Testors/Italeri 1/48th scale Sled.

[Uncle Uncool]

I've been intendin' to start buildin' the Habu for quite a long time ago, and yesterday I discovered yet another problem about this kit. The reason I never started puting this kit together has got to do mainly with the nose; I want to build an SR-71 - not a crossover of it and the A-12. The Testors/Italeri kit's nose resembles an A-12, and I've been lookin' all over for some SR-71 plans in order to scratchbuild a new nose. I've got books on the SR-71, but unfortunately none of them has got plans. However, by watchin' at the nose of the SR-71 head on, it's quite evident that the kit nose is all wrong.

To any extent; the problem about the shape of the Testors/Italeri nose lies just at the end, where the two bulbous infrared sensors are, but from where the windshield starts and aft, the kit clearly resembles the chined forward fuselage of the SR-71. Here's a comparison of the SR-71 forward fuselage section, above, and the A-12 below.

Doubt stroke me whether or not any of the three interchangeable noses used on the SR-71 might have looked different or resembled that of an A-12... As far as I learnt, the SR-71 would carry the CAPRE side-looking radar; OBC and the ASARS noses, but never did I see how those noses looked like.

Be that as it may, one huge problem about the Testors/Italeri quarter scale Sled is the horrid bulge at the aft lower fuselage, past the main landing gear wells, sumthin' which I learnt on this forum.

Check out the red line 'n' see how the bulge aft the main landing gear wells breaks the flat outline along the lower fuselage. Terrible...!

All in all, I think I'll be able to tackle with that flaw. To top that off, yesterday I noticed the nose landing gear well is off-centre! Is this the case with all the Testors/Italeri 1/48 Sled kits or is it just my mistake luck? Damn! I wonder whut else I will find if I keep on lookin'! I highly doubt this off-centre nose wheel well had been a feature in the real deal, aye?

Shoot me... were ya chaps aware of that one? Anyone can help me out with reliable plans on the SR-71 nose, I'll begin working on this one. Thanks in advance!

Cheers!

Unc²

[general melchett]

Interesting Uncle, never realised that there were so many issues with this kit. I remember having one of these about 20 years ago when I wasn't too worried about accuracy. From your first picture, (comparing the nose of the kit and the real thing) it would appear that the chines are too narrow from the windshield forward and would need filling out to capture the correct shape.

The bulge underneath does exist on the real deal as these pics show,

The off centre nose gear is strange and could be a moulding error. I do recall that the plastic was very flexible on the kit I had but that certainly wasn't a feature on the real thing!!!.

Hope you get some plans sorted out soon so that you can crack on with the beast....

[Uncle Uncool]

Interesting Uncle, never realised that there were so many issues with this kit.

Hi there, Melchie, mate! Well, yeh; perhaps I'm being too picky, but I've found another defect about the windshield... Seen a lota finished photos of this kit, and sumthin' seemed odd to me about the way it didn't look like:

There's quite a noticeable curve on the windshield, both on the plexiglass and the frame, which is whut gives the Habu that distinctive "viperine-like" look when watched from the front. That curve is totally missing on the kit windshield, which is completely straight as on the F-106. I will sorta have to do whut ya did to the windshield on yer Tu-22M to fix that out.

The bulge underneath does exist on the real deal as these pics show,

Hmph, there is a bulge on the real deal, but it ain't as pronounced as on the Testors/Italeri Sled. Problem about peepin' at photos of the Habu from the sides is that the massive engine nacelles hide most of the area round the aft fuselage section. Photos taken either from the rear or the front of the aircraft won't show too much or will depend on the angle they were taken to accentuate or diminish that bulge; here:

However; the bulge present on the real deal didn't break the outline of the lower fuselage like it happens if ya took a glance at photos of finished kits, all the more so, when watched at from those same angles in the photos of the real deal posted above. Here:

Hope you get some plans sorted out soon so that you can crack on with the beast....

Aw, thanks, mate; me hopes so as well. I asked for Mr Barnes, from the Secret Heroes site, help with at least plans of the nose, but he ne'er got back to me. A week ago I saw there's a CD offer available on the Interwebz with plans, details and information about the SR-71/A-12/YF-12; wrote for enquiries about it and still had no reply. Plans that I did get are just not to scale, not reliable, not serious or simply not worth the candle...

Still believe a great model could be done outa this kit. I wish I could get hold of Cutting Edge's exhausts for this one.

Cheers, Yeneral!

Unc² (aka Önkël Dünkëlgräü) <------------ bloke! whut with all those ¨

P.S: Nice sheilas all of those field hockey players in Nottingham! Me thinks is hopelessly in luv with forward player Alex Danson. Ya please tell her, aye?

[Martian]

Come on Uncle you can do this!

Martin

[FZ6]

Wow I didn't realise there were errors like this in the kit.

I have one in the stash to do at some point.

Just thought it would be a case of adding a new cockpit and wheels from true details.

Looks like there's a lot more to it so I'll be following this build with interest.

Regards,

Mark

Edited July 14, 2010 by FZ6

[bentwaters81tfw]

Hi Uncle,

Looking at my completed example, (not a pretty sight) the nose bay is moulded slightly out of line. Providing you adjust the nose leg and align the doors, there shouldn't be a problem.

The underfuselage bulge is not too pronounced on mine, providing you blend the tailcone carefully.

As to the windscreen, not much can be done about it.

Bear in mind, Uncle, that the kit was moulded from clandestine photographs, not designers drawings.

Considering the loose fit of the panels of the real arcraft when cold and at rest, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Remember also that a variety of interchangeable nose sections were employed, so there is no guarantee that the orignal kit mouldings depict an accurate 'in service' nose.

You will need to make up a 'ceramic' inner tailpipe to go between the burner ring and the nozzle. Don't worry about aftermarket nozzles, the originals are near enough.

You will definately need to find some aftermarket decals as the kit ones are crap.

Frank

[Uncle Uncool]

Come on Uncle you can do this!

Thanks for the encouragement, Martin. I'm still studying the references I've got at hand to see whether I can find more flaws to correct before I begin working on this kit. Gonna need a lot of patience and help from ya, chaps. I've just ordered some plastic sheet, shapes and assorted rods from Evergreen Models. Seen their item 4527; 1.5 mm corrugated metal siding sheet? Terrific stuff for replicating afterburner cans, huh?

Say, Martin; is that the missus on yer av? Sweet-lookin' lady!

Wow I didn't realise there were errors like this in the kit. Just thought it would be a case of adding a new cockpit and wheels from true details.

Hmph, me neither, Mark... I was given this kit as a b-day gift when the kit box was bigger than me; thank God I was overwhelmed by the size of it and decided not to build it back then. Yeh, at first I thought the issue was just the cockpit; little did I know about all the rest - didn't even care about the wheels to be honest with ya.

Looks like there's a lot more to it so I'll be following this build with interest.

Thanks, mate! Still waitin' on a miracle for any plans to appear, but if the plans don't come my way, me's gonna start sanding the raised panel lines and doin' sumthin' about those awful slots above and under the wings.

Hi Uncle,

Looking at my completed example, (not a pretty sight) the nose bay is moulded slightly out of line. Providing you adjust the nose leg and align the doors, there shouldn't be a problem.

The underfuselage bulge is not too pronounced on mine, providing you blend the tailcone carefully.

As to the windscreen, not much can be done about it.

Hi, Frank!

Since there's no vac-form 1/48 Vulcan B.2 for me to work on yet, me thinks I'm goin' to town with the Sled. Sorta "good" to know I'm not the only modeller who got a kit with the nose bay out of line! Better said than done, but I plan to deepen the shallow nose wheel bay, so most probably I'll cut the whole thing out to reposition it in the centre. As for the bulge under the aft fuselage section, it looks a lot pronounced on mine; like a pregnant Sled or sumthin' However, it's yet not clear to me how much I should correct it. As for the windshield, I intend to replicate the curve on the frame with some careful filing and then adjust it over the IP to see how it fits along with the canopy. I thought I could make a thermoformed copy of the windshield to work on it first.

Bear in mind, Uncle, that the kit was moulded from clandestine photographs, not designers drawings.

I didn't quite know about that, but I'd have not expected so being Testors an American company, and the fact that the Sled was nearin' retirement by the time the kit was released. Still, today it's almost impossible to get any reliable plans, as though the plane were both in active duty and secret! Yesterday I e-mailed Mr Paul Kuchner to beg some plans at least of the nose.

Considering the loose fit of the panels of the real arcraft when cold and at rest, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

The corrugated skin under and above the wing surfaces need a lot of attention, me thinks... They look too deep to be on scale. Any locomotive freak could use 'em as rails to run their HO scale trains! Awful slots those are.

Remember also that a variety of interchangeable nose sections were employed, so there is no guarantee that the orignal kit mouldings depict an accurate 'in service' nose.

You will need to make up a 'ceramic' inner tailpipe to go between the burner ring and the nozzle. Don't worry about aftermarket nozzles, the originals are near enough.

Uh-huh... problem is I wouldn't be able to tell the CAPRE nose from the OBC or the ASARS. This is why the wrong chined nose shape on the kit worries me the most. With regard to the afterburner cans, I've already seen a bloke on the Interwebz who entirely scratchbuilt 'em using nuthin' but sheet plastic, wire and brass. Me thinks I'm copying whut he did. No use in spending a week's worth salary bidding on the Cutting Edge kit, right?

You will definately need to find some aftermarket decals as the kit ones are crap.

True, true...

Well, thank ya chaps for yer interest; were I ya, I'd go sneakin' into Fairford and/or Mildenhall to bribe some bored brass for plans, but I'm not ya or viceversa... Upper Heyford?

Cheers, blokes!

Unc²

[FZ6]

I have the Squadron Walkaround book forthe SR-71 and can highly recommend it. There are some great shots of the Cockpit and exhausts in the book too.

What's wrong with the kit decals? On my Testors Example they are printed by Microscale and look fine.

Regards,

Mark

[KLP Publishing]

Well howdy Unc, and welcome to the other side! I've always wanted an SR-71 in my collection, but never owned or built one. Looks like you really want to get this one right. I'll be watching.

If you want a minor diversion, or some major inspiration, check out my late friend Russ's scratch-build in 1/32:

http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=25525

Kev

[Uncle Uncool]

I have the Squadron Walkaround book forthe SR-71 and can highly recommend it. There are some great shots of the Cockpit and exhausts in the book too.

Hi Mark!

Yeh, me agrees. My mum got that book for me a lifetime ago. There's a lot of detail and information, but the plans for the three different versions of Sleds are quite simple. I've also got Volume 10 of Warbird Tech book on the Blackbird, but it's got no reliable plans I can use either.

Good thing about the Walk Around volume is the amount of colour takes it's got; there's a great photo of an SR-71A carrying the SARS nose, where ya see both how the shape of the nose really is and how the paint hue on it differs with respect to the fuselage

There's also this picture of Prince Charles sittin' at the office in a grey suit. Personnel around him all seem to be goin' like, "Don't touch that...!!!." Yeh, me is envious...

What's wrong with the kit decals? On my Testors Example they are printed by Microscale and look fine.

Me thinks the decals are a bit thick; I don't think they would conform to well to the surface, especially, the national insignias supposed to go on the slotted areas of the wings. Decal colours are all wrong as well. Grief I intend to go through with my kit calls for some Cartograph printed sheet, minimum.

Hey, Mark; would ya go check the nose wheel bay alignment on yer kit when ya've got some spare time, please? I'll appreciate that.

Have a nice weekend, mate!

Well howdy Unc, and welcome to the other side! I've always wanted an SR-71 in my collection, but never owned or built one. Looks like you really want to get this one right. I'll be watching.

Hi, Kevo! How're ya doin,' mate? Bloke, it'd be a blast to see ya scratchbuild this one! Yeh, the Sled is sorta my second all-time favourite monster after the Vulcan B.2, and this kit, although the many flaws on it, has still got a lot of potential. Thanks, fella! How's yer Monogram Wildcat goin'?

If you want a minor diversion, or some major inspiration, check out my late friend Russ's scratch-build in 1/32:

Well, yeh; me just did! I think I know ruzlkampf from another out-of-this-world build (could have it been the Stuka B2?). Unfortunately, me couldn't see any pictures on the LSP forum, other than Scotsman at Duxford fondling the Beast... Me is beginnin' to think there's a kind of sinister sister's power which doesn't want me to build my Sled, y'know. I saw Russ mentions the existence of a set of plans on the first post on that thread; whut are they? I can't seem to download 'em. Can ya help me out here, Kev, please?

Thanks, mate! Me's off to my rugby match for the day.

Cheers,

Unc²

[bentwaters81tfw]

My decals silvered badly, and wrinkled even worse. Original Testors stuff... total crap.

The corrugated skin is just that. When the airframe got hot at speed, they smoothed out considerably.

The a/c had lots of power to overcome the form drag at low speeds, once it was hot, the form drag dimished.

[KLP Publishing]

How's yer Monogram Wildcat goin'?

Slowly. Not much time for modelling lately, but I should have an update this weekend.

I saw Russ mentions the existence of a set of plans on the first post on that thread; whut are they? I can't seem to download 'em. Can ya help me out here, Kev, please?

I have no idea where Russ got those plans from. He owned a copy shop, so enlarging them to 1/32 wouldn't have been a problem though. Here's some shots from the thread (that's a 1/32 scale 262 in the 2nd photo!):

Sadly, Russ never completed this project.

Kev

[Uncle Uncool]

The corrugated skin is just that. When the airframe got hot at speed, they smoothed out considerably.

Yeh, me gets it, Frank; but still the corrugated skin represented on the wings of the Testors/Italeri kit is all wrong; not only are the grooves too deep, but also the transition at both the beginning and the end of the grooves is too square in comparison to those on the real thing. Ya can't just sand 'em down without makin' the rest of the airframe surface look uneven, so safest bet is I will have to fill each groove with a strip of sheet plastic 'n' then work the beginning and end of each groove with some epoxi filler in order for 'em to look rounded up.

Slowly. Not much time for modelling lately, but I should have an update this weekend.

Lookin' forward to seein' some progress on yer chubby cat, Kev.

Here's some shots from the thread (that's a 1/32 scale 262 in the 2nd photo!):

Completely lost for words... However, Russ' project does seem to have the correct nose; ya see?

I foresee a great deal of time ahead of me in order to complete my build as well. Just sandin' 'n' rescribin' the forward fuselage alone has took me almost the whole weekend!

Cheers, every one!

Unc²

P.S: We won; we won!

[Stoo]

I was gutted when he binned it, it was looking *so* damned good

[Uncle Uncool]

I was gutted when he binned it, it was looking *so* damned good

Well, I felt so dejected after havin' learnt Russ had actually died... Such a great loss to the modellin' fraternity. To ya, Russ; wherever ya are, mate!

I still haven't gotten any reliable plans of this bird; not even for the nose... I'm ditchin' this build 'til the day I finally get them, me thinks.

Unc²

[Loki]

Sorry to hear it uncle.............is there no way to find some from a past SAM or something, I'm sure I remember there being some somewhere......

[Stoo]

Well, I felt so dejected after havin' learnt Russ had actually died... Such a great loss to the modellin' fraternity. To ya, Russ; wherever ya are, mate!

I still haven't gotten any reliable plans of this bird; not even for the nose... I'm ditchin' this build 'til the day I finally get them, me thinks.

Unc²

Damn, I hadn't realised - I'd just bookmarked his sr71 thread and kept revisiting it now and again,then he'd posted at the end of April mentioning that he'd binned it and was going to relax in Mexico for a while

Here's his last post:

Whuh oh, spaghettios.....this project has been terminated. shrug.gif All projects went into the trash about 3 weeks ago. Meh, I can always build another one if the fit takes me. smile.gif

Sorry I've been remiss in posting lately, but I've been off on another tangent. Decided I needed a bit of fresh air....so I moved back on a sailboat, bought a motorcycle,new towels, and wardrobe...and decided that I needed to not only run a car at the Bonneville salt lakes this autumn(36hp 1956 VW beetle in the H/Pro(duction) class), but also have it and my 'chase vehicle' shipped to Australia to run it on the salt flats at Lake Grainger in March next year. Kind of like that movie 'World's Fastest Indian', only in reverse? I'm hoping to go 78mph.....or bust! Whoohoo! punk.gif I've already blown 2 motors on the dyno trying to get almost 40hp squeezed outta a stock motor/manual choke carb/vacuum advance ignition system. Be still my beating heart.

I'm not leaving LSP by any means Dave, this is my 2nd home! Just blowing some of the cobwebs out of this stump I call a head and broadening my horizons a bit. Keeps things fresh and interesting. Be back in a few weeks after all the dust settles, and everything is just a dull roar again.

Again, sorry if I've disappointed anybody by not finishing this build....but I got everything out of it that I set out to do, the 'mystery' was just gone and finishing it would've been anti-climatic and just plain boring for me. Sometimes it's just OK to walk away. Still have a few interesting projects up my sleeve scheduled for the near future, so I'll see everybody in a few weeks after I've sojourned in Mexican waters and eaten a few fish tacos down in Baja. Later dudes!, Russ

Damn, that's pretty sobering knowing that he never got to do what he wanted, he died only a couple of weeks after

Edited August 26, 2010 by Stoo

[Smiffy]

Me thinks the decals are a bit thick; I don't think they would conform to well to the surface, especially, the national insignias supposed to go on the slotted areas of the wings. Decal colours are all wrong as well. Grief I intend to go through with my kit calls for some Cartograph printed sheet, minimum.

My decals silvered badly, and wrinkled even worse. Original Testors stuff... total crap.

What's wrong with the kit decals? On my Testors Example they are printed by Microscale and look fine.

I think the issue here is when your kit dates from.

The older ones had the Testors crapola decals.

I have one of the recently issued versions and it comes with a lovely Invisi-clear sheet printed by Microscale. Colours look good, printed very well and look extremely thin.

[Uncle Uncool]

Something I've always perceived as a distinctive feature in the stance of the Sled that I'm just starting to realise about is this strange kink on the forward fuselage in the nose:

 

 

Almost unnoticeable at the height of the windshield (especially, if you look at the contour of the fuselage underneath this area), but it is there.

 

 

Every piccy of that area reveals this downward kink in the forward fuselage.

 

 

It's there all over again. Can you see it? This is a key feature in the look of the Habu.

Then, there's another issue with regard to the kit's windshield; the surface of the glass panels are convex, when they're completely flat on the real thing!

More piccies to come.

Cheers,

 

Unc²