Mjwomack Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 In the East Anglia of the 1960s, the kit of choice was Airfix even Frog was exotic. It wasn't a problem because ALL I built were Spitfires and Wellingtons, with maybe a Lancaster. One Christmas late in that decade a bombshell arrived- A Revell Airacobra! What was this strange thing? How did you even pronounce the brand name, and what strange beast had a tricyle undercarriage and an engine behind the pilot? Bemused and intrigued I enjoyed building it, so now it's time to get back to my past, and a thanks to Auntie Beryl for broadening my horizons. Not settled upon a paint job yet, but will be putting the engine block in the spares box with an eye on something ambitious if this proposal comes to fruition 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 Here's one to think about. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/lieutenant-ivan-baranovskys-p-39-41818469/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 Great choice Mj, I well remember building this kit as a kid attracted by the tricycle undercarriage and car door layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted June 19, 2022 Author Share Posted June 19, 2022 Oh yeah the cab door- that just added to it's weirdness 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted June 19, 2022 Author Share Posted June 19, 2022 44 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said: Here's one to think about. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/lieutenant-ivan-baranovskys-p-39-41818469/ This could be two GBs for the price of one! Speed I usually go, I'll be way under 25% at the end of this one and ready for your proposal to come into action! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 (edited) Welcome along and with my 2nd all time favorite WW2 fighter. I just love the idea of the Cobra and its layout. If I was going to do a boneyard scene and I may yet for the Entropy build. This is one of the best options. Check the link out for the movie “The Best year’s of our Live’s”. Scroll down and there are a couple of beautiful yet sad photo’s of Cobras. http://www.impdb.org/index.php?title=The_Best_Years_of_Our_Lives PS- the Z-38 option is a stateside training squadron in case you were curious. Edited June 19, 2022 by Corsairfoxfouruncle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 My first P-39 was also from Revell and was about the same timeframe. This kit: Chris 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toryu Posted June 20, 2022 Share Posted June 20, 2022 What a blast from the past! My 3rd scale model ever (after a P-51 and Ki-61, both Revell). I didn‘t know what to do to get the nose down, so I attached two big screws right and left of the front gear. This was 1967! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted June 20, 2022 Author Share Posted June 20, 2022 Oh my, I seem to have stumbled on the ultimate nostalgia kit for many of us! Right, buckle up for a trip along memory lane plane! Seems the passage of time is easing me into my dotage and I managed to post the photo of the instructions twice but none of the sprues so here goes The nostalgia for me is just how vivid that green is! Scalemates says it was briefly issued in a pair with a Mustang air racers diorama. I guess a variation on the Dogfight Doubles, now if anyone's got that in the stash it would be quite something. There's a healthy measure of flash to be removed but a little fondle/ test fit of the fuselage is very encouraging 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted June 25, 2022 Author Share Posted June 25, 2022 On 6/20/2022 at 6:08 AM, Toryu said: I didn‘t know what to do to get the nose down, so I attached two big screws right and left of the front gear. This was 1967! Nothing changes! I sat down to study the instructions last night (I was bored) and if you build this exaclty to the picture (rather than letter) of the instructions, there's no mention of nose weight, so up she goes. At the moment, I'm toning it down; I wasn't go to get to hung up with painting but have decided the the green is just far too lurid so a white premier is going on before anything else happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimJ Posted June 25, 2022 Share Posted June 25, 2022 I remember building the ''Collector's Choice' boxing back in the 70's as the shark mouthed P-400. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted June 25, 2022 Share Posted June 25, 2022 I built the P-400 a couple of years ago: The kit decals were fine. John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted June 28, 2022 Author Share Posted June 28, 2022 Nothing much for show and tell so far. Not least because having gone from the most detailed cockpit I've ever done in the Valom Vickers Viking in the Jubilee GB, this is probably the sparsest ever; a seat an aviator (possibly an alien) clutching a control column, and that's it. There is however this So I now know it's the 1982 repop. Obviously I should file it off, but this being a Classic GB, I'm inclined to leave it in situ and maybe even dry brush it for emphasis at the end! 7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psdavidson Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 2 hours ago, Mjwomack said: So I now know it's the 1982 repop What were they thinking when they did that 😕 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted June 28, 2022 Share Posted June 28, 2022 9 hours ago, psdavidson said: What were they thinking when they did that 😕 Revell and Monogram were great for putting their info on the outside of the kits. Most its on the underside of the tailplanes but sometimes the lower wing. Fun is trying to erase it so you don't get the ghost image after painting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted July 2, 2022 Author Share Posted July 2, 2022 On 6/28/2022 at 9:58 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Most its on the underside of the tailplanes but sometimes the lower wing. Fun is trying to erase And risk damaging those 'golfball rivets' ©️ @RC Boater Bill😃, along with all those raised panel lines etc? Never, partly because I'm too lazy and because this is a nostalgia build, so accuracy is optional. Talking of optional accuracy, here's a review of the first weeks progress... Plenty of sub-assemblies painted up and good to go, dry-brushing details that were actually there was an exercise in futility though🤪 I had forgotten just how much I hate yellow for the spinner about a zillion coats so far. Equally devoid of detail, Alien the Aviator is now installed in his hyper-detailed tub At least this way, there's no grief about all that lovely detail not being visible. Should crack on some more tonight. It'll be interesting to see if it ends up as a tail-sitter because there's not much room for ballast in there, think I can get a 4gramme fishing lead in. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toryu Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 On 02/07/2022 at 12:15, Mjwomack said: I hate yellow for the spinner Some flat white underneath and it will shine with the first yellow coat. Your progress looks good! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted July 3, 2022 Share Posted July 3, 2022 Yes progressing well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted July 3, 2022 Author Share Posted July 3, 2022 3 hours ago, Toryu said: Some flat white underneath and it will shine with the first yellow coat. Is it too late for the flat white?! If this proposal I shall definitely do that, after my rash promise to do something with a lot of yellow🤔 Meanwhile, there is indeed progress here... More yellow required on the spinner, but confident of the main wing going on later this evening 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted July 5, 2022 Author Share Posted July 5, 2022 Time for some dakka-dakka-dak! Let's be honest, the moulds are atrocious! Lot of fettling on the tail and had to square off the air intake. Main wing is more of a problem; some of my own making! I didn't want to use filler because I wanted to leave all those lovely rivets and raised panel lines unblemished (my take on a classic build), even so I could have taken care to get it on square🤪 Underside sprayed and ready for u/c etc. Topside will get some attention soon, but next take the dog to the vet! I've no idea (or care in the world) about whether the drop tank and canon pods are accurate, but hey who didn't stick on everything they could back in those innocent days? I mean when I say the canon pods are accurate, I'm sure they were never meant to look like flamethrowers 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted July 8, 2022 Author Share Posted July 8, 2022 Yippee! It's not a tail sitter Continuing to fight my fear of yellow paint, I've decided to paint the yellow tail marking and fuselage band. In the case of the latter it's also because I don't trust the aged decal not to crack Pushing on, shame I've picked up a load of overtime for the weekend. Work is definitely a four letter word 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toryu Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 2 hours ago, Mjwomack said: Continuing to fight my fear of yellow paint Really, paint a white coat (flat!) first and you will see it works wonders for your yellow markings (two thinned coats!) 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted July 10, 2022 Author Share Posted July 10, 2022 In between overtime shifts, I managed to white coats so the moment of truth (and more work) draws near! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted July 14, 2022 Author Share Posted July 14, 2022 @Toryu, it worked! to which you reply, told you it would!! Not surprisingly the girder like panel lines led to some bleed-through but think it'll clean up, the gallery draws ever closer! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted July 18, 2022 Author Share Posted July 18, 2022 Whoops! Realised I'd knocked off both the aerial and pitot tube 🫣. Aerial rescued from the carpet monster and a new pitot tube fashioned so on track for completion tonight 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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