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Special Hobby 1/48 T-2 Buckeye, camouflaged trainer #SH48129


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Greetings to all.

 

This is my first post and first build on your forum, so I'll grab the opportunity to introduce myself as well, if you don't mind. (in the spoiler)

Spoiler

 

Nasos is the name, originally from Greece, living in Sweden for the past 8, soon 9 years.

As far as modelling is concerned, I usually build airplanes, but I've build cars, motorcycles, armoured vehicles, figures, pretty much anything that I see and like.

 

I've read a lot of the posts in the past, when looking for reference or inspiration. So, writing here makes me glad actually. I'll try to contribute with a decent model. 🙂

 

So, without further ado... Let's get to the topic.

 

 

I remember first finding out about this kit back then when I used to live in Greece. I've been wanting to build it since then, but I never dared to, mostly due to the controversial opinions about it. But since I found it online at a very reasonable price, I thought I should give it a go.

Then, seeing a couple of amazing builds of this same model in here, I'm a bit embarrassed presenting mine, but I'll get over it. I hope you will too. :)

By the way, this is going to be a long post, because I've come a long way with the build.

 

I started with the cockpit, obviously, where almost everything (except for the floor) comes in resin and PE. Good detail, I loved the two seats, the side consoles and foot-pedals. I replaced the rod that opens and closes the canopy with a needle threaded with thin copper wire, because a) the one supplied with the kit was too short and b) because the actual rod is  threaded along its full length. It was an easy intervention, so no big deal here.

strut.jpg seats.jpg instr.jpg IMG-0098.jpg IMG-20200218-202646.jpg

 

And with the two halves of the fuselage together, the whole thing looked like this:

IMG-20200311-124640.jpg IMG-20200309-215925.jpg

 

I don't know how others who built this model experienced it, but for me no two parts of the whole model came together as they should, intentionally at least. So, it wasn't a great surprise when I came to this point:

IMG-20200312-172110.jpg IMG-20200312-172101.jpg IMG-20200312-165523.jpg IMG-20200312-165454.jpg IMG-20200312-165517.jpg

 

Don't panic Nasos, it's cool. I used stretched sprue to cover the gaps and Mr Surface 1200 from GS to make the surface smoother. In the end, and after I applied a black basing, the model it looked like Batmobile, but I was rather pleased with it.

IMG-20200312-222343.jpgIMG-20200314-233420.jpg IMG-20200314-233347.jpg

It probably could get a bit better, but... yeah, whatever.

 

I had a little problem with the canopy. Ok, "little" is probably the understatement of the week, but anyhow. Here's the thing: I was planning on building a Greek a/c, but according to the instructions, the Greek machines have this HUD-like device.  Maybe I cut the vacu-formed canopy wrong, but I just couldn't get this HUD-thing to fit under the windshield. So, I broke it off and now I am going for the Venezuelan version instead. This is how it looked like, unfortunately.

Untitled-1.jpg IMG-20200315-172945.jpg IMG-20200315-172950.jpg

 

Anyhow.

The model is for the most part painted now and resting.

IMG-0116.jpg

 

I'll try to make smaller posts next time, with the step-by-step presentation of the rest of the build.

 

Have a great evening and stay healthy!

Edited by nasosrr
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Wow! Looking very, very good so far! You did a bang-up job on the bang seats, by the way! Welcome to Britmodeller!

 

From the photos you posted, it looks to me that the way the instrument panel coaming is engineered, it fits too high; if you lowered its mounting, I think the HUD would have fit under the windscreen, I don't have the 1/48 kit, just the 1/72 Wolfpack  and Matchbox kits, so I don't know how your kit engineered the way the coaming attaches.  Sure looks mean in the camouflage scheme as opposed to the ordinary white/red tarining colors!

Mike

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Good evening gents.

 

As I promised, here are a couple more photos.

IMG-0118.jpg IMG-0119.jpg IMG-0120.jpg

 

I spent the evening painting the underside of the model. I can't say I am excited about the result, but it will have to do.

Free-hand takes time. Very long time. If I had masked and painted, I am guessing it would have taken about half the time it took now. This is my first totally free-hand painted model, but I am not sure I will keep using this technique. We'll see how it will look like in the end.

 

Have comments or suggestions for improvement? Fire away! 🙂

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Hello again.

 

Mike and... Nachtwulf, thank you for your comments. :)

 

Mike, i saw a build somewhere (maybe in BM) and the coaming was indeeed attached with a downward slope towards the nose of the a/c. For me, the only "reasonabe" thing was to do as I did.But it was obviously wrong. I might build another one in the future, which I wil try to do right.

 

I managed to spray some "stains" on some surfaces of the model tonight, the black rings at the edges of the intakes and when even that paint dried, I sprayed a coat of future.

I am horrible at taking photos (hopefully better at building the models than photographing them) and I promise you it looks a bit better in real life, but here it is:

IMG-20200315-230724.jpg IMG-20200328-154238.jpg IMG-20200331-230625.jpg IMG-20200331-230634.jpg IMG-20200331-230652.jpg IMG-20200331-230709.jpg IMG-20200331-230738.jpg IMG-20200331-230756.jpg IMG-20200331-230849.jpg

 

I've added a couple of photos from the construction phase, that I found in the memory.

 

I have a question, by the way?

Every time I spray future, I am worried that I never manage to clean the airbrush efficiently. I clean it with window cleaner, which softens the paper very, veeeeery much, making cleaning a real pain.

How do you solve this issue?

I appreciate the help.

 

Good night everyone and take care of yourselves.

 

Edit:

Sorry about that, I just saw the photos again and hated them, took some new with an old camera instead of the phone.

I hope they look a bit better:

IMG-0125.jpg IMG-0124.jpg IMG-0123.jpg IMG-0122.jpg IMG-0121.jpg

Edited by nasosrr
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Hi Nasos,

 

I've heared that the T-2 is a challenging kit but you seem to managed to get it together just fine in the end. Your paintjob looks really good 👍

And no worries regarding your photos. Mine are hardly better but often we are too critical to ourselves.

 

Cheers

Markus

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Hello Markus. Thank you for your encouragement. :)

 

My little buckeye is now resting for a couple of days, waiting for future to set.

 

By the way, if anyone knows, what was the colour of the interior surfaces of the wings and the flaps, where the control surfaces retract or come in contact with the wing? I think I'll paint them all grey, but is this correct? Should they be painted with the camo colours instead, maybe?

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That's great @Desk Flyer (sorry, I don't see your real name somewhere, that's why I only used your nick). Thank you very much. And thank you for your compliments on the model as well. I hope I'll have some more photos to show after the weekend. :)

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On 4/1/2020 at 12:27 AM, nasosrr said:

Every time I spray future, I am worried that I never manage to clean the airbrush efficiently. I clean it with window cleaner, which softens the paper very, veeeeery much, making cleaning a real pain.

How do you solve this issue?

Have you tried to clean it with white spirit (also known as turpentine)?

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Good evening gents.

 

Apologies for the long delay, been pretty busy lately.

 

I'm done with the decals. There weren't too many, but the stencils are always a pain...

I didn't manage to avoid problems though (typical of me, of course). It appears that Mr. Mark Softer is too strong for two coats of future and it even got to the paint, which it also destroyed. It's not that big of a deal though, because it's the undersides, so it won't show, all the time.

The rest of the plane looks ok though. I think.

IMG-20200407-064609.jpg IMG-20200415-231023.jpg 

 

I have come across another issue, which I would appreciate your help with.

IMG-20200415-231036.jpg

 

If you look closely at the canopy, you will see some horrible marks. What happen is that the masking tape left these marks on the coat of future (I always "bathe" my canopies in future, for extra glare).

I've had this problem before. What I did last time was to let the canopy enjoy another spa treatment in future. It resolved the issue with the marks on the transparent parts, but future ate through the paint. I don't want to go through this again, which is why I would appreciate a suggestion for a more... polite approach. Any ideas? And methods in order to avoid this issue in the future?

 

Thanks a lot! :)

 

Good night and keep modelling, it protects us all from covid-19.

Edited by nasosrr
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Very nice model snd progres!

I have /had similar plans for mine...

But actualy after reading  the first lines when still sure to encounter a Hellenic one... 

What a surprise!

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5 hours ago, nasosrr said:

I don't want to go through this again, which is why I would appreciate a suggestion for a more... polite approach. Any ideas? And methods in order to avoid this issue in the future?

I've had this before. Windex will remove both the glue and the Future. Once it's dry, paint a new Future coat on with a broad brush (they clean up with Windex, too)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello everyone.

 

I hope you are all healthy.

 

This build is taking much longer than I had planned, but other things got in the way. Pleasant things though, so I am not complaining. :)

 

I found some time tonight to do a quick wash.

IMG-20200504-225448.jpg IMG-20200504-225601.jpg

 

There's still a lot to do, I am planning to post-shade and get it a bit dirtier, especially the undersides.

 

The landing gear is painted and weathered, but very glossy, so I won't show any pictures before the mat coat is sprayed. The canopy is still a disaster. I'm contemplating using the second canopy, but the yellow decal will be missing. Haven't decided yet...

 

Good night and take care of yourselves!

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Greetings...

 

I am one step away from completing this build and I am giving you a small teaser, before I post in for inspection. :)

 

I hope you like it. In the "Ready for inspection" section, I will also post very indiscreet pictures of all the missteps.

Until then though...

IMG-20200511-234136.jpg IMG-20200511-234151.jpg IMG-20200511-234620.jpg

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