Peterpools

Peter WOW - awesome set(s) and I will be preordering over the weekend as we're having work done in the house today. The 3D printed parts look spectacular and a must for me. I have the kit and won't build it until I have both your sets. Just fantastic you are now also here on the forum.

Oliver Looking mighty good

Oliver thanks for the book reco as a reference and I'll be ordering it and the attached photo of the Bravo build as well. Absolutely helps with the choice of colors and some weathering. Egad, did I say weathering?

Carl So glad you are along for the journey, as it's going to be both a learning experience and at the same time knowing, you have to do the best you are capable of, as the judges seem to have a knack of zeroing in on the slightest imperfections - nothing like pressure and having your work eyeball to eyeball with the judges, other contestants and everyone looking over all the entries.

Rob Eagerly looking forward to the Seahawk build and the Northeastcon, as well as finally building a helicopter. I'm sorry if I was confusing in that we are not building the kit together just going to the competition together. I should have been a lot clearer as to who is doing what.

Hi Phil So glad you're on board for the journey and sorry you had such a bad interaction with IPMS. Since my last time on the contest circuit, everything in the hobby has changed; kits, AM the rules and categories. For my first shot back in, I'm going strictly OOB with the Seahawk and might enter it in either the OOB category or the standard category, depending how she comes out. In the past, I competed at all three levels of competition: club, regional and nationals, was a judge at all levels and also contest chairman at all levels. Time and events wore me out over the years and I retired from competition and the hobby as well for many years. Things have greatly changed since those days, but the basic of judging hasn't. The building basics and quality of the build comes first, then it's the detailing and overall build - at least that's how it use to be. I'm entering the Seahawk as an OOB model and it's build strictly what's in the box with the only exception, AM decals are allowed and that's it. My brother is a dye in the wool car modeler these days these past years and he is planning on building and entering two cars: 1/12 and 1/24. I'm sorry if I was confusing in that we are not building the kit together just going to the competition together.

Thanks Pete. I followed your Pavehawk build from start to finish and it was an amazing build and diorama.

Thanks Mike Glad you are on board and the build is going to be a lot of fun and some mighty delicate airbrush and decal work at the end.

Vandy Glad you will be on board as it's going to be a delicate OOB and so much to learn. Being a IPMS OOB competition model, the emphasis is of the quality of the build and workmanship and the least amount of building errors. Oh, what fun.

Oliver So glad you're on board and will be there keeping me on the straight path. While I've held a commercial pilot's license since 1970, fix wing only, I always had a love of helicopters and over the years only had the opportunity to fly up front maybe three or four times and was amazed. All the flights over the years were in a Bell Je Ranger and of course, only as a passenger.

Oliver So glad you're on board and will be there keeping me on the straight path. While I've held a commercial pilot's license since 1970, fix wing only, I always had a love of helicopters and over the years only had the opportunity to fly up front maybe three or four times and was amazed. All the flights over the years were in a Bell Je Ranger and of course, only as a passenger.

Kriss Awesome work on the interior and framing. Looking so good.

Rob Excellent progress as the front suspension and body panels looks so good. Movable parts seem to create a lot of weak and temperamental parts that are very prone to breaking when least expected. While I did use Gravity lacquers on the GT40, my preference for solid gloss colors is still Mr Color, where for me the trick is how much to thin and of course the application. One area that is always a huge question mark is the working pressure as what works for me may not work for you. There are just so many variables in each of our setups; air brush type and tip, hose length and width, compressor and the list go on and on. I don't put much trust in the pressure gauge either, as their accuracy in my mind is questionable. You are a 100% right in that nothing beats testing until the results you are after are achieved and just as important, repeatable.

Pete I'm just blown away. The chipping is so good and the nose gear and detailing is unreal.

KITTY HAWK SH-60B SEAHAWK 1/35TH SCALE I’ve boxed up all the current projects, thoroughly cleaned the bench as well and on today, the Seahawk arrived. Purchased on ebay and the most expensive of the SH-60B listed but it was still factory sealed and I made an offer, the price was reduced, and the purchase made. My brother and I many decades ago were very heavily involved in IPMS and the competitions for many years before leaving the hobby and pursued other interests. Since being back into modeling for the past 10 plus years, all my work has been displayed on either LSM or LSP and no real interest in competition. In March of 2024, the IPMS NE Regional Competition is going to be held here on Long Island and we decided not only to go, but to enter the competition. We needed to put our present builds on hold and devote our energies to completing our two contest models. Contests are just another way to share and enjoy the hobby. My brother and I often wondered how we would do at our age in competition, not to mention how vastly the hobby has also changed in the near 40 years since we last competed. Finding an IPMS competition here on the Island was a stroke of pure luck, as neither of us wanted to drive to New Jersey or upstate New York; this was the perfect opportunity. Win, lose or draw, will be a fun day, seeing all the builds up close and personal, hopefully meeting old friends and taking in the venders. My first helicopter build and being a contest model, the pressure is on. My goal is to finish and do the best I can, concentrating on the finish and making the least amount of building mistakes as possible. The Seahawk will be a bit more then an OOB build but there isn’t anything planned beyond that. I'll be starting over the weekend, and am planning on replicating a Seahawk of HSL-51; The Warloads.

My Noreastcon competition build finally arrived today. First of my planned two entries if I'm lucky.

Looking mighty good

John Nice decision and will be following.👍

John Nice choice for the replacement build. Just checked and according to tracking, it might actually arrive today 🙂

Rob Beautiful work on the yellow body parts - looks super smooth and glossy. Looking so good. When I built my Meng GT-40, I used Gravity Model Lacquers, straight from the bottle as they are designed to be used that way (same as MRP paints) and in numerous light thin layers. I thinned out the final few coats more and then let the paint de-gas gas and thorough dry for a good number of days. Then I rubbed out the finish, starting with Meguiar's Rubbing Compound and then Gravity's three-part model polishing system. After I finished with the decal work, I used (if memory serves me correctly) Mr Color Clear Gloss and repeated the whole process but finished up with Gravity's Protective Synthetic Wax. The gloss shine was a mile deep and super smooth. Yup, I wore cotton gloves to avoid fingerprints. The initial colors coats after polishing were so smooth, getting the decals to sit and bite took a lot of work.

Phil Agreed, never understood why we spend so much time detailing areas of a build that when finished will never, ever be seen. When I built my Tamiya Mossie, it was OOB all the way and after all these years, still looks awesome in the display case. But to this day, the jewel in my collection is the Fisher Sea Fury and it's also OOB. I mostly just enjoy looking at them on display and the finish is what I see. If you ask me anything about the interior details, without looking at photographs, I remember almost nothing - could also be age has a lot to do with it.

John Just can't win and one good reason KH is no longer with us - some pretty poor QC. Of course, I might be a glutton for punishment as I'm still waiting for my next build (contest entry) to arrive, as the KH ShH-60B is schedule to be here today or tomorrow. 🤞 Any idea of what the replacement build will be?

Rob Got ya👍

Carl Thanks so much 👍 I'll wait for both items to be released, as I'm not looking at starting the FW190 util after the SH-60B build, so time is not a issue right now.

Right with you and it seems odd how paint colors vary on coverage from the same paint line. Nothing like testing to be sure. When it comes to Gloss White, the King of the Hill for me is Mr Color. Thinner 2:1, it's magnificent.