Bonehammer

I did something more yesterday but I'm not sure whether to call it progress when it further shifts the completion date forward. A few things were due. like correcting the wing glove shape for all four parts: the corner still needs to be trimmed, I just need to find the right position and angle... ù And the tailplanes were trimmed to their final dimension. I think the work involved was worth it, this shape is much sleeker than the mainsails that came with the kit. I had hinted in a previous installment that the wing needs to be moved backwards, (right in the picture below) but the position of the landing gear is more or less in the right place (see left). If you move the wing, it goes too far aft. Decisions, decisions. So I'm there hemming and humming and the sanest part of my brain is saying, "WHAT? No. Don't do that." The other part of my brain: "Here, hold this please" (Not a product endorsement, on a day like yesterday I'll drink whatever is cold) So I start by scoring around the wheel wells and five minutes later we're at this: So this is the look of things now... The opening will obviously be moved to match. The shape is barely acceptable but I'm not going to change it because it would mean new undercarriage doors and life is too short as it is... ...but the Whitcombe carrot is too short and a tad stupid in shape to boot. One of those things that mar this kit, other than accuracy, there are things like the randomly placed panel lines that scream at you. So on the last update... carrot removed for repositioning, aft part refined to a more aerodynamically competent shape. You can also see the beginning of the filler application. What with the age of the kit and its size, unnecessary or badly placed panel lines, and all the surgery I made, it will be not a surprise to anyone that this beast is a putty hog. On the plus side, it's sleek and clean and it's not like I'm removing some irreplaceably beautiful surface detail.

Credit where it's due - mine's a keeper. One of his first Christmas gift was an airbrush, and his main complaint is that I buy more than I build... even if he chooses to balance it out with witty remarks, I still sign on the dotted line.

Gentlemen, you went above and beyond duty with this. I know I'd pursue an answer just as doggedly if it was about Italian, but still, I'm thankful and awed.

Kitting the Havoc seems such a strange decision on their part. How many were even built? Even a Mi-4 in 1/48 has more market potential...

Thanks @KRK4m and @Yasa, I guess it's a reminder of FOD danger. Su-7s had that apron cleaning device in front but the advice was good for machines of all types.

Hello all, I found this image on the Internet. Can anyone fill in the parts hidden behind the Fitter and reconstruct the entire writing? Thanks in advance, Bone

Back to the work bench at last! In the past few updates I had let you know about my woes with the bang seats. Ultimately I came up with an ambitious plan... First of all, I "traced" two nice side views of the KT-1M (available on this very site) in Powerpoint... then reduced the print on a copy machine and had the pieces at 1/72 (more or less). You can see my previous efforts at the bottom of the image, purpos accidentally out of focus and in poor lighting... Here are the pieces being prepared. My husband walked in, saw my fourth attempt at making the headrests, and asked me if I was doing a Japanese plane because those were clearly the pilot's wooden flip flops, right? The cheek of that man I tell you. So after sticking all the bits together they look like this 🤢. They're rough, drowned in Tamiya's Thin, and there's not a square angle in sight. Success! The front part of the headrests, already looking too small, are merely leaning on the seats, maybe I'll fix them maybe I won't. Cushions, belts, parachutes and hand grips to follow. The rear seats will get some belts and maybe new sides - I need to gauge what can be seen through the transparencies. I'm not too bothered with their obvious shortcomings - after all this will be their final resting place. Ta for now, Bone

No pictures of progress yet (hopefully soon), but an idle thought. Who knows if the obvious foreshortening in this photo is responsible for the length issues with ESCI's Backfire? I know, they would be real lazy if they had not cross-checked with pictures from other angles, but the story of how the kit was designed and from what materials is lost in the mists of time. At least they had an alibi, the Tu-22M was seldom seen and not exported. Some other manufacturers who could look out of their window and see a MiG-21 fly over still managed to get the fuselage section wrong...

"Yellow 49" was well-kept but not in pristine conditions. For one, the bort number had been changed, you can see that the digits sit on a light green blotch. A few stencils were obliterated in the process. Second, depending on the occasion it was photographed, it sported a large yellow badge on the tail that was later painted over - crudely - in dark green. https://aviadejavu.ru/Images6/AK/AK2012-07/8-1.jpg http://авиару.рф/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Su-17M4-na-stoyanke.-2.jpg http://andru-so.narod.ru/photo30.jpg https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aNdxV5hOCNM/UIPzDWE_yTI/AAAAAAABfRo/lz1u7_hTKbI/s1600/su17m4-09.jpg http://scalemodels.ru/images/2020/01/1578568493_49_Tieme_Festner-3.jpg http://scalemodels.ru/images/2020/01/1578568497_49_Gaston_Botquin-3.jpg Fitters in Afghanistan had blue or outline bort numbers IIRC... here's a few pictures and profiles: https://aviadejavu.ru/Images6/MA/MA00-1/o4-2.jpg http://otvaga2004.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/otvaga2004_afg-iba_035.jpg https://war-book.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/00008311.jpg https://war-book.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/00008314.jpg https://i.mycdn.me/i?r=AyH4iRPQ2q0otWIFepML2LxRq4DXZobatnoBbq0FdVzrXQ https://i.mycdn.me/i?r=AyH4iRPQ2q0otWIFepML2LxRilgpOVLxaXTYRg7YGsttKQ https://i.mycdn.me/i?r=AyH4iRPQ2q0otWIFepML2LxRVjF58_35XOyeU-BCE3Ipnw https://i.mycdn.me/i?r=AyH4iRPQ2q0otWIFepML2LxRIX_3ErA-bx1wRYi4aFEAcw https://i.mycdn.me/i?r=AyH4iRPQ2q0otWIFepML2LxRIX_3ErA-bx1wRYi4aFEAcw https://i.mycdn.me/i?r=AyH4iRPQ2q0otWIFepML2LxRJRzhq_qCGCtObNw0jkWkfg https://aviadejavu.ru/Images6/AH/AH94-3/27-1.jpg https://war-book.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/00008314.jpg Apart from the fact that the airplanes in Afghanistan flew in combat, from what little can be seen the conditions of the paint job were similar. I'd go with 49 because it involves less guesswork. These from 302 Regiment... unsure if "in country": https://aviaforum.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachment-files/2019/03/1382620_91f89d48253b5b69cc0ba2ceb8fe68af.jpg https://aviaforum.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachment-files/2019/03/1382628_4e466fb2042fc25e5cdabdebec6a332c.jpg https://aviaforum.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachment-files/2019/03/1382631_8cd946aa083512724914d8c8505e5ec8.jpg https://aviaforum.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachment-files/2019/03/1382633_1f2bef343ebc978aa47260db316a5060.jpg https://aviaforum.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachment-files/2019/03/1382634_5c2592ae2c4eb709710ea608482619bc.jpg https://aviaforum.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachment-files/2019/03/1382638_98ee43a54a24a19a193ed6f948fe4665.jpg https://aviaforum.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachment-files/2019/03/1382650_6372f41628dd30b1327e596539cbc436.jpg https://aviaforum.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachment-files/2019/03/1382658_febd63c26d7275135dd93403bfbfe659.jpg https://aviaforum.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/attachment-files/2019/03/1382662_9cccaa606414dc521b54dc20531c5a63.jpg

Not yet, but not for lack of trying. I'm being distracted with multiple projects, online gaming, and RL, and my main obstacle now is turning the ESCI recliners into a pair of believable ejection seats. Yesterday's attempt was particularly dismal...

I have a kink for the unconventional, so it's a tie between the Breguet 460 Vultur and the DINFIA IA.35 Huanquero. Both ugly enough to arrest your development if you look at them for too long.

FK115 is interesting, I'd never have thought a NM bomber in RAF service. What did you use for the silver finish?

Thank you for the info! I still have one half-started somewhere in the loft, and forewarned is forearmed they say.

Hello greatgonzo, thanks for the info. I tried your link on Chrome at work with no problem. At home, on Chrome it immediately redirects to https: // newcaptchahere . top/ (spaces added to break the link), triggering my antivirus, and works normally on Firefox.

I keep getting a "server not found" error. Moved or what? I wish it didn't just vanish - it was a treasure trove of info.