PeterB Posted September 30, 2020 Author Share Posted September 30, 2020 (edited) Managed to get some decs on at last. I have already run into problems with the small ones, the tiny white name "ZERO" that should be on the edge of the intakes broke up. I will see if I can make some but it will be a long shot. The Trumpeter kit contains markings for three late model F-105G with the built in ECM pod , the markings being AF624444 with no tail code apparently from 128th TFS, AF62440 tail code JB which they say was an aircraft of the 17th WWS, 388th TFW and AF63321 code WW of the 516 TFS, 388TFW, but with no dates or locations. I have found that although some did carry the WW tail code very late in the War, this was in most cases a post Vietnam marking used on aircraft at George AFB and indeed have found a report of 63321 crashing whilst based there several years after the war ended. However, the JB code is correct for an aircraft of the 17th WWS based at Korat between 1971 and 1973 and I have pics of similar machines from that Squadron complete with the jammers, so 62440 is the one I will build. All info from Osprey Combat Aircraft, Osprey Dual, and Detail and Scale. Cheers Pete Edited September 30, 2020 by PeterB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 She is looking really nice Pete, the decals are making a huge difference. I think that you made the right choice of markings, especially as she has the iconic Shark mouth associated with the Thud Weasels. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 Thud's look so cool with sharks teeth! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 2, 2020 Author Share Posted October 2, 2020 Just a brief progress report. About 80% of the airframe stencils are on and some of the rest are too small to bother with. Also, as you can see in the foreground I have put the decs on the centreline and wing tank, and am working on the pylons and missiles, which are a PITA! If the illustrations on their 1/32 kit are correct, Trumpeter have missed out quite a few of the missile stripes considering there are supposedly enough for 2xStandards and 4xShrikes, and I will have to use my own - probably not a bad thing as theirs are a bit too short, and I will need to cut up the ones that go between the fins anyway. And before anybody points it out, some of the pylon decs are probably on the wrong side but the illustrations are a bit vague and I am reaching the stage where I am past caring - life is just too short! You may also notice that I have replaced the disintegrating name "ZERO" on the intakes - as the originals no longer exist I had to guess the size so they may be just a little big. They also had small five pointed white stars "bracketing" the name at either end, and whilst I probably could have printed some I frankly could not be bothered. I think I deserve the odd glass of "Scottish Wine" tonight. Probably be able to start final assembly in a couple of days. Cheers Pete 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Nice work Pete, applying such decals can be really tedious so I take my hat off to you for tackling them. You definitely deserve a glass or two tonight mate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 you wouldn't be the first to have "forgotten" about all those wee decals! Most of the time they're not worth the effort and no one would notice them missing anyway. Great to see this one is nearly their.......enjoy your "Scottish nectar" and I'll toast you a wee Rum! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 (edited) Last June, I built my old Shackleton for the Frog GB - the first one I had entered. I went rather over the top on the old kit adding resin Viper turbojets and detailing the cockpit to the point of adding individual throttle levers with knobs on the end. Typicaly Revell then released their new version of the MR3! My wife decided I was mad and I am beginning to think she may be right. Anyway, although I said I would not bother with the small stars surrounding the name ZERO, after a wee dram I thought I might as well give it a try! All the airframe decs are now on and the centreline tank fitted. I continue to work on the decs for the pylons and missiles, but now I will start adding the nose wheel doors,fuel dump pipe and various aerials, finishing with the air brakes which are reputedly problematic. I will leave the nose probe until the very end of the build. Later, Well that was a pain - literally. I managed to drop one of the brake petals and ended up on my hands and knees on the floor, which is no joke with my artificial knee. Anyway, I found it and the brake doors are on. If I had been trying to model them fully closed then I can understand the comments in the review - they would be difficult and would need a lot of work. Fortunately I modelled them in the "relaxed" position as on the ground and so they just needed a quick swipe with a file. I have also put the nose doors, fuel dump pipe, and most of the aerials on - I left a couple off as they were unhandleable being tiny. Bit of touching up to do but it is structurally complete except for the probe on the nose. Cheers Pete Edited October 3, 2020 by PeterB 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 2 hours ago, PeterB said: My wife decided I was mad and I am beginning to think she may be right. Then you're in the right place Pete. I think we must all be mad to have this as a "relaxing" hobby. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 Hi Craig, Just updating the post when yours arrived - slow down a bit😁! Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 2 minutes ago, PeterB said: slow down a bit😁! Thats the opposite of what I am normally told! She is looking really good mate, the relaxed petals are quite correct for a parked up aircraft. I don't blame you leaving off some of the tiny aerials, a huge strain on the eyes and very easy to knock off. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 Hi Criag, I am thinkinhg of asking my family for an Optivisor or something similar for Christmas, but even if I can see what I am doing with the tiny parts, handling them is another thing! I have yet to find a pair of tweezers that will grip them without much risk of them pinging off somewhere - I have tried using a little piece of blu-tac but that just pulls the piece back off again unless you hold it there until the glue is dry, and my hands shake too much for that to really work! Speaking of shaky hands, now I have to paint the ruddy tiny aerials in black - fun. Pete! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Pete, have you tried one of the silicone tipped placer tools? Not perfect but for small pieces better than tweezers. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 Hi Chris, Sound interesting but I can't say I have come across them - any more info? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 10 minutes ago, PeterB said: Hi Chris, Sound interesting but I can't say I have come across them - any more info? Pete https://www.modellingtools.co.uk/pick--place-tool---largebrptw1133-11500-p.asp Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 Hi Chris, Looked at the reviews on Amazon for the Modelcraft version and there are complaints that the stickiness wears off pretty quickly - did you find that problem with yours? One suggestion was that washing in warm soapy water would revive the tip. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisj2003 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Pete, not yet.... but you’ll have noticed from the glacial pace of my builds that it doesn’t get much use. 😉 Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 (edited) Incidentally, I was expecting the 2 seat G to be quite a bit longer than the single seat D but in fact it seems to only be about 1cm longer than my old Hasegawa kit of the latter. Checking, I find that according to Detail & Scale the fuselage was only lengthened by 31" so that sounds about right. Having spent the best part of 90 minutes putting decals on pylons and missiles I have reached the limits of my endurance! Ok, the missile stripes do look good, but boy are they a pain, particularly the ones that go between fins and have to be cut into short pieces. Anyway, they are nearly done. Once they are dry I will trim the sripes with a razor blade - I have plenty of sticking plasters ready! Then I can seal them with varnish. With luck it will join my Do 17Z in the queue for a finishing spray and I can concentrate on finishing my Whale as the heller GB has now started! About the only decs left are a couple for the pylons, and some black rectangles which seem to go near the nose of the Shrikes - radar receivers perhaps. Can't work out from view on the instructions whether there are 2 or maybe 4 but as Trumpeter only provide 8 for 4 missiles I presume it is just 2 and pics seem to confirm this. Pete Edited October 3, 2020 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 I am glad to say I have finally finished putting on the ruddy decs - at least all the ones I am going to use. Trumpeter are more than generous with the ones for the pylons - looks like they have a rash! I have missed off some of the small ones as I cannot work out where they go, and as I said before some may be on the wrong side but I am past caring. I will now put the various bits on, together with the nose probe and do a bit of touching up. With luck I can get this and my Dornier sprayed on Monday. I have seen suggestions that at least some AGM-78 Standard missile had black noses but I have stuck with the kit (1/32) instructions. It also looks like it should have a black and also a green stripe near the rear at least in some versions - as I said before sources differ as to the colour and location of stripes and it probably depends on which version they are as there were severa,l as with the AGM-45 Shrike. Nearly done! Cheers Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 (edited) Finished, except for the final spray of varnish! It has not been a bad build - the fit was generally pretty good though the vague and at times non-existent instructions did not help, particularly with the decals. The pics as ever show a couple of places where small touch-ups will be needed, so I will do them now then mask the canopies. As to accuracy, I have no idea but I think it looks presentable. My only slight regret is that I can't add one of the EB versions of B-66 to my pair of Weasels in 'Nam. If I had waited a year Italeri would have boxed the kit I bought as an EB, or alternately I could have bought the conversion set from Airwaves I think, but I did neither so I am left with a plain bomber version that frankly did not achieve much. It would have been a nice comparison with its Naval relation the Whale - and don't start Enzo! I am looking to see what references I can find as most of the antennae are of the blade type but the fit seems to have varied enormously. Any pics/drawings/references would be a great help. Cheers Pete Edited October 4, 2020 by PeterB 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Very nice work indeed Pete, she looks great. I look forward to seeing her with her matt coat on very soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 So do I mate! Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 (edited) Has it really only been a fortnight - seems more like a month. Nothing really wrong with the plastic - the kit iks pretty good. It's just the SEA camo scheme and all those decs that takes so long, or at least so it feels. Just to prove I am mad I am seriously thinking about an EB-66C or E, though markings might be a problem. If I had thought maybe I should have cast some copies of the blisters before fitting them to the EKA-3B, but then not all the EB-66 seem to have had them, ditto the wing tip pods.. I really need more info than is in my Aerofax B-66 book. Any suggestions? Pete Edited October 4, 2020 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 13 minutes ago, PeterB said: If I had thought maybe I should have cast some copies of the blisters before fitting them to the EKA-3B, but then not all the EB-66 seem to have had them. I really need more info than is in my Aerofax B-66 book. Any suggestions? I would suggest looking at as many pictures as you can Pete as the EB-66 came with a variety of fitments and many of them were used over Vietnam. As for decals I might be able to help you out as I recently bought the Almark sheet for them (on offer from Hannants at the minute) and I think there are a couple of relevant options on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 (edited) Might take you up on that yet Craig. Can you confirm what SEA scheme EB are on the sheet - the ones I can see look to be NMF? Alternatively, I will have to order a few things from Hannants shortly so I might buy one of those sheets. Thanks Pete Edited October 4, 2020 by PeterB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 If you have a look at the PDF document; http://media.hannants.co.uk/pdfs/AKS07.pdf The first 4 side views are for camouflaged aircraft and the second one down was based at Takhli in Thailand so fits the bill, the one based at Yokota in Japan was from a training squadron so I doubt that it flew over Vietnam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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