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My first completion of the new year. This is the 1/72 Douglas EB-66C, an Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) version of the B-66 Destroyer. Build using the Italeri EB-66E kit and the Airwaves conversion. The EB-66E's were RB-66B's converted to the ECM role so this boxing of the original B-66B kit had some of the ECM antennas duplicating some of the ones in the Airwaves conversion. The Airwaves conversion included the belly and wing tip sensor pods, the ECM tail and photo etch antennas and cockpit details. Since the Italeri kit already had the ECM tail I used it instead. The Italeri kit would have a good limited run offering but given that Italeri is more of a main stream model company, it had lousy fit and detail. For extra credit I replaced the Italeri refueling probe, which it just a rod with not tip, with one for the spares. I cut out the 2 additional windows on the left fuselage, which look white in the pictures because the Krystal Klear hasn't dried yet. Also if you look very carefully at this picture you can see that the wing tip sensors (not tanks) have a sleeve that fits over the wing so, I added some styrene to emulate that. I used decals from the Wolfpak 72-109 sheet and some of the Italeri ones. Both worked fine. I used all AK Real Color paints. This should have been finished a day earlier but, while spraying the final coat of flat I overfilled the paint cup on the air brush and then canted it a little too much and the flat paint spilled out of the cup onto and under the right wing. I tried to dub it up but that only made things worse. The only solution was to strip the top and bottom of the wing and repaint. Luckily because of the quick drying lacquer paint I was able to spay and mask each color in a couple hours and get the whole thing repainted in 1 day. While the SEA paint scheme is a pain to paint it does look striking. Next up will be what I hope is a quick build of the new Modelsvit/Sova-M Fairchild T-46A. Enjoy

This is my build of the Hasegawa 1/72 Grumman EA-6B Prowler ECM aircraft. The EA-6B is a stretched 4 seat version of the A-6 Intruder. The EA-6B was used by both the US Navy, Marines, and USAF until replaced by the EA-18G Growler and retired in 2019. This is your typical late '80s Hasegawa kit with mostly good fit a simple interior and in this case tinted canopies. The tinting is correct for the main canopies but is incorrect for the wind screen which should be clear. I replace the interior with a nice well fitting Aires resin one. Unfortunately with the tinting you really can't see much, nut it is there. My boxing was an older Minicraft-Hasegawa one and the decals were not usable due to aging. I originally planned on doing the '60s gray over white paint scheme so I first got an appropriate set of CTA decals (#31). But then after construction was completed I decided I would rather use the later 3 color gray scheme. I ordered the Wolfpak 72-074 set from Fantasy Printshop hoping it would make it to the US by the time I was finished painting and I was ready for them. I also ordered the PrintScale 72073 and 72395 sets as a backup. I don't like using PrintScale decals because I find they are so thin (yes that is supposed to be a good thing) that they become distorted just getting them off the paper and then the stick like glue to the first place they are applied. This makes them impossible to position without them rolling up into a useless ball. But they arrived in just a week. I decided to try the 72073 sheet in the hopes it might be usable. I tested applying the tail serial number which I knew would be the most difficult and it was just an exercise in frustration. So I waited for the Wolfpak set to arrive, and waited, and waited. After 4 weeks waiting and still not getting them I got the idea; what if I gave the PrintScale decals a coat of MicroScale Decal Film? That should give them enough body to keep them from distorting. So I gave that a try and it worked! I was able to apply then without any scrunching, distortion or silvering. So if anyone is having the same issue with PrintScale decals (I also have this problem with Sword decals, although they seem to be better in their latest kits) try coating them with decal film. So after all that here it is. Next up is a TH-57A using the Matchbox OH-58 kit and the M&E conversion. I started this while waiting for the Wolfpak decals so it is almost done. Enjoy