Fifer54 Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 I knew I wanted to take part in this GB, I have a history of building GW aircraft for GBs! I bought this kit a few years ago at a show, when I was first pondering moving to 1/48 (from 1/72). I never really felt any need to build it until now. I think it was when I realised that the only Gulf War kits in my stash were this and a 1/144 Revell Tonka with a Freghtdog GR4 conversion and Op. Granby decals- I may get round to that one later.. (Thinks- must get a suitable kit for next year's Falklands 40 GB- there's bound to be one!) So, my subject for this GB is an OA-10A, 76-0547, of the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron, 602nd TAC Wing, tasked with a Forward Air Control mission as "Nail FAC", based at King Fahd Airport, Saudi Arabia, and carrying "The Unknown Bomber" noseart. My kit is the Zhengdefu (don't laugh!) A-10A Thunderbolt II, but using AM decals kindly given by a fellow BMer, from a SpeedHunter Graphics sheet (still in the post!) This is the kit: Here are the decals, most of which will not be used. Only one of the five options offered is a Gulf War bird, and that one is missing noseart, among other things . . . And lastly, the comdedy instruction sheet! Apart from the "Chinglish" text, in the first construction stage, the builder is told to fasten the fuselage halves together with "cellophane tape" and "DO NOT CEMENT"- that's fine, but nowhere in the instructions does it say to cement the fuselage!- I get a mental picture of young modellers with Warthogs falling apart because they haven't been told to glue them! I think this could well contain some fun! See you all on Sunday! (And I've just noticed that the date on my camera is set a day ahead-no attempt to con anybody, just an oversight, I'll put it right, right now!) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benner Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Looks like that decal sheet is a copy of the Tamiya kit decal sheet. 715 of the 353rd TFS is also a DS jet; it was the squadron CO's plane, though decal sheet it lacks the specific post war scoreboard markings, and the "Panther 1" nose art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BUY OR ATTEMPT TO ASSEMBLE ANY KIT BEARING THE BRAND NAME "ZHENGDEFU"!! Do not ask me how I know this! OMG, this kit is (a word I can't use on this forum, that rhymes with kit!) The sink marks, the ejector pin marks, and a general suspicion that any resemblance between this kit and an actual A-10 is purely coincidental. The decal sheet is rubbish with decals that doesn't adhere to surfaces and fall apart at the slightest provocation, "Rescue" arrow decals that read "Rescve", squadron badges with mottoes like "awfi minq", "tann llmt", and mislabelling that tells you to apply the IP decal to a side console, and a large white number 647 to the IP! The fit is atrocious, with flash in awkward places, locating tabs that just don't fit in their notches, and warpage in three dimensions on the fuselage halves. The MPM Hudson I built last year was easier . . . Anyway, having got all that off my chest, there has been progress. Some sub-assemblies have been built. I would have shown them yesterday, but an issue with camera batteries recharging all day prevented that! I'd say wish me luck, but I think this is way beyond luck, a few large Scotches might help (me, not the kit!) 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 Sorry to read about your troubles (though your post made me smile the way it was written) but I hope you can some how make it look like an A-10! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 I wish you good luck with your endeavour on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 Sounds as if you're having 'fun' with this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted January 27, 2021 Author Share Posted January 27, 2021 11 hours ago, Col. said: Sounds as if you're having 'fun' with this one Yup! I don't often give up on a kit-last year I built and finished a MPM Hudson, and gave it some conversion work- and the last one I binned was an Airfix Auster Antarctic when that kit was current in their range (late 1960s, I think!) BUT I've had so much "fun" with this that I'm going to adopt the "jack up colour scheme, fit new model" protocol! I'll still be building a 1/48 Warthog, probably still building The Unknown Bomber, but I'll be building it from this!: Looking at it in the box, the higher quality is immediately evident. An instruction sheet, a proper plan(!) that makes sense, and a lovely matt finished decal sheet I think I will have some real fun with this . . . 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 Better luck with this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 Warthog Mk.II has been started! This is as far as I've got (2 other GBs elsewhere getting in the way!) It just looks so much better than the Zhengdefu kit (which will get built, as a ceiling hanger for my stepson . . .) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 Glad to hear the Zhengdogfood kit isn't going to waste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Nice start with the cockpit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 I lived in China for 3 years in the oo's. There I learned that a cheap copy is not always the best solution. At least you learned from the comfort of Lancashire! Enjoy the Esci kit but maybe have Mrs 54 buy you the Tamiya one for your Birthday! Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) On 2/8/2021 at 9:51 PM, Colin W said: I lived in China for 3 years in the oo's. There I learned that a cheap copy is not always the best solution. At least you learned from the comfort of Lancashire! Enjoy the Esci kit but maybe have Mrs 54 buy you the Tamiya one for your Birthday! Colin When SWMBO buys me a kit, it's always a helicopter! I'm trying to steer her towards a Chinook for next birthday! Construction has moved on a little . . . One thing that's noticeable about this kit is a distinct lack of locating pins, pegs etc. There are a only a few on the major components, and some careful alignment is required. Not having built ESCI kits before, I don't know if this is normal for ESCI, or just this kit? Some parts have substantial warpage too, and need fastening together while the cement sets. Edited February 10, 2021 by Fifer54 correcting a typo 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 Good that things are progressing. I am sure ( although it has been a long time since I have built one of their kits) that ESCI did have enough location pins to secure the parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted February 13, 2021 Author Share Posted February 13, 2021 My goodness, she's too big for the bench! Taking shape . . . 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Zhengdogpoo. Never heard that one before. 🤣 They are buildable, I have the Su-27 completed many years ago. I also have a Hog part built, but currently stored while I do other things. I have also in the stash an Su-33 which is cut up to make a carrier borne variant with folded wings, an Aardvark and a Raven. They will all get built subject to life expectancy. Then again, I do stoopid things like build Mach 2 and Unicraft and Magna, and any other obscure stuff I can find. I remember a chap on ebay selling a ZD Hog, describing it as Tamiya quality, just because it's a knock off. I did send him a rather terse message about mis-representation. Worst bit? the 8 barrelled gun muzzle! 😱 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 On 2/13/2021 at 10:25 AM, bentwaters81tfw said: Zhengdogpoo. Never heard that one before. 🤣 They are buildable, I have the Su-27 completed many years ago. I also have a Hog part built, but currently stored while I do other things. I have also in the stash an Su-33 which is cut up to make a carrier borne variant with folded wings, an Aardvark and a Raven. They will all get built subject to life expectancy. Then again, I do stoopid things like build Mach 2 and Unicraft and Magna, and any other obscure stuff I can find. I remember a chap on ebay selling a ZD Hog, describing it as Tamiya quality, just because it's a knock off. I did send him a rather terse message about mis-representation. Worst bit? the 8 barrelled gun muzzle! 😱 The Zhengdefu will get built. I'll make it a ceiling hanger for my stepson . . . Anyway, the ESCI has some progress: she's stood on her legs! Coming together. Usually I would paint before landing gear if possible, but in this case, I could see no way of adding the legs after fitting those undercarriage fairings; the gaps for the legs to go through aren't big enough for the completed legs . . . So the legs had to be added, then the fairings built around them. Since taking the pic, the canopy has been added and masked, and the first paint is ready for application. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 Looking good with that big cigar in its mouth !! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted March 4, 2021 Author Share Posted March 4, 2021 Seems like ages since anything was posted about this! I have been getting on with it, it's just that, like so many, I keep forgetting to take photos . . . Painting is ongoing, or is that paint is going on? More has been done since then: On what is (to me) a big model, I thought I might try to save effort, time and materials by only glosscoating the areas where decals had to go, and mattcoating the whole model after decalling to pull the "glossed" and "un-glossed" areas together. Here she is after some glosscoat (Humbrol enamel gloss varnish, applied by hairy stick): And the ordnance hasn't been neglected either: As a kite tasked with the "Fast FAC" mission, "The Unknown Bomber" was a OA-10A, and carried a slightly different loadout to the usual A-10s. Hardpoints are numbered 1-11 from outboard port wing to outboard starboard wing. 1. 2x AIM-9M on a DRA. 2. LAU-68 rocket pod 3. AGM-65 "Maverick" on LAU-117. 4. Mk.82 "slick" LDGP. 5,6 and 7. no pylon carried 8. Mk.82 "slick" LDGP 9.AGM-65 "Maverick" on LAU-117 10. LAU-68 rocket pod 11. AN/ALQ-119. As far as my representations of DRA and LAU-117 are concerned, any resemblance to an original or actual unit is purely coincidental! I just want to hang the stuff on the kite! Next stop: paint touchups, then decals! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba Posted March 5, 2021 Share Posted March 5, 2021 Looking very good with the paint on and a good idea to gloss only where the decals are to go, done this a few times mainly on targets. Nice to see a realistic weapons load rather than fitting all that you can. Keep up this good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifer54 Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 I'm calling this finished now. Every additional coat of matt varnish throws up a new set of brush marks, so more work ain't gonna make it better! Even at 50/50 varnish/thinners (that's airbrush thinning!) brushmarks are still being left. As a consequence, I'm going to re-think how I finish models- it's either that or lower my expectations and retire from "public" modelling (and then whose models could you laugh at?!🤣) As soon as I've posted this, there will be more pix in the gallery. My next GB involvement on BM will be the Messerschmitt Bf109 STGB, for which my entry will be an OOB build of Eduard's 1/48 Bf109F-2. thanks to the hosts for a fun and enjoyable GB, and to all participants for their work, and to all who have commented in this thread, a hearty thank you. You're all very kind . . . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Don’t retire just yet - it’s looking great !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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