BlrwestSiR

Hemi orange. Well, it's a start anyways.

The darker base looks better to me as well. I like the woodgrain in it more. Carl

Great job John! I hear you on the challenges of putting one together. Had some of my own doing on my build. So what's next in the queue? Carl

Looks about as big as their Ho229 box?

The one thing I really don't like about the Trumpeter kit is the way the cockpit is installed. They use huge tabs on either side that plug into the fuselage. The plugs are very noticeable in the MLG bays. Another point of contention is the gun bay doors are designed to be mounted in the open position. Closing them up means a bit of shimming is needed. Carl

Take my money!!!

Nice looking decals. I've only got a single Fokker and it's not the right one either. Carl

The Stratos came with red wheels. So those are painted now. A quick mockup. I may use a different rim and tire. We'll see.

Very colourful there Tony. And nicely done too. Carl

They are definitely destinctive. Oddly enough, I wouldn't mind a Sherp. Have no idea what I would do with one except not get stuck in the winter time.

Very nice! Just made me looks for Ladas in Canada. None for sale at the moment. Carl

Fantastic paint job.

Seriously impressive. If I built something that big, at least I'd have someplace to stay. Carl

Indeed and a good thing too as I couldn't find my decals. Can't wait to see it once the clear dries. Carl

You get the same reaction if you use any of the Gunze or Tamiya thinners with Xtracrylix.

Indeed. Too bad shipping kills it for me. HLJ just had a one day sale on ZM kits. The Hs-129 was $118 CAD but the only shipping option was $125!

Ok John, I'll take a look and see.

John, is that the decals I sent you earlier? If not, I can see if I have it. Carl

I just realized I have the ZM weapon set which has the M117 in it. I glued one together quickly.

Starting to put the engine together on the Stratos.

Maybe start with 5:1 paint to retarder. It does thin the paint at the same time so you don't want to add too much.

Isn't that why you have the M61?

Same here. Doing large scale car bodies and even bigger RC car bodies are the challenge for me. RC car bodies have the added challenge of painting them from the inside so you have to reverse your colour order.

Actually, that's all Mr Color Levelling thinner is. It's regular Mr Color lacquer thinner premixed with their retarder. There's an article on the Gunze website about it and how they don't recommend it for a flat finish. The longer drying time is great for gloss coats but not so much for a flat one.

The retarders are indeed great if you're using their paints for brush painting. Tamiya also has their own version of Mr Color Levelling thinner which is premixed with their retarder.