GazzaS

https://www.shopdrawdecal.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=32-P51-99

I try to get 12 builds done a year. But this year with figures and a couple builds that went long, I've completed much less. However... I've done more LSM's then ever before. So... here we go: First up was this Trumpeter Sturer Emil 1/35. Then this Hasegawa BF109 F4 flown by Erwin Leykauf I whipped out this 1978 molds Revell Me-262 pretty quickly. And then I got myself tied into three Bundeswher builds While doing them, I spent a lot of time on this WNW Fokker D.VII. I had to ruin one WNW Fokker to complete another. I gave the wreck away. Then, I went overlong on this Dragon PZ III M. Although all builds are somewhat rewarding, I reckon this Dornier Do-17Z-7 Kauz I was the most rewarding.

Great work! Always happy to see aircraft with "Marine" on them.

Nice collection, Brad! I particularly like the PCM Macchi. You've had a productive year for sure.

Great work, fellas!

Great production for the year, John! All great looking, though I do admit a fondness for the P-39. Though there is a suspicious lack of Corsairs. BTW... Don't you like Wildcat or Hellcat? Gaz

It is a beauty, Ern. Don;t want to go too far.

Thank you, Rob. I'm most disappointed in the figures and the base. Somehow, on the day when tested the static grass on a piece of cardboard,it stood nicely. However... this time it did not. Static grass applicator is on order. Gaz

I think that if I had paid retail, and been expecting something akin to Hasegawa, I might have been upset, and chucked it into the stash to be built or sold at a later date. But, I got my first PCM kit for free... the TA-152 C. I looked it up, and retail was around 80 bucks US. It provided some hurdles, but I was happy with the result. I got this A-1/A-3 in a trade. So, I knew what kind of quality to expect and decided it was worth it to be able to build a version that isn't covered by anyone else.

Well, finishing up the year with a bunch of learning experiences. So, I'm giving myself a D on this one. A friend has suggested using white backgrounds. All I think a white background does is mute the rest of the photo. After seeing Uncle Nightshift do his figures with acrylics, I thought I would have another go. Trust me... they look better farther away. Finally... Static grass. Must get a static grass applicator. Anyway... I can call this one done, and get it off my bench and out of my mind.

Turret racks and hand rails.... the bane of modern armor modelling. I really need to spend a ton of time improving my soldering. You've done well!

Thank you. Yes, it's much more like an up-scaled 1/48 kit than a good 1/32 kit. Gaz

Thank you, Rob! Materials: Electric toothbrush, Double-sided tape, and No-fil Sand paper. No-fil paper is best because regular sheet can clog up quickly. The double sided tape I have has a foam center and is about 1.5mm thick. Next, shave all of the bristles off the disposable toothbrush head. Then cut your double sided tape to a desired size. Mine was about 10mmX10mm for this task. Attach the double sided tape to the bristle-less toothbrush head and peel off the backing from the side of the double-sided tape facing you. Tear off a piece of sand paper near the same size as your tape. Attach it to the tape. I use 600 grit when I want to remove material quickly, and 1200, for slow removal. If I want to remove stuff really fast, and there is no raised detail nearby, I use 320 grit. As a safety measure, tape over any raised detail nearby. For this task I used CA as a filler. Even though I had to apply it 4 times to fill every divot, I didn't have to wait overnight. And if you do use CA... don't let it cure overnight. Because then you will end up stripping more around the CA than to the CA. Since I started using the toothbrush, I hardly ever hand sand any more. Gaz

Looks pretty sweet, Harv!

Just a small update here... Before I went to painting anything pretty, I wanted to take care of some mechanical features. The fuselage is molded for A-2 and A-3. Converting to the A-1 requires the placing of two plugs inside the fuselage halves. And some filling... The fit isn't exactly 100% tight. And one of my pet peeves is a non-rotatable propeller. If it can't spin, I can't position it for photos and it's more than twice as easy to break off. Originally, I would have glued the engine to the fan to the spinner. So, I drilled though the resin motor plug, the fan, and the base of the propeller spinner, and inserted a piece of 2mm Copper tube. This will give me a lot more freedom late in the build. I used my electric toothbrush sanding system to sand the small area between raised details of the exhaust area. I'm quite pleased with the result. The final early feature to add was blanking off the MG 151 shell ejector chute ports. This was facilitated by two small pieces of PE. Thanks for looking! Gaz

Nice!

So, what are they? "Special ashtrays"?

You know.... as an Ex-Marine there are certain things that must be done: I've seen them in Gray too....

Heh... Gonna be some serious researching going on!

It's one sharp looking bird, too!

Thank you, Ern! I believe I'll select the F9F-5 Panther.

Woohoo... Great job everyone! Special thanks to Ernie and Joy!

Steve, your patience and research has helped to make your Gotha awesome. And... for use people who don;t know about German bombs, what are the three documented colors, please? Gaz

Very few here in Australia can even imagine it. To them, the only way to eat pumpkin is roasted in the oven with salt, pepper, and maybe some gravy.

Merry Christmas all! I'm having pumpkin pie for breakfast.