Canadair CT-133 Silver Star - Sword 1/72

[Dennis_C]

Hi All,

 

Finally, I managed to complete the first model for this whole year. Somehow finding time for hobby was especially complex. Hopefully I will now gain some speed and would be up to my building plans next year 

And it looks like there has been a lack of T-birds recently on this forum so here is another one! This time it’s Canadair CT-133 Silver Star in its earliest version of RCAF markings.

 

 

Model is built from Sword kit combined with excellent Leading Edge decals. Sword kit requires some effort to allow for clean assembly. The worst thing in Sword’s kit is the canopy. Front screen does not match in shape and width to the main part. So you can either model canopy open or look for a replacement. In my case, my brother helped me with vacuum pressed canopies that he did earlier for his Sword’s F-94 (it has same issue). Some extensive sanding and dry-fitting was required to make sure canopy sits right on the fuselage.

Other changes:

• lower parts of intakes were cut from large lower wings/fuselage part and attached to each of fuselage sides for easier clean up of seams inside of intakes
• exhaust tube was replaced with a circular one
• added pitot tube in front of nose gear and fuel discharge tube on the aft starboard beneath the stabilizer
• sanded fuel tank fillers from outer sides and cut them through in inner sides of fuel tanks               

Also some mods were required to convert later service period T-33 into an earlier CT-133:

• equipment cooling vents in front of the canopy were sanded off as these were added later in T-33 life
• removed 4 of 6 gun port covers (Canadair CT-133’s had actually only two guns!) and drilled out 2 remaining gun ports
• drilled starter exhaust on the aft port side, removed US-version exhausts
• repainted some cockpit PE in black

Otherwise Sword’s kit is pretty decent for a short run kit. As a benefit, Sword supplies resin gear bays, ejection seats and painted PE fret for cockpit and for some external bits. Resin wheels were the only purchased aftermarket.

 

On to more photoes:

 

 

 

And some family shots. First, with its British cousin that was also a very successful conversion of an early jet fighter into a T-bird:

 

 

and second is my full collection of jets with centrifugal compressor engines - could not stand making a collective shot of fatty (or not that fatty) buddies 

 

 

Thanks for looking! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

 

Dennis

[Paul J]

I like a nice Canadian T-33. Nice work and with the other period comparison jets too. I have three built, a Sword, Heller and Hasegawa . All in various RCAF / RCN schemes. Will try and do some pics over the hols.

[RidgeRunner]

A very nice T-bird mate! Clearly you will have seen that i have a liking for them too!

 

Martin

Edited December 14, 2017 by RidgeRunner

[RidgeRunner]

10 minutes ago, Paul J said:

I like a nice Canadian T-33. Nice work and with the other period comparison jets too. I have three built, a Sword, Heller and Hasegawa . All in various RCAF / RCN schemes. Will try and do some pics over the hols.

 

Nice, Paul :)... i love the T-33, as you can see. Martin

[Corvi]

2 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

Hi All,

 

Finally, I managed to complete the first model for this whole year. Somehow finding time for hobby was especially complex. Hopefully I will now gain some speed and would be up to my building plans next year 

And it looks like there has been a lack of T-birds recently on this forum so here is another one! This time it’s Canadair CT-133 Silver Star in its earliest version of RCAF markings.

 

 

Model is built from Sword kit combined with excellent Leading Edge decals. Sword kit requires some effort to allow for clean assembly. The worst thing in Sword’s kit is the canopy. Front screen does not match in shape and width to the main part. So you can either model canopy open or look for a replacement. In my case, my brother helped me with vacuum pressed canopies that he did earlier for his Sword’s F-94 (it has same issue). Some extensive sanding and dry-fitting was required to make sure canopy sits right on the fuselage.

Other changes:

• lower parts of intakes were cut from large lower wings/fuselage part and attached to each of fuselage sides for easier clean up of seams inside of intakes
• exhaust tube was replaced with a circular one
• added pitot tube in front of nose gear and fuel discharge tube on the aft starboard beneath the stabilizer
• sanded fuel tank fillers from outer sides and cut them through in inner sides of fuel tanks               

Also some mods were required to convert later service period T-33 into an earlier CT-133:

• equipment cooling vents in front of the canopy were sanded off as these were added later in T-33 life
• removed 4 of 6 gun port covers (Canadair CT-133’s had actually only two guns!) and drilled out 2 remaining gun ports
• drilled starter exhaust on the aft port side, removed US-version exhausts
• repainted some cockpit PE in black

Otherwise Sword’s kit is pretty decent for a short run kit. As a benefit, Sword supplies resin gear bays, ejection seats and painted PE fret for cockpit and for some external bits. Resin wheels were the only purchased aftermarket.

 

On to more photoes:

 

 

 

And some family shots. First, with its British cousin that was also a very successful conversion of an early jet fighter into a T-bird:

 

 

and second is my full collection of jets with centrifugal compressor engines - could not stand making a collective shot of fatty (or not that fatty) buddies 

 

 

Thanks for looking! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

 

Dennis

Gorgeous work  anything in Maple Leafs is nice

 

Steve

 

[Cookenbacher]

Beautiful build, and a really great collection.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Great looking Silver star 👍 really like all the builds.

[phildagreek]

Very sharp looking, nice collection.

[glatisant]

You put a lot of effort and skill into your builds. They are magnificent. Merry Christmas!!

[Dennis_C]

Thanks to all for likes and comments

I like early jets a lot and those with Whittle's engine in particular - very different birds but with something in common. I still have couple more in stash (J-21R, Cougar) to build soon hopefully.

[spruecutter]

Very nicely done - the T-bird looks very smart in Canadian markings.

[Learstang]

That's a beauty!

 

Regards,

 

Jason

[Blackfordhibby]

A grand looking very tidy build, in a scheme that suits the a/c so well.

 

Peter

[Meatbox8]

That is an absolutely stunning model.  A great demonstration of using different tones of paint to look like natural metal.  I really like the colourful Canadian markings as well.  I hope you get more time to do modelling in the future as I would really like to see more of your work. 

[Dennis_C]

1 hour ago, Meatbox8 said:

That is an absolutely stunning model.  A great demonstration of using different tones of paint to look like natural metal.  I really like the colourful Canadian markings as well.  I hope you get more time to do modelling in the future as I would really like to see more of your work. 

Thank you for appreciation!

 

For multiple tone NMF - I actually just used pure Vallejo aluminium on some panels and Vallejo aluminium with a little grey colour added on others. When looking directly on the model panels have pretty similar tone, but at an angle there is different light reflection making panels look different. I tried this approach first time on Tunnan (on one photo above) and a bit overdone, but I'm very pleased with how it worked on Silver Star. Plus I used darker metal colour on the panel covering guns in the nose. That's visibly darker on actual aircraft photoes. 

[Meatbox8]

10 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

Thank you for appreciation!

 

For multiple tone NMF - I actually just used pure Vallejo aluminium on some panels and Vallejo aluminium with a little grey colour added on others. When looking directly on the model panels have pretty similar tone, but at an angle there is different light reflection making panels look different. I tried this approach first time on Tunnan (on one photo above) and a bit overdone, but I'm very pleased with how it worked on Silver Star. Plus I used darker metal colour on the panel covering guns in the nose. That's visibly darker on actual aircraft photoes. 

A very useful tip.  Thank you.