CT-133 Silver Star 133542 1/48 Academy

[Beazer]

This is my first group build so please bear with me while I try and get my bearings set.

Especially with photos,  Im frazzled at how difficult to get some up.  Most likely operator error.  

 

Anyways on with the build.

I pretty much build exclusively in 1/48 scale for aircraft and I use rattle cans and hand paint usually as I’m clueless when it comes to airbrushing.  Have the setup, just worried about everything.

 

So here we go.

 

Academy 1/48 T-33A

True Details Seats

Eduard Zoom for GW 

Montex Masks for GW 

Belcher Bits Decals 

 

 

Aircraft 13352

 

Now retired and preserved at the Canadian Air Land Museum, Markham Canada.

 

The Canadair CT-133 was the result of a 1951 contract to build T-33 Shooting Star trainers for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The powerplant is a Rolls-Royce Nene 10 turbojet instead of the Allison J33 used by Lockheed in the production of the original T-33. A project designation of CL-30 was given by Canadair and the name was changed to Silver Star. The appearance of the CT-133 is very distinctive due to the large fuel tanks usually carried on each wingtip.

 

I plan on doing my usual cockpit upgrading through resin and PE and haven’t decided on a colour for the outside yet.  Leaning to a NATO Green but want to make the aircraft similar to what’s in the photo, so may need to use some ingenuity for that.

 

Edited April 21, 2019 by Beazer
Added photos. Finally.

[Beazer]

 

I’m not certain what happened however I got the photos working!  Perhaps was a buggy connection.  

 

Got out my head start on this build and here are some photos to peruse.  I want to build a photo box so that I can get proper lighting for you guys eventually.

 

Here is the photoetch for the cockpit taken apart and some paint applied.  One thing that you will notice much to my chagrin was that the kit control panel were significantly smaller than the PE I was to use.  

 

Closer view of the size difference.  I ended up having to cut the panel apart and shave the kits and piece them together very carefully.  I think they turned out quite well considering the puzzle piece for them.

 

Heres a photo of the mostly completed cockpit.  I need to touch up the seats to make them look more like cushions but I’ll do that when it’s all closed up.  The rear control panel looks thin and will be noticeable as I intend to have an open cockpit but it’s something I’m willing to live with for now unless I can find something that would work.

 

Here is where I’ve finished off today.  Added. Some ballast to the nose.  The instructions call for 1/4oz.  So I’m just eyeballing it lol.  Ran out of the NATO Green paint I planned on using so need to get that, and then I can close it all up.  There will be some fitting issues I can tell but the closed gun bays worked out well.

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2019 by Beazer

[busnproplinerfan]

Off to a good start. Is it that tail heavy?

[Beazer]

No idea,  figure I can pull some out before the wings go on if necessary.

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good afternoon Beazer

Welcome aboard and enjoy your build ..

Patrice 

[rob Lyttle]

That's a great looking cockpit and worthwhile too on one of these. 

 

[Beazer]

I’m not really that pleased with my puzzle piece of the avionics as there are some noticeable issues.  I use Krystal Klear to glue it all together so might go back and try and redo it.  Thinking about adding wiring but sometimes it just better to leave things be.

[Beazer]

And of course I us d Montez Masks and of course they lifted... I’ll have to clean all this up in the end.Did some more work on the kit today.

Realizing I’m running out of paint and will have to wait quite a while for the exterior, although it should come in time after the sanding process.

 

And the Montez mask lifted!  Hooray for cleanup 😒

 

Refining the cockpit.  Added some red and addressed the PE avionics.

 

[Beazer]

Some progress tonight closing up the bird.

 

 

She’s a little wonky in some places but you just have to take your time and test fit constantly. 

As you can see i did have to do some filling and sanding on most of the lines.  Nothing major though.

 

 

 

Also realised the back of the cockpit should have been closed.  Used some 0.005 styrene to fix that.

 

 

 

And here’s what remains.

 

Some holes to sand down on the undercarriage.  

Going to have to finesse the fuel tanks for the wings.

paint officially is on order and that’s a good thing considering I officially ran out today.

 

side note I decided to add the gun sight even though this is a trainer.  Most likely they removed it but I had to make that area anything but empty.  I added some clear styrene for the glass instead of what was on the sight.  

Also realized I goofed and extended the engine too far out.  I could cut and sand it down but I may just leave it.

 

Couldn't determine the interior landing gear colour so went with aluminum.  It was either that or a Zinc Chromate or grey.  I believe the period would dictate aluminum but if someone knows specifically for this aircraft I’d love to know.

 

Anyways hoping to get it all finished up and slap some primer on this this weekend.

 

 

[Beazer]

Primer applied with some more done on the fuel tanks and miscellaneous pieces.

[exdraken]

Looking very interesting!

[rob Lyttle]

Beazer, this Group Build goes on until something like the end of August!!! 

 

 

What else are you going to build......? 

[Beazer]

Welllll I haven’t thought of that actually.  I did finish a P-38m Night Lightning but that was before the build started...

 

I have the sharkmouth next month, then the d-day build in June, blitz build, year I was born build, floatplanes, mustang build, and I think a couple others...

 

Ive somewhat budgeted for one model a month with spare time for others on the bench as I want to be involved in as many subjects as possible.  

 

Maybe I should look at finding another oddball?  I’ll look in the stash lol.

*Found an Eduard F-104 Limited Edition with RCAF decals... it’s tempting.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Beazer
Found one.

[rob Lyttle]

Ah... Okay 

Not just the one GB then! 

 

Didn't want you to be twiddling your thumbs while you were waiting for the rest of us. 

But it doesn't look like there's ANY CHANCE of that in the fore-seeable... 

😊

[Beazer]

Finished up the fuel tanks and did my best scribing them.

Slapped on some red for the leading edge portion and then it’s off waiting for clearance.

 

Helping the smaller one do a Nova SS and catch up on some of my other stuff on the bench.

 

There may be some twiddling of thumbs while I wait for supplies to arrive lol.  I’m thinking the F-104 will have to wait a bit.  Might chuck it in the build at a later date.

 

[Beazer]

I masked the red leading edge which for some reason I had to do twice.  Operator error.  Then I determined the walkways which weren’t shown in any instructions should be put on so I simply sprayed gloss aluminum and then I will be darkening it with Vallejo metallics and masking that as well.

 

Little bit of progress I guess.

[RJ-WobblyHands]

just catching up , you have created one very nice looking cockpit , and some impressive build speed

[Beazer]

 

 

So we had a mishap...

 

Tiny dancers vibrations tend to make models fall when drying.

 

I think I may have gotten off lucky.  Had to reglue and most likely sand these joints again.  

Just after I finally figured out how the original colour that I was planning on using was too green.  I instead opted for Tamiya Olive Drab.  After trying to find close matches and pouring over some data I just decided the photo I was referencing most likely had a colour imbalance.

 

Also much to my chagrin the red turned out poorly.  So I will be hand painting that and touching up the silver before I move on.

 

Should be able to wrap this sucker up within the week now. 😏

 

[exdraken]

Nice progress!

[Beazer]

 

 

 

Work done on the fiddley bits.  

The walkways I have to make quite a bit darker so plan on addressing that shortly.

 

 

Edited June 8, 2019 by Beazer

[Beazer]

 

 

Decals and stencils applied, I really do think adding stencils with the right colour makes quite the difference vs straights decals.

 

Hopefully the last little problem I encounter is this one.  I have no references available that indicate if I should have roundels on the top or bottom of the wings or even any kind of demarcation.  I’ll look again tomorrow but I think there should be none.

if anyone could enlighten me then that would be great.

 

Just need to order some more serial numbers from the t-33 sheet I had because I’m missing two to complete the build.  

 

Once thats done done I’ll toss on a coat of flat do some stressing and she’ll be done.

 

[Beazer]

 

I think i ink I should clean up the anti-glare panel and make it more flat.  It looks a bit to glossy for my taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the long wait.  I’ve had a ton of stuff pop up and training for a mountain race.

 

I think that’s pretty much it for this guy.  I may clean it up a tad and then add a little weathering as far as chips and fuel stains are concerned but the flat base is on and the glass is in.  There’s been a couple hiccups and the decals almost crazed on me but it turned out well.  I wasn’t sure if there were rounders on the bottom so just didn’t bother with that since it will just sit in the cabinet with it’s other brethren.

 

Ill post more pics after I call it officially completed for the build(woohoo first gb and more to come) and then do whatever I have to do as an official submission.

 

Let me know of your keen eyes picked up something I may have missed.

 

 

[Colin W]

Looking great now. 

Colour seems correct in the pictures. 

 

Colin 

[Beazer]

Finally built my display board.  So can call this finished.  On to the next group build.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning Beazer

Very good job 👍👍

Patrice