Whirly

Nearly there with seam filling! I'm glad it will be overall black, this will help a lot hiding the mediocre quality of the kit. Thanks for looking!

Main parts are together: the fuselage joint is not that bad, much worse are the tailcone, wings and intakes to fuselage joints.... This will take some time to finish off with repeated applications of filler! Thanks for looking!

Thank you for the positive comments! I directed my attention to the u/c because I read some comments about the radar fairing being too close to the ground. My first feeling was "what was thinking Sword when they designed the legs attachment points". The leg pins are cone shaped, way too thin to stand the rigours of a deck landing 🙄 The corresponding attachment points are not even drilled thorugh. Some checks are in order to avoid missing the correct stance of the finished model. Will report later.

Oh yes, I know the kit is prehistoric. My surprise was because even this *relatively new* rebox is already 34 years old! Despite its age, it can be the base for a quick build (I hope) adding an elegant livery to one's collection. I painted the intakes before assembly because they must be dead white, will mask them before covering everything with black. I seem to miss a proper front u/c wheelwell 🤔 I added just a roof for now, will try to complete after closing the fuselages. Thanks for looking!

Hello, I'd like to join this groupbuild with a 1/72 build of this subject: I have both the original Hasegawa boxing and the later Revell rebox with Cartograf decals, will decide which to start after inspection. Need to clear a bit the bench so don't expect a quick update. Thank you!

Hello, the upper wings are quite a good fit, though a thin plasticard shim was added to the port wing to fuselage joint to bridge the gap and give some reinforcement. The underside joint is a bit sloppy but nothing really bad. A good application of filler was in order and will need to dry up well. Thanks for looking!

I forgot the Modeldecal sheet: at least this one seems in very good shape for its age, we'll see upon application.

I found the Revell kit, it is this quite recent.... well, this was my perception before I checked in Scalemates, which states 1989 as release date 😱 How time flies! Anyway, as suggested by Andre the Heller nose is an easy fit. I started assembling the completely useless engine just because I need something to attach the exhaust on. The kit has a lot of flash and the blue plastic is horrible, hope to cover it soon with black! Thanks for looking!

Hi Dave, thank you for your helpful advices: I will try to salvage the kit parts, it can't get much worse if something goes wrong 🙂 Hi Andre, just what I needed, thank you!

Hi Ron, I know of this precious booklet as it is invariably cited whenever the topic 'FAA Skyraiders' is raised 🙂 Unfortunately I have no access to a copy and no reprints are foreseen, a pity since so much information seems to be there. Thank you for copying the record about WT984, I didn't know it was a casualty just a few days after Op.Musketeer. It is all the more interesting to model it, but any existing image eludes me..

Hello everybody, I'm currently building the Sword 1/72 kits and would like to complete it in Suez markings. The box supplies decals for WT959 '415' from A flight 849sq on HMS Eagle: looking over the internet I saw it is the most common airframe built, also with the similar Esci/Italeri 1/48 kit, and I think for good reasons since it is well documented in an IWM Museum movie https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060023888 (look from 07:55). Another often seen airframe is WT984 '414' again from A flight, though I could not find a single image of the real one: anybody know the source for the profiles and decals which have been produced over the years? For example it has been the subject of Model Art sheet 72-019 which I'd like to use just to be different... Last from A flight is WT987 '416' which, to my knowledge, surfaced only recently in this fantastic color image: Only other known airframe is WV178 '424' from C flight 849sq on HMS Albion. This is represented by just one image and has been the subject of Model Art sheet 72-043 and Avalon 7024, both now unavailable. It is interesting because it shows clearly the presence of black between the yellow stripes which are inboard of the wingfold, differing from aircraft of A flight where only the yellow is visible and the stripes are outboard of the wingfold. It seems the maintenance teams had their own interpretations of the rules on the two carriers... What can't be seen due to the sun reflection is if the flaps had stripes over them or not. I wonder if more images exists of the Suez aircraft, I really searched a lot and could find nothing more, I couldn't even determine how many aircaft were actually involved in Operation Musketeer. Hope some BM Member can shed some light!

Hello everybody! Yesterday I rescued from the basement the Heller kit with my best intentions. From a cursory look all semed ok and ready for a start: Then I removed from the sprue the fuselages and my enthusiasm vanished at lightspeed 🤬 I know old Heller kits are renowned for this kind of surprises, but this is by far the worst I've ever seen and I doubt I can get anything more or less straight from these parts. Plan B is digging out a Revell kit of the MIrage IIIE/R and mating the Heller nose: anyone has experience of this transplant and have suggestions? Thanks for looking!

Hello, the build is progressing well, really surprisingly for a short-run kit. I closed the fuselages before adding the cockpit and the lower intake insert (parts 24 & 26) because there are no positive locators for them. I needed only a small shaving on the sides of part 24 to get it level with the lower fuselage. The cockpit went inside from below and could benefit from filing a bit the bulkhead behing the headrest, I managed to force it a bit because I'm lazy but I hope this will not cause problems with the transparent canopy. There is a good level of detail in the bathtub which can be highlighted with a fine light grey dry-brushing, while the instrument panel is a bit featureless (just circular depressions) and could be enhanced at least with a decal. I had nothing suitable in my spares so decide to leave it as it is, anyway it's all so black under the coaming... The worst part was the avionics cooling intake on the rear hump: lots of thick flash to remove before getting a decent look and needed a black roof inside to avoid seeing through the side windows. The tailplanes have a hint of locator pins (which fits ok) but I'm pondering on adding metal wire pins for added strenght. The auxiliary fins are really delicate and need just a bit of refinement with filler or superglue where they meets at the leading edge of the tailplanes. The upper intake (part 13) is a bit problematic: after many attempts at refining the fit I glued it and flooded with filler! Finally, I mated the one-piece lower wing with the fuselage: fit is very good, I only hope the thin trailing edge won't be a weak point. Thanks for looking!

Ok, I knew it would be stretching the rules a bit too far😉 Maybe I will post a regular wip if it attracts interest. Thank you!

Dear Moderators, as a parallel project to the Sword Skyraider AEW I already entered in this GB, I'm building also a yellow swedish target tug from the venerable Airfix kit and the old Aeroclub conversion for the Skyraider AEW, now completely surpassed by the new Sword kit. You can see the current progress, an empty shell since I still need to build a cockpit and make a lot of parts usable getting inspiration from the Sword kit, not least the cowling attachment ring which is a real nightmare! My question is: being the Skyraider originally a seagoing aircraft, would this one eligible for the GB? I don't want to push things, considering also the build is well near to the 25% limit, just let me know honestly. Thank you!

Hello everybody, work has started: here you can see the contents of the box. The kit is quite well detailed for a short-run production, there are however some very fine bracings for the u/c which I foresee will be quite difficult to clean-up. There are a lot of extracting pins, some in awkward places where you must necessarily remove them, otherwise the fit is impaired. I started construction from the wheelwells, because, from previous experience with a Sword kit, I was afraid of some problems. I was right! Checking carefully the cause of the problem I determined that part 44/45 and 46/47 are mixed up in the instructions: the smaller ones should be used as the rear wall of the u/c wells, while the bigger ones must go between the two sections of the u/c wells where the wing thickness is bigger. Here the parts are assembled correctly and fit is much better. Take note that, even exchanging the parts, the rear walls may require sanding to reduce the height even more and get a good fit. Thanks for looking!

Yeah, it was really a struggle but in the end I'm quite proud of the final result! The model is not so bad if you are not fussy about the missing details, the only real issue are the transparent parts which require a lot of work and you have not a second chance. @Corsairfoxfouruncle @Col. thanks for your generous comments, much appreciated!

Thank you for the warm welcome, I hope to start soon the build!

Hello everybody, I'd like to join the GB with this subject: Base kit will be the old Heller multiversion Mirage IIIE / R / 5BA Revell multiversion Mirage IIIE / R combined with Modeldecal sheet #92.

Here is my second completed build, a Pilatus PC-6 in 1/72 from the old Classic Plane kit. It is a very special scheme applied by the Austrian Air Force in 2000 to use it as a recruitment tool. The plane was sold in 2012 and moved to the USA, apparently keeping this livery up to now. Build thread is here: Thanks for looking!

I made full use of the extension to add some life to the Classic Plane basic kit: apart from the fine engraved panel lines it is unfortunately totally devoid of any detail! Starting from the cabin roof: two whip antennas, air outlet, strobe light, big white antenna and red post. Mudguard for the tailwheel done with thin plasticard vacuum formed over the tyre, small leverages for the tailplanes trim tabs. Trim tabs added to the ailerons. Small navigation light at the wing tips. Two steps per side on the u/c legs. The step under the door is totally missing even though it is a very common equipment for parachuting work. The trim tabs need linkages and there is also a kind of counterweight for the aileron. The funny tailwheel guard really taxed my patience, but it is so peculiare I couldn't leave it out! And this is the most crowded area, it took more than two evenings to complete! Blade antennas, strobe light, drain tubes, air outlet, hinges and other misterious shapes needed a lot of patience. And that's all. Tomorrow in the gallery just on the finish line 🏁 Thanks for looking!

I would like to thank you all for the positive comments: it is very rewarding, especially when you tend to build obscure and neglected subjects and usually the immediate reaction is "I've never heard about it so I can't comment!" instead of talking openly of the result achieved 🙄 @Mr T this kit is not particularly difficult or badly engineered, you should enjoy it! My hat is off to you for building the EAP: I have it half built in my stash and remember being stopped by all the issues in trying to make the rear fuselage mate with the wings. Maybe one day I will try again!

Hi Col. the time extension was really a blessing, I wouldn't have any chance of finishing this model otherwise. I completed the paint repairs and I'm currently adding the myriad of small details totally missing from the Classic Plane kit, hope to post and update with images soon.

Finally I put some decent images in the gallery, thanks for looking!

Here is my first completed build, a Curtiss XP-40Q in 1/72 from the Pegasus kit. Build thread is here: Many thanks to @Col. and @Corsairfoxfouruncle for hosting the GB and to those who commented and joined in along the way.