Wolfman63

If you are building a 1/350 or 1/700-1/720 US Navy CV, CVN, LHD, or LPD I have decal sets that will enhance the look of the hangar bays and docking bays. For the 1/350 CV/CVN's I am currently working on decal sets to so that all the aircraft markings are accurate for specific cruises. Paypal and free worldwide shipping. You can check out the available sets at https://davidsscalemodels.com/decals/ Here is a sample of the CV/CVN hangar bay set Here is a sample of an Air wing set (sets are 2 full size sheets) Here is a sample of the LHD hangar bay set Here is a sample of the LPD Hangar Bay set

This week I worked on building and detailing the cockpit on the Stuka. Once the ejection holes were filled and sanded I added the photo etch details. Some reference photos I found online included a B-1 Stuka that was found in a forest and was getting ready to be restored at a museum. The photos show the cables and wiring had a yellow and white covering. I then added some yellow and white cables using 30 AWG wire. I routed them the same way the reference photos had them routed. The cockpit walls were then weathered using pastel chalk. The instrument panel was then detailed with photo etch panels and levers. In between the pilot and gunner is a radio set. I replaced the kit version with the corrected photo etch versions and mounted them onto the rack. The side walls were installed. Working on the fuselage details and getting ready to assemble it. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ju-87b-1-stuka/

For my next build I will be taking on the 1/48 Airfix Junkers JU-87B-1 Stuka. This was a World War II dive bomber use by Germany. I am not using the scheme in the kit. Instead the scheme will be that of the Staffelkapitan, 4th Staffel, Stukageshwader 77. It represents how it looked in June 1940 in France. I purchased the Eduard “Big ED” photo etch detail set (#49166) and will also be scratch building some other details. Starting with the cockpit I added the photo etch details to the ammunition cartridges. Then I detailed the seat with the photo etch seat belts. The cockpit floor required some putty as the ejector points were a little on the deep side. Once filled and sanded it was painted using Vallejo RM2 gray. The spent ammo casing bin was assembled and a photo etch cover was added. I added the ammunition cartridges to the mount and the put the bin, ammo, and seat into the weathered cockpit. I am working on the cockpit walls. Again these have a lot of ejector marks which required putty to fill. The cockpit parts have very good details although it is kind of a shame that there is a lot of ejector marks. You can see photos and details of the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ju-87b-1-stuka/

The Black Hawk is now finished and ready for display. After detailing and painting the main rotor it was mounted on to the helicopter. I ordered a brass nameplate etched with the information the client wanted and added the Army National Guard logo to a wood plaque that was painted with a desert tan surface and Army green trim. The main wheels of the helicopter were then pinned. I drilled two holes for the pins and glued it down. On the bottom side I added four felt pads so it can be displayed on any surface. While the kit itself had some issues the overall display looks great. This will be delivered to the pilot who flew this next week. Thank you for following along with the build! You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-uh-60l-black-hawk-helicopter/

This week I am near completion of the Black Hawk. The base coat was painted an overall olive drab. I made my own decals for the specific aircraft and used the kit decals for the general decals. The kit decals worked well. Once the decals were applied I added weathering with pastel chalk using dark olive, dark brown and black overall and some dark gray and light gray for the engine exhaust. I then did a top coat of matte clear to seal the decals and weathering. For the light on top of the tail, tail navigation light, and the bottom of the boom I cut off the body colored plastic and replaced them with clear styrene versions taken from my extra tree bin. The lens’ for the top of the tail and under boom were then painted with clear red. The photo etch included the mount for the tail whip antenna and I used 30awg wire for the actual antenna. I then added the small antennas to the top of the canopy and the photo etch wipers. The Minicraft one piece canopy looks so much better than the kit parts that had a poor fit. I am working on the main rotor now and will be adding photo etch details. I have the display base ready for finishing but am waiting for the brass etched nameplate to arrive. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-uh-60l-black-hawk-helicopter/

This week’s update on the Black Hawk covers the assembly and detailing of the fuselage. The rotor transfer case was assembled and detailed with photo etch then painted. The cabin/cockpit roof was then detailed with photo etch and some styrene rods. The tail rotor and main wheels were detailed. The fuselage was then assembled. The fit was average. It required some putty around the nose and the top just behind the main rotor. I dry fit the kit windshield and top section above the cockpit. This fit was very poor. The windows above the cockpit were too small to fit into the section and the windshield did not line up very well to the nose and doors. I instead used the canopy section from the1/48 Minicraft UH-60 kit. This is a one piece clear section. Remarkably it lined up very well. I polished it, taped off the window sections with kapton tape, and installed it. Next came the numerous photo etch detail parts for the fuselage. The vents and screens molded on the kit were cut out and the photo etch parts were formed and placed. The photo etch adds the correct formation lights, landing light, various cable cutters, antenna’s, and panels. There is even photo etch details that go in the main wheels. Last night I made the specific decals to match the reference photos of the actual Black Hawk. I am currently working on the fuselage getting it ready for base coat of paint. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-uh-60l-black-hawk-helicopter/

I used gunship gray paint with some pastel chalk to weather it.

For my next build I am building the 1/48 Italeri UH-60/MH-60 Black Hawk. I will be building this on commission as a UH-60L of the Illinois Army Air National Guard. A few years ago my company used to have a picnic lunch around the 4th of July in our parking lot during work. At these picnics we typically had government officials and military personnel give recognition for the work we do. The military personnel would arrive in a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter and land in the parking lot. I have quite a few reference photos of these from over the years. Anyhow, one of the Back Hawk pilots (who landed in our parking lot a couple of times) after completing his service now works at my company and wants a model built of the particular Black Hawk he piloted. The kit will be detailed using Eduard interior and exterior photo etch sets and custom decals for the scheme. I started with the crew cabin. The seats in the kit are basic looking. Since the seats are removable on the real helicopter they are mounted using cables and turnbuckles. The cables are mounted under the seats. To replicate these I used 30awg wire and made decals for the canvas flags. The seats were then detailed with photo etch seat belts and buckles. Once the crew seats were completed the cockpit was next. The instrument panel for the kit lacked details and the decal for the panels was basic. The photo etch requires the top of the instrument panel to be trimmed off. The panel modified and the photo etch pieces were applied. The pilot and co-pilot seats were then detailed with photo etch pieces. While reviewing reference photos I noticed the back of the pilot/co-pilot seats was a first aid pack. Using the photos I created a small 3-D file and 3-D printed the packs. These were then painted and mounted on the backs of the seats. I am now working on the crew cabin roof, engine, and tail rotor assemblies so I can assemble the fuselage. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-uh-60l-black-hawk-helicopter/

The Thunderbolt is now complete! This build has been a tedious but fun build. The numerous accessories that were added and lighting work well together to bring the aircraft from the Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) into an awesome display piece. The Tamiya kit itself was nice the way it was designed to be built. It made adding the LED’s and fiber optic lines a little easier. While many of the decals for the particular scheme were homemade, the kit decals I used were very good. They went down nicely. I then carefully packed up the aircraft, test cart, and a CD filled with over 250 high resolution build photos into a box using foam supports, bubble wrap, and plenty of tape to keep everything held in place. The box was sealed and then placed in a larger box surrounded by foam peanuts to keep it all safe and secure for its trip to the northwestern United States. It is scheduled to be delivered today. The client purchased a hangar display base for this. Once he has it unpacked and on display he will take a couple of photo and I will update this log later with them. Thanks for following along. You can see all the photos and details from start to finish in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

This weekly update for the A-10 Thunderbolt II covers the power cart and most of the weapons. So the Hasegawa accessory kit came with two carts. The A/M32A-60A generator and a TTU-228/E Hydraulic test stand. I used the TTU-228 as it was large enough to hold the 9V battery. The cart was detailed with the wires and hoses that came with the kit. The top panel of the cart sits in between the side rails so it kind of clips in. I had to extend it to match the modification I did to the cart. It was then painted and decals added. Then a final coat of matte clear coat was sprayed. I then assembled the wheel chocks and painted them yellow. Moving onto the weapons and pods, I started with the AGM-65 Mavericks. The inside of the window was painted with chrome paint and the outside with 3 coats of Tamiya smoke. This give the head a tinted lens look but reflects the chrome when the light hits it. The ALQ-184 was painted. The resin pod did not come with ant decals so I made the decals as they were in the game skins. The CBU-54’s were assembled and painted then moved on to the mk. 84. The game skins have a shark mouth and some graffiti on the side. I made the decals from the game skin sheets. Finally comes the 3-D printed Litening Pod which was detailed and painted. All of these were then paced onto their stations to match the game skin. The only thing left is the APKWS rocket pods. These were ordered from Phase Hangar and arrived earlier this week. The other thing that was on the skins was FOD covers for the engines. These cover match the same style as the ones used on a YouTube video titled “A-10 Thunderbolt II Maintenance in HD” which is the same squadron. For the FOD covers I cut out two circles from a styrene sheet and used red wire to make the handles. I made a decal of the squadron logo and put one on each cover. The covers were then glued to a small piece of black foam. This gives them the black seal for the edges and holds them in place. These can be removed to show the intake vanes. All that is left to do now is to scratch build the triple rack to hold all six rocket pods (3 on each side) mount them, then take the final photos, and pack it up for its trip out to the west coast. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

The A-10 Thunderbolt II is heading into the final stages of the build. The aircraft was painted and the custom decals to match the combat simulator scheme were added. The Master Model was then assembled and installed. This accessory set also comes with a brass pitot tube for the wing. The hole in the wing was too large for the brass one so I filled the hole and re-drilled it the correct size. I was searching around the internet and stumbled upon a fellow modeler who used a glow-in-the-dark paint that he used for the formation lights (nicknamed “Slime Lights”). I looked up paints and found a brand called Spacebeams. They make a line of glow-in-the-dark paint called Aquaris. I purchased the Bright Aqua color. The paint is very thick. Almost as thick as the acrylic gel. Since the photo etch set came with the formation light frames, I used a toothpick to fill in the areas where the lights go then used the edge of the hobby knife blade to level it out. The paint itself has a leveling property itself so it dried to a smooth level. In normal light the paint has an ivory color to it. Once you place it in the sunlight or “charge: it with a UV flash light it glows brightly and is a match to what they look like on the real aircraft. The effect is amazing! The boarding ladder and the canopy were detailed and installed. At this point the basic aircraft itself is finished. So I am now working on all the weapons and pods. The weapons load-out will consist of two AIM-9 missiles, two AGM-65 Mavericks, two GBU-54’s, one mk.84 bomb, six APKWS rocket pods, the AAQ28 Litening pod, and the ALQ-184 pod. The missiles and bombs are Eduard Brassin, the APKWS rockets are from Phase Hangar, the ALQ-184 is from GT resin and the Litening pod is 3-D printed. Once the weapons load is completed all that will be left to do is finish building and detailing the Aircraft Test Cart. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

This week the wing tip lights were placed. I made an optic coupler to go from a PICO sized LED into a .5mm fiber optic line. One wing has a red LED and one has a green LED. Then the fun part, the wings and tail assembly need to be installed before the fuselage halves so the wiring and optic lines could be routed properly. I added weight to the node area so it will sit on the landing gear correctly then carefully put the fuselage together. The main gear was then detailed and installed and the engine assembly was built up, painted, detailed and exhaust was weathered. Once installed on the fuselage I checked that there is enough weight in the nose. There is, it sits on the gear without and need to prop the tail. I then added all the photo etch details to the fuselage. I then set up the model with the power cable and performed a light check. In my build log is a video that was taken with my cell phone to get an idea how the lights look from various angles. The photo etch HUD was then assembled, detailed and painted. Need to do some more cleanup work on the fuselage then start the base coat of the paint scheme. I am currently working on scaling and making the custom decals. The client wants a specific weapons load so I had to order some resin weapons that should arrive on Monday. The GPU cart will then be finished after the aircraft is completed. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/ Link to video: https://videopress.com/v/H04hAhkK

Let there be light! This week’s work on the Thunderbolt II is installing the aircraft lights. Starting with the navigation lights there are five locations. The locations are the aft of the fuselage, each side of the tails, the dorsal light and the belly light. The kit provides a clear lens for the tail which is 1mm in diameter. So to start I drilled a 1mm hole all the way into the fuselage cavity. The clear lens was placed and then a 1mm fiber optic line was placed against it. For the belly light a 1mm hole was drilled and a piece of styrene stock was added to provide strain relief. I then used a lighter and slightly melted the end of the 1 mm fiber optic line to create a “lens” and installed it. The tails and the dorsal spots were drilled with a .5mm drill and like the belly I used a lighter to slightly melt the end of each .5mm fiber optic line. I then made a light box out of styrene and installed a 3mm LED on one end and then drilled two 1mm holes and three .5mm holes for the fiber optic lines. All the fiber optic lines were then routed and attached using acrylic gel to hold them in place. To power the lighting I took the 1/48 Hasegawa cart and built it up. The problem I had was the interior of the cart held the battery but there was not enough room for the connector to the battery. To correct the fit I added some .2” thick styrene to the one end and some thin stock styrene to extend the edge of the top cover. A 3.5mm hole for the power cable was drilled out on the aircraft power spot. I used a coax wire sleeved with black shrink tubing as the power cable. One end was routed to the battery connector and the other side I installed a female coaxial pin. On the aircraft next to the nose gear bay is the aircraft ground power port. I cut out the panel (will make one later in the open position) and installed a male coaxial connector on a thick styrene sheet with epoxy and glued it into place. The cover of the cart will not be glued down which will allow access to change the battery if needed. I used the photo etch detail parts to build up the nose gear bay and then started work on the nose gear strut. The A-10 has two lights on the strut. There is a lower light for taxi and the upper light for landing. Using styrene rod I made both light housings. I installed a white PICO sized LED in each one and made the lens using acrylic gel. So not only does it create the lens it holds the LED’s in place. I am now starting on the red and green wing tip lights which will use individual LED’s and fiber optic lines. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

This week on the A-10 Thunderbolt II I detailed and assembled the cockpit. I completed the details on the instrument panel and the side panels. I decided used a QuickBoost resin ejection seat as the kit seat was very incorrect. I then dug thru my 1/48 figures and found a very good detailed pilot. The pilot was painted to match the pilot used in the simulator. I made the squadron arm patch and helmet logo decals using the artwork from the simulator and painted the helmet red with tiger stripes to match as well. While the pilot was drying, I added some photo etch details to the nose wheel strut. The pilot was then placed in the seat and I used the photo etch seat belts to strap the pilot in. The cockpit was assembled and I ran the wiring down the one side of the cockpit. I am now starting work on the navigation lights. There are five white lights and the red/green of the wingtips. The white lights will all be fiber optic lines from a single LED source. Check in next week to see the results! You can see more photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

For this next build I will be using the Tamiya 1/48 A-10A Thunderbolt II and doing a custom scheme as well as illuminating the aircraft. This is a commissioned work for a friend that flies this A-10 in the online flight simulator at the Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) website. The build will be detailed with Eduard photo etch, Eduard Brassin weapons (CBU-97’s, CBU-105’s, and Mk.84’s) and a Master Model gun for the nose. I will also be adding a M32A-60A Generator Unit which is part of the Hasegawa 1/48 US Ground Crew A set (currently on order) this will be used to hold a battery to power the LED’s used in the aircraft. Since I will be illuminating this it will not follow the instructions order of build so that the wiring and fiber optic lines can be installed as needed. I started with the instrument panel. The photo etch set provides an instrument panel as well as a clear plastic with the gauges printed on them. I cut out the center of the kit panel then using Tamiya clear green and blue I colored the certain gauges and sprayed the back side with flat white to reduce the brightness of the LED. I built a light box on the backside and installed a white PICO sized LED. Looking at reference photos there is a large landing light on the inside of the nose gear door. This is not included in the kit. I took a piece of 0.1” styrene rod and drilled into the end to make the back reflector and then cut the bottom lip to run the wires. I used a clear lens from my spare parts bin to cover the front and finally sanded the light case with a tapered back. I am starting to work on the taxi and formation lighting next. You can see more photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

The X-47B is now finished! First I need to bring up another issue. As I was applying decals a fellow modeler commented on one of the Facebook groups that the “Beware of Blast” decals were misspelled. I had already put the decals on the aircraft. So I looked at them and they say “Be Were of Blast”. They were carefully removed and I made my own with the correct spelling. Lastly I used some clear sprue trees and made the wingtip lights. These were shaped, sanded and polished. I trimmed the molded in one and put the clear ones on and painted them with Tamiya clear red and clear green paints. The overall kit was very good. It would be better but the decals being off register and the misspelling. For fit it was very good and the instructions were well thought out. The decals actually applied well. They do give you options for different schemes, however they only give you instructions for two schemes so you are left with a few decals with no reference to designate where they go. One final note, when I was reviewing the photos I took I kept thinking that the front on shots remind me of the alien fighters in the movie “Independence Day” with the intake looking like the front windscreen. Thank you for following along with the build of this unusual aircraft. You can see all the photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-x-47b-ucas/

This week’s update on the X-47B UCAS covers the detailing of the bays. After I use wire for the cables and hydraulic lines I used some styrene rods for the large hoses. For the orange hose I used foil tape for the clamps. I used some black vinyl tape and foil tape to make the hose connector on each one. Towards the aft I sleeved the shaped styrene rod with a braided sleeve and foil tape for the connectors. I assembled, painted and applied decals to the JDAM bombs. The decals that come with the kit had the white base slightly off register from the colors. The decals are also a little on the thicker side so they required a little more solvent to conform and lay down. This kit does not come with any clear parts. I trimmed off the upper and lower wing tip lights so I can make my own lenses. The base coat of painting was done and all the gear and bomb bay doors were painted. The instructions call out to use gunship gray but all the reference photos show the aircraft was painted dark ghost gray. The tail hook was painted and installed and the JDAM’s were put in the bays. I am working on the numerous decals then onto the final assembly and details. You can see all the photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-x-47b-ucas/

My next build is the 1/48 Freedom Models X-47B US Navy UCAS. This is an Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) built by Northrop Grumman. It is essentially a semi-autonomous limited combat aircraft with two weapons bays. It is designed for use on an aircraft carrier to supply reconnaissance and identify targets for the air wing. With its stealth and ordinance capability it can take out a target that could be an immediate threat. It can also be refueled in the air for extended range. Only two flying demonstrators were built. Since there is no “cockpit” for a pilot to sit in, I decided to super detail the landing gear and weapons bays. I started by priming the bays with white primer. Next I worked on the landing gear. For the nose gear I drilled into the landing light to form a concave hole. This was then painted chrome silver. Once dry I filled the void with acrylic gel to form the landing light lens. I then added some 32 gauge wiring for the cables and hoses. I then use foil tape for the cable ties. This will be weathered later just prior to install. The main gear has the duel hard lines with bare 32 gauge wire then using black coated wires for attaching inside the bay. I then started to detail the bays. I used black, blue wire and green wires for the different uses and then cut thin strips of foil tape for the cable ties and mounts. I am currently working on scratch building the hoses then moving on to the weapons. The kit comes with two JDAM bombs so I need to build and detail them. You can see all the photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-x-47b-ucas/

Very nice! Came out great.

I have finished the Mohawk. This was a difficult kit to build. The fit requires a lot of work especially the canopy sections. The decals were also difficult to get them to sit down. They did not soften easily with decal set/solvents. Even with a base coat of Future they did not adhere or conform well to the surface details. The photo etch and resin accessories worked and fit well. If you build one of these the instructions state to use 19 grams, you need closer to 24 grams to keep it from sitting on the tails. Aside from the difficult issues it is a good representation of a unique aircraft. Thanks for following along. You can see all the photos and details from the start to finish in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/

This week I am getting closer to finishing the OV-1C Mohawk. I started by detailing the fuselage with photo etch accessories. On the bottom of the fuselage is a loop antenna. The kit antenna was difficult to separate from the tree due to how thin it was. It broke in two different places. I placed the pieces on a piece of tape the used some 32 gauge wire and made my own. I cut the mounts for the for the kit antenna and attached them to the fuselage then drilled a hole to fit the new wire antenna. With all the wings attached and landing gear mounted I placed the aircraft on the gear. As expected I added enough weight to the nose to keep the tail up. Next I built up the replacement resin propellers. The resin set came with a jig to attach the blades at the correct pitch. I then decided to make this a ground support version using incendiary and high explosive rockets. I made the drop tanks and rocket pods using photo etch details. A fellow modeler mentioned that the canopy fit very badly. So I dry fit the canopy sections to see why they did not fit. It turns out there are multiple issues. The main one is the overhead console. It mounts at an incorrect angle and is too long. I sanded down the ends and the top to match the curve of the photo etch panel. I then mounted it with the console to be flush with the top of the rear bulkhead. This allowed the top part to line up correctly. Next came the windscreen which also has a console across it. Even with the overhead console trimmed it still went past the edge of the windscreen. I marked where the center console meets the windscreen console and mounted the windscreen console .03 inches back from the edge. Everything lined up. I then base coat painted it using green drab for the late Viet Nam scheme that was used. Once painted, I looked over the side doors of the canopy. They were horrible. One side looks like the mold had a hot spot or did not cool evenly and caused distorted lines inside the plastic. Both of them also had a lot of scuffs on the outside surface. I sanded them with 2000 grit then polished them with Meguire’s PlastX. Aside for the distortion on the one side due to the mold process, they came out great. I am now getting ready to start adding the decals. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/ After repairing and polishing using https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/how-to-repair-clean-and-polish-clear-parts/

They were painted with Model Master Jet Exhaust paint then weathered with dark brown and black pastel chalk. https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/weathering-with-pastel-chalk/

The build continues on the OV-1C Mohawk. The first thing I did was to detail the nose gear bay with more photo etch so I could install the cockpit/nose gear assembly into the fuselage. Once done, I was able to assemble the fuselage together. The instructions call out to add 19 grams of weight to the nose so the model will sit on the gear rather than its tail. I actually added about 22 grams. Only 15 grams fit in the nose so I added the rest on the sides of the nose gear bay between the bay and fuselage wall. I then began work on the wings. The first step was to cut out the entire main gear bays as these were completely replaced with photo etch parts. The bays were then primed with white primer. The main struts were then detailed with photo etch details. The engine exhaust area was detailed with photo etch and the kit exhaust was replaced with the upgraded resin version. The resin version is a seamless casting and shaped a little better than the kit version. The exhaust was painted then weathered with pastel chalk. The wing halves were then put together and finally the main gear was installed onto the wings. Next up is the tails and fuselage detailing. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/

For my next build I will be building the Roden 1/48 OV-1C Mohawk. I will be detailing it with Eduard photo etch for the cockpit, exterior, and undercarriage as well as Quick Boost resin accessories like the exhaust, accurate propellers, and accurate scoops. This is one of the unique aircraft that you rarely see them built in scale models. Roden makes three versions in 1/48 the A, the C, and the D. I chose the C as it was the more widely used version during the Viet Nam war. The Mohawk's mission includes observation, artillery spotting, air control, emergency resupply, naval target spotting, liaison, and radiological monitoring. Built by Grumman in 1959, it was used for monitoring the DMZ in Korea then used during the Viet Nam war. It remained operational even during Desert Storm and until it was retired in 1996. Starting with the cockpit, I built up and detailed the seats with over 20 pieces of photo etch. The cockpit tub was then assembled and detailed and finally the instrument panel was detailed. The nose gear bay has photo etch details except where the wheel sits so I dug through my extra photo etch bin and located a panel that resembled the reference photo and installed it. I need to do a little more work on the nose gear and bay and look for areas to add some weight so it sits on the gear correctly once built. You can more photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/

The AV-8B II Plus of VMA-214 has been completed. The fit issues make this a bit of a challenge. Not only was the dorsal and wing fit very poor, so was the canopy. It took a lot of work to get the canopy to line up to the windscreen. I could not mount the canopy open like I wanted because the two scoops behind the canopy are too close together for the canopy to fit in between them. The rest of the kit was fine for the fit. The Caracal decals worked very well. Overall it does present well. I really cannot recommend this kit unless you are up for the challenge of correcting the fit. Thanks for following along. You can see all the photos and details from start to finish in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-av-8b-harrier-ii-plus/