Clunkmeister

Jeff, you DO know the difference between a Corvette and a porcupine, right?

I'm thinking of an appropriate response over and above the obvious kudos for an awesome job sniffing out that super smoking hot deal! Remember those gag Hitler memes where he's told that "INSERT PUNCHLINE HERE" just happened, and he has the slow boil eruption? I just wish, just once, I could film myself doing that as a gag of that Hitler gag....

Heck, Age don’t get better, you just figure out there isn’t enough time in the day to count that high. Happy Birthday!

Was a very, very good time last night. A bunch of friends showed up with guitars and a mandolin, and had me blow the dust off mine... and off we went. Time flies when you’re having fun. yeah it’s a bad pic, but Joy was videoing the whole thing. Just pulled a screenshot off her video. Some was actually put a nickel in the case! Putz!

Danny, I’d do a happy dance around my dining room table. Naked. On stilts. Picking my banjo. With the blinds closed though. Why we have no decent modern L-39 family in IM is way, way beyond my pay grade. It’s a small jet, used in every corner of the world, and is gorgeous no matter what angle you view it from

Wow, am I glad 2018 is in the rear view mirror! Here’s to hoping for a much better 2019, y’all! Happy New Year!

They most definitely are, my friend, but I’ve always had visions of them sitting chained down on the deck of the Magnificent, engines idling, wings folded up like rheumatic turkeys, waiting for their moment to launch. I doubt even bent brass PE wing hinges would be strong enough to hold the wings fast for long periods of handling, you’d need bronze extrusions like G-Factor makes. No matter, this is one beautiful model of one of the most beautiful piston engine fighters ever to fly.

Rich, that Fury is stunning. I have one in a semi stalled state with the same issue as yours: what to do with strengthening the wing fold. Do you have any reference materiel on the wing locks? I thought there was also a removable locking bar from the wing to the fuselage?

My wife would think that would be about right because all us guys think and act with our other heads anyway.... I’m loving this story, will follow along

I think you’ll really need to hammer down on the HK plastic. I tried it on my PBJ today and that plastic’s like my ex wife’s T-Bone steaks.

Just study it. Start with the inside wires, work methodically. Do all the wires of the same style together. When doing wing bays: Landing wires always before flying wires. ALWAYS! It’s common sense, but guys sometimes don’t think, and afterwards they wonder why their plane is all misaligned.

I’m loving this. I’m going to pull the lever on mine in a week or so as soon as I wrap up all my Christmas obligations here. From what I can see, we Stateside are better off going through Hannants and paying the shipping. It’ll still land here 50 bucks cheaper than what it sells for here. I usually do 3 or 4 orders a year from Hannants, mostly cool Eastern European and Russian cottage industry stuff that’s hard to get here unless you want to spend days chasing down the hundreds of little garage A.M. manufacturers throughout Eastern Europe. Hannants make it easy.. all in one spot. The Big Lib gives me the excuse for one more order.

I told Radu he should set up a booth at the Nats. He’d sell a gazillion of the things. I’d even help him man the thing. Give me a place to park my more than ample behind....

Welcome Peter! There are some very gifted builders here, and most all are more than willing to discuss their techniques and secrets. I see the old Revell Tiffie and it brings back some fond memories. I remember one Christmas gift from my parents,.. the 1/32 Hurricane and 1/32 Spitty Mk.1. I was in Seventh Heaven. But never in my father’s wildest nightmares did he ever think that once finished, Bader and Stanford-Tuck would be battling it out to the death in nasty dogfights deep in this young boy’s mind... picking up the 1/32 109 ‘Gustav’ eased that somewhat. Reminiscing aside, it’s great to see you come alive here, and I truly look forward to seeing your work, Sir.

Nige, I ended up reriveting most of the back end of my Kitty Hawk F-5F with a tool that Radu passed to me at the Nationals, then sat on my bench unopened for months until on a lark, I decided to try it. I practiced on some discarded T-28parts for maybe 5 minutes then hit the F-5 with it. It works brilliantly. The only thing I can offer is to try it first on the type of styrene you’ll be using it on. Kitty Hawk styrene is very soft. HK styrene is extremely hard, almost brittle. Find some similar plastic and try it on that first to get your pressures right.. The fact that you’re using own handle makes all the difference in the world.

I never saw this till today, Tony. This is one big and super fast squirrel. You’ll do your normal exquisite, super clean work on this one as well, my friend. HPH kits have a built in power to amaze and absolutely frustrate you. Simultaneously. But when done, you’ll have an exquisite model of one of the world’s most beautiful jets. come to think of it, Aero Vodochody blessed us with what? 3,000 of these beautiful jets over the years? And improved versions of them are being produced today with no end in sight. And no mainstream IM kit in 1/32... Blasphemy! Treasonous! Conspiracy!

LOL. Nope. Simply because I can’t stand Tom Cruiser.

Thanks Carl. I’m so tempted on black... Mug-28 and all....

New National Markings. Cat’s Paw?

It works, believe me. Like a light came on for me. But Gaz, when I hang around the likes of y’all, I have no choice but to either improve or be left in the dust. You guys humble me.

Peter, my order is forthcoming. It is obviously a 100% improvement on the kit parts. I’m truly stunned. And James, amazing work as usual, sir.

Peter, please, take my money!

Just a quick scan shows a few areas that still need a bit of work. There’s been some some Hasegawa-like sink marks in places, and that join on the fin confounds me. But all in all, not so bad.

I’m really liking this little gem. I’ve never been a modern jet guy at all, but Cold War stuff lights my fire, and nothing says Cold War aggressor more than an F-5. So far, the only real serious pucker points have been self induced, like when I melted the tail end of the model. Other than that, a nice, mostly stress free build.

Yep, me too.