VT Red Sox Fan

Giorgio, AWESOME work--just catching up--as many others have pointed out, your efforts on the tail's plastic surgery are yielding spectacular results with the paint! Best, Erwin

Updating this build is going slower than the build--but sharing is still worth it! Over the course of the last couple weeks, I completed the wing and wheel well subassemblies. Most of my efforts were spent finishing the landing flap wells and using Microsscale Kristal Klear for the navigation lights. I am really pleased with how the wells, flaps and nav lights turned out. While I have seen better on Britmodeller, this is my 1st "heavy" photo etch project and I am very satisfied with the results. This is also the first build I have attempted to use Kristal Klear & I am also very happy with the results. Special shout out to @jrlx and his fantastic 1/72 Defiant build--anyone seeking to tackle Airfix's latest 1/72 Defiant should check out his work-- Next step is sanding the fuselage, wings and mating these sub assemblies together. Thank you all for commenting! Best, Erwin

Jamie, even though it has been roughly a year, this build still inspires me as I work on my Defiant—step by step, I grow to appreciate even more what an awesome job you did on your Defiant—well done! Best, Erwin

Thanks @dogsbody & @RidgeRunner for your thoughts/advice—I am now looking fwd to attempting the nav lights—Chris, BTW, those lights came out phenomenally well! Best, Erwin

Was just thumbing through all the pages again in simple awe--really loved the reference photos you left for the rest of on the real thing and the awesome techniques you are sharing--finally noticed your yearbook--your builds are all spectacular!

Wow--looks awesome!

Wheel well walling complete. Very happy with the end result of the Eduard photo etch wheel well--I just bought another of this OOP set (I believe the zoom is still in production)--will save the full photo etch when I build a night fighter painted in RAF Night. Per recommendations from the forum, I airbrushed vice spray painted the wheel wells. I achieved what I believe is a pretty good "painted" aluminum finish with Alaclad Dark Aluminum, ALC 103--I airbrushed twice--once while on the fret/wheel well unassembled and then a once over mist to finish the job since these aircraft had an even color through out (you might be able to make out scratching/flacking in some of the pics before the final coat). I also closed up the fuselage--which felt very satisfying--i know there will be some groaning, but I am "crewing" this aircraft... only modification to the pilot was to cut down his boots due to some of sizing differences between the plastic/photo etch parts. I used the 1/48 Tamiya Spitfire instruction guide as a paint guide--all paints on the figures are Tamiya (I used Tamiya Khaki for the gunners jump suit--pics to follow during the turret build up). Once the pilot was positioned, I used Eduard photo etch to strap him in--it was very gratifying to see. I am now in the process of bending photo etch for the landing flaps--while the flaps look intricate, I believe they will look awesome when done. I also plan on making the wing tip lights out of spare sprue-- basically cut to shape and sand/polish with finer grits of sand paper/polishing cloth and finalizing with future--has anyone done something like that--I am thinking that I will CA glue the light to the wing before I start sanding the glass down, but am open to suggestions (in the back of mind I am thinking it would craze the plastic). Thank you all, especially, @billn53, @RidgeRunner, @The Spadgent, @dogsbody, @fubar57, @giemme, @Gene Kand @f111guru for your advice and guidance for over a year now--I do not think I would have even tried building a Defiant to post here, much photo etch back then. Best to all, Erwin

Awesome! Cheers, Erwin

Thank you @fubar57! Minor update tonight--pics below are of the surgery to the wings to support Eduard's landing flap upgrade. I found the "soft" plastic greatly assisted me in accurate cuts to complete this minor improvement. While I believe the Airfx kit is awesome, I am really glad I have the Eduard wheel well updates--as one can see the "roof" of the well is well detailed, but the "sidewalls" have a nasty seam--the Eduard set covers these convincingly--pics to follow later in the build. Also I included the period photo I mentioned earlier which drove the scoop color interior question--it appears to me the engine scoop interior is aluminum, but I could be off--in fairness it is not the rear radiator which is probably the underside color which I specifically asked about. Best and thanks to all, Erwin

@Courageous—awesome build with awesome inputs from across the forum—see many folks I have a great deal of respect for providing inputs—like many others I will benchmark your awesome work for my future F-86 build—tracking now with interest—best,Erwin

Martin, thank u for the info on the wheel wells—as I am getting ready to build a P-51D following the Defiant, my research has led me to believe you are correct that up through the -15 production block, P-51Ds had NMF Wells w/ a YZC spar through most of that block’s production—FWIW & to make it more interesting it seems there is a growing consensus that late P-51Ds were YZC overall due to corrosion issues (not sure if this started in late -15 or -20) production—apologize if I sound too authoritative than I am—I know there are plenty of experts who will nudge me in the correct direction if I am off—I think it is very reasonable to assume an operational post WW2 P-51D had wheel wells painted for corrosion control—your example and decision may be on point by my math for this particular P-51D build. This P-51D is a spectacular example that I will leverage in my build—as always thank you for pushing me to become better in this hobby! cheers Erwin

@dogsbody that radiator looks awesome! I will leverage this info for sure on my build—best, Erwin

Martin, yet another outstanding build—bravo—out of curiosity & sorry if I missed it, what color did you do the wheel wells in? Can’t wait for the next one—best, Erwin

@Procopius—entering this thread way late but had to say well done!!! Really appreciate what you did with the Bomber Command camo scheme and weathering—another high bar set! Best, Erwin

Thanks @The Spadgent—Ie Johnny I am leaning your direction regarding the colors for the radiator/air scoop interiors—it’s amazing how these little eccentric bits are sometimes hard to nail down—I am away from the house right now, but will try to post a few of the photos which gave me pause in both directions so at least others have a starting point when they tackle a Defiant—Bottom Line: I think you have the correct vector, the radiator scoop/exhaust seems much to large for the inside to be a different color than the overall underside—the front cooling scoop would probably mirror that—furthermore, the research I did for my 1/72 Hurricane, while not as extensive as your build ( I like to think I have gotten better in the last 3 years ) completely back up your painting of this area on the Hurricane—perhaps this was the RAF standard—cheers & thanks to all! Erwin