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1/72 F-86A-Matchbox kit


Plumbum

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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

YOeaDXq.jpg

CRwmNEH.jpg

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

vBpvJYP.jpg

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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...

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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

ryaKVp3.jpg

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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

nZzIkuy.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

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

YRj9myi.jpg

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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

xJiazQW.jpg

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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

fgbFeoR.jpg

G40IP0Z.jpg

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