Peterpools

Rob Brilliant work and your progress is amazing. Nice work on the wheel struts and love the idea of opening up the panels open at the end of the build. Just a gem in the making Keep 'em comin Peter

Mark Neat and perfect decal work on the uppers and I'm sure the underside will be the same Keep 'em comin Peter

Mark Fantastic progress and your front office - brilliant work Keep 'em comin Peter

John Just astounded at the progress you're making and yet, the it's up to your high standards as always. Looking so good Keep 'em comin Peter

martin You amaze me - your research photographs are fantastic. Keep 'em comin Peter

Mark Right with Kai - awesome decal work and looking mighty good. Keep 'em comin Peter

JOhn Amazing progress -perfectly done. Keep 'em comin Peter

Tamiya F4U-1 Birdcage I found these two photographs of my Tamiya Birdcage build from many moons ago. Keep 'em comin Peter

Thanks Mark Making progress and I should hopefully have another update this weekend. Just love your Viggen build thread and I'm patiently waiting for my kit to arrive by Christmas(?). Keep 'em comin Peter

Thanks Rob I'm finding loads of details and surprises as I progress through the build. Tamiya did a terrific job replicating the Big P&W and if I was going to have the cowl panels open, I would have added a few more of the missing details which would have been seen. I'm not sure why the crankcase gray is as light in the pics as it appears but it's darker on the model as well on my exported JPEG Files uploaded to Image Shack. I'm still planing on adding a light bluish wash to add the missing bluish tint to the crankcase. Keep 'em comin Peter

Thanks Kai - very much appreciated and that's the plan - wings extended and flaps dropped. Love your Corsair and the dio is awesome as it portrays both time and place. Keep 'em comin

Thanks Gaz and completely agree. My first Corsair had the wings folded and this bad boy is going to have them fully extended. Keep 'em comin Peter

Thanks Martin, much appreciated. I know I always lean towards clean aircraft but I may just give the Big Bent Wing Bird a bit of weathering as I go. See what happens. Keep 'em comin Peter

John Now that's my kind of kit for sure Keep 'em comin Peter

John Nice progress on the front office and prop - looking mighty good. Keep 'em comin Peter

Harv Nice seeing you back in action and feeling so much better. Keep 'em comin Peter

Rob Fantastic progress for sure. Your careful and delicate work looks unreal. Keep 'em comin Peter

The Big P&W R2800 The P&W R2800, firewall and exhausts. Here is where Papa Tamiya requires strict attention to the instructions and details. Care needs to be taken in assembling the Big Radial and assuring you are following the engine for the aircraft you are building, as there are specific differences between A, B & C and I’m building scheme B depicting Lt. Cmd John Blackburn's aircraft of VF-17 The Jolly Rogers, Ondonga Airfield, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, November 15th, 1943. I questioned Tamiya’s color call outs, as the kit specs the firewall and the inside of the cowling to be painted AS-12 Silver and Dark Gray respectively and my research shows they should be painted the same color as the undersides of the aircraft; Insignia White. I wasn’t planning on opening up any of the access panels or cowl flaps and none of the area forward of the firewall would be seen, except looking directly in from the front. The Big P&W went together with the usual fussing and adjusting the various parts so all would line up as needed. The most finicky portion of the engine build, was adding the ignition harness and ignition leads, which were made from thin copper wire painted brown. The instructions call for the engine block and crankcase to be painted Tamiya XF66 Light Gray and some research showed that FS36240 was a bit closer in color match. The R2800 cylinders were primed and painted with Model Air Aluminum for the upper portion of each cylinder and the lower portion of the cylinders with Model Air Gun Metal and then given a healthy wash of Tamiya Black Panel Wash. Push rods were painted with Tamiya’s new Gloss Black Lacquer. Allowing all the engine parts to dry overnight, it was time to assemble the engine and thank goodness Tamiya in their infinite wisdom, keyed all the parts making the assembly a bit frustrating but going slow and working carefully, the assembly was completed. Installing the Big P&W onto the airframe was another issue, taking care and time, as it’s a very tight and tricky fit. While waiting for the various engine assemblies to dry, I completed the horizontal stabilizers, elevators, rudder and vertical stabilizer. No issues again and part fit was sensational. Next up: Tailwheel and the center wing assembly, a major crossroad: it’s here you have to decide: wings folded or extended and flaps up or down. Thanks for checking in Keep ‘em comin Peter

Kev Very nicely done Keep 'em comin Peter

Phil Right with martin - looking mighty good and raiding one kit to aid another is OK in my book Keep 'em comin Peter

Gaz Awesome kit and looking forward to following your progress. I build both in 32nd and 48th scale scale these days so I can have models that are of importance to me and fill out my collection. I'm along for the journey Keep 'em comin Peter

Rob Glad you are safe and sound from the volcano and our hearts go out to all those who lost their homes and more. Thoroughly enjoying your build and tip my cap to your NMF treatment of both the aircraft and the engine. The added details add the right tough and the overall effect is perfect. Keep 'em comin Peter

MIke Nice progress on the Albatross and your cammo work and color mixing is simply superb Keep 'em comin Peter

Mark Glad to see you taking a bit a small break from the Viggen and abck working on the Mirage - cammo and decal work looks mighty good to me. Keep 'em comin Peter

Mark Simply fantastic progress on the Viggen and taking loads of note on how you are approaching each assembly and part. Keep 'em comin Peter