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1/48 Trumpeter F9F-2P Panther +++FINISHED+++


AndyC

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I will join with this...box shot and sprues

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Got to love that Gloss Sea Blue - I'm probably going to build her clean (without ordnance) and with the wings folded. See you soon!

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Good choice! I was really hoping a few people would build a few of the Grumman Panther/Cougar series on this GB-I've always thought that they were handsome jets with an interesting combat history.

Enzo-perhaps they're for picking up ladies' handkerchiefs (1930's barnstorming style)?

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Thanks Enzo and Phil!

Some progress with this excellent little cat. Taped the fuselages together - I think the fit is going to be OK

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The centre-section underside doesn't look too bad either...

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There were some pin holes to fill in the seat sides

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The instructions call for Insignia White but I've never seen a GSB Panther with white wells, so they got sprayed Lifecolor Interior Green along with the cockit

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USN cocpit colours were generall black rear from the IP and above the switch panels, so I masked off the front part of the 'pit and sprayed Tamiya Black on

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Picked out the switches with red/yellow/white and then dry-brushed the panels with Tamiya Neutral Grey

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Foil belts and the IP glued in place along with a throttle lever from a spare etch

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Picked out some detail in the front well and gave that a Flory wash to dirty it up. You also have to fit the nose wheel leg this early in the build so that was painted Xtracrylix GSB

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The cockpit is glued on top of the nose well and here they are married and glued in

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I.ve noticed a pin hole in the rear of the rear bulkhead and that has now been fill, sanded and painted. Thanks for looking

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Are there really hooks on the noses of the tip tanks?

Not in flight and not that big. The hooks were actually handles attached to plugs inserted into the hole in the nose of the tank to keep it from leaking fuel if the one-way valve was not tight. (The hole pressurized the tank when its fuel was dumped in flight.)

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Not in flight and not that big. The hooks were actually handles attached to plugs inserted into the hole in the nose of the tank to keep it from leaking fuel if the one-way valve was not tight. (The hole pressurized the tank when its fuel was dumped in flight.)

Absolutely! Mine will not have those!

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Shame, I prefer the barnstorming/handkerchiefs explanation...

Great work Andy, that 'pit looks really neat with the details picked out. Shame you have to fit that pesky nosewheel leg so early-looks like it's asking to get a knock! (or at least it would do if this was me, I'm sure you're far mroe careful!)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Update on progress now the Super Bug has bit the dust...

Fuselage was glued, filled and sanded - no real problems here except around the nose piece. Glued the underside centre section in...the fit again wasn't bad but needed a little fettling and a smidgeon of filler which was sanded

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The separate nose cone was glued and the camera ports glued in (although only taped in place in top shot). They will need a light sanding to make sure they are flush and then a polish to bring them back to a shine. The interior was sprayed black and a fishing sinker added.

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The insides of the intakes and tunnels were sprayed black in prep for glueing

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The intakes and wing root fairings were glued next. Nice engineering here by Trumpeter IMHO although the fit went a little awry on the starboard side but that was my fault I think and so needed some filler rubbed down with nail polish remover and a cotton bud then block sanded. Likewise the tailplanes.

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I have decided to do her with the wings folded (just for space reasons really) and Trumpeter allows this option. I have glued the wings ready for sanding and filling although there won't be much of the latter.

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Apart form the rivets (which shouldn't be there) this is a nice kit and looks like a -2P to my eye. Thanks for looking!

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Great progress. She is coming together nicely.

I see you are also bussy with a La-7.

Cheers,

Thanks Arnold - yes I hope to have the little Russki fighter in RFI by tomorrow!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks Phil...well I've made some progress on the photo-Panther...

All the parts were sanded and filled and she went into the garage for priming. After some remedial filling and sanding, she was primed again and then Tamiya X-1 Black was sprayed over the wing leading edges, tank tips and intakes ready for Alclad...

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The cockpit windscreen wasn't the best fit - my mistake, or the kits? Don't know but it needed filling and sanding as can be seen. Alclad Aluminium was then sprayed over those areas and left to dry

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Next step is to mask off the Alclad ready for the Xtracrylix GSB and I hope to get this on later this week. Thanks for looking!

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Had a good go at this tonight...

I masked off the Alclad sprayed yesterday. It was a bit tricky around the intakes but not too difficult and then sprayed Xtracrylix GSB. A bit of a sweat on as I've nearly run out!

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That went on nice and easy and I left it to dry for an hour or so before returning and removing the mask. Not bad with a slight touch-up needed to the underside of the intake fairing to do...otherwise OK

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I cleaned up the main u/c legs and struts and also sprayed them GSB too. Next up were the air-brake doors - consensus and photos suggested red (rather than Trumpy's white) and so I masked and sprayed these too

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I will need to pick out the holes in red on the front. My last major job is to provide some sort of detail to the inside face of the outer wing fold which is bare compared to the planking plate provided for the inside. I will cut a card template for each and then paint Interior Green.

Hopefully decals soon after a coat or two of Alclad Gloss. Ned to order some more paint from Hannants as I have at least 3 other GSB a/c lined up! Thanks for looking.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Final straight with this one. The delay has been because the Trumpeter decals are wrong. Wrong font and no information on which unit is being modelled.

I saw this on either HS or MM and the review was right...so I bought a superb multi-aircraft set from Flevo Decals which also means I have decals for my other F9F, I can properly decal my AD-5W now (as I never had a decent set for that, and if I decide to do any more F4U's then there are some for those too.

The GSB was Alclad Gloss coated and the decals have been applied - they are the best I have ever used, IMHO. Undercarriage and other bits and pieces are being worked upon and I hope to have her RFI over the next couple of days!

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It is also the last model I will be using Xtracrylix GSB on because a) I've run out and B) I've never been convinced it's absolutely the right colour (its got a 'grey' tinge' to it). I'm moving over to LifeColor, so the Dark Shark will be finished in that.

Thanks for looking

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Nice progress Andy. How did the decals go on?! I have been looking at those fore some time.

Cheers

Thanks Arnold - they are the best I've ever used. Worth every penny and you can genuinely do 6-7 different a/c from the set.

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I do like Xtracrylix but some of the colours may be a bit 'off', Red Arrows red is really a dark orange. It may be the light you have taken the pictures under, but your Panther does look 'right' and it's a lovely build. Another RFI will be good to see too, this has been a slow GB overall.

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I do like Xtracrylix but some of the colours may be a bit 'off', Red Arrows red is really a dark orange. It may be the light you have taken the pictures under, but your Panther does look 'right' and it's a lovely build. Another RFI will be good to see too, this has been a slow GB overall.

Thanks mate. I agree with the comment on the colours - I have stopped using their FS34151 Interior Green as it's almost Olive Green and I agree that the Arrows Red is a sort of Dark Orange.

I may do another build for this GB - either a F8F Bearcat or a F-5E Tiger II

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