Sword 1/72 Lockheed T2V-1/T-1A SeaStar Navy Advanced Trainer

[hsr]

Here is my build of the Sword 1.72 Lockheed T2V-1/T-1A advanced US Navy Trainer. The T2V-1 was improved TV-1, AKA T-33A to make it carrier capable. It was the first production aircraft to incorporate Boundary Layer Control (BLC) to improve low speed performance. However the BLC proved to be a disappointment and the T2V was replaced by the T-2 Buckeye after only a few years. 

 

This kit had all of the characteristics of a limited run kit; poor fit, vague instructions. But I have to say that it was a cut above the other recent Sword kits I have recently built. In addition to the plastic there was a nice Eduard color interior and resin seats, The decals were printed by Eduard and were the only disappointment. While they worked well with little silvering but, they had very poor color density on the white and so allowed the orange paint to show through. This could of been fixed by either; masking the white under where the decals had to go, cutting out blank white decals to go under the kit ones, or if I had 2 sets, to double them up. Attempts to do the first 2 have not been successful in the past and I didn't have two sets.

 

Other then that I am happy with the results.

 

Next up will be my last orange and white aircraft of the year, a F3D-2T/TF-10B. I am just not sure whether to do with the Sword or Matchbox kits.

 

Enjoy

 

 

[KingTiger435]

The photographs don't load for me

[hsr]

5 minutes ago, KingTiger435 said:

The photographs don't load for me

None of them? I know that there are issues with Village Photo because they did not renew their certificate but I am using imgbox.com. What browser are you using?

[Tony Edmundson]

Loaded fine for me 😬

[hsr]

3 minutes ago, Tony Edmundson said:

Loaded fine for me 😬

They load for me in Chrome, Opera and Edge.

[Mig88]

Despite the decal let-down, it looks great. I wasn't aware of this variant. It looks quite cool! Well done!

 

Miguel

[Hopesdaddy]

Beautiful result, thanks for the heads-up on the decals as I have just received my box from overseas containing this kit and added it to the stash.

[hsr]

8 hours ago, Hopesdaddy said:

I have just received my box from overseas containing this kit and added it to the stash.

 

Good luck with it.

 

Thanks

[Ad-4N]

Fantastic job.  Love it.  But you are right, the white on the decals is too translucent to handle the International Orange.  Here is what I did on mine.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do it on all my white/International Orange models.  Having been burned long ago by a 1/72 Minicraft/Hasegawa TF-9 Cougar where the orange bled through the translucent decals.  Did the same procedure on my 1/48 Monogram NF-4D.  Sorry for hijacking your thread.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by Ad-4N
Clarity.