SkyKing

I have a tapatalk account and have been a regular on Hyperscale. I posted as late as yesterday with no issues. Today, however, it's a different story. Not even my email address is recognized.

As of this morning the Hyperscale forum does not recognize my ID or password. Anybody know what's going on over there?

Yes, it is.

Other than an announcement by Rusty on the Steel Navy forum and a discussion on this forum of the pros and cons of judging systems, I can find no link to the actual survey itself. Shouldn't this be posted prominently on the web site? I don't believe in conspiracy theories, but why has it not received more publicity?

From Faller, N-scale (1/160);

Build a model of a machine used to make model kits: See here (ebay) if interested. I have no connection with the seller: https://tinyurl.com/y6le6atr

Thanks to a respondent on the Starship Modeler forum, I was able to locate some of the info. The site I was looking for has been archived by the Wayback Machine, but some pages are missing. The studio blueprint can be found here: https://web.archive.org/web/20141014212908/http://projects.airwolf.tv/resources/bpairwolf.html (click on the image to download a larger version in ZIP format) The "flight manual" can be found here: https://web.archive.org/web/20140803111230if_/http://projects.airwolf.tv/resources/manual.html (The "Previous/Next" links on those pages work, or you can use the "Manual Page" links in the lower left-hand corner.) There were some very nice CAD drawings done by a fan, but those no longer appear to be available, and his email is a defunct hotmail address. There are also some 3D printed Airwolf and Bell 222 models in various scales available through Shapeways, but they all appear to be solid with no interior. Here's one designer's selection: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/smallscaleshop?li=pb

I have a bookmark to a website (www.airwolf.tv) that had an Airwolf "technical/flight manual," but that site seems to have gone to 404Land. Might any IPMSers have saved said document? I'm also looking for a copy of the studio plans of the aircraft, but all I've found online have been low-resolution partial copies. Anybody got the real deal?

We do have online renewal. Click on "Join IPMS/USA" in the banner at the top of the home page, then select the type of membership (Junior, Adult, or Family) that you wish to renew, then select "Renewal" in the Options menu. Note to admins: Perhaps "Join IPMS/USA" should be amended to "Join/Renew IPMS/USA." Nick beat me to it!

Has anyone thought to contact Boeing? Don't know the exact color, but here's a photo of the restored Dash 80 in the National Air and Space Museum that gives a good impression of it: https://www.airliners.net/photos/small/1/6/8/1161861.jpg

It appears that Shapeways has reorganized its website to make items easier to find. Here is a link to the "Aircraft" index page, where you can filter by scale, type, era, and country. Accessories such as engines are also included. There's even a Norden bombsight! https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace/miniatures/aircraft/ There are also index pages for sci-fi, ships, vehicles, trains, and other items. Note: I have no connection to Shapeways or any of the designers whose work is sold there.

I've just learned that, in response to huge demand, GSI Creos will soon be releasing this new product, containing all necessary additives: But Mr. Water Thinner will still be available for those who like to mix it themselves.

I seldom thin water, but when i do, I prefer …

When I was a kid, I received Revell's Space Station and not one, but two XSL-01 moon rockets the same Christmas!. Those were scrapped long ago, but I was able to acquire one each on ebay and have them set aside. I also have a Design-a-Plane set. Remember that?

Here's my standard response, which probably needs updating: The best way to avoid large gaps is to carefully test fit parts before assembly. But if you have a very large gap in spite of your best efforts, it's best to try to fill it with styrene plastic rod/strip and liquid cement, allowing it to dry thoroughly before applying any putty. This technique is handy for wing-to-fuselage gaps. For filling large gaps, I'd suggest Milliput, which is an epoxy filler that comes in two parts that have to be mixed thoroughly before applying, and can be smoothed with a wet finger/cotton swab/sculpting tool, or Aves Apoxie, a similar product which comes in a variety of colors. Some of the auto body glazing putties, such as 3M Acryl Spot Putty, make good model putties; these are lacquer based and can be applied (sparingly) with a brush dampened in lacquer thinner. Of the lacquer-based glazing putties, I'd recommend Spies Hecker Permacron Fine Putty. Another useful filler from the auto body repair sector is Evercoat/Eurosoft, also a two-part putty which requires the addition of a catalyst to harden it. A nice thing about it is that before it sets, it gets rubbery, which makes it easy to carve away any excess with your modeling knife, but once cured, it sands and takes paint like styrene plastic. It's available at auto body repair supply outlets. Tamiya makes some body putties which are said to be quite good as well, although I've not tried them. Squadron's white putty is said to be good, but I've not tried it either. A relatively new product is Perfect Plastic Putty, a one-part putty which can be smoothed with water, but it is water soluble after it dries so cannot be wet sanded. However, it can be smoothed after application with a damp cotton swab or fingertip. Many modelers like to use CA glue as a gap-filler and have had success. But it must be sanded immediately after it initially sets up. I've never had much success with it myself. You can also make your own putty by dissolving sprue in liquid cement or MEK. What's nice about this is that you can control how thin or thick you want your "plastic plastic" to be, you have a variety of colors of sprue to choose from, and once it's set and sanded it takes paint just like styrene plastic, because it is styrene plastic! Mr. Surfacer comes in three "flavors": 500, 1000, and 1200, in order from coarse to fine. They are intended more as primers/surfacers for filling small imperfections prior to painting, not as a general gap filler. See here for a good primer (pun intended) on Mr. Surfacer: http://www.swannysmodels.com/Surfacer.html There's also Mr. Dissolved Putty, which is an even thicker liquid putty, but again, it's not intended for filling large gaps. It can be brushed on, however, which makes it really useful. Typewriter correction fluid ("white-out") can also be used to fill fine cracks. Brush it on, let it dry, sand, and paint. Putty, regardless of type or brand, should be used sparingly. The lacquer-based putties can melt through plastic components if applied too generously. You can place masking tape on either side of a gap before applying putty. Once the putty is cured, sand it until you can remove the tape, then sand it flush with the surface. Lacquer-based putties should also be given plenty of time to allow the solvents to evaporate. My rule of thumb is: If I can no longer smell the putty, then it's safe to begin sanding. I'd suggest getting an old kit and a supply of different model putties and body fillers and experiment. Keep notes. You'll soon find a combination of putty and technique that works well for you. Good luck!