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Tomahawk Mk.IIb duel, Airfix vs Academy 1/48


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Oops I did it Again as someone use to sing...
I was going to put some decals on my Spitfire XII but I couldn't find the motivation to do so. Neither adding the finishing touches on the Spitfire VIII, or the Brigand. I was missing something.
That wonderful smell of Tamiya extra thin Cement.
And filler.
And sanding.
And removing mold seams.
 
I'll confess:
Hello, my name is Christer, and I'm a serial kitstarter :drunken:
 

I've been aching to start a new kit, but have told myself that I'm strong and I can resist the siren song from an unstarted kit.

I'm a weak and pitiful creature.

Let's give in then, and do it properly with TWO Tomahawks!

I got the Academy one as a 40 y.o gift 1,5 years ago, and got the Barracuda decals to replace the awful kit ones (old Academy = very thick stickers)

But since I did get that sheet, adding an Airfix to complement it was no hard task.

32027861533_12bfbd3b4d_o.jpg

Just to spice it up a little, both kits has also received some etch. Belts for Airfix are ordered, but not yet delivered.

The Academy one looks quite bare, but functional.
32689077862_7f9a2f0355_o.jpg
Just as many runners for Airfix, but quite a lot more parts!
32718924371_8a36f7f978_o.jpg
 

Some random etch pieces were stuck to the Academy in various places:

32801675186_3f178512d3_o.jpg

The landing gear shaft was devoid of any detail, but will benefit greatly from this piece.
 

One thing is quite certain, and that's the cockpit sizes! Acadamy is noticably bigger, see the instrument panel:

32718924591_04c2ef4df9_o.jpg
 

The radiator flap looked less then stellar too, so Airfix kindly donated the closed ones to Academy

32027861223_27638a3c23_o.jpg
 
Currently prepping lots of internal parts for painting, which hopefully will commence tomorrow!
 
Right. That's two new kits on the bench, and a group build will start in one month. I really need to finish the two spitfires before that...

 

Edited by Christer A
Spellingcheck!
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The unfinishing continues!

But first, a shameless commercial break:

32577051170_b8d13ca5a7_o.jpg

Once in a while, the company I work for actually allows its employees to drive around the test track just like regular customers. We poor CAD-designers at the engine department is rarely let outside but this week it happened, and a lovely day it was too!

I don't have a truck certificate, but here we're allowed to take the newest, fully kitted trucks around a special test track to experience first hand what we actually design. With our eyes though, this stuff is old, since we're always working on the stuff that's 2-5 years away from serial production.

Most fascinating part:

Taking a fully loaded, 72 tons, 25,25m long timber truck up a 12% incline, and stopping in the middle. Then STARTING again and just smoothly rev this thing with it's dual clutch gearbox right up to the crest without causing a gearbox meltdown, fatal crash or anything! In fact, it was easier than to walk!

The slope on the other side was rather steep to, but with engine brake at maximum power I didn't even touch the normal brakes. Cool.

 

Right, back to the normal agenda then.

 

The Academy cockpit floor looks very un-winglike compared to Airfix, but that's no so surprising.

32143372383_1231542397_o.jpg

Zoom etch now an then

32143372233_c6ebdf418a_o.jpg

Folding pre painted etch-pieces is not an easy task, especially since the paint has a big tendency to flake off if one look at it funnily.

32114442704_fae168bc92_o.jpg

Poor Map case.

Since the interior green on the etch is not matching Gunze Interior green in anything but name, It's quite hard to touch up with paint afterwards. I'm hoping that it can't be seen after a few washes and a flat coat.

We'll see.

 

Time to hit the bed now I think!

 

 

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The main wrestle match with cockpit-etch is now over.

I think I won, this time...

33273735671_c654807a12_h.jpg

 

Then I must add this:

33246073972_5c16760ab9_h.jpg

Eduards new Steel Belts to the right, old un-painted etche to the left.

These new belts are A LOT better printed than any other Eduard prepainted metal. Less rasterisation, more added depths since the add illusions of shadows, more flexible and the paint does not flake off as easily. Top stuff!

I think my new Tiffy had this Steel-type etch for all prepainted stuff, but I'm not certain :daydream:

 

Anyway, time to close the fuselage now!

 

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Thanks there Rob! (and Jaffajake!)

Sorry, no XC 70 for you! Volvo split off the cars part of the company to Ford (and Ford sold Volvo Cars to Chinese firm Geely some years back) in 1999 so we're separate companies now, but a fully kitted FH-truck with our top of the line engine and transmission will only set you back around 100000£. You can fit you're whole stash in on of those...

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Sorry, no Brigand update today, but quite a big Tomahawk one instead. I hope you all can suppress your disappointment...

Time to tackle the Airfix wheel wells
32702087783_040775e458_o.jpg
Why does all Airfix toolmakers and injection molding subcontractors persist in this nonsense? It's almost a natural law for Airfix kit to include ejector pins in the wheel wells. Grrrr.

Some scraping and sanding later and i was left with this
33360015672_6be0532862_o.jpg
And then the big Ooops on part of the toolmaker, the missing trimrudder, which was duly scribed.
33475769076_9287b80708_o.jpg

Then i started to add all the internals...
32702086763_7a7252d4f9_o.jpg
All can be made to fit with enough force and Tamiya Extra thin...
Unfortunately I screwed up the underside of the nose:
33475768486_33e7a2fba1_o.jpg
The inlet channel was badly misaligned and I had to pry it open and redo it
33360016062_961deecae1_o.jpg
Not a pretty job, but hopefully some melted plastic goo will sort it out.

 

It seems that Airfix has learned that it's not possible to have protruding rivets all around a fuselage half without fouling up the mold release direction. Previously like on their 1/48 lightning they made the rivethole perpendicular to the tools split with the result that it looks hideous in the fuselage top and bottom, but ok on the sides. Funnely enoug, both Tamiya and Eduard can handle rivets that are perpencidular to the fuselage and not to the tool. I guess they know something that team Airfix doesn't?I

For this kit, Airfis resorted to inserts to get around the problem
32702086683_2bee11a388_o.jpg
The wingroots were actually a good fit, but some more persuasion was needed for the engine covers.


All of a sudden both kits were at the same stage!
33475768296_155b7866ed_o.jpg

The academy one got it wings on after that.
32702087363_8939e29570_o.jpg
33475768936_6afb53e780_o.jpg
The fit here is excellent! Not bad for an old (but simple) kit.


Airfix on the other hand requires a little bit more persuasion to have smooth joints, so I opened up a new tube of PPP and started filling
32702087083_ecd4df93cf_o.jpg
33475768766_c269cfabff_o.jpg

Until next time!

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Hello Christer,

Nice job on these, reassuring to see that I'm not alone in this kind of modelling madness:lol:

Nice job on the Volvo too, I just experienced a Peterbilt with such a long nose, manual clutch

No longer seat or anything in the cockpit, since it was in Africa, and I just gived the engine is last life.

7th fixing, no more. Moving that chunk of metal on a dirt road was a little bit harder than your Volvo:huh:

But funny rememberance and I did it. Lots of smoke from the huge exhaust stacks...

Keep carry on the tomahawk, cheers from an other serial starter...

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

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On 14/03/2017 at 4:57 AM, Christer A said:

Thanks there Rob! (and Jaffajake!)

Sorry, no XC 70 for you! Volvo split off the cars part of the company to Ford (and Ford sold Volvo Cars to Chinese firm Geely some years back) in 1999 so we're separate companies now, but a fully kitted FH-truck with our top of the line engine and transmission will only set you back around 100000£. You can fit you're whole stash in on of those...

I could, and it's trailer would probably be bigger than my flat... and well below the average house price. Do they do mortgages?

 

great detail as ever and nice to see them buttoned up!

 

Rob

Edited by rob85
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Great work on both those kits! I have the Airfix version, and while it does look an excellent kit, I too was a bit annoyed at the wheel well ejector pins! It's a shame because the detail in the wheel wells, I thought, was quite nice which will then be damaged when getting rid of the ejector pins.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, so almost a week later and I'm finally satisfied with filling, sanding and priming!

On to the pictorial comparisons!

33750996842_a2f7d1b9dd_o.jpg

33064176524_40a0b898b7_o.jpg

From a distance it's not that much of a difference actually. Keep in mind that the Academy is a lot simpler to put together since it's got way fewer parts, and it didn't consume much filler. Airfix on the other hand has a lot of inserts that adds more detail, but in my hands caused more filler-use. Your mileage may vary!

Let's compare said details then

33750996592_69076e8425_o.jpg

Airfix (top) includes canvas covered tail wheel well (keeping up the theme with the main wheel wells no less, but Academy is completely bare, with no detailing at all.

33064176154_f87acfea09_o.jpg

Speaking of main wheel wells, Airfix is more detailed out of the box, and the keel has a lot of detail.

33750996052_0fdd4b860a_o.jpg

Academy is very simplified, but the etch pieces in the landing gear bay helps a little. Nicking the cooling flaps from Airfix was also a good idea, since the original ones were very vague.

33750995922_b685c78906_o.jpg

Engine covers on top of Airfix is not that many miles better than Academy

33777916111_4e2a03d25c_o.jpg

Also, the filler caps for the fuel is included in Airfix, but missing from Academy.

33750995632_b7a3c41eb0_o.jpg

Airfix has full radiator trunking, and nicely detailed too. However, the fit is not excellent, but far from Mach2...

33750995712_38acdaf0ca_o.jpg

Academy has a different layout of the split vanes, and includes just three plinths that's supposed to be radiators...Etch will go in there later on.

33750995562_50dba0aabe_o.jpg

Rear side of radiator on Academy is completely empty! There is nothing there!

33777915911_979e329ea5_o.jpg

Full trunking on Airfix.

 

And finally, a comparison of panel lines

33777915911_979e329ea5_o.jpg

Academys felt finer when looking at the bare plastic, but under a coat of primer the difference is minimal.

There is off course more details on Airfix, and the fabric covered ailerons looks more convincing.

 

Not, time to make some lunch, and then start to spray the undersides!

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Some paint the, would you like?

Let's start with Xtracrylix Azure Blue on the Academy Hawk
33927979395_f6cb262c88_o.jpg
33927979295_757571121a_o.jpg
The blackbasing is just showing through, just as intended. I might hit the fabric covered surfaces with some darker shade, just to get a little more variation in it.

Comments on that please?

 

The Airfix Hawk will be in the Curtiss delivery colors so here it's Dupont 71-021 which I interpreted as Gunze H311, which is also known as FS-36622
33927979045_1c43ffde13_o.jpg
My camera and photo setup is far from ideal, and the fool using it is no better, so that's why the pictures suck!

 

Lets try the cellphone camera instead, and different lighting:
33084671994_6a81196461_o.jpg
33084672004_fcb65fcd77_o.jpg

Right!

Now it looks a lot more like real life!

Anyway, time to add a clear coat because next step will be masking!

Edited by Christer A
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9 hours ago, Christer A said:

Some paint the, would you like?

Let's start with Xtracrylix Azure Blue on the Academy Hawk
33927979395_f6cb262c88_o.jpg
33927979295_757571121a_o.jpg
The blackbasing is just showing through, just as intended. I might hit the fabric covered surfaces with some darker shade, just to get a little more variation in it.

Comments on that please?

 

The Airfix Hawk will be in the Curtiss delivery colors so here it's Dupont 71-021 which I interpreted as Gunze H311, which is also known as FS-36622
33927979045_1c43ffde13_o.jpg
My camera and photo setup is far from ideal, and the fool using it is no better, so that's why the pictures suck!

 

Lets try the cellphone camera instead, and different lighting:
33084671994_6a81196461_o.jpg
33084672004_fcb65fcd77_o.jpg

Right!

Not it looks a lot more like real life!

Anyway, time to add a clear coat because next step will be masking!

Careful christer, it's starting to look like you will finish these in good time ;) 

 

love your paint work, something very satisfying about the finish you get.

 

Rob

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