HubertB

Sorry to read that. The Portuguese administration is generally efficient with good, fairly integrated, systems, but, unfortunately, when things go sideways, it’s nearly impossible to get any answer from them. I have had this happen more than once. It’s then about finding the right connections, which is completely the opposite of the integrated systems efficiency principle … Hubert

I assure you that the rear canopy windows were removed for aerodynamic reasons, because of some vibrations and turbulences, Martin. Not to access the raft, when the canopy would have been jettisoned anyway if the raft was needed. Hubert

You have two different compound surfaces, furthermore in an airstream influenced by the big propeller wash. My guess is that the junction of the canopy to fuselage was creating boundary layer turbulences, which were actually removed by the slight depression the missing windows was creating … Aerodynamics are sometimes strange, like when seemingly drag-inducing protuberances actually improve the airflow and reduce the drag … Hubert

Beware that Peddinghaus’ decals accuracy is sometimes … dubious. For instance, I was at a time interested in their sheet for « YIPEE » the famous 5000th P-38. Then I saw the decal sheet, compared to the pic of the real one … and decided to pass, with no regrets. The « Yipee » name, so prominent, was not even close to the original on the decal sheet, using some VERY distant, standard, font … Hubert

The rear glazing of the canopy was removed to reduce aerodynamic turbulences. Simple and effective … and not a big issue at times when pilots were still used to keep canopies open. Hubert

You actually should get a notification for clearing the parcel through Customs (although if you have not done anything by now, it’s probably been sent back to the sender). What you need to do, if you received the said notification : 1) go to the CTT.pt website (there is an english version of the site) 2) choose « receber / desalfandegar » 3) this is where you need a) the tracking number of the parcel you want to clear through Customs b) to have created (or create) an account with CTT, with your particulars, including the Portuguese NIF number 4) go through the Customs’ clearance process (mostly filling forms that specify whether it’s a gift or commercial transaction, the nature of the goods, the sender’s particulars, the good statistic code in the European nomenclature - there are links to sites which will help you find them, the value of the good. etc. ) 5) at the end of the process, you will be told how much to pay in tariffs and handling fees. You can pay in multiple ways, the easiest and fastest ones being MBWay or Multibanco payment. Once you went through this, after between a few hours and two days (that depends on how you paid - for me using MBWay, it’s hours - ), you will get an email telling you the parcel has been cleared through Customs. It takes another week to physically receive it. You normally receive a Registered letter from CTT telling you you have a parcel waiting for clearance - with its tracking number - or a SMS, if you gave the sender your phone number and it is a Portuguese one. If you did not get one (and it happened to me for an amazon.com parcel coming from the US a few years ago), then it either was sent back to the sender after some time (assuming the proper box was ticked by him) or .. you’re screwed, unfortunately The process seems daunting at first, and the first time can be frustrating, but the learning curve is a short one. Once you get the knack of it, it’s fairly easy. Having done it many times, it’s now a breeze for me. HTH Hubert

My experience with Tamiya white putty is that it dissolves the primer and results in a gooey mess. But maybe it is juts operator’s error. Hubert

Bummer ! You’ve gone too far to bin it now, Rob. I’d try to lightly sand away the dots (maybe with a fiberglass pen), then, if they are gone away, go for a polishing round … Hubert

Brilliant … Hubert

Scott, I have two of those, as a stalled build. I intend to do the R1 and R2, which means I have spare decals for the version you want. Just PM me. They are on the next-in-line list after I finish the Cutlass, normally 🤞 Hubert

🤣 Now you NEED to buy another P-40 kit, to use up this Quinta set. In France, we do this with wine, bread, and cheese. Need more cheese to finish my wine, need more bread to finish my cheese, need more cheese to finish my bread, need more wine to finish my cheese ... and so on ! Hubert

Beautiful model, Mike, even more so when one knows the difficulties you had to overcome with this one. Hubert

Hi Mark, Do not buy the Tamiya one, for sure. It's good for trenches à la Matchbox, and cutting through plastic, but nothing else. Besides the sharp-pointed needle in a pin vise, for some circular engravings, my main goto scriber comes brom UMM-USA. I also have some nice ones (black thin circular handle with a fine hook-like tip), but I cannot remember the manufacturer ... The very thin saws, like my JLC set, are also useful for some engravings. Hubert

Welcome to LSM. Mike As for Mastercasters, besides the dubious business practice described by Scott, the reasons he is in jail are far more horrible, and he deserves to be where he is, and not to get any business from anyone when he comes out of the said jail … IMHO, 3D-printing is the way forward for AM, whether you design it yourself or buy it from a company having done the research and design work. But beware, designing 3D parts is not a « snap-fingers » exercise. However, once you master the trade, it is VERY satisfying. I have used this to design some conversion parts for my last build, and enjoyed it greatly. But I also buy some 3D-printed AM stuff when it is there, and it spares me some significant time in front of the computer. Good luck with the Avro Arrow. It was a fascinating machine. Hubert

What do you say ? A herring toss ? With pasted honey ? 🧏‍♀️ Hubert

Hey guys, do you realise this is an exchange of old people ? And I’m sure all these CD Players can only read old-style analogic CDs 🤣😂🤣 … Today’s youth with MP4 (not even MP3) and streaming are looking at us like dinosaurs (but then they are also dreaming of a vynil discs player ) Hubert

I have a different issue on my Marantz CD player. The display is not showing anything anymore. Got it repaired, but this is a spare part that is not followed anymore by Marantz … At least, it still can read the CDs … This is where I see I am getting old … as my domestic applances 😂🤣 Hubert

That is the modelling version of « where is Charlie ? ». Only a lot more difficult 😂 … Hubert

Absolutely Phil. Nothing wrong in your post, which was just a courteous welcome to an apparent new member, and perfectly in line with the atmosphere of LSM. Sorry for quoting you and sending the wrong impression by doing so. And my apologies to you and the other LSM members. My intention was just to highlight the « fishy » nature of this too-perfect post from a newcomer 😉 Hubert

Unless this is a shameless hidden advertising (which some elements like the "bold" typeface, the fact that this is the first post of the member, the impeccable layout with functional links, etc. tend to indicate) ... Not that it means Plaza Japan is not a good, bona fide, merchant site. Hubert

+ 1 ! Hubert

Nice additions to your range 👍 Ànd your J-58 is a work of art. Now, we just need a SR-71 to go around it. Hubert

Compressor stall … without firing any gun. I have to say that the combination of issues with the slats and the re-engraving of panel lines, plus the decision to add riveting proved to be somewhat of a mojo killer on the Cutlass. Or at least a driver of procrastination … Which means I have not spent a lot of time at the bench in the last two weeks, or not as much as I could have. I compensated by more reading, but it was Sci-Fi books like the 3-body problem trilogy or « Ball lightning », also from the same Cixin Liu … Still, I did some progress on finishing the surface preparation, which culminated with the gluing of the front windscreen, a necessary step to avoid any more sanding after priming, as it is not a drop fit that goes without any fitting and sanding … So, this morning was the time for priming. But, like the Cutlass initially, when the guns were fired, I experienced a compressor stall ! Or, more precisely, a burst pipe; only it’s a pneumatic one, not a hydraulic one, as it happened so often with the Cutlass … The pipe that connects the pressure gauge to the tank of my airbrush compressor had a cut at the level of one connection nut, and burst. So the compressor is now literally stalled, until I can install some new pipe, which I have already ordered. No pic to show, as there is not any interesting one to show, so more progress some time in the future … Btw, I had ordered and received the following book. Interesting reading, and some pictures I had not seen before. And it has somewhat changed my mind on the reasons of the failure of the Cutlass. Yes the J-46 was a poor engine, as Westinghouse tried to implement the ancestor of modern-jet engines FADEC, and it was just to innovative for the time’s technology (remember that FADEC development problems nearly killed the A-400 M program ?) , and had an insufficient military thrust, but the main issue was the lack of proper transition training for the pilots of the time, coupled with the specific problems of straight-deck aircraft carriers. Transition training led to the creation of NATOPS (and the Cutlass issues were a key driver behind this new approach) and the development of a twin-seat swept-wing fighter, i.e. the famous « Twogar ». And the accident rate of the Cutlass dropped dramatically, at levels lower than other contemporary Navy Fighters, with the introduction of angled-decks carriers. More when possible … Hubert

The other difference is that the PCB drill bits are of a different steel grade, richer in carbon … Hence their propensity to break like glass … Hubert

No interest in Luft 46, but the P.1101 was the very close inspiration of the Bell X-5 … Hubert