Plumbum Posted February 12, 2019 Share Posted February 12, 2019 This is one that is sadly in need of a new molding! I am going to try to improve what I can, I'm not bothering with the slats, I'll leave them up.It was an E Bay trophy and as often it came with a missing part which the seller seemed to know nothing about, yeah, right. I am going to try to find better decals for a Korean War plane but if all else fails I think the kits' may just work. The best improvement is a pair of donated wing tanks from a Heller kit, big thanks to Julien. So far I have just scratch built the exhaust and bulkhead and painted them. Toying with somehow improving the cockpit.---John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 12, 2019 Author Share Posted February 12, 2019 This is the exhaust. Made from a Hobbycraft launcher for a Bf-109 1/48 kit.---John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 12, 2019 Author Share Posted February 12, 2019 I cut the exhaust tube down, painted it black and added it to te bulkhead.---John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Ranger Posted February 12, 2019 Share Posted February 12, 2019 If using the kit decals, be advised that the Arizona ANG markings are wrong; the dragon on the fuselage sides should be metallic copper, not yellow, and possibly the nose and tail stripes as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 13, 2019 Author Share Posted February 13, 2019 Thanks, not using Az. ANG decals, I want to use the Korean War black and white recognition stripes, "Miss Louise".---John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre B Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Wasn't that kit also made with Luftwaffe decals? Following with interest! Cheers / André Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Looks like a number of Sabre builds on the go...nice. I was never tempted to build the Matchbox 'A' but we'll see what you can do with it. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Hi John, you have just catapulted me back into the distant past! This was the very first Matchbox kit I ever completed. I chose the Arizona ANG paint scheme, and I really loved the final result! Still have the model in a pseudo crypt in my parents' house...Damn! I do remember that it was a rather barren affair and in those days I was still building OOB, but it was a nice kit. Yours is going to be real cool with the tweaking you are adding. Good luck! JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 16, 2019 Author Share Posted February 16, 2019 Thanks, I am looking at getting a hold of a cheap kit just for the wheels and cockpit. Heller or the old Airfix is nice but I'm not spending top dollar for a Matchbox kit. How is PM models? Cockpit any good? I found a nice kit for $7.00 but they want $27.00 for shipping!!!!! There's some beauts out there. I have the flu right now so all work has ceased, got a flue shot but it only protects 27% of seniors---WTF good is it?---John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 31 minutes ago, Johnv said: . . . How is PM models? Cockpit any good? . . . I built a PM kit years ago. No cockpit, An L seat for a pilot, top of ej. seat moulded to fuselage sides. I put an Airfix pilot in to hide the nothing-ness. Wheels are shirt buttons. Get some resin replacement wheels - they'll cost less, and scratch the cockpit tub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 16, 2019 Author Share Posted February 16, 2019 Thanks, actually I have some Airfix wheels and am thinking I can shoe horn a Hobbycraft cockpit in. I like the way the Hobbycraft looks for the bucks. I am watching my "inheritance" from my Uncle. ButI like scratch building anyways.---John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 16, 2019 Author Share Posted February 16, 2019 Actually I have a few salvaged parts from the Airfix 1/72 F-86E/F. I kept the landing gear, wheels, gear doors, cockpit and rear deck, the rest got tossed. Here's the Airfix F-86E/F cockpit....not a bad fit.---John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy_J Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 I built this kit about a year ago, nothing fancy just OOB. Good fun, and the first time I used modern metallic paint - AK Extreme Metal's Aluminium, I think. The simplicity of the kit and the two coloured plastics were a flashback... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 19, 2019 Author Share Posted February 19, 2019 I did a test of the canopy and it looks good. It clears the Airfix cockpit interior with room to spare.---John 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 19, 2019 Author Share Posted February 19, 2019 I put some titanium beads in the nose for weight, closed the fuselage halves up and have scratch built a basic Mk 18 gun sight and added it to the deck above the instrument panel, and added the rear deck behind the pilots seat. After I paint the gun sight and IP deck black I will add the clear gun sight glass.---John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 The IP deck, gun sight and rear deck are painted. Also the nose and nose blanking plate along with the air brakes have been glued in place.---John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 I sanded down the seams, added the gun sight glass then glued on the canopy. On to the wings.---John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil5208 Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Sabre's always one of those aircraft that looks right from any angle, yours is shaping up nicely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted February 26, 2019 Author Share Posted February 26, 2019 Thanks, I marked out the drop tank location and drilled the holes forthe Heller kit tanks. The wings are on and it looks like I am going to need a fair amount of putty to fair the bottom in.---John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 The wing to fuselage seams are puttied and sanded. I can now mask and paint the dark metal areas, gun blast panels and exhaust area. In have 3 shades of metal, I am using Tamiya spray cans.---John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 I was unhappy the way the bottom fuselage seam looked so I have reputtied it. Tomorrow I will sand it then mask and paint the dark metal areas.---John 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share Posted March 27, 2019 I sanded the seams on the fuselage bottom them masked and painted the darkest metalic colors on the gun blast panel and exhaust area. Tomorrow I will mask again and do the next lightest metalic color.---John 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre B Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 What Tamiya AS and TS paints are you using? Cheers / André Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumbum Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share Posted March 27, 2019 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Will be interesting to see how this trio comes out. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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