I am going to do my first photo-build and managed to start 'cutting plastic' on Sunday. So here are some initial impressions and a couple of photos.
This is going be be an out of the box build with the addition of the weapons set. Skyraiders really have to be dripping with weapons!!
So far I have been working mostly with the silver coloured plastic that makes up the interior. This plastic really is quite soft. which is not all negative. but I wonder if the detail loses some crispness as a result. Don't get me wrong, detail is excellent by almost any standards but it lacks some of that Tammy Mustang crispness. One word of warning - I would not use some of the more 'aggressive' plastic weld cements on this soft plastic and take care than usual with normal liquid cements. I ended up with a blob of that soft plastic to clean up early on which was not a great problem and that was with Mr S Cement, if I was using a plastic weld things would have been more difficult.
For the record, the transparent plastic is not only crystal clear but is also of a softer type, its not as soft as the silver plastic though - I actually preferred the clear plastic in this kit to the Tammy transparencies. The grey plastic is of the hard brittle type while the black is a very hard, solid type of plastic.
Fit so far has been very good but in dry fitting the communications equipment to the rack it looks as if some trimming will be needed, again I suspect the soft silver plastic is the problem rather than the engineering - its not a big deal and nothing to worry about.
There is some minor flash but again nothing to worry about and is easily corrected.
What I do like is the options they provide - one being a clear instrument panel to which you need to mask the dials, paint and the apply a decal to the back. When the masking is removed the detail is revealed. I have not seen this before and I think its an interesting was to do this. They also provide a normal panel that can just be painted. I intend to try to clear/decal approach but have also cleaned up the other part and will prep it in case the clear one does not work for me.
Another option is to have a seat with seat belts moulded in and they provide an alternative without. I am going to use the one with moulded seat belts to see how they look and then decide whether to get some photo etch instead.
Pictured here is the interior ready to take a primer coat and some other interior parts likewise prepped - not masked the instruments yet.
Tonight I will fit the communication and other equipment and prepare the fuselage halves as well.
I need to decide whether to paint all that nice detail that will not be seen!!!!
I will post again when I have painted the detail of the cockpit and before I close up the fuselage.
View attachment 43898
View attachment 43899
This is going be be an out of the box build with the addition of the weapons set. Skyraiders really have to be dripping with weapons!!
So far I have been working mostly with the silver coloured plastic that makes up the interior. This plastic really is quite soft. which is not all negative. but I wonder if the detail loses some crispness as a result. Don't get me wrong, detail is excellent by almost any standards but it lacks some of that Tammy Mustang crispness. One word of warning - I would not use some of the more 'aggressive' plastic weld cements on this soft plastic and take care than usual with normal liquid cements. I ended up with a blob of that soft plastic to clean up early on which was not a great problem and that was with Mr S Cement, if I was using a plastic weld things would have been more difficult.
For the record, the transparent plastic is not only crystal clear but is also of a softer type, its not as soft as the silver plastic though - I actually preferred the clear plastic in this kit to the Tammy transparencies. The grey plastic is of the hard brittle type while the black is a very hard, solid type of plastic.
Fit so far has been very good but in dry fitting the communications equipment to the rack it looks as if some trimming will be needed, again I suspect the soft silver plastic is the problem rather than the engineering - its not a big deal and nothing to worry about.
There is some minor flash but again nothing to worry about and is easily corrected.
What I do like is the options they provide - one being a clear instrument panel to which you need to mask the dials, paint and the apply a decal to the back. When the masking is removed the detail is revealed. I have not seen this before and I think its an interesting was to do this. They also provide a normal panel that can just be painted. I intend to try to clear/decal approach but have also cleaned up the other part and will prep it in case the clear one does not work for me.
Another option is to have a seat with seat belts moulded in and they provide an alternative without. I am going to use the one with moulded seat belts to see how they look and then decide whether to get some photo etch instead.
Pictured here is the interior ready to take a primer coat and some other interior parts likewise prepped - not masked the instruments yet.
Tonight I will fit the communication and other equipment and prepare the fuselage halves as well.
I need to decide whether to paint all that nice detail that will not be seen!!!!
I will post again when I have painted the detail of the cockpit and before I close up the fuselage.
View attachment 43898
View attachment 43899
