Peterpools

Maru Thank you for posting the two videos and the history as well. The color scheme is amazing and truly has the heritage of the great names of the Italian Auto Industry in its soul.

Maru Thanks for posting all the photographs. Just a pleasure to see how the Japanese take our hobby so seriously but how incredible clean and neat the country is.

Mark Thanks for sharing ... from the photographs, the air show looked amazing. Glad you finally made one and enjoyed the day. It's been many years since we went to an air show and hopefully this coming year my wife and I will get back and enjoy a few - just nothing like it.

Scott Great to see the PT is helping and your fight is fantastic. When this is all over, you surely will be a 'new machine', pain free enjoying family and life.

Carl WOW. progress is awesome and the PE would have driven me crazy. Losing just one piece is an incredible feat and they do look 'oh so good'.

Kev Looking mighty good and the finish and light upper weathering looks mighty good to me. 🏆

Chris WOW, the cammo is looking awesome and the pre-shading is coming though just fine in the photos. Fingers crossed after the remaining colors go down, the effect will be just as good. 🤞

Kev Nice choice for the GB and thank you for the historical background' as it always adds a lot to the build thread for me. I'm pretty sure this is going to be your second SH Tempest and your all set to deal with the wheel well and gear fit issues. Looking forward to following and I'm on board for the journey.

Thanks Carl Feels good to be making steady progress on a complicated kit and not having to fight with parts to fit. Completely agree and the more I work on the Saraf, the more lumps and bumps there are.

Thanks PW, loads of subassemblies and while seams show, Meng did their homework, as photo references show they are on the real deal as well. What I thought was going to be a month's long project, is surely going to be much longer then that. Part fit has been good and the instructions pretty good as well. Just wish part drawings were a lot clearer and more defined in places, as to part orientation.

THE FUSELAGE - TOGETHER After finishing the rotor tower, the remaining airbrush for the rotor tower and the interior portion for that area, it was time to fit the three interior assemblies, tweak the fit and the fuselage halves were finally glued together. Surely a milestone in the build. I needed to decide how I wanted to display the two rear fuselage electronic bays and after painting all the details in them and even adding a few more, I decided I would rather close up the bays as I just wasn’t crazy how they looked. The access covers were a perfect fit – now how about that. Moving forward, the Saraf is covered head to toe in raised rivets and cleaning up seams surely was going to be a nightmare but after looking at most of the part seams and comparing them to photos in my IsraDecal book, the majority are actual panel lines, including the fuselage center. Part fit on the kit is good and comparing them again to photos, they seem to be cleaner mating surfaces then on the real deal. Starting to assemble the engine – loads of a zillion individual parts and surely will be a challenge in painting. Side pods and the forward electronic bays are being worked on, plus the wings all need to be added at the same time. Following the assembly sequence and no real issues – fingers crossed. All the parts on the exterior are just being test fit and after comparing them to the books photos, the seams do show. Saraf's twin General Electric T700-GE-701 engines under way.

Carl Nice choice for a 'side build' and you're absolutely on an armor roll. Looking mighty good

Carl I'm right with Chris .. shading and details look mighty good.

John Looking mighty good

maru, Happy Birthday And thank you for posting the photograph. especially of the hobby shop which looks awesome. .

Thanks Kev Sorry I missed your post and very much appreciated. Nothing like a Tamiya kit for fit and pure enjoyment,

Scott Glad your tip went well and seeing the kids is a present in itself.

Carl Nice work on painting all the road wheels - must surely feel good having that portion of the build and behind you.

Kev Looking mighty good and I'm not a heavy weathering guy, so keeping it light, is how I like 'em.

Carl Very much appreciated. Using three different blacks surely helped as there was enough of a difference in each black color to complement each other and add to the effect. Still hard to grasp how big the Saraf (Apache) actually is.

Mark Simply amazing

Thanks Mark Just love those Quinta Decals. I've been using them since Quinta released their first sets and for me, they are a must for any build if available.

Thanks PM, slowly making progress and even at this stage, the kit box still is overflowing with parts. Hopefully in a few days, I'll be able to close up the fuselage and start on the stub wings and engines.

Mark WOW, going to be an awesome entry.

Kev Looking mighty good paint and decal work is spot on the money and looking so good.