Wolfman63

I did not mask the canopy. All canopy frame painting was done by hand then cleaned up with a toothpick.

For my next build I will be building Hasegawa’s 1/48 F-104C Starfighter. This will be detailed with the Eduard photo etch. For the scheme I am building it as a Viet Nam aircraft. Caracal decals has a nice set (#CD48102) that includes 9 different markings. Three of them are the typical silver version that were part of the initial deployment and 6 of them have the Viet Nam camouflage scheme. I will be doing the camouflage version of the “Nancy J / Snoopy Sniper” (Aircraft 56-0891) that was stationed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand in 1966. Starting off with the ejection seat, the only part of the kit seat being used is the bottom of the seat. The rest of it is all photo etch. The photo etch includes all the seat belts and side harnesses. Once assembled it fit into the cockpit tub without any problems. The main landing gear bay then was assembled and detailed with some wires and hoses. The instrument panel was then built up and detailed. The fuselage was then fitted together with the cockpit tub and main gear bay. This is where I need to mention an issue with the kit instructions. Step 6 of the instructions has you install the cockpit and main gear bays then the fuselage is put together. The problem is in step 7 they have you install the instrument panel with the HUD section. You cannot put the instrument panel into the fuselage. I ended up cutting the front section of the fuselage apart so I could put it in. While it was not too difficult, it would have been better to install the instrument panel at the same time as the cockpit tub. Next I will be working on the landing gear and exhaust. You can see more photos and follow along in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f-104c-starfighter-snoopy-sniper-1966/

The B7A2 “Grace” is now complete! This was a very nice kit to build. Everything fit together nicely. The instructions were laid out well t make the build go smoothly. The decals went on well. Just a couple of things about the decals, First the dark green outline on the fuselage and upper wings are an identical match to the Tamiya XF11 J.N. Green paint so they blend in too well, and the insignia’s are two part decals. Getting them line up requires careful alignment. I would recommend applying the base decal first and let it dry then place the top red one. This will keep the bottom from shifting while centering the top. If you are looking for a nice WWII Japanese aircraft that was unique I would recommend this kit. Thanks for following along. You can see this build with photos and details from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-aichi-b7a2-grace-attack-aircraft/

The build of this kit is going well. With the cockpit assembled I installed into the fuselage. The fuselage fit together very well with only some minor putty in the seams. I then painted and detailed the engine. The photo etch set provides the ignition wiring so this was added. I mounted the engine, cowl, and the propeller hub. The hub is very large and hides most of the view of the engine. The wings were assembled and the landing gear added. I base coated the underside and then started work on the torpedo details. The plastic fins and propellers were replaced with the photo etch replacements. The torpedo was painted and then mounted with photo etch straps. I then painted the upper areas and added some more details like the ammo belt for the rear gun. I weathered the fuselage with some minor staining on the wings and exhaust. To finish up this week’s work I painted the canopy sections and used some EZ-line to run the antenna cable from the equipment thru the canopy to the top of the mast. This will run to the top of the rudder when installed. Next will be decals and final weathering. Check out more photos and details of this build from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-aichi-b7a2-grace-attack-aircraft/

My next build is the 1/48 Hasegawa Aichi B7A2 (Grace) Attack Bomber. It was a Japanese dive bomber/torpedo aircraft with a gull wing configuration. I will be building it as the torpedo version from the 752nd Naval Flying Group. As usual the cockpit is always the first thing that gets built and detailed. I did not like the kit instrument panel and the Eduard gauge film lacked character. So I went online and found two photos of a B7 instrument panel and made a decal of it. I then sanded the kit panel and painted it white. Added the decal then used the top part of the photo etch panel and then painted the knobs and switches as they were on the reference photo. The bulkhead between the pilot and gunner was shaved down and photo etch braces for the seat were added. I then added more photo etch details like replacing the kit pedals with photo etch and replaced the thick pilot seat with the photo etch replacement. The gunners seat had a burlap pad (made with cloth tape) and photo etch seat belts. I added some cables and wires to the cockpit walls and weathered everything with pastel chalk. As soon as the seat is fully dry I will weather it then assembly the rest of the cockpit. Next I will be assembling and detailing the engine and fuselage. You can see all the photos in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-aichi-b7a2-grace-attack-aircraft/

The ERA-3B Skywarrior has been finished. This was an interesting kit to build. Some of the things to watch for if you build this are some of the antennas are not included I the kit. The main landing gear can be challenging as noted before. The side APUs will need to be modified. If you mount them as the kit has them they sit way too close to the fuselage. I trimmed off the mount and used a styrene rod to move them a little farther from the fuselage. It is nice that they included the ELINT section, however you can barely see it thru the small window. The decals were very good. They laid down well and with a little decal solvent the underlying details came right in. The overall fit was pretty good with very little putty was needed. The one thing that was kind of a pain is that the injection marks on many parts were on the sides that show, especially on the landing gear bays. The photo etch covered most but there are a few that need to be addressed. Now I just need to wait until the shelter in place restrictions ease up so I can present it to the Chief. Check out the details and photos from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-era-3b-skywarrior-vaq-33/

This week’s update covers a lot. With the current virus situation I have more time on the bench. To begin with I used the photo etch accessories to detail the main gear bays, The air brakes, the rear wheel bay, and the tail hook area. I then noticed on the reference photos there is a scoop aft of the air brake on the starboard side. The kit provides a very crude representation of this. I trimmed the edge then scratch built the intake vanes. The kit comes with detailed engines so I built them up and added some detailed plumbing with some wire then built up the engine assembly. Fir the exhaust and the rear engine housing I used pastel chalk to weather them. Starting at the exhaust I used black faded to brown and finally blue to represent the heat discoloration of the panels. Details on using pastel chalk is in my Tips and Tricks section https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/weathering-with-pastel-chalk/ Another thing that I noticed in the reference photos is they forgot to add the chaff blocks under the air brakes. I had some extra photo etch chaff blocks so I added this missing detail myself. Finally I started to base coat everything using Gull gray on top, white bottom and red for the inside of the air brakes, tail wheel, and side scoop. It is now ready for the decals. See all the details and more photos from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-era-3b-skywarrior-vaq-33/

This next build is Trumpeter’s 1/48 ERA-3B of VAQ-33. This is being built for a Chief Petty Officer who was part of the air crew. The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior was originally built as a jet bomber in the 1950’s. It evolved into a few variants. The KA-3 was used as a refueling craft. The ERA-3B was an ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) role used in Viet Nam and for many years during the Cold War. It performed briefly during the Gulf War then was finally retired in September 1991. I will be adding photo etch details from Eduard. Starting with the cockpit I detailed the 3 seats, rear bulkhead, dash and equipment rack. The photo etch set even includes the handles for the electronic equipment. I then built up the nose radar assembly and the nose gear bay. There were no extra details for the radar but the nose gear bay had detailed photo etch walls and wiring. I added some hydraulic lines as well with 32awg wire. Next was the electronic ELINT cabin that sits behind the cockpit. There were no details except for seat belts so I added some cushions using cloth tape. Next up will be detailing the main gear bays then assembling the fuselage. See all the details and more photos in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-era-3b-skywarrior-vaq-33/

This week’s update covers the final assembly as well as the completed build of the Buffalo representing VS-102. The fuselage was assembled and detailed. The prop was assembled and painted and the light gray was base coated. I applied the decals which were not bad. A little thicker than I like but they laid down and conformed to the surface well. The canopy was polished and painted as well as the underside windows. And this is negative side of this kit. The windows on the belly are a very poor fit. I filled the gaps with styrene which makes it less noticeable but once the gaps were filled it still sits a little under the surface of the fuselage. Finally I added the antenna wire using EZ line fine. The large spinner for the prop does limit the engine details a little but I am happy with the overall aircraft. This kit was a nice kit to work with the exception of the underside windows. Due to its small size the build moves quickly, especially with the current situation. Thanks for following along. See all the detail from start to finish at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-brewster-buffalo-vs-102/

This week I used the Quickboost resin engine in place of the kit engine. The first thing I did was use 32awg wire to add the ignition wires. They were then painted dark brown. A 28awg wire was added to represent the hub oil line and some photo etch engine labels were added to the hub. The engine was detail painted. Finally, for the pushrods I used 32awg wire but did not strip off the black sleeving. A quick light dusting with black chalk was added to give the engine a little grime. The engine was then mounted into the fuselage. For the cowl I had to trim down the upper and lower cowl ducts so I could add the photo etch grates as the resin engine is a little thicker than the kit engine. The wings and main landing gear assembly were assembled which includes the floor of the cockpit. Next up is putting wings and stabilizers on and painting the basecoat. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-brewster-buffalo-vs-102/

Eduard is having an Online Model contest. I have entered this model. Click on like and "Like" all 3 photos for entry SL014. Thanks!

I do not use washes. I use pastel chalk for weathering, and yes it was used on the walls and seat . https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/weathering-with-pastel-chalk/

This build is the 1/48 scale Tamiya Brewster Buffalo. I will be building it as the US Navy F2A version. The aircraft will represent VS-201 that was aboard the USS Long Island AVG-1. I will be adding a resin engine from Quick Boost as well as Eduard photo etch set. Starting with the cockpit I detailed the side walls and then the seat and dash. The rear bulkhead had 2 injection areas. Not sure why they set it up for the front side instead of the back, but a little putty solved the issue. After the seat and dash were done I detailed the pedals and then assembled the cockpit into the fuselage and put the fuselage together. The fit was good and only required a couple of areas to be filled with putty. Next up will be the building and detailing of the engine. You can see more photos in the build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-brewster-buffalo-vs-102/

I used shrink tubing like for electrical wiring. Shrink one end for the barrel and leave other end to go into the turret. You can buy it on amazon in various sizes for all scales. They come in colors. I used white on my Bismarck. You can even still move the barrels. Here is a photo of the Bismarck I did.

The Javelin is now complete. This kit was very nice in fit and details. The only thing that was negative was the decals. The decals are very thick. The small ones were not bad but the larger ones on the wings and tail were a huge pain to get them to conform to the surface. Took 3 days and lots of Microsol solvent to get them to finally conform. It took at least 3 applications for them to start to soften. If I were to do this kit again I would most likely look for an aftermarket set of make the larger ones myself. It was nice that the upper wing decals had cutouts and aligned perfectly. Just wish they were thinner. Overall this kit was nice to build and it presents well. I hope you all have enjoyed following along. See the entire build in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-gloster-javelin/

The Javelin build this week is moving along. With the wings on I assembled the landing gear. The main gear was a little tricky as one of the struts needed to slide under a brace then mount the main strut and attach the other strut. I was able to get them lined up and glued into place. The nose gear and the gear doors all went on with no issues. The various antenna’s, refueling probe, and scoops along with some photo etch details were installed on to the fuselage. Weights were added to the nose cone to keep it from being a tail-dragger. I then painted the base coat on the aircraft. The bottom was painted aluminum and the upper areas were painted with RAF dark green and RAF gray. Getting ready now to apply the numerous decals then onto the canopy. See all the details and photos from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-gloster-javelin/

I am looking for a decal sheet from the IPMS USA 2002 National Convention. Specifically the VAQ-33 decals. Please contact me if you have one. Thanks!

The build of the Gloster Javelin is moving forward. I assembled the exhaust and then painted/weathered them. The center of the fuselage was then assembled and I started on the landing gear bays. The main bays looked a little too clean so using 32 awg wire and some scratch built plastic and metal pieces to represent the hydraulic cans. I used bare wire for the wiring and black sleeved wire for the hydraulic lines. The bays were then painted with aluminum and weathered with pastel chalk. See my tips and tricks section on weathering with pastel chalk ]https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/weathering-with-pastel-chalk/ Finally the wings were assembled and installed to the fuselage. Stay tuned for the building of the landing gear and the detailing of the fuselage. See this build from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-gloster-javelin/

This build is the Airfix 1/48 Gloster Javelin FAW.9/9R. A few years ago I helped a gentleman who was doing 1/16 and 1/8 scale figures of fallen police officer with creating and scaling the patches and badges for all the uniforms so that decals could be made. I was able to get them scaled for both scales for him. A few weeks later a package arrived and it was this kit. The message inside was from him thanking me for all the work I helped him with on the patches and badges. Fast forward to present day I decided to make this my next build. The aircraft even in 1/48 is huge. The details of this kit are great. The surface details are very crisp. I will also adding the Eduard photo etch detail set as well. Starting with the cockpit, I assembled and painted the seats then added the numerous photo etch details. The cockpit tub was painted and the photo etch was added. Everything fit very well. The cockpit tub was then assembled to the forward section of the fuselage. Starting on the engines and main fuselage next. You can follow the build at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-gloster-javelin/

The PZL-23B KARAS Light Bomber of the Polish Air Force is now complete. After applying the decals which went on very well, some weathering with pastel chalk, and a final seal of paint the majority of the aircraft was complete. I the detailed and painted the canopy and gondola. Both were installed and the antenna was rigged with EZ-Line. The kit itself was very good. The thing I like about Mirage is they do unique aircraft typically not offered by others and they do a decent job on the details. I would recommend this kit if you want to add some unique aircraft to your collection. Thanks for following along. You can see the entire build from start to finish with all the photos and details in my build log https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pzl-23b-karas/

This week’s update on the PZL-23B covers the fuselage and wing details. I assembled the wings and then added the photo etch details like the entry steps and hand holds, wing joint covers, and aiming scales to the nose. The engine was then mounted. I needed to paint the base coat on the fuselage prior to mounting the exhaust as it runs along the fuselage. The underside was painted using light blue and the top was painted olive drab. The two color reference photos depicted a panel pattern on the wings. I duplicated this by adding a little green drab to the paint and painted the alternating panels on the wing tops. The main landing gear shrouds house landing lights. The kit provided the clear covers for them but no details behind them. It was just an open hole. I used a clear sprue from my scrap bin that was fit into the hole. I trimmed it flush then drilled into it with a drill bit to make the reflector. Then a smaller drill bit to make the bulb area and finally a tiny one to simulate the filament of the bulb. Stay tuned as next week as I apply the decals and final paint to finish this unique Polish aircraft. You can see all the details and photos from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pzl-23b-karas/

Work continues on the PZL-23B. This week the cockpit and interior are together. The kit comes with a few resin parts like parachutes and radio equipment. Putting the walls and cockpit tub into the fuselage was a little tedious keeping the sections aligned but everything fit well. I added some 32 awg wire for cables and wires to the equipment. One thing to note is the rear gun. I had built up the rear gunner seat with the gun but once it was installed in the fuselage it was difficult working on the kit because of how delicate the assembly was. I would recommend leaving the actual gun off until near the end. With the interior completed I am now working on the lower gondola and the landing gear. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pzl-23b-karas/

This next build is the Mirage 1/48 PZL-23B KARAS of the 64th Line Flight, 6th Air Regiment. This particular kit was a limited edition that came with a commemorative coin. The kit already comes with resin and photo etch accessories so no other accessories were added so this is straight out of the box build. The engine assembly was pretty straight forward. The cockpit used photo etch seatbelts and a resin tank. It went together very well. The rear and lower machine guns come with photo etch sights and ammo mounts. The rear gunner has a “Lazy Susan” style holder for the extra ammo cartridges. The rear gunner seat and gun mount was assembled. Next up is the cockpit walls and fuselage. More photos are in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pzl-23b-karas/

The Hasegawa 1/48 AH-64D Apache longbow is now complete! As typical with most Hasegawa kits this one went together very well. The kit decals that I used worked very well and the IPMS 2010 convention decals worked out perfectly. The detail of the kit is very good by itself. The photo etch set add the super detailing and the Master Model chain gun is great. If you are looking for a nice kit of the AH-64D, this is the kit I would recommend. Thanks for following along. See you next week for the next build. You can see the entire build from start to finish in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-apache-longbow/

For this week on the Apache I have the fuselage detailed and base coat painted. I then built and detailed the tail rotor using photo etch accessories. I then built up the chain gun. The Master Model set replaces the barrel assembly. The original barrel assembly is cut off and replaced. Then the chain gun was assembled. I added some 32 AWG wire to replace the molded wiring on the mount then painted the assembly. Moving forward I then detailed the main rotor assembly with photo etch accessories. The next section was the nose sensors and cameras. Using close up photos I painted the one section. For the other two section which have a mirror finish, I used bare metal foil and buffed them to a mirror finish. The final step was to paint the seals around the windows. I used International orange and a very fine brush. I then built and detailed the rocket launchers and mounted them. I started on the Hellfire missiles. I am nearing the end of this build. Once the Hellfire missiles are mounted I just have the decals and canopy to detail and put on. You can follow the build in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-apache-longbow/