Bob Hsieh

Finally, I finish this kit!

I think this Airfix swordfish kit is very funny. I am very enjoy in built it. After I made one, I even want to buy it again. Anyway, this kit is great and gave me a lot of funny.

The long road finally revealed the light. In the assembly step, I spend a lot of time for sanding. At this time, I spend a lot of time for hand-made parts, in pursuit of realism. Like the unknow hook under wing. Like the attitude indicator probe and the probe discharger. Like the landing light & antenna under fuselage. Like the additional dashboard & antenna Like the probe at the canopy. Like the rear mirror and handle in the canopy. And tail light.

The only commendable thing about this kit is excellent pilots. These two pilots have good carve and different posture.

About painting, this time I use aftermarket descale for ROCAF. First, painting white then mask. The orange-red at ROCAF trainer is very special, there are not standard paint at market. I try to paint orange first, then covered by clear red. The results seem great. Compared with sanding, masking and painting are really much simpler.

I am not satisfied of cooling fins made by TAMIYA Epoxy putty. I re-build it by plastic panel. Add some hand-made parts. Like various antennas, landing light, welding mark on the exhaust.

It's amazing! I also live in Tainan! While I am a child I see F-5E/F, T-33 everyday, sometimes can see F-104! Now from my apartment it became F-CK-1! Like President Tsai's speech on 10/10, ROC & PRC not affiliated with each other !

I had fall in love sanding hell for a long time. Sanding here, sanding there, sanding everywhere like a bee! Finally, I can spray primer of light grey to check full body, and do a bee again! The surface of this kit is very rough, I should repeat primer and sanding many times. Please note that there is a bit gap between the rear canopy and fuselage. I must sand it cleverly.

It’s been a while. I also modify the wing light. I cut the plastic parts on the wing tip, add light parts by hand-made. Then baking the waste clear plastic frame and touch on it immediately. After a lot of sanding and polish, I got a clear wing light. The stabilizer seems too thick, I prepare it too.

Progress to the combine step. Don’t forget counterweight at nose. As rumor, the fit is very terrible. I used all my TAMIYA putty, AV putty, Gunze putty, plastic board and rubber band. I think it will a very large sanding work waiting for me.

After the nose, I focus on those wide, deep panel line. It is very different from reality. So, I use AV plastic putty to fill these lines. The putty will a bit shrink after dry, I hope it will more simulation as real aircraft.

I think Platz T-33 is a great kit! (compare to Hasegawa) I ever made one with ROCAF!

The most important modify is air inlet. For the kit, you can see these two air inlets are assembled just by two simple parts and have an ugly present. But see the real aircraft, the inlet has a beautiful arc shape. (The reference photo come from http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/luc_colin3/t-34c_160949/index.php?Page=1) I use TAMIYA epoxy putty to re-sculpt the shape it should be, and I am very happy it seems looks good! I also refurbished the side to give it a smooth shape

There are some cooling fins on the nose but kit not show. I carving it with TAMIYA Epoxy putty. I also dig holes witch intake & exhaust.

A lot of work at nose. Start at exhaust. I repair the kit: drill the exhaust and sanding for thin wall. At real T-34C, it should be attention that the exhaust is outstretching from inside engine, but at kit it sticks directly on the skin. (The reference photo come from http://www.taiwanairpower.org/af/t34c.html) I dig a hole, so the exhaust like outstretching from inside.

Work usually starts at the cockpit. Sky-High not apply decals for dash panel, and the layout on this part is random. I just paint, brush and add glass-liquid on it. But then I regretted it a bit for not correct it. I also add partition behind the chair as real, but after combination, that is invisible.

Hello everybody, I am Bob and I come from TAIWAN. The official name of my country is Republic of China (R.O.C), a democratic country. We have our own constitution, president, government, army, passport, currency, tax system and we are not a part of People’s Republic of China (P.R.C). In order to distinguish these two China, we often claim us TAIWAN. O.K., after a short self-introduction, back to this project: 1/72 ROCAF T-34C. At ROCAF, the T-34C is used for primary flight training to student pilots. The National Geographic once made a special album for ROCAF pilot development, the link at Maybe T-34C is not a hot aircraft, the producer of 1/72 T-34C seems only Sword & Sky-high. And both of two are hard to get, I never even seen the Sword T-34C at Taiwan. So, at this time I just can choice Sky-high T-34C. The Sky-high seems come from Poland. And as rumored, this kit has many problems: shape is not sharp, a lot of burrs, very wide panel line, and terrible fit.