Dermo245

Cheers Tony! So got started with the cockpit and engine exhaust....as you do.. I was never sure about the red headrest but it's there on the ref pictures i've seen. Still need to add some belts to this from tape. Don't know if it needs weight in the nose or not but added some anyway. And before you know it, we have ourselves an airframe! A couple of places need attention but mostly happy with the fit. You know TonyT was right....I was a bit harsh on Italeri and they did a good job on the lines on this one. Thanks for looking, Dermot

Would love to see you work your magic on that one Ray..I've got a donor Fujimi Hawkeye myself, just need to get the Falcon conversion! Here's an update on this one.. Cockpit added to fuselage...apart from some basic painting, didn't do much else as won't be much to see in there when it's finished. I polished and Kleared the cockpit glass as much as i could but not really that clear in the end. Also added some fishing weights behind the cockpit bulkhead. And buttoned up with the conversion kit ramp parts. I also put in some plasticard tabs to help with joining the halves which were a bit rough and not a great fit. And the wing and engines added. The wing fit wasn't great......don't know if it's the Heller parts or my bodging attempts... Going to be a lot of this ahead... First coat of primer down to check for issues...(there were a few!) Some more filler, sand, primer. I also added the resin bits above the cockpit as am happy with the seam there. The eagle-eyed will see that I've left the tail off..it's got a fair bit of masking and the fit is better so am going to paint and decal that separately and then add towards to end. That's the plan anyway... Thanks for looking. Cheers. Dermot

Only one suitable reply to this thread... Truly epic Ray.

So since I got the Boeing X-32 finished, I thought I might try and build the other Joint Strike Fighter competitor, Lockheed's X-35. This is Italeri's take on the VTOL variant, the X-35B. I think there was more than a fair amount of 'what-iffery' in the Italeri design studio when they came up with this one... Not much to it..will see if I can make the GB closing date! Cheers, Dermot

Need to break it to herself that the eldest won't be going to Uni....

PM inbound Colin!

Well done all at BM - nice fresh look and the changeable header image is a nice touch for users. Dermot

Hi everyone, While 1/72 is normally my default scale, I've built the odd 1/144 kit. And being a fan of naval aviation, I've always had a big soft spot for the Grumman C-2 Greyhound - they do all the unglamorous but essential hauling to and from carriers - whether that's spare parts, passengers or parcels from home. At some point I'll either save up enough for the RHVP resin kit or Kinetic will downsize their 1/48 beasty so for now I'm going with this conversion from OzMods in 1/144 using a Heller E-2C Hawkeye as the donor kit. Here's what you get in the OzMods kit..A two-sided instruction sheet with assembly details on one side and paint/decal placement in colour on the other (not pictured) Clear fuselage halves... New tail section and ramp in plastic along with some resin bits. And nice decals for VRC-30 "The Providers" And what's in the Heller Hawkeye kit....this will provide the wing, engines, landing gear, vertical stabilisers. My very first time doing a cross-kit conversion - wish me luck! Cheers, Dermot

Hi all, This is my latest finish, Italeri's issue of the Boeing X-32A Demonstrator which was their entry in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition and my entry in the Experimentals/Prototypes/Record Breakers GB here. While certainly a distinctive design, the Boeing entry would have looked substantially different in production, with a non-delta wing and four post tail. In the end, it lost out to Lockheed Martin's X-35 which is now entering service as the F-35. You can read more about the Boeing design here. If you want to watch a documentary about this competition, i'd highly recommend Battle of the X-Planes which you'll also sometimes catch on repeat on Discovery or PBS America if you live in the UK. Just to recap on the build.. Kit: Italeri 1208 Boeing X-32A Scale: 1/72 Build: Out of Box with Tamiya Tape for cockpit belts. Paints: Halfords Plastic primer (can); Revell Acrylics (brush); Klear; Flory Models Wash; HB Pencil; W&N Matt Coat (also brush) Decals: Kit with some extra spare stencils And posed with an Italeri Sea Harrier for comparison... And that's it! I have the Italeri X-35 in the stash too so might built that to display alongside it. Thanks for looking and enjoy your modelling. Dermot.

Nice Bug and great to see in a special scheme Look forward to more of your builds here. Dermot

Very nice work What manufacturers for the other drone kits? Cheers, Dermot

So here's my build, Boeing's X-32A which was their unsuccessful entry in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition. Full WIP is here but to recap: Kit: Italeri 1208 Boeing X-32A Scale: 1/72 Build: Out of Box with Tamiya Tape for cockpit belts. Paints: Halfords Plastic primer (can); Revell Acrylics (brush); Klear; Flory Models Wash; HB Pencil; W&N Matt Coat (also brush) Decals: Kit with some extra spare stencils Thanks to Pin and TonyTiger66 for hosting and thanks for all the comments during the build. Cheers! Dermot

So canopy and data probes added, a coat of W&N Flat Varnish and she's done! A radical design approach that was definitely eye-catching if not the most pleasant to look at. From what I've read, it met all the targets set in the competition but was beaten in the end by the X-35 which has now become the F-35. In fairness to Boeing, their final design would have looked a lot different to this demonstrator, with a more conventional wing and Pelikan tail. What might have been I guess.... Will post some more pics in the Gallery. And posed with an Italeri Sea Harrier for a laugh. Thanks for looking and happy modelling. Dermot

What he said! Love the display Pete - what did you use for the base? Dermot

Thanks Giorgio. Anything I should look out for? D