Certainly looking the business Mike!
Very nice indeed
Very nice indeed
'Just Hanging Around' 78th FG P-51D 1/48 scale.
- Thread starter Scratchbuilder
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Scratchbuilder
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Cheers Andy for the comment.
Update,
So from this morning - the fuselage sides are now together although I did need to do a bit of cutting away of the resin side panels to get the instrument panel to fit and really it only took away resin that cannot be seen...
Sorry about the blurred image on pic 2.
The fuselage is now in filler mode along the joint line. Wings have been tried for fit and fit like a glove (great!). The drop tanks are now in primer so are the undercarriage legs who have also had some etch added as well as fine wire for the hydraulic line. The drop tanks have had some detail changes and new filler caps and fuel lines added although not shown in the pics.
And that is where I am today, waiting for stuff to dry and then I can get on with final assembly, cleaning up and onto the priming and painting.
Cheers,
Mike
Update,
So from this morning - the fuselage sides are now together although I did need to do a bit of cutting away of the resin side panels to get the instrument panel to fit and really it only took away resin that cannot be seen...
Sorry about the blurred image on pic 2.
The fuselage is now in filler mode along the joint line. Wings have been tried for fit and fit like a glove (great!). The drop tanks are now in primer so are the undercarriage legs who have also had some etch added as well as fine wire for the hydraulic line. The drop tanks have had some detail changes and new filler caps and fuel lines added although not shown in the pics.
And that is where I am today, waiting for stuff to dry and then I can get on with final assembly, cleaning up and onto the priming and painting.
Cheers,
Mike
Blimmin Eck....
That cockpit is AWESOME !!.....
Maybe I ought to "Tint" my canopy Gloss Black!!
That cockpit is AWESOME !!.....
Maybe I ought to "Tint" my canopy Gloss Black!!
Neil Merryweather
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Absolutely droolworthy ,sir!
Office is amazing.
Jim R
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Totally agree with the above. That cockpit ain't half bad
Geoffers
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You are doing some seriously good work here Mike, it’s looking very nice indeed 
Geoff.
Geoff.
Looking very nice that.
Scratchbuilder
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Update,
Many thanks for the comments...
Andy, mine is not finished yet so there may be two with tinted black canopies....
Neil, Many thanks,
Wobble, Still with it....
Paul, Pleased you like it.
Jim R, Ditto above.
Geof, Many thanks, and only dropped it on the floor once!!!!
OK, so off we go with the priming...
... All done with 'Hycote' car primer - if it is Grey, then it gets painted today....
Time for the undercoat...
... The raggy ended brush is used to clean out the airbrush bowl of unused paint, then used again with whatever thinners, again washed around and poured out and then a bowl of clean thinners sprayed through....
... And finally the painted items, the prop blades have been painted NATO Black to take them away from the black of the spinner, the undercarriage legs, drop tanks and just out of the picture the flaps, are in AK Matte Aluminium. The fuselage, cocpit canopy, are in AK Polished Aluminium and the wings, undercarriage doors are in AK Aluminium.... It may just be me but at the moment I cannot tell the difference between the shades. Still got the anti-glare Olive Drab to paint ahead of the cockpit and then some varnishing to do before the decals....
Cheers
Mike.
Many thanks for the comments...
Andy, mine is not finished yet so there may be two with tinted black canopies....
Neil, Many thanks,
Wobble, Still with it....
Paul, Pleased you like it.
Jim R, Ditto above.
Geof, Many thanks, and only dropped it on the floor once!!!!
OK, so off we go with the priming...
... All done with 'Hycote' car primer - if it is Grey, then it gets painted today....
Time for the undercoat...
... The raggy ended brush is used to clean out the airbrush bowl of unused paint, then used again with whatever thinners, again washed around and poured out and then a bowl of clean thinners sprayed through....
... And finally the painted items, the prop blades have been painted NATO Black to take them away from the black of the spinner, the undercarriage legs, drop tanks and just out of the picture the flaps, are in AK Matte Aluminium. The fuselage, cocpit canopy, are in AK Polished Aluminium and the wings, undercarriage doors are in AK Aluminium.... It may just be me but at the moment I cannot tell the difference between the shades. Still got the anti-glare Olive Drab to paint ahead of the cockpit and then some varnishing to do before the decals....
Cheers
Mike.
Scratchbuilder
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Scratchbuilder
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Update,
So after my adventure into 1/48 scale I have learned one thing - undercarriage legs do not behave, cleaned off the paint and added the cement into the locating hole - and then the legs took on a life of their own, got it!!!, make a jig and set them up, so braced them at the front and then slowly watched them slide backwards and to differing points of the compass. OK brace the rear, the tail wheel dropped out!, then as I was rescuing the tailwheel the legs decided to go undercarriage up. One to the outside and another aka P-40 or Corsair.... Then realised I had one wheel on the flat of the tread and the other was doing a rotate all on its own..... And all I wanted to do was to put the undercarriage on and leave it to set ready for the doors - yeah!!!!! got it done, time for a cuppa - never should have left the bench, came back after some deep breaths and a cuppa.... I thought the legs were doing an impression of a cow about to give birth - legs all over the place - and where was the tailwheel???? it was there when I set up the undercarriage..... So decided this was not going well and today have decided that what I have in my 1/48 scale collection will soon be up for sale. As for the model with a life of its own, had it put to sleep about an hour ago - no more for me.
So after my adventure into 1/48 scale I have learned one thing - undercarriage legs do not behave, cleaned off the paint and added the cement into the locating hole - and then the legs took on a life of their own, got it!!!, make a jig and set them up, so braced them at the front and then slowly watched them slide backwards and to differing points of the compass. OK brace the rear, the tail wheel dropped out!, then as I was rescuing the tailwheel the legs decided to go undercarriage up. One to the outside and another aka P-40 or Corsair.... Then realised I had one wheel on the flat of the tread and the other was doing a rotate all on its own..... And all I wanted to do was to put the undercarriage on and leave it to set ready for the doors - yeah!!!!! got it done, time for a cuppa - never should have left the bench, came back after some deep breaths and a cuppa.... I thought the legs were doing an impression of a cow about to give birth - legs all over the place - and where was the tailwheel???? it was there when I set up the undercarriage..... So decided this was not going well and today have decided that what I have in my 1/48 scale collection will soon be up for sale. As for the model with a life of its own, had it put to sleep about an hour ago - no more for me.
That’s strange Mike….can’t see it as a problem with 1/48 scale itself though? Was the undercarriage leg location particularly poor or something?
scottie3158
SMF Supporter
Mike,
That is a great pity that was a great looking bird. Can you salvage it and pin the undercarriage for strength.
That is a great pity that was a great looking bird. Can you salvage it and pin the undercarriage for strength.
Sorry to hear this Older than me...It was such a beautiful build and your paint job was fantastic. Is there a chance you could finish it as an in-flight model???..........I feel you with 1/48 Mike, it's too small for me too!!!...
Prost
Younger than you
Prost
Younger than you
Jim R
SMF Supporter
That's a shame Mike.
Scratchbuilder
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Thanks for the feedback on my disaster with the undercarriage, followed all the usual things when glueing together but for some reason no matter which way I approached it, the undercarriage decided it was going to go its own way. SO! lesson learned check the fit before even starting consruction.... I cannot blame anyone, I am the modeller and should have taken steps to make sure the legs fitted snug.... On reflection I may still sell off some of my 1/48 aircraft, but not because I am finished with that scale but they just will not be built in my lifetime so let someone else enjoy the thrill and spills. But it was good fun while it lasted - now where did i put the Spitfire Mk XVI........ or the Anson from Classic Airframes..... or the Gladiator..... or the.......
Mike
Mike
Well Wibble , I found the whole
episode to be most reassuring . The fact that even you of all people should have problems when building a kit enables me to carry on attempting to build .
Yours Wobble
episode to be most reassuring . The fact that even you of all people should have problems when building a kit enables me to carry on attempting to build .
Yours Wobble
Neil Merryweather
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Well said that man!