Peterpools

Carl The Kit World IP decal set does look good in your Tomcat - nice and busy. I've pretty much settled into using Quinta decal sets if there is a Quinta decal IP set available for my build at hand. They look great plus every set comes with a good looking seat belt set as well.

Gaz Haven't tried them yet but from your build and what I've seen on some of the channels I follow, I absolutely will give them a try.

Pete Nice work on the Aces II seat.

Ernie If the Solvaset wasn't effective, what did you go with? On my Revell Spitfire, I used a combination of both the Revell decals and EagleCal decals and found the Revell decals responded to both Microset/Sol and Mr Setter/Softer. I did use the kit roundels and they sat down well from what I remember.

Thanks Mike I would build at least one to see how you feel about all the issue that seem to keep coming up for me. While I'm waiting for my mask set (I'm guessing a good few weeks), I started the ZM Skyraider - now I'm really a glutton for punishment. I only had their Skyraider and the F4-E in the stash and wanted to build the Skyraider, so as good a time as any. One of their older kits, very much different and easier to follow instructions (who says old isn't better at times?), molding is nowhere as crisp and precise as the 109, every part has mold lines and a load of molding grease. So far, I've spent over three hours cleaning up only a mere 25 parts of mold line, edges, gluing surfaces and washing every part in Dawn. The parts are the basic cockpit, fuselage (four-part shell and ribs) tailhook and tail wheel parts. Unlike the 109, I'm not adding a single interior detail part, nor painting the interior or using any pin washes, which would be a total waste of time: the isn't even an inspection panel or any means to see any of the interior, so why bother!

Pete One good look Aces II seat.

2X, Right with Carl

Gaz Right with you. I'm sure I could have gotten the carrier film to disappear but my normal way of working with decals with a lot of carrier film, is to always remove it before application. In this case, my plan failed (my bad). But what really got my goat was the fuselage crosses where the central color was neither printed on the decal nor provided as a second decal (done all the time by everyone on large roundels). Just seems ridiculous. If I hadn't spent so much time on the spinner spiral, I would have absolutely gone the route you and John did and bough AM decals for a different aircraft. I guess buying masks wasn't the smarted of moves considering the cost and the wait (still hasn't been shipped yet) but at least I'll finally get my feet wet using them. In the end, I just can't understand ZM's thinking and going overboard with the hidden details. It's even called out in the instructions as to what color to paint. My guess it was missed when the decals were designed and the instructions hadn't been finished yet, so they added the note there. For what the kit cost and their reputation, add an additional decal to the kit, as there already is one for the gauges. Bad QC in my book.

Kev Looking good and some mighty nice progress. The part fit looks to be really good and that's a terrific mojo builder in keeping the build "full steam ahead".

Oliver My money is riding on you ... going to be a gem.

Nice work on the hinges and a good thing Italeri provided extras.

Great video on how to tie a cleat knot. 3The only other knot I know how to tie besides household ones, is the knot on the tie down rope for and airplane. Other then that, I have a hard time even with a slip knot.

Kev Looking mighty good. Once I click on the image and it enlarges, it's so much easier to see the awesome work done.

Oliver WOW - looking fantastic - can't wait to see the truck and crane in the painting stages.

Nothing like a Tamiya kit to remove the stress from recent builds and to build up the mojo. As always, will be following all the way.

Thanks John Been working on the front office for most of the day and getting everything ready for the Quinta set as well. Even though the Skyraider is one of ZM's earlier kits and the molding isn't as crisp, so far, the instructions are a lot easier to follow and no issues with part orientation.

Kev Nice start on the me 110 and right with you - just love those Quinta cockpit sets.

Thanks John While I'm waiting, I started tinkering with the ZM Skyraider, and it's one of their earliest kits and nothing like the 109 in quality and clean molding. Of course, it was your build that got me thinking about adding the Skyraider to the collection. Hopefully, going with folded wings.

Welcome aboard and what an entrance ... awesome build and NMF.

Gaz Nice work on the front office and the seat belts look awesome. Yup, always the same story, as so much of the cockpit detail disappears when the fuselage is closed up.

ON HOLD I’m not a happy camper as the saying goes. I started decaling with the undersides of the wings and the decals were perfect – printed by Cartograf. But turning to the top of the wings and especially the fuselage side crosses, I was totally disappointed with the decals. The upper wing crosses would have way too much carrier film in the clear center and tried as best as I could, I couldn’t cut out the carrier film and apply the insignia correctly. The fuselage crosses would be an adventure I never experienced in all my years of modeling. The center of each cross is clear carrier film and needs to be PAINTED RLM74. Why they couldn’t print the decals with the center color is beyond me or at least include a second portion of the decal with a correctly sized color strip for double decaling. I’ve never seen a set of decals requiring painting the center section. ZM can include loads of never to be seen detail parts and something as simple as this is overlooked. Did I missing something? I bit the bullet and purchased a set of DN Masks which will solve the upper wing carrier film issue for me and of course, the side fuselage decal issue as well. Until the masks arrive, I’m on hold, as I want to leave as much room as possible for the decal masks. It’s always something and quite possibly other builders wouldn’t have an issue with this, I just can’t see jumping through hoops and either pre-painting under the fuselage decals and getting it perfect or masking on top, even after a gloss seal cote – just too risky for me.

Thanks Bill, much aprreciated.

I'm old school and enjoy building models. Well engineered kits with excellent instructions, detailed parts and precise part fit are said to be 'shake and bake' kits. Kits that are poorly engineered, badly molded, poor part fit and bad instructions are said to be a challenge and the builder derives the greatest satisfaction upon completion. For me, nothing could be further from the truth. Build what you like and how you like. The satisfaction from building any kit, is seeing it cross the finish line and basking in the display case. Build what is rewarding, enjoyable and keeps you coming back for more. We each see the hobby differently and as long as what we build keeps us at the bench, happy, satisfied and fulfilled, that's all that counts.

Thanks Rob I guess I should have waited a day or two, then gone back and looked and the cammo, which came out much better then I originally thought. I think if I used worms or paper, the blend would have been a lot less and more mask like.

Thanks Carl The more I go back and look at it, the blend in the cammo is better then I originally thought.