Peterpools

Terrific build and always appreciate seeing wok in the other scales Keep 'em comin Peter

Gaz Some amazing progress and dealing with all that PE is nerve racking for sure but you have it well under control. The assemblies all look like you're mighty close to the paint shop and that's always been my favorite part of any build. Keep 'em comin Peter

Carl Nice work on figuring out all the needed work to get the rear portion of the cockpit ready for the Aires part. Looks mighty good. Keep 'em comin Peter

Phil Right with you for sure. I think all that SH did was change the nose assembly by adding a new fret and the changes to the instructions. Speaking of the instructions, I'm working on the wings and the main gear wheel wells and the instructions are a jumble of drawings over three pages and figuring out which parts go where and what the part orientation is driving me insane and nearly to the point of putting the kit back in the box. How did you figure this mess out, as it's simply the worst I've ever seen. Granted SH isn't Tamiya but give me a break, parts aren't keyed and the fit is poor at best and it's easy to get the parts all screwed up. At this rate, I might even sell the Whirlwind as this is ridiculous. Keep 'em comin Peter

Kai Completely agree Keep 'em comin Peter

Mark Holy smokes, it's HUGE! Keep 'em comin Peter

Thanks Mark I'm 10890 so I still have a way to go. Looking forward to your impressions Keep 'em comin Peter

Mark Terrific news - what was your order number? Looking forward to your impressions on the kit Keep 'em comin Peter

John Looking so good. Nice to see the P-39 go together perfectly and corrected. Keep 'em comin Peter

Oliver Brilliant detail work and the interior looks awesome Keep 'em comin Peter

Harv Nice going on the correction - I still wonder why kit manufactures make such errors in today's age of can and scanning. Keep 'em comin Peter

Thanks Dennis Sure is and I'm hoping all these small issues are a thing of the past once the fuselage is done. Keep 'em comin Peter

Thanks Craig and completely agree. Even some of the more complex PE belts and harness need better instructions to get them right. I know part of the problem is me but asking for clear and concise instructions shouldn't be a problem these days. Keep 'em comin Peter

Gaz They do look good when done but just a lot of work. My favorites are well done, molded on belts .. just have to be lucky. Keep 'em comin Peter

Thanks Carl Now those are what I call real instructions! Hoping to find someone who carriers them here in the states. Keep 'em comin Peter

Phil Got ya Keep 'em comin Peter

Phil Nice progress with the JU88 engines and the start of the gear. From the photos, I have to agree the parts fit well and lots of detail Keep 'em comin Peter

Thanks Phil I have been checking and the fit isn't good at all, as the rear bulkhead is way too big. I can close up the top halves of the fuselage and then the bottom won't close at all. I've needed to do major sanding on the rear bulkhead edges and now am able to close up the bottom halves of the fuselage with just a bit of squeezing the sides together. As far as I'm concerned, the rear bulkhead is way too wide and doesn't fit at all. Keep 'em comin Peter

John Absolutely agree. Keep 'em comin Peter

CLOSING UP THE FRONT OFFICE 9/19/21 Finishing up the front office with the last subassembly being the resin seat and HGW seatbelts. The seat looked gorgeous, well detailed and no flash in sight, a few small parts added, of which I used Extra Thin and should have used CCA. The seat was primed, the framing air brushed with RAF Gray Green and the seat cushion brush painted with semi gloss black and lightly weathered with a few washes to look leather like. The HGW Seatbelt set - I frustrated myself for two nights figuring out how to assemble them, as the instructions in the kit again aren’t that clear for a novice HGW user. Thanks, Rob for the advice on how to add the PE, which then went well. Folding over the straps as shown on the instructions, left light, unpainted tabs, so I painted and added a wash to hopefully blend everything together. The seatbelts and shoulder harnesses had already been added, looked a bit thin in width to my taste (but most likely is correct) and then the seat install. Hold on Bucky, not so fast as it didn’t work as I thought, the instructions indicated on what to do and they proved to be of no real help. Placement instructions were vague at best, online searches helped but I shouldn’t have needed to do that. I completed the cockpit framing and of course, fit issues popped up and the instructions again were a letdown; way over complicated and trying to figure out where everything actually went was confusing. To make matters worse, one assembly sequence appeared twice in different steps? I had worked as carefully as I was capable of, scraped off any paint on the male locating pins and drilled out all the female locating holes, struggled and finally had it together. During this step, locating the seat remained unclear at least for me. Finally, the seat was glued into place with CCA and one last job to do before closing up the fuselage; adding the IP or so I thought. After following the instructions and locating where and how the IP attached to the frame was again somewhat frustrating but finally, I had the IP in place. So far, I’ve glued the gun sight and mounting bracket on four times and managed to snapped it off every time, deciding now to leave it off until just before installing the front windscreen. Photographs of the actual Tempest showed the gunsight bracket end tabs to be a bit different and are attached to the cockpit a bit differently then the kits’ – I’m going with what’s in the box as it will be mostly unseen in the end anyway. The oxygen bottle on the rear bulkhead still needs the straps painted and I also need to do a bit of house cleaning and dust the entire assembly. Next up: buttoning up the fuselage Thanks for checking in Peter

John Nice progress on your P-39 and the best part, you don't have to deal with a zillion part nose that doesn't fit. Keep 'em comin Peter

Carl Yup, a milestone in progress and she is starting to look like a Hornet. Getting the paint order all sorted out is always a task unto itself. Keep 'em comin Peter

Craig Congrats on buttoning up the fuselage - a milestone for sure. She is looking mighty good and can't wait to see the Fortress with all the metal skin on. Keep 'em comin Peter

Harv So you're writing the instructions - now 'ain't that something' Keep 'em comin Peter

Gaz Attention to details is nerve racking, time consuming and needs an ultra steady hand - of which you have conquered all. Absolutely looking simply fantastic. Part of the problem on how our models look in photographs, especially closeups, is the un-natural magnification. We're looking at a photography of a small area larger then life and what is seen in the photograph isn't how we will ever see that part or area on the model without a magnifying glass. Closeups are great to check out details and whatever but should never be used to judge the actual work as it's unrealistic. Step back a foot from the model and what you see is what your photographs should show. Applying small decals is a PIA at times. Here is where a super glossy surface works against you as the small critters slide all over the place. What seems to work best for me: I slide the tiny decal into place, after the spot has a drop of wet water (water and a drop of Dawn to break the surface tension) and a few drops of Micro Set - my decal soak water. Position the decal and leave it alone. No matter what you do, it's going to move. Let it dry a bit until it has started to adhere and then with a Q-Tip dampened with my soak water, I very gently tap it with an up and down motion. If it doesn't move, then I'll roll the Q-tip across the decal to remove any excess water and/or air. Micro Sol after dry and all should be good. Personally I always was a huge fan of Letraset Rub On stencils on a flat finish as they were fire proof but time has passed them buy. Keep 'em comin Peter