TheWalrus Posted June 1, 2012 Report Share Posted June 1, 2012 Started this bad boy 2-weeks ago. Beautifully crafted and engineered kit. Very fine detail, excellent fit needs little if any filler. On the other hand, returning to buidling means regaining skills. So far I have learned that following instruction sheet sequencing is important. In my excitement I got ahead cementing the fuselage halves and also the top deck. Couldn't figure out why cockpit deck and openings in top deck didn't seem to line up, Uh, oh! backtrack. Big mess because everything well cemented in place. Just finished that little (Ha!) job and now can move forward. Instruction sheet is pretty poor and unclear. See if you can find color 351. It's called out on the instruction pictographs but not listed in colors matrix. Educated guess is that it is the apple green/green chromate/yellow chromate/interior green family. Some other colors are suspect. Part numbers are not sequential in pictographs. More random than not. For example C5 and C24 are on page 7; C22, C11, etc are on pp5 & 6 and not related to others. C4 is the left aileron assy on pp6 while C5 is a blanking panel over the bomb/torpedo bay on pp7. The engine assy is a little jewel, but poorly illustrated and no locating guide for the wiring harness. Photoetch is excellent but many parts are too teeny for even a young eye. Carpet monster ate several etch parts, but cockpit is pretty tight so may not miss them. Figure if I'm lucky it will be done for Orlando so TSA can bust it up looking at it prior to boarding the great silver bird. Nice kit though. Half of problems are pilot error on my part. No photos yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted June 2, 2012 Report Share Posted June 2, 2012 Sounds sort of typical for a new company's first effort. Look for them to improve as they continue, especially with input like yours and other reviewers. As for the "instructions", look at them more as suggestions! Occasionally, there ARE some critical steps where following the instructions is important. However, as your experience grows, you'll find that many of them can be done independently and out of order, and then united in the proper order. This can work to your advantage as you can continue with another step while waiting for the first step to dry, making faster progress overall. Small parts are trying for everyone. But, there are plenty of tips here that can help you handle them easier and with less loss! Experience will help there too. The new Devestator sounds nice! I look forward topics of your build! GIL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWalrus Posted June 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2012 Sounds sort of typical for a new company's first effort. Look for them to improve as they continue, especially with input like yours and other reviewers. As for the "instructions", look at them more as suggestions! Occasionally, there ARE some critical steps where following the instructions is important. However, as your experience grows, you'll find that many of them can be done independently and out of order, and then united in the proper order. This can work to your advantage as you can continue with another step while waiting for the first step to dry, making faster progress overall. Small parts are trying for everyone. But, there are plenty of tips here that can help you handle them easier and with less loss! Experience will help there too. The new Devestator sounds nice! I look forward topics of your build! GIL Sorry for not being clear. I am an experienced modeler. Just been a few years. Need to regain old skills and learn new ones. I prefer building sub assemblies first, but lost my common sense in my enthusiasm on this one. Thought it would be a simple quick build so chose it from the stash. Instructions are not bad, just unclear in some areas. Devil is in the details. Learned handling teeny etch parts. Learned handling tiny decals (instruments). decided on another airbrush purchase. Been using siphon feed for years, but now going to ad gravity feed to set. Pistol grip Grex TG2. Learned how fast work area clutters up. Etc, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWalrus Posted June 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2012 Taping up for cement to cure. Another view Engine assy attached Oblique view of engine detailing Had a photo of cockpit area too, but it disappeared into the ether. Progress in last two weeks was mostly removal of the tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregWise Posted June 7, 2012 Report Share Posted June 7, 2012 David my review should be posted soon you may want to look it over before you get to far along with the landing gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWalrus Posted June 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2012 (edited) David my review should be posted soon you may want to look it over before you get to far along with the landing gear. Thanks. Will look forward to it.i bought aftermarket from Squadrom/True details. Looks just like the kit parts. Kit has no detail in the wells. Review posting look like they are taking quite a while to go up. Steve C. does the editing and has trouble getting the free time problems to do them. Probably has to make a living and feed his family. <{:-) Edited June 8, 2012 by TheWalrus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWalrus Posted June 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2012 What? No admiring comments on the pristine work area??? :gold-plane: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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