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Italeri 1:48 Lockheed TR-1A 'Dragon Lady'


Filler

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So here's my entry of Italeri's TR-1A. I won this unopposed in an eBay auction, costing me a whole 5 quid.

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There's very little left on the sprues (so was very carefully checked on receipt) as a previous owner had pretty much built the kit using sellotape. It's quite flashy so I've been cleaning up the wings a bit but it's definitely going to need a bath before I go any further.

The kit seems as if it's pretty straight forward. The part count is quite low for a 1/48 and having read a few articles on the web about it, there isn't a whole lot of scope for detailing, especially if you're going to keep the cockpit closed - which I am. I know that they wouldn't be allowed in this GB but, I did find a few Cutting Edge sets on eBay; cockpit, flaps and slats, horizontal stabs and an exhaust but, that lot came to £158.54 plus p&p!

However, I am seriously considering doing two things that are well out of my comfort zone. Firstly, I am thinking of doing some rescribing. Nothing too dramatic, just scribing what Italeri have moulded raised - no actual corrections as I can't be fussed doing the research. And secondly, a bit of plastic chopping to drop some flaps. Having looked at a few pictures of Alconbury based aircraft taken at various airshows, it looks as if they tended to have their flaps dropped when parked up in static displays - but not always.

And the final thing; I will not be using the perished kit decals but will use the ones that are on the Xtradecal sheet I bought some time ago for the 'Starize' RF-4C (that I haven't built yet). I assume that is OK with the build bosses?

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  • 1 month later...

After all manner of airbrushing problems and other distractions I have finally opened the box of TR-1 again.

As I had threatened to, I have taken the port wing bottom piece and got out the scribing gear. After the best part of two hours I have done most of this part and am not sure if it was entirely worth the effort. No doubt recessed is better than raised but, recessed is best when it's consistent in depth and with straight lines.

Here's a couple of pictures to show my evenings cack-handy-work.

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I'm going to think about this and decide whether or not to carry on with this (and likely miss the GB deadline) or maybe just settle for sanding the raised line to make them much more subtle. Not sure about my other plan of dropping the flaps either now. My research (looking at Airliners.net) has shown that it's a fairly even mix between up and dropped on park up TR-1/U2's.

It's funny how I had such airbrush problems that I bought a new brush and now I am too scared to use it, so have set about my number one modelling fear to avoid it.

edit: The more I look at it, the more it looks like I re-scribed it with a Flymo!

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Never quite figured out the problem to be honest. Seemed to be the result of a few issues coming together such as moisture in the air supply, getting the mix right, pressure and so on. Also, there were maybe some other issues with the brush itself like maybe the needle and or tip had seen better days or the needle bearing was past it's best. Anyway, I decided to start again with a new, better brush and hose and then I could rule out the brush being the problem.

So as soon as I get this scribing business out the way I can crack on with the glue and then put my new brush to the test with 50 shades of black.

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Filler, I feel your pain. Re-scribing is a dark art and is something I have never mastered but your work really doesn't look too bad to me. I think since you've started re-scribing you should finish the process as having both raised and recessed panels may just look odd. Keep the faith and treat it as a learning exercise. It on;y cost you a few quid, after all...

Good luck mate.

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That's a great point of view and I will continue. After all, if I quit early on in my first attempt I will never learn the art. I think I'll start another recessed kit to run alongside this one though and then I can put down the scribing tools now and again. Onwards and upwards!

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Nice choice of kit mate.

Well done for trying re-scribing, I must admit I only ever do it to replace detail that may have been sanded off.

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This evening I set about re-scribing the top of the port wing and it went much better than yesterdays attempt at the bottom side. Hardly perfect but definitely an improvement.

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I've now glued the two halves together with an eye to removing the flaps. There's a couple of quite hefty gaps to fill in those flaps (pretty clear in the photo) and not sure how to do that yet. But they're issues for tomorrow.

Got to admit that despite the progress with the scribing I am not looking forward to doing the fuselage. Pretty sure that curved surfaces are going to prove a whole new ball game.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I rescribed a U-2C last year and used DYMO tape for curved areas. A sticky rubber pad (the stuff used on dashboards to keep cell phones from flying out of an open side window) work great to keep the parts firmly on the table during rescribing.

Rene

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  • 3 weeks later...

In my very limited experience (rescribing across fuselage seams etc.) Dymo tape works well, but bear in mind you only get a couple of "sticks" before it loses enough tack to be useless, so you want to try and get it in place as accurately as possible on the first attempt.

Oops, this might be thread resurrection. Any progress on this one?

Cheers,

Will

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Oh dear, my third GB effort to die a death. Just been so busy at weekends and all of April was crazy. And now I've become slightly distracted by the recent good weather and getting out with my camera in preparation for the airshow season.

Anyway, I should be pretty idle this weekend so I will see if I can try and get it somewhere close to finished. I'll crack on with the re-scribing but dropping the flaps will have to be ditched as it looks very difficult and will take a lot of time.

It's crazy really as around the time I last posted in here I was having serious airbrush issues and had just bought a new one from LittleCars. And it remains in its case and is even still shrink wrapped! Ashamed...

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  • 2 months later...
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