. The pit is assembled and awaiting install, but before that happens I have to fit the wings, so the back up kit becomes even more important. How is everyone else doing?

I'm still wondering if you'll put me on the list?

Sorry

List is updated...so have you started?

JoeRugby wrote:

Sorry List is updated...so have you started?

Hey Joe, I'm not on the list!

I finished my P-400. I will post pictures sometime during the week.

JoeRugby wrote:

Sorry List is updated...so have you started?

no

MikeMKIIC wrote:

JoeRugby wrote: Sorry List is updated...so have you started? Hey Joe, I'm not on the list! I finished my P-400. I will post pictures sometime during the week.

!%@$#^%@#$^&*%$   !!!

Sorry Mike, I updated the list (again)...certainly looking forward to seeing the 400.

Im still making steady progress on My Duchess.  Still have a bit more filling and sanding to go.