(WIP) F7F-2D „Tigercat” 1:72 Fly

[Kriss]

The F7F-2D ‘Tigercat’ has just arrived at the workshop, a new product from Fly in 1:72 scale. Fly has immediately released four different versions of the ‘Tigercat’ and more are in the pipeline. Along with the model, there are also accessories from Fly, including three different versions of wheels (arta009, arta010 and arta011) and an engine (arta008), all 3D printed. The contents of the box are shown in the photo below, and a plus for the manufacturer is the included canopy and wheels. From the accessories, I will use the motor (arta008) and wheels (arta011). I had the opportunity to see a test model and the fit of the parts was excellent, so let's see if I can build it just as well.

 

 

 

[KevinM]

Cool Kris was watching a video last night of an air show with a TigerCat in it and that plane sounds wickly bad.

[Kriss]

I have already made the first cuts, as there is one fuselage for multiple versions. In my version, the stabiliser is replaced and a cut-out is made in the fuselage for the drone operator.

[Kriss]

The hull is ready for assembly. All I have to do is weigh it down and it can be closed.

[Kriss]

The fuselage is ready to be closed, but there will be some corrections thanks to my friend ‘Moses’, whose help proved to be very useful. Many thanks! For now, you can see a little bit of lead packed in, and the model was assembled dry and should stand on its wheels. We'll see how it turns out when it's ready. I'll start the list of corrections by removing the barrels in the front wheel compartment, and the compartment itself will be repainted Interior Green. The rifle mounts on the fuselage and wings will be covered up, as the drone version had no armament. In the cabin above the side panels, the colour is black, in accordance with the 1943 SR-2 painting instructions. And the seats need to be repainted in Interior Green, as mine are silver. That's all for the corrections for now, the rest will be done during construction.

[Kriss]

Slowly but surely, it's coming along. The gondolas need a bit of sanding, but more drilling. One is already ready for assembly, and the other still needs drilling and assembly.

[Kriss]

The version with drones flew without armament and with blinded gun ports, and I already have the plugs ready, a little sanding and a drop of glue and it will be fine. The front landing gear bay still needs to be corrected to Interior Green.

[KevinM]

Looking good Kriss

[Kriss]

 After assembling the nacelle and fitting it to the wing, it was time for the engines and their covers. I didn't even cut the kit engines out of their frames; I immediately started fitting the 3D-printed ones, and there's no comparison between them. The printed ones are better, and after cutting them out, there was no problem fitting them. The only thing I had to do was sand down the places where the exhaust pipes come out in the nacelle. However, after fitting, the engine cover turned out to be slightly too small, so to widen it to the right diameter, I inserted a piece of 0.5 mm plastic plate on one side, and that solved the problem with the diameter of the engine covers.

[Kriss]

The next stage is glazing the cabin, and here ‘Fly’ has made a nice gesture, and you could say a double one at that. The cabin can be made in a closed or open version, with different parts of the cabin glazing. The second nice gesture is the inclusion of masks with the model, which make the work much easier, as can be seen in the photo.

[Kriss]

The chassis compartment is fitted, the parts are only placed in order to fit them. So not everything in the photo is perfectly straight.