F-111E
Comments
1 14 July 2019, 13:52
Donald Dickson IINathan, Slavo will likely make my efforts look childish, but hey, I havent done a 111 in decades. So why not?
14 July 2019, 15:24
Holger KranichThats the right spirit Don! Hang in there, you will make it gooood!😄
14 July 2019, 16:07
Holger KranichOha Hobbycraft reboxed a Zhengdefu kit... Prepare for a challenging build. Do you have some decals for your baby?
14 July 2019, 16:59
Slavo HazuchaAdded you to the group build header overview 👍 No reason to be concerned, I am sure your A-6 desk-crew will gladly take a break and work their magic on this kit😉
I'm very much looking forward to seeing this manufacturers take on the F-111. Are you going for a UK-based USAF "E"? Some of the planes that almost visited Libya in '86?
14 July 2019, 17:24
Donald Dickson III ordered the Superscale set of decals. The ones in the kit are meh at best. I will figure which one when I get them in front of me. First blush, 77th Gambler. But we will see.
14 July 2019, 22:27
Donald Dickson IIOK, since everyone has been on about the exhausts, thats where I started tonight. Now, I did not get a lot done tonight. I spent the afternoon with my son hauling a F%^&ing heavy ass washer up stairs to replace my broken one. When he had left to go back to college, I collapsed in the recliner and cried like a little girl for about 3 hours. Soooo, back to the model.
As i mentioned, the kit parts have the appropriate 6 actuator thingies. However, there is not anything for the adjustable portion. However, having read Hans' post, I too have extra F-4 parts laying around. So, I grabbed a couple. The fit with very little trimming. So, my question is this. Do you all think they look halfway decent?
I did some basic painting of the cockpit after fiddling with the exhausts. I will do more tomorrow. If every muscle in my back hasnt locked up by then.
15 July 2019, 02:05
Donald Dickson IIAnd I LOVE this. They should modify the 15s to do it. LOL
Youtube Video
15 July 2019, 02:58
Patrick HagelsteinReally??? Did they have to bring in a bunch of Dutch people to film this??? 😄 Being Dutch myself, I could hear the conversation in the background being Dutch. 🙂
15 July 2019, 03:20
Clifford KeeslerI like what you did with the exhaust. I have extra F-4 Exhaust also, I will see if I can figure out how you did that. LOL.
15 July 2019, 03:36
Slavo HazuchaThe fit looks good, just check it does not stick out too much.
I guess one could also install a little aerosol dispenser and a mini cigarette lighter for the dump & burn effect😉
15 July 2019, 05:13
Peter HardyPatrick, there is beer and beer and beer at Riverfire. Have you ever been anywhere where there was beer and NO Dutchmen?
15 July 2019, 09:00
Donald Dickson IICliff, I didnt do much other than trim the kit part a hair bit at each actuator. I believe the Phantom parts were extras from the Academy kit.
15 July 2019, 23:48
Donald Dickson IISo, I got some more work done tonight. I cut the F-4 parts down. They just were too tall otherwise. They look better now. I also got the cock pit done. But, as usual, I noticed touch ups I need to do on the seats when I was processing the pics. Like where I rubbed the red off putting them in and the like.
17 July 2019, 02:57
Clifford KeeslerLooking good Donald. I better get it in gear, I'm falling behind. My resin parts arrived today.
18 July 2019, 00:38
Donald Dickson IIThere is NOTHING out there designed for this kit. Just have to manage with mainly kit stuff.
So, I got the nose section together. Started work on the wings. It seems that the original molds were for the short wing variety and they slapped extensions on these somehow. In a very crappy manner.
18 July 2019, 02:14
Clifford KeeslerI think stuff for the Academy kit will work on that one. I find that I can make most things work. Mine will have a lot of OZ Mods resin stuff.
18 July 2019, 02:50
Donald Dickson III know there resin intake sets out there. I am tempted to get one and see if I can make it work since I HATE doing intakes. LOL
18 July 2019, 02:56
Clifford KeeslerDMolds.com has them in stock for 28.00. If I could talk my wifey into a set, I would get a set. They are seamless, white so require no paint except the turbine faces, which are included.
18 July 2019, 02:59
Clifford KeeslerLooking at the pictures you put up, that is just a copy of the Academy kit.
18 July 2019, 03:04
Donald Dickson IIAccording to the product line here it is originally a Zhengdefu.
18 July 2019, 03:11
Peter HardyWhat we will get from this group build is which kit is the best to whatever with.
18 July 2019, 05:58
Slavo HazuchaOh, so this kit has actual functional swing-wing mechanism? I thought that is not really possible due to the complicated way the covers open at the front connection edge... Cool, no need to make multiple models just for the wing positions 🙂
Overall progress looking good too! - all builds seem to run on steroids compared to mine... 😄 The black goo on the nose however looks rather intimidating... Is it something you would recommend? - not too happy with my current filler (a.k.a. "MrBubbleMaker)...
18 July 2019, 07:26
Donald Dickson III'm just going by the product time line listed here. I will have to snag one of the Academy kits sometime and see what it looks like.
Slavo, that is Mr Surfacer 1500. It comes in rattle cans and bottles. I find it works great for very small seam gaps that perfect plastic putty wont get down into.
18 July 2019, 10:52
Clifford KeeslerLooking good Donald. The Zhengdefu kit is just another Academy knockoff. I built the Zhengdefu "E" and it was exactly like my Academy one. So any aftermarket stuff for the Academy kits will work on the kit you are building.
18 July 2019, 21:29
Donald Dickson IIWait, you are telling me a Chinese company did a knock off of something????? NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I dont believe you.
But good to know. 😄
19 July 2019, 00:02
Donald Dickson IIDear Lord. The only place I am finding PE and stuff is at freaking Hannants. I have to order from the UK to get stuff. SMH
19 July 2019, 00:45
Donald Dickson IIEvidently entering into a group build with some of the best modelers around wasnt enough of a challenge. I clean up the seams on the nose and grab the canopy. *sigh*
First issue. The raised edges of the frame are n the INSIDE of the canopy. If I was using Tamiya tape, I would be screwed. But, I use parafilm. Thankfully I can see through that to follow the frame. Then I set it over the cockpit annnndddd...
Issue 2. The big one. HUGE gaps. I circled them just to make sure you dont miss them. Obviously I cant just glue the canopy on and putty away. That would be seen through the clear portions. Perfect plastic putty to the rescue! This stuff is water based, so it will not mess the canopy up. And I can dampen the edges of the canopy, putty it and pull the canopy off in order to shape and sand the interior. I also had to use a strip of sheet plastic to fill that side gap. I have to let it set so I can sand and shape and tweak. But I think it will work.
19 July 2019, 02:45
Slavo HazuchaHmm, maybe the only Zhengdefu contribution was developing a new canopy for the Academy kit? At least with all that added filler & stuff, it's definitely sure now it won't stand nose-up when finished😉
Seriously: You got it under control, almost there! 👍
19 July 2019, 05:34
Donald Dickson IIThanks guys! It looks rough right now, but that Is only the first step. And hopefully i wont end up with rogue bits appearing on the canopy once its secured.😉
19 July 2019, 11:12
Slavo HazuchaRaise your glasses, the group is now numbering 10 builds! 👍 And clear all shards from inside the cockpit before sealing the canopy😉
19 July 2019, 20:36
Urban GardiniBut what an awful kit! Is it from the Krita or Jura period? My ESCI kit have better details and that's in 1:72, well the cockpit isn't great but anyway...
19 July 2019, 21:22
Patrick HagelsteinGrumman F-111B | Project by Navy Bird (1:72)
Bill Gilman did one too and that was awesome!
19 July 2019, 22:18
Slavo HazuchaThat B version by Bill really is a masterpiece... Hans the sources are great - hope someone picks this up 👍
20 July 2019, 17:00
Donald Dickson IISo, I ordered some PE and resin wheels. You all are forcing me to do add ons damn it. I tried to order intakes from dmold-modelworks.com/index.html However, the freaking site is shut down until Aug for vacation. Anyone know somewhere else I can order intakes? I cant find them anywhere.
21 July 2019, 01:49
Greg BakerDid someone declare July to be F-111 month? I count four in a row in the main timeline... All looking pretty spiffy. I ordered mine as well... 🙂
21 July 2019, 02:09
Donald Dickson IIGreg, blame Slavo. He decided to start a group build. All his fault.
21 July 2019, 02:15
Slavo Hazucha😄 - well the Australian lobby had it's influence in this outbreak, with Mr Kerry Cox actually firing the first shot:
RAAF. F-111 C | Album by RedRoo
So things took their turn... a great plane, some word of mouth propaganda here and there, but no memo or call to action... they just kept popping-up and here we are, 10 builds going... 🙂
Regarding "end" - I started on JUN 30 and I have the engine done! 😄
There is no official end, no competition, no rules - build OOB or unleash "HMS Rodney-style" 16" salvoes of brass on it, just have a ton of fun building a seriously cool plane with a bunch of mates and enjoy...!!
21 July 2019, 06:00
Donald Dickson IISo I did some more work on the canopy area. One more session with it ought to do the trick.
I also started working on the pylon rotating system. They suggest you carefully glue the pin to the plastic washer. Yeah, not. A trick my dad taught me. With stuff like this, heat up your knife blade and press it down on the pin. It flattens out the top of it and wallah! Now I just have to figure out if its going to work right. I think the pylons will be pointing wrong.
21 July 2019, 22:33
Clifford KeeslerThe old fashioned way huh? I can remember when Monogram used to tell you to do that with the kits wheels. Any way that is how I will do mine also.
22 July 2019, 01:27
Donald Dickson IIIt works! Though I managed to break one of the pins on a pylon. So that one is a magnet attachment.
22 July 2019, 02:15
Slavo HazuchaBack to the times when manufacturers tried to actually make things work... the Hobby Boss kit only has two pegs for spread/swept, not even an attempt for working wings... 😄 Fingers crossed the working function makes it through all the subsequent building stages!
22 July 2019, 05:28
Clifford KeeslerThe thing I like about the Hobby Boss kit, is that it can be posed with flaps and slats deployed. The Acadmey kit cannot.
22 July 2019, 23:41
Donald Dickson IIOK, so I got the wings together with no further breakage of the pylons. The mechanisms work and I got the pylons pretty much all at the right angles. I am reserving the right to break them off and use magnets on them all. I like the flexibility of that method.
Annnnd, now I wait. My Hannants order is somewhere between here and GB. Dmold is closed until Aug, and I cant find intakes anywhere else. So, I wait.
24 July 2019, 22:47
Slavo HazuchaGood jobon the wings! The break gives me a chance to catch-up...😉 Intruder time it is, then?
25 July 2019, 21:20
Clifford KeeslerGood progress there sir. I am going to attempt to scratch build my intakes, if that fails, F.O.D. covers. LOL.
26 July 2019, 01:13
Donald Dickson IIOK, order from Hannants came in. Got the PE for the engine. Of course, its for the HB kit, so only has five pieces for around the engines. Will have to fake a couple. Also the resin wheels were in the package. Now for Dmold to open back up.
There is no modeling going on today. I was out all night at a pool party. I tell my kids I can still party them under the table. It just takes me a LOT longer to recover.
27 July 2019, 22:29
Peter HardyThere was me thinking that, there are Men, Real Men and then there is Donny!
27 July 2019, 23:08
Donald Dickson IIPeter, I do try sir! LOL
Stephan, its rather well done, even if they are a little off alignment wise. They need a little adjusting.
28 July 2019, 23:12
Slavo Hazucha@poolparty - well my kids are just 7 & 5, but there are days when I wish to go to sleep before they get any such notion... 😄 Got to get some training I guess...
29 July 2019, 18:02
Donald Dickson IISlavo, there were not any kids at this one, trust me. LOL
guess I will work on the cans tonight since I have that stuff now.
29 July 2019, 22:22
Donald Dickson IISo I dove in and did the exhausts. I may possibly have gone overboard on the darker colors. 😄
30 July 2019, 03:06
Slavo HazuchaIt's perfectly OK to have the nozzles mostly black, as many pictures show... Maybe add some light metallic drybrushing around the 2 eduard PE rings to get the structure a little highlighted, but the variety on the real ones leaves a lot of room for interpretation & individual finishes. Whatever is the most fun 🙂
30 July 2019, 07:49
Donald Dickson II^&#%&$#%)*^(__*(^&😭$!#%$&*( I just went to Dmolds site. They wont be open until LATE Aug. How freaking long of a vacation is this???? Guess I will just have to go with kit stuff.
1 August 2019, 22:11
Peter HardyThey are on vacation in Oz and have brought their entire stock with them to sell at flea markets. Won't be anything left for you.
1 August 2019, 22:18
Clifford KeeslerI gave up and scratch built sort of intake ducts. I boxed them in. At least when you look down the inlet, you don't see a bunch of daylight.
1 August 2019, 23:01
Clifford KeeslerI got mine primed, but now I find out I installed the outboard pylons wrong. AARRRRRRRGGGGGG, repair time.
7 August 2019, 00:52
Clifford KeeslerComing along nicely Donald. Where did you get the para film? I will have to try it sometime. Kerry swears by it. I am still using Tamiya tape.
8 August 2019, 03:55
Urban GardiniI got a roll from Germany on ebay several years ago. I still use Tammy tape but that's because I just never remember that I've got Parafilm...
8 August 2019, 08:43
Donald Dickson IIClifford, I believe I got it on Amazon. It was a while ago. The roll is a little pricey, but it lasts forever. I go through Tamiya tape for other masking a LOT faster.
8 August 2019, 12:23
Donald Dickson III hate seams like this. I can not get them to go away. I dont know how you guys do it.
9 August 2019, 11:11
Donald Dickson IIAfter not being able to even look at this thing for a week, I got time to work on it. I am debating saying screw this thing.
18 August 2019, 03:27
Tim HeimerSaying it and doing it are two different things, after all you are Devolver!
18 August 2019, 03:44
Slavo HazuchaDelay the final trial, give it a break, put a chillout build in between and then speak the sentence... There is a lot of effort & good stuff in there, the moving pylons are quite unique... If it's over, it's over, but maybe there is still a faint light at the end of the tunnel?😉
18 August 2019, 06:17
Donald Dickson IISlavo, I ended up removing the pylons as they were in the way. One had already broken off. Which is what I was thinking might happen. They are still possible as I used magnets to attach them.
Greg LOL
18 August 2019, 08:53
Donald Dickson IIOne thing is for sure. Im gonna have to wait for the folks at Dmolds to open back up. These freaking intakes are horrid and the directions are about as clear as mud.
18 August 2019, 15:06
Nathan DempseyI refresh their page at least twice daily. I have several things that need to be ordered, including F-111 intakes.
18 August 2019, 15:26
Patrick HagelsteinApart from the intakes, what do you think is wrong with it? Use the gathered knowledge here to get you back in with some good advice.
18 August 2019, 15:38
Donald Dickson IIHans, I dont like the look of them at all. On top of that, I am not uber familiar with the 111. I can put together the intakes for an F-4 or 15 in my sleep and have everything lined up right. This, not so much. And, as I said, the directions are of no help. And since this going to be compared to yours and Slavos and Nathans and Gregs etc etc, I will wait for the good stuff. LOL
18 August 2019, 15:41
Donald Dickson IIPatrick, just frustrated with the all around shitty fit of this thing. The join between the nose and fuselage is horrid. Its like its two different kits. I got it to an OK point, but its not going to get much better than just OK.
18 August 2019, 15:44
Patrick HagelsteinOne remark straight ahead: don't try to compare your builds to others. I learned the hard way that that can only result in frustration. Going to model shows and seeing subjects that I want to or am building is the best and worst day combined in one for me. I learned to not be disappointed that I'm not at that level yet but look at it from the learning aspect and go home happy that I had the chance to look at some cool tricks to put in my box of tricks and use them to improve on my builds that I build for personal pleasure. 🙂
18 August 2019, 15:53
Patrick HagelsteinNow back to your Vark, I think you did a really good job on that nose! 👍 Just sand it if needed and hit it with some primer! With a layer of primer on things looks very different and most often all those scratches, imperfections and different materials come out as a solid uniform canvas to start painting from. 🙂
18 August 2019, 15:55
Donald Dickson IINathan LMAO!
Patrick, I cant help it. i am too damned competitive. Its just how I am. LOL The issue with the join is the nose seems to be too small. There is a large step up. I have sanded the fuselage down at the join, but there is still a noticeable hump. Perhaps it wont be so bad once I have the camo on. Doubt it though.
Hans, yeah I was thinking that. But these things are not that great. And in mine they consist of three parts, so its not 100% the same as the Academy.
18 August 2019, 17:04
Donald Dickson IISo, I managed to get the intakes to an acceptable level. Somewhat. I still think they look funky, but they will work. Still gotta do some sanding and puttying.
19 August 2019, 21:35
Donald Dickson IIOh, and Kerry rocks. He sent me his extra canopy outline decals. Got them today. Thank you kind sir!
19 August 2019, 21:38
Clifford KeeslerYOU CAN DO IT. Mine is almost done, but every time I go to glue something on, I break off something else I installed, like the d***n static discharge wicks. I only have 7 more pieces to glue on. Darn it.
20 August 2019, 00:42
Donald Dickson IISo I got the intakes a bit better. Then I felt the need to paint.So I started on the camo. Just did the tan. I always do that first. I will make white tac worms and start on the green soon.
21 August 2019, 02:24
Donald Dickson IISo under the category of it's always something. I sat down to start making the tac worms so I could work on the green part of the camo. The White tack that I bought at the craft store doesn't stick worth a damn. It's useless. So tomorrow I have to go to Walmart and get the good blu tac stuff. So instead I worked on the a 7s.
22 August 2019, 02:35
Slavo HazuchaNice tan the Vark has picked up😉 Really happy it avoided the early scrapyard 👍
22 August 2019, 19:00
Donald Dickson IISo I posted this on Augies build, but I am unsure of something. Which freaking pylons are which??? Like I get the numbers, but what position is which number? I cant seem to find a diagram laying it out. I am quite sure it is easy to find, but I cant. LOL
f-111.net/models/weaponsloads/index.htm
22 August 2019, 21:00
Donald Dickson IIAugie, I just now thought of that question. LOL I meant I posted the link to the load outs, thats all.
Hans, thank you sir. So there was a possible fourth station on each wing??
22 August 2019, 21:30
Donald Dickson IIOK, so all the camo is on. I am quite sure I will fiddle with it several more times, but this is basically how she will look.
23 August 2019, 01:54
Donald Dickson IIThank you gents. That step at the join is bugging the ever loving crap out of me though.
23 August 2019, 16:53
Donald Dickson IIClifford, bad enough that it makes my eye twitch. LOL
So, i again had a social life this weekend, so only got a short stint at the bench. Just did the black on the underside. So all the major painting is done. Just the nose and the red on the tail to do. And any touch ups. Trying to figure out which load out I want to do.
26 August 2019, 02:32
Clifford KeeslerThe weapons loadouts can get kind of complicated. I have read that they never carried drop tanks on the inboard pylons. Then I read somewhere that they seldom carried weapons on the inboard pylons either, something to do with interfering with wing sweep. But I have seen pictures of "E" models carrying 4 BRU's of MK-82's one on each inboard pylon, and the next one outboard on each side. I am pretty sure they did not carry any weapons on the 2 outboard pylon's.
29 August 2019, 00:46
Donald Dickson IIBeen doing landing gears and the like. Finished all the painting and glossing today. Minor touch ups on the intakes I'd all that is needed there. I feel much better about it at this stage, though I am not joyous about it.
1 September 2019, 17:20
Donald Dickson IIWell, because it's me, disaster. I started a panel wash with Vallejo dark grey model wash. Well, the shit wont come off except with lacquer thinner. So now I need to repaint. And try to do so without destroying the decals. Yay.
1 September 2019, 19:51
Donald Dickson IIFuture. I have zero luck with pre done washes. Im just gonna stick to pastels in water that I mix.
1 September 2019, 20:17
Donald Dickson IIWell, the paint is enamel (model master) and the wash is supposedly water based acrylic. Clearly that didnt matter with this stuff.
1 September 2019, 20:46
Donald Dickson III will give the alcohol a go. That might do it. Still have to repaint regardless. Thank God I only di half the plane and not near the nose decals
1 September 2019, 21:09
Donald Dickson IIRoland, that is where this will end up. Along with the Tamiya washes that strip every damn thing.
1 September 2019, 21:10
Clifford KeeslerI hate the Tamiya washes. I can never get them to flow, and if they do they never stay in the panel lines. I usually use either an oil wash, or I use a wash I make myself that is a combo of soft pastels and water colors, which works great.
2 September 2019, 01:51
Slavo HazuchaOh, that hurts... My experience with Vallejo washes was very similar (in combination with MRP paints) - quickly drying uncontrollable effect and if the surface was not mirror-polished an absolute disaster... I use different degrees of thinned oils and these work perfectly, the drying time being long, but the level of control during application, blending & removal is more than a fair compensation for me... Wish you success with the damage control operation!!
2 September 2019, 05:46
Donald Dickson IIOK, so I was gonna wait a couple days to do this, but I couldnt. So I tried the rubbing alcohol. Didnt do squat. So I was sitting at the bench fuming when my eyes strayed across my can of Easy Off oven cleaner. I use it to remove paint from canopies without screwing the clear plastic up. I figured what the hell? At this point I likely have to repaint half the damn thing anyway. Guess what? It freaking worked! Without taking a significant amount of the paint off. I was able to clean it up all the way to the decals. I ended up only having to respray the tan!
With that done, I washed it with dark pigment mixed in water. There were still some spots hat were dark from the first wash, so some areas are very dirty, some not. I am good with how it turned out. Now I can finish up the landing gear and doors and weapons and such and be done.
4 September 2019, 03:27
Slavo HazuchaDonald I admire your tenacity on this burden-struck project! And look at the result - I think what "happened" does not look at all too bad on the remaining greens too. Nothing can stop you in taking this piece of raw ever-enduring iron through the finish line now!😉 👍
4 September 2019, 08:27
Nathan DempseyI agree with Francky. Donald got this one out of the tailspin! Nice!
4 September 2019, 17:14
Tim HeimerSorry Don, This doesn't surprise me, I've been watching you build planes for years! Keep it going dude!
4 September 2019, 20:44
Donald Dickson III did a little bit today. There is not one piece on this damned thing that fits correctly or has a ton flash or seams or all the above. I mean look at the difference in the hole for the front landing gear and the gear. Its ridiculous.
9 September 2019, 01:57
Patrick HagelsteinWell, Isn't that the full company name? 😉 But I agree, Hobbycraft kits look good having the box in hands but the excitement diminishes the more you get into opening the box, inspecting the sprues and dry fitting parts... For some reason I got tricked in being excited enough to buy a kit and then come to the conclusion that I had to be aware of the above from previous purchases... I should know better... 🙁
9 September 2019, 14:59
Tim HeimerHate to say it, but I think we've all been let down from a kit we've purchased! Some get tossed others turds get into that category of How the Hell did he do that!
9 September 2019, 21:42
Donald Dickson IIThis one has been mere nano seconds from tossing several times. It wont be clear until I am done. LOL
9 September 2019, 21:54
Clifford KeeslerHang in there, you will get it there. I think I finally found a kit that I will bin without even trying to build it. Fujumi's F-5B. What a piece of s***, I will never buy one of their kits again. LOL.
10 September 2019, 00:34
Donald Dickson IIClifford, I dont even want to go near the damn thing. LOL But i dont have much more. So i may be able to finish without testing it's TRUE aerodynamics.
I have only built one Fujimi kit, a 1/72 MiG 21. It wasnt too awful.
10 September 2019, 01:08
Urban GardiniFujimi is generally regarded as ok kits but all makers have dogs in their collection including Tammy...
10 September 2019, 10:01
Patrick HagelsteinFujimi's late '80s and early '90s kits are great! On par with Hasegawa and sometimes even better. Their earlier kits have a high counts of dogs in them. The few new releases are generally great kits though.
10 September 2019, 15:57
Bryn CrandellFujimi's kits are hit and miss. More hit than miss. When they were combined with Hasegawa not bad.
10 September 2019, 17:42
Slavo HazuchaCan't join the manufacturers chat really, but thumbs up for Donald, you can make it, the match is 15 rounds, Rocky Balboa & stuff...! 👍😉
10 September 2019, 20:13
Donald Dickson IISlavo, its always good to hear the experiences of others for this stuff. Had I any clue about Hobby Craft and Xengdu (or however its spelled) I would NEVER have bought this thing. And thank you for the support sir! You are not just a fantastic (and that is putting it mildly) modeler, but a great cheerleader. Though Im not sure I would want to see you in a cheerleaders outfit. LOL
10 September 2019, 22:59
Nathan DempseyThanks for that image Donald - I just saw Patrick Stewart in a cheerleader outfit...
10 September 2019, 23:07
Clifford KeeslerHey Donald, I built Xengdfu's F-111E and did it in the same markings you are doing. It's funny because I thought it was on par with Academy's kit on all levels. The Fujimi F-5B has no cockpit interior at all. Just a plank to glue to set the badly molded pilots on. I do think it is one of their older kits, as it has raised panel lines etc. I did build their F-4E, but I put a Revell F-4 cockpit in it.
11 September 2019, 01:51
Donald Dickson IIOK, so the Mrk 82s in the kit are unusable. I have the Eduard 82s, but not sure if I want use up 12 of them on this thing. I may just hang fuel tanks and empty pylons and be done with that part.
11 September 2019, 03:22
Maciej BellosI'd go with the fuel tanks and empty pylons too. The 12 Eduard 82s will probably cost more than the kit...
11 September 2019, 14:01
Slavo HazuchaI´m going all empty too, in my case this is even supported by many pics of Grey Australian Varks, particularly in Dump & Burn situations... I´d even say tanks are an aesthetically really well-fitting option - with the size of the plane, they hit the proportional "Golden cut" of dimension much better than giant-looking tanks on some smaller airplanes... Grapes of iron bombs certainly have their visual merit, but Tanks are the "connoisieurs option"😉
+ Cheerleader aftermarket upgrade set ordered, will post a review once it arrives😉
11 September 2019, 14:14
Patrick HagelsteinPlease post pictures of your reviews, Slavo. The cheerleader outfit and if possible of the aftermarket stuff for your Vark. 😛
11 September 2019, 17:58
Donald Dickson IIThere is a sick twisted part of me that would find it rather amusing to see Slavo in that outfit. LMAO😉
11 September 2019, 18:05
Donald Dickson IIAs to the model. Thank you gents for your input on the bombs. You all confirmed my feelings on this. It will be gas and go.
11 September 2019, 18:06
Patrick HagelsteinKinda like the cover picture then? Should look good and it is how the plane is pictured in most of the photographs anyway.
11 September 2019, 18:08
Slavo HazuchaWill cheerleader Alaskan winter-outfit do, or do you need full Rio de Janeiro mode...?😉😉
11 September 2019, 20:30
Maciej BellosAbout that brazilian cheerleading stuff, I remember a photo of my father in between two feathered bikini dressed samba goddesses in Rio many many years ago. He looked pretty nervous, smiling awkwardly, my mother probably staring at him with that "don't you dare look at them" look.
11 September 2019, 21:23
Peter HardyHope it was worth it Don, seemed like a traumatic experience to me!
14 September 2019, 05:24
Holger KranichDonald, you really have balls!👍 Not everyone would finish this nighmare kit! But extremely well done!
14 September 2019, 06:23
Donald Dickson IIThanks guys. Honestly, if this hadnt been part of the group build, I may well have slam dunked it right in the trash. I AM proud I managed to get this hunk of crap to look passable.
Now back to the dual A-7 build and the A-6.
Is anyone else having issues with how the site is loading? Its all jacked up on my phone and when I look at my stash or search for something, non of the pics are showing up.
14 September 2019, 12:51
Slavo HazuchaWith a final Hulk-smash you finished this endavour - turning basically what comes equal to a rougly cut lump of wood into a respectable great looking finished model! It has it's own style and a honestly like it as it turned out 👍 It has been an honor to work in the group build with you (and despite all the issues, still being flatly overtaken by you😉 )! Good job Donald!
14 September 2019, 13:23
Nathan DempseyNice work Donald. That was surely a rough ride, but you prevailed!
14 September 2019, 13:31
Tim HeimerFor a man of your skills, it is amazing that you made it past the point of trying it's aerodynamics! But then, you are one of those who are able to turn a turd into a nice piece to look at. Congrats Don!
14 September 2019, 15:07
Donald Dickson IIYou all flatter me. Thank you kindly.
Slavo, you take a long time, but then the level of detail in your builds is beyond insane. Frankly I am surprised you manage them as quickly as you do considering the amount and quality of the work.
14 September 2019, 16:53
Daniel KlinkGreat result Donald! 👍 You glued and painted the shite out of this crappy kit and turned it into an eyecatcher... Congrats ! 👍
14 September 2019, 20:45
Patrick HagelsteinI can only agree to what has already been said. Splendid job on a crappy piece of plastic!
15 September 2019, 14:54
Donald Dickson IISo, I got yet another display cabinet today as I have maxed my others out until I get more shelves. After some rearranging, the 111 ended up with the Jaguar. Both are 1/48. Thought it was a good way to show how damned big the 111s really were.
29 September 2019, 03:54
Slavo HazuchaNice! Problem solved at least until the 1:32 Invader knocks on the door 🙂
29 September 2019, 07:19
Donald Dickson IISlavo, thats what I am trying to clear room for. LOL
Stephan, thank you. 🙂
29 September 2019, 16:21
Peter HardyI take it Donny you are not lining up to buy the 1/24 scale Hawker Typhoon? ????
30 September 2019, 01:30
Donald Dickson IIOK, so an update with info for my friends.
I always say that it will never fail that some pilot or nav or crew chief will turn up to tell you what you did wrong. Well, it turns out one of the mmebers of my IPMS chapter is a 111 pilot with over 1000 hours on them. And he was at the Halloween event we participated in at the Air and Space museum. Gonna put up a different thread for that.
Anyway, it turns out I screwed up and put the tail on upside down. LOL That aside, it seems that the E and F did not ever carry the fuel tanks on the inboards pylons. And that they only carried them on nuke missions. The inboards would be occupied by the nukes. Conventional missions they did not use the fuel tanks. Nor did they use TERs or MERs. He called it something else and I will be damned if I can remember what it was. He said they tried the TERs initially, but by the time they got into Nam they had ditched them.
And the last really big thing we were all talking about. He said they didnt use the third pylon. Like it wasnt even on the plane. And the mythical fourth pylon was just tested. It was never an in service thing.
27 October 2019, 17:23
Patrick HagelsteinHah! Waddayaknow... Good info though! Always that ironical thing that you learn this kind of stuff AFTER a build is finished.... 😉
27 October 2019, 17:50
Stephan RyllThe MER should be the BRU-3A/As
„mounted on the outboard pylons, with single Mk 82 AIRs on the inboard
27 October 2019, 18:23
