Simon G

Hi all, thanks for your comments. Yes the mottle was applied freehand using a double action airbrush. There was a problem with the canopy shape on the E-4 issue of this kit, Eduard were quick to correct this and the Tropical version was released with the new canopy as standard, additionally Eduard supplied a free of charge corrected replacement canopy to owners of the origional issue . . . excellent service. Si.

Just finished this one. A very nice kit with lovely restrained surface detail. This is the Profi version built out of the box, the 'weekend' versions of the 109E are really good value too. Si.

Thanks for your kind comments. I wanted something a little different, hence having the wings folded, certainly looks good on the shelf and takes up less space! but so much of the fus is hidden I'm not convinced I'll be folding the wings on the Avenger when I get round to that one. Si.

Very nice, I do love the Corsair. Si.

Finished at last. Pleased with the result, my first Trumpeter kit and I was reasonably impressed . . . apart from those rubber tyres!! Si.

The final stretch . . . . Weathering, still experimenting with this to try to get the effect I want which is best described as 'well used' I'm using a mixture of dry brushing and pastel dust, some paint chipping applied with a silver pencil. A coat of flat acrylic varnish to seal it all in and then final assembly . . . All done, I'll post some more pics in the rfi section later. Si.

Some more progress . . . . Main painting is now done, first the underside which was then masked using blu tack for a slightly softened edge. I used pre-shading under the main colours, applied with some randomness to created a multi toned final colour, some lightened colour was similarly applied over the top to help towards this effect. The whole thing was glossed and then the decals (which were not brilliant but I got away with them . . just), over this I sprayed some very thin light grey to tone down the blues in the markings and help blend them in. Si.

Wheels and undercarraige finally wrestled into submission!

Most of the sub assemblies have been completed and a dry fit suggests that they will all go together without problem. I've been impressed with the crispness of Trumpeters surface detail, should provide a good base for washing and weathering. The etched control surface hinges seem to be appropriatly robust and fit for purpose, they do at least allow last minute decisions as to the deployment of flaps etc on the completed model. The white panel on the wing is a home made cover for one of the gun bays that was missing from the kit (I found the gap on the sprue where it should have been and the missing part looked like it had been cut off with clippers, very odd!) Wing outer panels will be fixed in the folded position after all painting and weathering has been done. On the down side . . . . rubber tyres . . . the devils work!! They don't fit the hubs (which are made up of 3 parts each), the holes are too big so if only pressed into place the tyres distort to an oval shape when any weight is applied. I ran a bead of super glue round the edge of the hubs, that then left gaps which needed filling between hub and tyre. It's difficult to file a 'flat' on rubber and as a final insult it was made of a material that seemed to prevent enamel paint drying, it stayed sticky to the touch. Moulding the wheels in plastic would I suspect have been easier for the manufacturer and certainly better for the builder. Si.

Very nice. Si.

A little progress has been made, all the interior bits have been completed prior to the fus being joined. It fitted together well enough, only hope I got the frame on the firewall right as I think that will determine the sit of the undercarraige later. I want to have the wings folded, this has provided a bit of a challenge in planning what order to do things. The kit is designed to have the wing outer panels hinged to they can move once assembled, however it will be difficult to paint and weather the wing fold interior surface with inner and outer panels joined. I cut the hinges so that the outer panels can be glued in place after painting and weathering. There are plenty of parts to add to the wings, and that's without the open gun bays which I'm not using. Ailerons and flaps are fixed in place with photo etched hinges, seem to work well enough, only time will tell how robust they turn out to be. Si.

Hi, Love it!, could you just clarify exactly which Mr Color silver paint you used? Si.

Hi, If you want s simple wash you might get on better with watercolours (I've used Gouache which is an opaque version) advantages are that it won't hurt what's underneath and it will wipe off for trying again if you get it wrong or don't like (Acrylic once dry won't come off without some very strong solvents). Add some washing up liquid to allow it to flow into the panels. If using watercolour use some damp kitchen towl to wipe away but it only needs the be VERY SLIGHTLY dampened. Even easier if you want a very basic technique try painting on some pastel dust with a thin brush along the panel lines. Get a dark soft pastel (like a coloured chalk, don't use the oil ones which are like crayons) rub it on some sandpaper to get dust, pick up the dust with a dry brush and gently apply. Build up the tone with repeated light applications and stop when you like the effect. If you don't have/can't get a pastel try dust from an ordinary pencil. Si.

Hi Adrian, Having just finished an F86 in Alclad and had problems with the finish coming off (for various reasons) I have to bring you the bad news that the flaws WILL show through if oversprayed. The effect will vary depending on how the light hits the surface but I fear the only sure fire way is to re-prime the effected areas. I coated my Sabre in Klear before handling and the Alclad still marked . . . . . . Sorry Si.

A little more progress . . . . The engine as supplied looks good, all I have added is paint and some wiring. Si.

Neil, Yep, that happens over time. I cut a length of putty off and then trim off and throw away the skin, I roll each part into a putty marble making sure they are both the same size before mixing them together. Si.

Hi Andrew, Silvering is caused by air trapped behind the clear portions of a decal. The trick is to apply the decal to a smooth surface to avoid this. A gloss finish to your paint will give the best chance (as matt paint is slightly textured and will assist in trapping air). Klear is a thin acrylic clear glossy floor polish, often used to as a model varnish before decals are put on to give a glossy surface. I've had mixed results with Klear so I tend to use Xtracolor enamel paints which dry gloss themselves, a final matt varnish after decalling blends everything together on the finished model. Si.

This is the second (corrected) issue of the F4F-4 from Trumpeter. My intention is to build it pretty much straight from the box and have the wings folded for something a bit different on my shelf. The colour scheme will be blue/grey over light grey and to break up the finish I'll be going for a reasonable amount of weathering. The cockpit has been completed, the only addition being some seat belts from thin lead sheet, maybe not 100% accurate but enough to interest the eye of the casual observer. The level of detail in the kit is sufficient for me although not a lot will be visible once sealed in place inside.

If you don't have any metal polish, tooth paste can work well as an alternative. Si.

Thanks for your help chaps. John . . . order arrived today, outstanding service, thank you. Si.

Very nice job. I have a bit of a soft spot for the Hurricane. Si.

Hi all, I'm about to start the Trumpeter 1/32 F4F-4 Wildcat, I know the instructions don't give the correct external colours but I'm struggling to find references to give me the correct shades. I'm going for the blue-Grey over Light scheme and want to use Xtracolor enamels. Can anyone give me the correct FS numbers or Xtracolor refs? Many thanks, Si.

Very nicely done. Si.

Just finished this one, it was built from the box using kit decals. Enjoyed playing with the finish as the overall grey scheme can seem a bit 'flat', I threw every thing I could think of at it to break things up a bit. I'm reasonably happy with the result and it certainly removes the negative expectations I had about attempting grey or grey/white USN schemes. The kit itself goes together well, the panel lines are for the most part raised making applying a wash difficult (beyond me in any case). Hasegawa include an etched fret and replacement white metal undercarrage parts however I'm not a fan of white metal and went with the plastic parts that are also included. (I have the white metal left over if any one wants them? . . . free to the first to send me a stamped addressed envelope . . pm if interested). Hope you like it. Si.

New one on me to, should be no chemical reaction between the two. Just a thought . . . . Milliput is an epoxy, they usually create heat as they cure, could that have something to do with it? Si.