kpc7676 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Hi guys, May I join? I am waiting for the Starfighter GB to begin and am after something that can be used as a little side project that can be done with little fanfare. The decision to go with this one was based upon its simplicity and what appears to be nice, albeit basic, detail. I have had some good results from Hobby Boss kits and hope this one can provide some more. There has been plenty of heated discussion over this one recently, and I want to see if the build can turn those many negatives into some positives. People complain about the overall shape, and the fact that the wheels, drop tanks and just about every other little thing is incorrect. Well, I am pleased to say that I feel that I can get over some of these issues with the following: I plan on putting some seatbelts in and adding some detail to the radio compartment area, but that's it, as you will barely be able to see them through the one piece canopy anyway: The scheme will be "Thunderbird" (suits my avatar well!) flown by Captain Ted Lines: And here's a final photo of the sprues and the extras all together in a small corner of a coffee table: I plan on making a start tomorrow night and will keep the updates coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Looking forward to it - when I built my (Tamiya) -D, I had to do a red-nosed one too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpc7676 Posted July 30, 2012 Author Share Posted July 30, 2012 I had a minor hesitation this afternoon with regards to whether I should do this kit or the Tamiya offering. I decided to compare the kit to the Tamiya offering and see what I came up with. The areas of concern have been the accuracy of the wheels, nose shape, cockpit, fuel tanks, wing leading edge, propeller, canopy, wheel well outer doors, and, finally, the DF loop on the back. Well in comparison I can report that the two kits match up reasonably well for shape, and in no way does the kit deserve the bashings, at this stage, that it has received. I will be starting tonight, and I will be ensuring that I keep everyone abreast with the build as I go. And I have also located some Ultracast seats, so, bring it on I say!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I had a minor hesitation this afternoon with regards to whether I should do this kit or the Tamiya offering. I decided to compare the kit to the Tamiya offering and see what I came up with. The areas of concern have been the accuracy of the wheels, nose shape, cockpit, fuel tanks, wing leading edge, propeller, canopy, wheel well outer doors, and, finally, the DF loop on the back. Well in comparison I can report that the two kits match up reasonably well for shape, and in no way does the kit deserve the bashings, at this stage, that it has received. I will be starting tonight, and I will be ensuring that I keep everyone abreast with the build as I go. And I have also located some Ultracast seats, so, bring it on I say!!!! That's interesting. I'll be keeping an eye on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellzy Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I look forward to seeing this build wellzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpc7676 Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 I have started to chip away and have the wings together and the the cockpit started. Here are a few pics of the fuselage joined up via some massive locating pins (or should I say shafts!) with the wings in place to show the outline that some people say is a little off...I tend to agree a little, but it's not a show stopper. And the little wing gap to fix and wheel well detail..or relative lack of it. And some cockpit work..the instrument panel decals are wet in the shots, but look ok all the same, and the Ultracast seat will have the belts and buckles painted tomorrow night. Looks like it should be an easy build...as was largely expected. More progress to follow tomorrow night or Friday sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpc7676 Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 (edited) Some more progress: Cockpit is finished and has been inserted in the fuselage...great fit in this area The fuselage has been closed up and the wings attached...once again, great and most importantly, tight fit. And here is one area that will need some attention, the spine aerial that is not even on the D model has had to be cut in half as it came as an insert...will need some filling around this area to make it flush and clean prior to the silver colour (we all know that silver shows EVERY error!) Seam line clean up and general pre painting steps are next, then out with the ALCLAD and other silvers to test my skills in this area..it's been a while. Edited August 5, 2012 by kpc7676 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theclay Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 looking good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 It is very basic, like a scaled up 72. Maybe that's why the locating 'trunnions' are so massive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 You're doing a good job on this. I've just built one for a review and found it to go together pretty well. Not an entirely accurate kit and lacksamong a few other things, sidewall detail in the cockpit as you will have noticed, undersized and poor exhausts and the rear vent for the radiator is entirely closed! If total outline accuracy doesn't bother you then its a nice kit to use up aftermarket decals. Look forward to the end result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpc7676 Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 You're doing a good job on this. I've just built one for a review and found it to go together pretty well. Not an entirely accurate kit and lacksamong a few other things, sidewall detail in the cockpit as you will have noticed, undersized and poor exhausts and the rear vent for the radiator is entirely closed! If total outline accuracy doesn't bother you then its a nice kit to use up aftermarket decals.Look forward to the end result. Thanks guys for the comments. Paul, agree with you. The cockpit is basic (that's why the Ultracast seat to try to spruce it up a little), the exhausts bland (that's why the Ultracast exhausts), and the lack of vents and radiators being open. The fit is up there with my two Ta-152's I did from them a little while ago. The canopy is the worst part I reckon, and bloody hard to fix, but I don't really concern myself with the detail...I just wanted a quick kit to do and this is it. I now have the tape off and the tailplanes on, so new pics will follow in the next couple of days. Plenty of cleaning up to do here and there but overall still on track to get here done real soon. Need to get here done so I can concentrate on the Starfighter for that GB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I saw Kev's build in the fleash last weekend. And he's done a great job so far. IMHO The biggest issue with the kit ithe Canopy it's just so wrong it's awful. That said I reckon the price and simplicity make it a great kit for a kids build (not saying you're a kid Kev ;-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpc7676 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 (edited) Quick update. Have been trying to get rid of numerous seam lines and other issues after spraying the kit with Mr Surfacer 1200. These were in areas on both the top and bottom but I am now reasonably happy that I've got rid of them and am ready to go with the silver paint job. I will be spraying the black stripes first (then masking them over from the silver) and then using various Gunze metal and plain paints to mix things up a little bit. Pics of the Mr Surfacer covered Stang ready for the silver spray job (sorry for the pics, but IPhone flash caused it): Expect to have the painting done by the end of the weekend, and then onto the weathering and then the swift completion. Edited August 21, 2012 by kpc7676 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellzy Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Looking good , gose together well nice one wellzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpc7676 Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share Posted September 1, 2012 Ánd the paint is on! Struggled a little with the silver. Énded up stripping back some Gunze metal as it just didn't look that good at all. Ended up going with standard Gunze silver, looks ok, but it needed a bit of buffing to get rid of some rough areas. The black stripes were painted on before the silver, and masked up. The red nose was done at the end, and looks ok, but nothing really special. Next is the decalling and the undercarriage bits and pieces, then it will be pertty well ready. They don't call them easy assembly for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham121 Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Getting there Kev. Can I ask which Gunze silvers you ended up with...and which ones you stripped away as I have a couple of NMF's on the go and am/was thinking of using Gunze's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theclay Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 that is looking great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Coming along now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpc7676 Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 (edited) Decals are on! All good, the new Superscale decals go down extremely well and barely leave any silvering at all. Really happy with the result thus far. I did realise that I had not filled the wing pylon holes, so will be putting the poorly shaped kit tanks on....oh well, will do the treat. Got the exhausts painted up and attached, they loom the part too, done with gloss black with a hint of silver mixed in. And thanks thus far for the comments. And to answer your query Graham, I used initially a metal cote Gunze silver, but it went down terribly. Then I sprayed a bit of Alclad, but the surface wasn't good for it. In the end, the piant used was Gunze aqueous H8 silver. Went on fine and looks acceptable. I have been told that Tamiya spray silver decanted is the best option, but I was happy to stick to the Gunze this time around. Next step, undercarriage and tanks, then it will be nearly there. Edited September 2, 2012 by kpc7676 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyL Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 That's looking really nice. You're doing a great job. BTW...I'm posting that Me 410 canopy tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpc7676 Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 That's looking really nice. You're doing a great job. BTW...I'm posting that Me 410 canopy tomorrow Thanks Andy, No hurry mate, still yet to get to that build anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 That's looking rather nice. Keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPNGROATS Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 Nice Mustang...the decals really add to the build... Cheers, ggc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpc7676 Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 Quick update. I have been busy with the birth of my second daughter, Harriet, who was born last Thursday morning and is going along swimmingly well. Plenty of time spent at the hospital with my wife and first daughter as we spend plenty of time getting the new family together. I have managed to give myself a little bit of time in this period however and worked away to what you see below. I applied some pastels and sealed them with a clear gloss coat. I then utilised Promodellers dark dirt wash to do the panel line wash thing. Not overly keen on the product, but used it all the same. Still prefer the oil based paint application method, back to that on my next build I hope. Next up is the undercarriage and then it will be pretty well complete. Looking forward to getting it done and moving along with my Starfighter and something new which will most likely be of a Luftwaffe flavour. Next post may be the last in this thread, we'll see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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