Andy341

Absolutely stunning build of a beast of an aircraft. Would love to see one of those flying today. Some kit to do in 1/48, the detail you've highlighted is fantastic. Regards Andy

Fantastic looking build with an exquisite paint job. I have one of these hidden away in my stash - was thinking of parting with it due to having too many to build and am running out of space! kind regards

Wow, the simplicity of the display is fantastic and really offers the impression of speed to the eye. Wonderful build of an aircraft that could have been a world beater had it been developed fully.

The Eduard PE set really brings the 'office' look really good and brings the kit to life. Would highly recommend it.

I love the early night fighters. The way that technology was developed so rapidly and shrunk into pods like the on the wing of this Hellcat. Lovely finish. Regards Andy

Hi, You probably know this, you don't complete anything for months then two in two days. I finally finished the second aircraft in 1/48 for my Korean War collection a Grumman F9F-2 of VF111 Sundowners, operating from the USS Valley Forge in 1952. My first was a Corsair F4U-4 flown by Thomas Hudner who won the Congressional Medal of Honour whilst flying with VF32 from USS Leyte. Great simple kit to build, enhanced only by Eduard's PE set. The wing fold mechanism is represented well in this set, however I chose not use it. The decals were from Victory Productions' F9F-2 Panthers sheet (VPD48008) which offers markings for 12 aircraft. As I stated on my F-100C post yesterday, the next kit in line is a F7F N3 in 1/48 by Italeri in Korean War markings. See the pattern that is developing here?

Lovely build, and how good it is to see an alternative to the olive green standard colour schemes. Inspires me to dig out the UH1D in 1/72 by Esci from the stash. Regards Andy

Thanks for the kind comments. I have found the Vallejo metallic paint easy to use and give a comparable finish to Alclad, but without the smell and being acrylic easier to clean. kind regards Andy

Hi, It has been a while since I completed anything, but with having a little more time on my hands just recently I have completed Trumpeters 1/48 F-100C in the colours of 188th TFS, New Mexico Air National Guard, Tuy Hoa, 1070. I used Eduard's cockpit, exterior and undercarriage set to enhance the detail. Paints were Mr Hobby on the upper surfaces and Life Color on the underside. The metallic paint on the rear of the fuselage are Vallejo's dark aluminium and aluminium. I built this kit as my cousin in the USA was an instrument fitter on these when he was in the Ohio ANG stationed in South Korea. Unfortunately, no markings are available for a F-100C machine of the Ohio ANG, however there are for a D model. Guess which kit is next on the list to purchase. Next at on the production line is an Italeri F7F N3 Tigercat in Korean War colours. Regards Andy

A while ago I stated that my father took some photos while working on the flight line at RAF Leeming, not long after 33 Squadron received the Javelin Mk7s. XH838 F, the one in the photos of the model appears in two of the photos. So, just for the record here they are. Many thanks Andy.

Ok, I have managed to complete the wing section for the Tempest. In order to get everything to fit properly it was necessary to sand the wheel wells so the upper surface was wafer thin. Furthermore, it was necessary to sand the inner surface of the upper wing section so that it would sit nicely on the lower wing part. Additionally I drilled our the landing lights on each wing and the centreline signal lamp. These will be painted and glazed in the later stages of construction. An attempt to illustrate the sanded inner upper wing in order to have the wing fit perfectly. The lower wing surfaces. Note the drilled out lights and the filled in cartridge ejector ports. The plastic is too soft to accurately open them up. The upper wing surfaces...

Johns, many thanks for the thread you suggested it was well worth reading. I consider it par for the course with kits such as this and it's worth putting in the hard work to achieve a good outcome. Kind regards Andy

Great build, I have one of these in my hoard, inspired to dig it out. Andy

Ok, where do I start. After two stab wounds from the scalpel I was using and a 'Who's made all this mess on the dining room table' sort of disagreement things are moving on a pace. The cockpit tub fits together well, however fitting photo etched harnesses in 72 scale I still find difficult, unlike 48 scale. The wheel well has finally been tamed and is a shadow of its former thickness as you can see below. I have done some dry fitting and things aren't looking too bad, although some filler will be necessary.

I said there would be some sanding and filing work to be done. In order to get the resin wheel well to fit between the upper and lower wings major work is required. I did quite a bit of sanding last night, but as you can see there is still a considerable step left in this piece. The resin wheel well The nasty side....