HubertB

+1 ! Hubert

Thank you Mike and John. I have to say, in as much as I like the unique looks of the Cutlass, and Fisher kits in general, this one is wearing my patience thin, and I have to discipline myself not to rush through the final stages. It’s probably a function of having started the kit so long ago, and an inversely proportional mojo to finish it … I have a few SOD queens I wanted to deal with after the Cutlass, but I lay just focus on something brand new and exciting. C’mon, Lukgraph, bring on the Duck ! Hubert

A smallish update, with workbench pics of the Cutlass. I have now finished the decalling. I created and printed the VA-83 specific markings, and used the Fisher decals for the rest. By the way, in case you wonder, the painting specs devised by the Navy and Cutlass were that the national insigna were to be "decals" on the 1:1 aircrafts. Which gave me a good excuse for not cutting masks ... I still have to add a last layer of varnish to seal everything, but am waiting for the additional parts add-ons. I am now in the process of painting the batch of small parts (some I had painted already, but forgot a number) and I had also to print yet another time the slats, as the large ones keep warping after a few days Unfortunately, it looks like this last set is going the same way ... . Oh well, not again ... Next "installment" will be with the mounting finished and all parts glued in place. Cheers for now Hubert

Ah yes, now I remember it ! As: 1) I felt the variation did show, even if not linked to the basing 2) I am wary of adding yet another few microns of paint, especially as the whole aircraft has been gloss-coated with Aqua_gloss 3) I have started adding some decals, I will use this technique on my next NMF aircraft. But it's now filed and thank you for the reminder. Hubert

Time for a new update. After a few weeks (a lot more than I antcipated or wished ), there is now some paint on the Cutlass. Some pics of the process, just to mention that this was un unncessary step: I tried to introduce some variation in the scheme by addng some randomised black basing. But the truth is that I am probably neither skilled - or patient - enough tothen spray the upper layers in a thin enough enough way for the underlayers to show through. .. First a pic where the attach points for the underbelly rocket pack have been added, made of brass sheet drilled and filed to shape. These are fragile, and I have lost a few in the painting process (one to redo as of this morning's inspection) .. And of the pre-basing ... And as where she stood yesterday evening before I started applying some decals : The paints used are MRP White aluminium, duralumin, dark aluminium, chrome (to show some of the shininess very visible on the the NMF Cutlasses), anodized aluminium, plus Alclad Aluminium, dark Aluminium. The magnesium parts of the Cutlass were painted in Silver lacquer, which I reproduced using MRP silver, Alclad Super Silver. I used aluminium foil on the "Metalite" panels of the Cutlass (mostly, but not exclusively, the wings. These were an aluminium and balsa sandwich, and were VERY shiny on the Cutlass. After the basing disappeared under the layers, I introduced some variation by using different tones of the paints listed above, sprayed in different patterns ... The difference is visible to the naked eye, yet subtle, and hopefully reproduces some of the real life effects, and willl, hopefully again, show on the pics ... You can also see the blue-with-white-trim markings of VA-83 aircrafts in 1956, and sported during the Intrepid's Mediterranean cruise that year ...These gave me a lot of aggravation, a lot due to operator's errors and sequencing, but the final effect is striking . I will reproduce the CO's aircraft, coded 301, which had characteristic diagonal stripes on the wings and flaps' ends. TTFN Hubert.

You should look at Maru’s last thread, or / then contact her. She’s been to Japan recently and visited a few shops there. Hubert

I have read Jadlam for the UK …. Hubert

Very well done, Kevin 👍 ! Hubert

Ouch ! An injured T-Rex on the loose must be dangerous for the neighborhood … Did you tell the authorities ? Hubert

Good-looking 410, Kevin 👍 ! Well done and great result, in spite of the difficulties you overcame. Hubert

It does. Although I have found that Kabuki COULD stretch when lifted and repositioned many times … Hubert

Well, at least they got the name right on the box… The issue is that they used a drawing (by a well-known aviation artist who has produced a lot of aeroplane drawings) that is completely wrong … Hubert

A 1/35 model occupies 76% of the volume of the same 1/32 model … That’s no micrometer issue for me, but then, each to his own (including sense of humor ) Hubert

Ah, a Val in a proper scale ! Hubert

She's a beauty ! Hubert