Creepy Pete Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 Hi all, My first build for this GB will be the 1/72 Sword RT-33 in USAF markings. The USAF got one of these from the Philippine Air Force in 1961, to use over Laos to help provide the Laotian government with intel on the Pathet Lao and the Viet Minh in northern Laos and along the border with North Vietnam. Naturally, this whole project was a bit hush hush, but there's some info in the book "Tactical Reconnaisance in the Cold War" by Doug Gordon. A link to the pages about this subject here. As mentioned, I am using the Sword kit which comes with everything you need, including the decals. Everything is nicely packed in bags, with some PE, which you don't really need much of for this version, some resin like the seat and the wheelbays, and decals for a bright orange and yellow/black Italian jet, a French and Dutch one in NMF, and the one I will be doing. The kit is like a typical limited run kit, and I've seen worse. Detail is decent, and the fit doesn't look to be too bad. I've sprayed the interior bits with some Gunze dark interior green and started painting the details in the cockpit. The rear seat was removed from the RT-33, and some electronics were installed instead. The kit comes as a standard T-33, so in order to turn it into a recce bird, you have to cut of the nose along a panel line, and glue the new clear nose parts in place. I'll probably add some reinforcement on the inside though. That's it for now. I'll have some more work done tomorrow. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 Detail looks good to me Pete. Nice to have something a bit different and unexpected in the GB. Operations over Laos are proving very popular this time around which is a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 Hi Pete! Interesting subject. I like how the seat looks. And is half the landing gear bays metal and half painted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 welcome along Pete and what a great and really different choice. I am sure I've seen photos of this aircraft somewhere in my collection.....will be great to see her in this scheme. Good luck with this build, it is one of those I must follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted September 8, 2020 Author Share Posted September 8, 2020 On 9/4/2020 at 4:54 AM, SoftScience said: And is half the landing gear bays metal and half painted? Nope, it's just the reflection of the desk light. It's all green. On 9/4/2020 at 11:40 AM, trickyrich said: I am sure I've seen photos of this aircraft somewhere in my collection. There aren't too many pics of these, but here's one: I glued all the interior bits in place, feeling optimistic about the fit. But of course it wouldn't. So some serious sanding and grinding was needed. Parts coming loose, paint being sanded away again, etc. It wasn't pretty. But in the end I got everything together, sort off. Still a lot of cleaning up, and the nose has yet to be fitted, but it's starting to look like a T-bird. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 Very nice Pete, she is taking shape very well. It may have taken a fair amount of work to get to where you are but it has been worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 Got the nose glued on, and slowly I'm smoothing it out. Things should speed up a bit after this. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Looking good Pete. Interesting that they give the whole of the nose section as clear plastic, a very neat solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 it does make for a nice fit for the nose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 I've made some good progress over the last few days. The model has been primered, glossed, and painted with Vallejo aluminium, some Humbrol olive drab on front of the windscreen, and some grey and black here and there. Next up will be some red on the leading edges of the inner wings, and it's decaling time after that. I've also decided to order some resin wheels for it, as the kit ones are pretty bad. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftScience Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 I'm feeling inspired by your results. The model looks great under paint. With all the sanding you had to do, silver must have required a very fine surface cleanup. Time to whip out some of those short run kits in the stash. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 18 hours ago, Creepy Pete said: I've made some good progress over the last few days. You certainly have haven't you Pete, that is really good progress. The metallic finish is very good indeed, an excellent result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted October 7, 2020 Share Posted October 7, 2020 considering some of those joins and having to graft on a new nose, your prep work was great judging by that lovely metallic finish. Well done! The the colour the decals will add, she'll look awesome, keep up the great work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted October 10, 2020 Author Share Posted October 10, 2020 Thanks for the kind words, guys. I've got the decals on. Printed by Techmod, they are very thin, and some tried to curl up, but they settled down nicely. Now I have to wait for the new wheels to arrive from Hannants. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 The decals have gone on really nicely Pete and certainly add some colour to the model. She is looking very nice indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 Ooo she does look very smart and colourful! I do like this scheme very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted October 25, 2020 Author Share Posted October 25, 2020 Well, my ResKit wheels finally arrived earlier this week from Hannants. PostNL was so kind to deliver the parcel at the right address, but in the wrong city. Luckily my aunt lives in that city and she was kind enough to pick it up for me. The wheels are a great improvement over the kit ones, as you can see. I will put these on the legs tonight, and then it's just a few more steps to do before it's finished. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 Those wheels look really nice Pete, noticeably better than the kit ones. Good to know that other countries postal services are just as useful as our own, thought it was just Royal Mail that did stupid things like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted October 25, 2020 Share Posted October 25, 2020 they are an improvement. I think AusPost must be related too! We now only get deliveries (if we're lucky) every second day, sending letters is frighteningly expensive and slow....but they're still very happy to give their top Exec's $20K watches as gifts! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Pete Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share Posted November 1, 2020 A classic oops moment. I wanted to retouch the trailing edges of the wings as the final thing, when the Vallejo bottle slipped out of my hand and landed on the model. Amazingly only the nose snapped off along the seam, a nosegear door and the landing lights came off. Apart from the lights, which I can't find anymore, it was an easy fix, with a slight seam now visible, along with a seam on the left intake that cracked open. Not my best model, but overall it looks decent, I guess. More pics in the gallery. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 Well considering the accident that it just had that has turned out really well Pete. I am really glad that you brought this kit into the GB as it helps to show some of the smaller sideshows that became a part of the larger conflict and some of the lesser known types that took part in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 Well Done Pete ! I love the T-33 in all its forms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 Lovely work. Outstanding NMF and attention to detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted November 12, 2020 Share Posted November 12, 2020 oh what a shame about the nose!! You managed to recover it almost perfectly, that wee seem on the intake is hardly noticeable and really doesn't take away from a really nicely build model. It's a great scheme and as i mentioned early i really love it, you've done a great job with the NMF finish. As Craig mentioned, it great to see an unusual aircraft in the build, one most would never had thought of...so well done there are well. I do hope you enjoyed the build, was a great build to follow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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