Kitty Hawk F-5F done.

[Clunkmeister 3,910]

Well, this one is done as of yesterday and should be nicely winging its way to Virginia for a display.

Here’s a few quick pics, Ernie style, from my phone, on my soon to be demolished bench. 

I have no clue how accurate it is, I think the drag chute door should be grey, it’s titanium color,.. oops, and the canopy will need a rubdown to get the handling smudges of it, but assuming it survives the trip unscathed, it’ll be ok.  I don’t like to end a build in a hurry especially when changing horses midstream, but such is life.

It’s a fun build, but if you want the hoods closed, plan ahead. These are not even close to being perfect, but that’s my fault alone.

This is my first real jet build, and it was way way way out of my wheelhouse, but I had fun. It may not be perfect, but it’s pretty nice. A decent 5 footer

 

 

 

 

 

[BlrwestSiR 1,674]

Looks good to me Ernie. I'd be happy with those results. 

Carl

[Martinnfb 4,141]

Sweet! I believe this is the first double seater ever finished on-line.  Congrats Ernie 

[GazzaS 1,421]

Congratulations, Ern!  Finished in only three months and 1 week.  Quick-ish? 

 

Looks great, Buddy!

Now pour a couple of strong ones and tuck into another build.

 

Gaz

[Anthony in NZ 65]

Great job Ernie!  Love that fin scheme on that F-5F....really nice buddy.  Don't think you can get away with just calling yourself a prop guy now!

Cheers Anthony

[Peterpools 1,775]

Ernie

Looking Simply Stellar - terrific build

Peter

[Clunkmeister 3,910]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it.

It’s a great little kit full of potential. Other than the canopy catching me unawares at the very end and somewhat spoiling the result, it was an absolutely painless build.

My thoughts on the canopy. Both hoods are designed to be displayed open. Both come with full internal structure in both plastic and PE, and the lift mechanisms are beautifully detailed and complex looking.   As a result, closing the hoods is impossible after they’ve been built up.

Of course, I built them up to pose open. But literally on the last day of the build, the light went on in my head that Glen wants  closed canopies. That meant taking fully detailed, painted, decaled, and weathered canopies and somehow stripping the entire structure out without scratching or breaking them.  Then, fitting them to a model that was built with no regard to the fit of the canopies. Some minor trimming of the rear ejection seat, fuselage rails and rear bulkheads.  Just the fact I was able to mostly accomplish this, to me is a testament to the canopies themselves. I’ve cracked multiple Tamiya and Hasegawa hoods and theKitty Hawk ones worked well. A bit of an accident on one lower rail, but nothing huge.  

Talk about builder error. I committed the first moral sin of modeling: forgetting how it was to be displayed. If I’d have remembered, the hoods would have been on early as well as being masked and painted along with the airframe.

Thanks for watching y’all! Glen will have this at the Kitty Hawk display this weekend in Richmond, Va.