I
have just completed this kit, after continually deciding it wasn’t quite
finished, and this is an updated article with new pics and details added since
my last article about the same model.
This
is an incredible kit. I really enjoyed making it and it took about 4-5 months so
I think it was worth the money.
Since
the last article I submitted, I made the following changes (and probably more
that I can’t remember):
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-I
added more wires and cables in the landing gear bays
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-I
added more detail in the cockpit, including a modified yellow lever on the
left cockpit wall
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-I
did some weathering with combinations of tamiya smoke, flat black and
thinner, pastels and (primarily) lead/graphite pencils.
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-I
completed the weapons, canopy and decals (which I hadn’t done in my last
article)
I
decided midway through construction that I would use all the weapons.
The
black communications handset on the right cockpit wall was made from plastic
tubing with the coiled cable made by tightly winding thin wire around another
stiff piece of wire then carefully sliding off the coil.
I
painted red on some of the wires on the side of the engine after finding more
reference photos that show this.
I
thought I would use the dolly for display but I haven’t really bothered. Maybe
one day I will do a diorama with this model and utilise the dolly.
Most of the grey
streaks on the wings were done by smearing lead pencil towards the rear of the
plane. The panel lines were done with washes in some cases, or by simply drawing
through them with lead pencils in many other places.
Click on
images below to see larger images
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This
kit was the first time I’ve made a serious attempt to use future, dull coats,
and decal solutions, and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
I
removed the canopy seam line with a sanding stick with 3 grades on it, then
applied future using the method of dipping the canopy in the future. I
discovered beforehand that brushing it on is a very bad idea!
As
for the decal solutions, I hadn’t really used them before because I usually
make car kits which are glossy and don’t really have decal issues. I had a few
practice runs on some scrap with my new setting and solvent solutions from model
master, then I was ready to go. After using this stuff, all I can say is it is a
necessity!
Click on
images below to see larger images
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I
used Tamiya acrylics for the detail painting and Tamiya spray cans for the
larger areas. I have been using spray cans for a long time because they have no
cleaning and maintenance time like an airbrush, and they also have a rapid
drying time. Besides, after using spray cans often, you get used to them and how
far you need to be from a part to get the correct paint coating. I have also
discovered that using paper, slightly raised from the model surface (to get a
nice blend/fade between camo colours) is a very versatile technique when spray
painting, and this method can even be used to allow repair of damaged paint jobs
without re-painting an entire fuselage.
For
the final dull coat, I initially tried Tamiya flat base mixed with future, but
no matter what mixtures I tried I couldn’t get rid of the white ‘specks’
and cloudiness. So, I tried Testors dull coat for the first time, and it worked
perfectly! I highly recommend it!
I
hope you liked the model, my email is rob_k16@hotmail.com
if you have any questions.
Rob
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