Peterpools

Phil Just keep adding the details - an amazing build will be the end result. Looking mighty good

Chris No doubt you surely will. Just take care of yourself and Lady Luck needs to be flying with you as your copilot, keeping you healthy and well. The rest will follow.

Carl A world of difference - the torpedo tube you added the NBW's to looks fantastic and so well detailed. The one you haven't started on yet is now so plain Jane.

Thanks Mike. Making progress but mighty slowly - just seems the good old days, the kits weren't as grand as we remember. Totally forgot about the masking issues and it just takes time - I was surprised how much I've actually gotten done on the greenhouse glass - nowhere near perfect but as good as I can get. .

Thanks Hubert And you're so right, a simple snip here and there and the X Bracing would have been out of the way and made a lot less work for myself. Has to be a senior moment for sure.

Chris Not a great option as it the Cat, especially with her huge wings becomes a dust collector and you can't see into the cockpit or the top of the model. But if it's the only option, then it's the only option.

I like things with wings and a prop - nothing like the joys of flying.

SEAMS – ENDLESS FILLING & SANDING Since the last update, the few internal assemblies were glued in place, the wings glued up, outrigger floats and fuselage halves with the center float assembled. As expected almost every seam has needed work, with the center bottom of the fuselage and the upper center of the float presenting additional challenges as the X Bracing is an obstacle that needs to be worked around (I already broke one brace and repaired it). I’ve been sanding and filling seams repeatably for a good week and still at it. Every time I think I’m close to being finished with them, more gaps and miss-matches pop up. The wing roots which I thought would be a snap, didn’t fit well and there were nice size gaps at the front third, top and bottom and around the leading edges. The horizontal stabilizers also had gaps and I’m sure a good deal of the gaps most likely are self-inflicted. A while back it dawned on me, kits this old, there were no canopy masks sets available and there is a ton of glass. The engraved framing isn’t that raise nor prominent in spots and that meant I couldn’t just press down and scribe Tamiya tape for the masks. Instead, I had to revert to cutting thin strips of Tamiya tape on my Infinity cutting mask board and strip by strip start outlining the glass framing. So far, I finished the front wind screen, the sliding pilots canopy and the very rear canopy, as there are two more parts to go, with five separate canopies that make up the Kingfisher’s glass. So far has required over six hours to do the masking … two more to go. Canopy cleanup had a few issues as in those days, the sprue gates went on top of the framing and needed a lot of very careful clean up. So here is where I am, swimming against the tide and making a little progress each day. Still sanding, adding more filler and more masking to go. In fact, most of the upper surface of the float still has a second layer of Black CCA that needs to be sanded out. And here I originally thought the Monogram Kingfisher would be a build without a lot of filling and sanding – little did I know the modeling gremlins had other plans. Just a few photographs to show my progress and of course, I forgot to dust and clean the Kingfisher before the photo session. 🙃

Chris Great idea and I would be front row for the build.

Ernie Just left my comments and thoughts before your post. Agreed, when the juices stop flowing, it's time for a break and to start your GB entry. Like you, I'll call a kit done and any little parts that still need to be done, I put in a small box and it goes right behind the model in the display case - this way I don't forget to finish when the time and desire come calling. Awesome work and I'll be looking at doing an Infinity kit, subject dependent down the road. Right now, I'm gathering up Lancaster references, waiting for yet to be released AM and ordered selected available AM. Once everything is in hand, the Artograph spray booth gets installed and the Lancaster will be my focus until it's finished.

Carl WOW, those NBW's look fantastic - awesome work. Going to start stocking up on those type of details.

Oliver Just can't get enough.

Rog Thanks for the background and information. Going to be quite a choice for us and glad ZM is giving this concept a try. I'm open to building one of each type and seeing for myself which I prefer. Knowing me, I'll like both. When building a kit closed up, the basic kit seems the way to go and when wanting to have everything open, the SMS concept seems to be the way. I just wish that on the SMS detail versions, more of the internal details could be seen through inspection panels and the like, making all that extra work so much more worthwhile.

Jerry Quite a history and pretty much the same as mine. I have stops and long stops over the years and all the earlier built models until about 15 years ago were given away or tossed. At 75, I'm not too far behind you and your energy and skills are something we all should seek to emulate. 🏆

Martin, I believe you are correct and tough to do in 48th scale. I'm struggling masking the canopies on my Kingfisher and couldn't imagine masking out the seal.

Thank you for the tutorial ... going to come in handy down the road. Weathering on the Centurian looks mighty good.

Ernie Bravo🏆 Absolutely a brilliant build. In In your capable hands and skills, the Helldiver is a fantastic replica of the real deal ... beautifully done.

I've ordered from BNA in the past and their pricing, service and shipping is excellent.

John Good luck and I'm taking plenty of notes

Chris Canopy masking looks perfect and nice going. I've been masking the Kingfisher canopy using strips of Tamiya tape and the front windscreen part took over two and a half hours! Gee, I just love masking as well.

Jerry Thank you for posting the photographs of your display cases and collection - simple brilliant work and what a pleasure to see. Mine by comparison is plain Jane and nowhere as inspiring. How many years of work has it been?

Oliver Your work is beyond com prehension - simple incredible. I've never, ever seen a model with such detailing - it easily museum quality work.

John Nice work on the front office and I'm sure you will have no problems at all correcting the missed seam - always find those missed seams after the fact as well. Geez, the dihedral looks way off and surely needs to be corrected. Please go slow on your fix so I can take notes as I'm going to have to do the same on mine.

Nice progress and save for sure on the Centurian. Cammo looks mighty good.

Some pretty interesting subjects are being kitted and so good to see.