Clunkmeister

Cockpit coming right along. If you’re not opening the gun doors, all the lower PE under the floor can be left off to simplify construction, but building it on this is seriously quick and easy.

Everyone is asking about the dreaded engine, which was the downfall of many a resin build. This one is utter sweetness with honey and tulip fragrance from your favorite girl. This an exact drop fit. No glue, no swearing, no muss, no fuss. Notice how all the exhaust pipes go into the collector, which is the front of the cowl, and then all the struts supporting the whole thing against the inner cone. This was the downfall of the resin kit. Each of those exhaust pipes is supplied as a vague elbow, your job, figure out where it all rides. A jig is best...

Still more PE bending tonight, folks. Lots more pics tomorrow, but I can say that even though there is a boatload of PE, it all fits perfectly, and if you take your time, measure three times and cur once, it will fall together like a jigsaw puzzle. This is the nicest building kit I’ve worked on in a long, long time.

Cough cough. A radial powered space capsule. COOL!!!

I’m just going to put this here. This is one of the things that the resin kit had issues with.

Some have asked me how the fit appears to be on this kit, so I thought I’d take a quick opportunity to show you. This is simple friction fit with tape to keep the sides together. many question? If the rest of the kit is as good as this appears to be, IBG will sell me at least a half dozen more. Y’all notice how we see group builds of massed I-16s at shows? This could be the next step up from that pleasant little build.

Someone say T-28? which way did he go, which way did he go..... uh boy uh boy un boy uh boy.....

I think my last one succumbed to the M80 treatment about 3 years back.

Phil, there’s plenty of it, but only in areas where it would be the best medium to use. The design and construction of a typical 1930s cockpit lends itself well to PE improving things and keeping detail a scale size. Just think “T-6, or Harvard”. Metal cladding over metal exterior panels. Lots of tubes, gussets, braces, etc. a detail junkie’s best friend.

It actually builds quite easily, and I’m one who detests PE. But, I’d do just about anything for a good P.11, and this one seems like a GREAT P.11.

I got it from eBay, literally 18 seconds after they became available. Polish Post doesn’t ship anywhere overseas, so for me, eBay was fast and easy without having to sort out UPS with IBG. Hannants carries them, BTW, and Sprue Bros lists them but has no stock.

Don’t fall in the water in Australia. The creatures in there will kill you just by looking at you. Probably your whole family at home, too.

Ugh! I’ll never unsee that. Where’s the acid wash for the eyes.

Get a Louisville Slugger or a 2x2. Clint Eastwood in Pale Rider once said “There’s nothing like a good piece of hickory.”

The key is, STUDY THE DRAWINGS, just like any kit, know what you have and where it goes. So far, but here are markings where stuff should be, which is good. One thing about the cockpit details. Much of it should be hidden completely from view if you close the gun access doors on the side of the fuselage. But if you leave them open, all will be visible, just like peeling the side panels off a T-6 Texan. It’s all there, the good, the bad, and the ugly.