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Bell Airacobra probably 1965 1:72


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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.

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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

 

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44 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

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!

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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 by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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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!

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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

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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

 

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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.

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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

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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!

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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. 

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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🤪

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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

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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.

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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!

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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...

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More yellow required on the spinner, but confident of the main wing going on later this evening

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Time for some dakka-dakka-dak!

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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!

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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

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Yippee! It's not a tail sitter

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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 

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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!)

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