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1/32 Czech Model F-80C Shooting Star


ghodges

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This was a difficult build because it's a limited run style kit. It does have some very nice resin and PE details, but very few locating pins, fair to poor fit, and you really need to deviate from the instructions to get the best results. The kit decals are one of the better items included, though I only used the data, stenciling, modexes, and stars. The nose art and others are from an aftermarket sheet. Here's a link to the in progress shots on Agapemodels if you want to see how it was built: https://www.agapemodelersforum.com/index.php?topic=23336.0

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I used AK metalics Aluminum for the overall finish and then did the varying panels with Alclad Dull Aluminum. The red is Testsors (small bottle) enamel thinned with lacquer thinner. I made the gun barrels from steel tubing.

I'm happy with the result, but I can't really recommend this kit to others unless you have some experience with limited run kits, vacs, or resin kits. There's a lot of re-engineering and alterations needed to get the best result. Comments, questions, and critiques welcome, as always. Cheers!

 

GIL :cool:

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That it one sharp looking build Gil. I like to different shades of silver.  Were the  intakes difficult to build? You did an amazing job on them. They look like they were challenging to build.

Regards

Christopher

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The intakes were a challenge. They're molded as a "Y", but will NOT fit properly, so I cut the Y apart into separate trunks. That allowed me to get the best fit on each side. They also had to have their outer edges inside the fuselage ground down some so as to not interfere with the fit of the wings.

 

GIL :cool:

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Gil -

Outstanding job on your Lockheed F-80C; I especially like the natural metal technique you used on your model.  Well done!

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Wow! I'm still amazed and overwhelmed at how well you did such a smooth and even coat on your multi-colored metallic finish. I envy you your ability to do that, especially on such a difficult kit as this! You are truly a Master of Vac-formed models!

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Well done, sir!

Since we mere mortals can't see anything really wrong here; what were the worst sticking points?

Fit and finish look great.

Bill 

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I've actually written a review of this model for Detail and Scale (future use, sometime). Here's a part of it that covers the "sticking" poiints.....and sorry for the length, but they're a lot of 'em!

The biggest problems to be conquered with this kit are the fit of the intakes to the fuselage, the fit of the intake trunks to the inside of the intakes, the lack of dihedral in the wing, and the fit of the wing to the fuselage. I heartily recommend NOT following the kit instruction sequences and deviating in the following ways to correct these problems and get the best fit.

Before gluing the fuselage halves together……

The intake bleed air ramps and the intakes themselves need to be glued into and onto their fuselage halves. This allows you to work from the inside and the outside to get them to fit. I also recommend leaving out the resin fuselage bleed air vents on the tops of the intakes until after you’ve sanded the intakes on the fuselage, lest they be obliterated (like mine!). Try to “drop fit” them into place after the sanding is done to better preserve them.

Czech Models molded the interior intake ducting as a large “Y” assembly which is intended to be glued to the wing bottom and then fit neatly up to the rear of the intakes when the wing is added. It does not work! The intake trunk mouths do not align well with the intakes AND they will interfere with the fit of the wing to the fuselage. The solution is to cut the Y apart, making two separate intake ducts. Then, each one can be individually fit to its intake, pressing and twisting to get the smoothest transition and fit. Note that the outer edges of the intake ducts inside the fuselage may still need some grinding and trimming to keep them from hitting against the tops of the main wheel wells and inhibiting the fit of the wing. Thinning down the top inner edges of the main wheel wells in the wing bottom may also be needed to get clearance between the two of them.

One of the more trying problems is that the wing, as molded, is too flat; lacking proper dihedral. The limited run nature of the molding in between the main wheel wells, with the extra plastic there, makes it difficult to try to “bend” the wing in the center to give the wing dihedral. What’s needed is to GRIND out all of that plastic between the main gear wells (a motor tool really helps here!) and also to remove the plastic that spans the front and rear of the bottom wing center sections. That will give the bottom wing the flex needed to make the next step work.

The outer main wheel well tops are separate parts. They can aid in setting some dihedral on the bottom wing by doing the following (using super glue): First, glue the inner edge to the main wheel well top and allow it to set securely. Next, while bending the wing upward, glue the outer end of the part to the wing. Doing this on both sides will give the bottom wing a modicum of dihedral. The wing tops can now be added, but don’t forget to first drill out the locating holes in the bottom wing for the bomb pylons and wingtip tanks!

At this point, the instructions can be followed to install the cockpit tub, nose wheel well, exhaust can, and glue the fuselage halves together. I also recommend gluing the stabilizers in place, as these will serve as a check on fitting and aligning the wing. Also, don’t forget to add some nose weight!

Even with all of the above adjustments, the fit of the wing assembly to the fuselage is problematic. The width of the fuselage tended to flatten out the wing and remove what dihedral had been set. I found that sanding each of the wing roots down allowed the wing to fit in place with the dihedral sustained and a pretty good fit along the wing roots.

On the bottom of the model, the fit is much worse, especially at the front. The wing simply needs to be glued in place while maintaining the dihedral, keeping the good fit along the wing roots, and assuring that the wings are level as compared to the tail planes; and ignore the steps on the bottom at the front and the back. The step in the front was too large to even be ground down. Instead, a “ramp” of epoxy putty was built up to smoothly transition the wing front to the rear of the nose wheel well. The same thing was needed at the rear junction of the wing and fuselage, but to a lesser degree.

Another anomaly to be mentioned is the lack of a traditional “axle” on the main landing gear. The small nub meant to serve as an axle will only hold the tire if it’s glued to the brake drum on the wheel (perhaps the maker’s intention). I recommend drilling and pinning each gear leg to create an axle for each tire. The fact that the brake drums are molded on the kit wheels instead of the gear legs means that IF you want to flatten the tires by sanding them, there is only one spot to do it properly!

The nose gear, on the other hand, is more traditional in that it has an axle, although it’s actually too long and has to be trimmed shorter. It also seemed a tad on the flimsy side, and with weight added to the nose, I recommend shimming it with more thin sheet plastic or metal on the inside of the axle arm to strengthen it.

After making the above adjustments, the kit can be finished out like any other one.

GIL :cool:

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Thanks for posting this Gil. I really like the look of this model. You did an awesome job on it. I’d love to try and build it, but not sure if I would want to deal with all the issues. Congrats!

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