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Kinda makes me hungry


Dick Montgomery

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Just finished the Special Hobby V-173 Flying Pancake. It's a 48th scale kit and its a beauty. One needs to know that there are no locating pins/holes for the gear struts but there is engraved detail that clearly shows where the gear struts fit to the underside of the Pancake. Lots of excellent detail and a clean, tight fit.

My building skills were not up to the task but the project was very enjoyable.

 

 

V-173 Flying Pancake Special Hobby SH48121-Rgt  Front.jpg

V-173 Flying Pancake Special Hobby SH48121 Top View.jpg

V-173 Flying Pancake Special Hobby SH48121 Lft Front.jpg

V-173 Flying Pancake Special Hobby SH48121 Front.jpg

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Beautiful model! Next time you're in Big D, be sure to visit the Frontiers of Flight at Love Field. The real thing, lovingly restored by Vought employees, is on display there.

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That looks quite good considering your skills aren't up to the task. I ain't buying it.

 

That is a funky looking craft. I got to watch one fly at the Chino Air show some years back. That was wild, and it seemed to fly quite well!

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As for lack of skills....I have enough skill with the smart phone camera to hide the major flaws on the Pancake.

As for the props..... They are not the "typical" laminated blades, at least the pics on the Interwebs does not show them with that stereotypical appearance. I studied the interweb pics, selected the Vallejo colors that I keep on hand for such work, and matched the pic colors to the Vallejo paint colors...……..more or less. I don't worry about exact match-ups.

The blades were shot with a Tamiya yellow due to the fact that there are two yellow bands on the prop tips, and a large yellow "plate" at the base of each blade.

The blades had the color bands on the tips applied in the usual fashion, with masking tape and airbrush.

I masked over the white band on the prop tip in preparation for hand painting the wood effect. (I have a new appreciation of Tamiya tape!)

I started "wooding" the blades with a thin coat of the lightest color, followed by applications of 3 different darker colors, all applied fairly thinned out.

All the time I kept checking the interwebs pics (which, by this time I had downloaded to my laptop) to use as a reference, paying attention to the length, width, and intensity of the different colors in the pics, and trying to mimic those same lines on the blades.

Once all the paint was dry I dipped each blade in Future and then set it aside to dry out. I avoided dipping the blade deep enough to get that metal plate at the bottom of each blade covered....wanted it to be fairly matt in appearance with some "chipping" of the yellow revealing a "metal" finish" to the plate, itself.

Applied the "logo" decal, and gave each blade another Finish bath, and the result was...…...well, you see the result.

I've done other Special Hobby kits and I find them to be well detailed, with a "fit" that is quite good. I've also found that if one doesn't study the instructions (not in English, but the universal language of drawings and illustrations) thoroughly, one will have trouble sooner or later.  Decals were quite good.

Not for the beginner, and it certainly challenged my skill level. Be careful with the canopy parts and don't stress them when removing them from the parts tree, or when masking them. They are a bit thin. Test fit, test fit, test fit, test fit, test fit, test fit, test fit, test fit, test fit.  Did I mention its wise to test fit?

Great Fun!...……..and quite tasty with Maple Syrup!

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'll have mine with blueberries. 

Nicely done.  All models (Vought Pancakes or otherwise) are best served with humble pie, but yours is well finished with icing and a cherry on top. The wood grain is wonderful. The Vallejo has done it well. Beats waiting for oils to dry. 

Now for a side of XF5U??

Rick L. 

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