Fishwelding

The "Sisters Flogger" are looking sharp. That camoflage bird's got me thinking I should pull out my ancient Academy kit and try to make something vaguely resembling a mig out of it. You're using polly scale acrylics on these? Wow, maybe I should kick the enamel habit altogether.

They want to call it the 'growler?" Coming from Hornet, Shouldn't it be...."Howler?"

Academy's F-111 (and Zengdefu's illicit copies) kits are the only game in town in quarter-inch country. Check out F-111.net for reviews, aftermarket options, and why not to bother with the Monogram kit. But in any event Jim Rotramel's marvelous reference piece on Hyperscale.com is a must. Having the kit open in front of me right now, I can say that, accuracy issues aside (and that's a lot to put aside for many people), it looks 'okay.' Finely engraved surface detail, marginal cockpit, lackluster wheel-well detail, and disappointing want of ordinance, other than some fuel tanks and glum-lo

Washing machine? I'd heard "One-oh-wonder," for the 101.

Upon recent inspection of my Academy F-111A kit, I note that there are two sets of intakes. Does this kit, in fact, contain triple plow II intakes as well as the "A"-correct triple plow I? The non-A pair appears to have no splitter plate behind the cone (but is separated from the fuselage) and blow-in doors scribed on the outer cowl. If so, most interesting. Some other parts on that sprue I cannot identify, but they are not on the "A" Gosh, if only I had a pave-tack pod...

De-tack the tape a bit by rubbing it down then peeling it up off of glass a few times.

www.ejectionsite.com indicates both. I think they started with escapac seats, so if there's an 'early' and 'late,' the SJU-8 might be the late seat.

Drawings might be tough, but look here: http://www.ejectionsite.com/ Specifically under gallery. Lots going on.

Gosh, shooting down a C-130 seems more like a crime than an aerial victory. They're pretty much helpless, and I don't imagine their crews have much chance to escape the airplane, given the horrendous destruction in modern Air-to-Air arms. They even look fairly good natured, unlike the malevolent lines of a fighter or attack aircraft. A bit like butchering milk cows. If chopping down trash-haulers must be done, as it always has, for 'reasons of state,' I'm not certain it's a brash display of warrior prowess to 'claim' it as a 'kill.'

I think that's a really impressive result, especially from that kit. It's always more interesting to see when someone's done a really good build of a difficult model. Genuine skill, there.

If you want a fifteen minute fix that'll get the job done, albeit in 0.5xdonkey fashion, just print some instrument-panel-looking things out onto mailing labels through your inkjet, then cut 'em up to look like 'black-boxish' panels. On more serious projects, BTW, these kinds of bits in small amounts, in murky, hard-to-see-clearly corners and other areas can make cockpits look 'busier.' Can be made to look like small warning or serial placards on larger models, particuraly in hard-to-see areas such as wheel-wells, etc. Simple things like fuse boxes can actually be replicated somewhat fait

Mr Rotramel your F-111 features are an inspiration, especially to a die-hard Aardvark fan. In view of my proposed ordinance, I'll study the cockpit flash curtains in particular. Somehow I suspected that in addition to being sparsely detailed, Academy's F-111 kit would have some fleas. I just wish those misers had at least given all their kits BRUs! Still, it's all the Vark we have I suppose, considering the monogram kit is universally listed as unusable. . <_<

Recently I've cautiously begun using 'magic' tape (clear acetate/plastic tape), or 'scotch' tape. I have a strong suspicion that left to it's own devices for any more than a few days, it will leave tape adhesive on the plastic after being pulled up, but I seem to have been able to dodge this, even for as much as a week, by de-tacking it somewhat. (lay it on a piece of glass, burnish it, pull it up, do it again a few times. Then, lay over the canopy, and carefully scribe around with a knife. If you're careful, it will generally follow the lines on the plastic. Wow, does it produce sharp de

I might do that, yet, if my interest in Lakenheath machines grow. Right now I'm considering a freefall nuclear-armed "A" bird in Nellis markings. I'd love to get some of that Scaledown stuff, but it's not in the cards for my meager student existance. If I do a non-Combat Lancer bird, I'm considering a nuclear payload--scratchbuilt B61s. I'll have to scale up a scanned half of a Testors/Italeri B61 so I have the basic shape, and then go from there. In any event I'm going to use the Twobobs sheet for common stencils. It's all very much in the planning stages right now; I have some other mo

I'm muddling through their "SU-30" kit right now, with no plan to make this a 'showpiece." Had to rebuild the cockpit with styrene, because what they provide are crude seat-shapes atop 'benches' that simple span from side to side. Raised detail of course. Weapons load is generous, and they can probably be made to resemble the real things. Interestingly, the kit includes all flight surfaces (flaps, slats) seperately, so these can be positioned down. No wheel-well detail at all. Full intake trunking, back to crude fans. I don't think burners anwhere near deep enough (flame ring at back o

As stated above: Is it possible to build an F-111F out of the F-111A kit? I have the "A" kit, but "F" ambitions. What a sentence!

So the monogram kit is right out. Well, maybe I'll snag an academy kit. Then again, I should do something about this ever-growing stash pile instead.

Animal, I've been lurking over your build of this kit for some time--it's what got me sniffing around for this kit on Ebay in the first place! While you mention some troubles, your build is looking really good and makes it look easier than it probably is. If I can snag one cheap, I might, but I've since noted that the Academy kit isn't terribly expensive on Ebay, either. Still, my somewhat irrational affinity for monogram kits might win over after all!

What's the consensus on this kit? I'm guessing it has its flaws, but the Academy kit has fleas as well, I understand, and my search of the forums brought up some really impressive builds from the monogram box. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Drat! I just discovered in another search that yes, there have been comments on this kit (December of last year). Sorry for the duplicate question. Anyway, if anyone else wants to add something, please do.

Regarding the ASAT jet at Edwards. It might be possible to use Twobob's sold out Edwards Eagles sheet, and cut up numbers. Wikipedia has a very large color image of this bird, and it's number is 084. That leaves only the tail art to have to reproduce otherwise, as stencils for an F-15A should be easy to find. As for Air Superiority Blue schemes, there is an ANCIENT microscale sheet floating about in a few places. Search the internet for folks who have old decals for sale. A related question: Does anyone know if the USAF ever planned to field the ASAT in other FIS units besides the 318

I find that six hundred grit, wet-sanded does well for finishing putty, although I almost always have to brush some sort of paint over the putty, and sand that, too. Mr. Surfacer is easiest to use, though recently I've used Testor's gray primer (automotive line) for the same purpose, with some success. This tends to hide the tiniest of pits, scratches, etc.

"Archiving" this for anyone who comes to this thread through searching about glues: The November 2005 issue of FSM contains a comment by Fraser Gray (B-2 article) that solvent-based tube glue can cause distortion of the outside of plastic models, through fumes trapped inside a (recently) sealed model. To my knowledge, I've never experienced this myself, but for the record...

At the end of each painting session, I dismantle the brush, and clean each piece thoroughly with the appropriate thinner. Lacquer thinner only once every couple of sessions. Tedious, but my mean old Paasche VL looks for trouble anywhere it can find it, and so I don't give it the benefit of the doubt. If I'm painting thinning with lacquer thinner or shooting gloss paints, I generally mist the surface a few times, and then stop and clean the brush thoroughly, before laying on the main coat. but that's mainly to discipline myself into giving the dust-coats time to tack, before shooting the

I should have searched the forum before I asked: There's at least three discussions on this same topic previous to this! At this point there's an incredible wealth of stored, collective knowledge on ARC's forums. Still, I'll have to hunt about for information on the "B" versus "D." I know the burner cans are an issue, particularly on 1970s Eagles. I also trust I'll have to get some Escapac Seats, probably from some monogram kits.

Twobob's fine F-15D/J sheet comments that Academy's "Beagle" kit is really more suited to a F-15D, and I'm mulling over purchasing the kit for that purpose (and those decals). Does this kit, however, contain the "D" cockpit parts, as I believe they are different than the strike bird? And should I get a second F-15E from Academy to do a F-15B, for some ancient "Air Superiority Blue" decals I have? In other words, is the F-15D's cockpit significantly different? Should I wait, and try to track down an older "B" kit? I suppose I could section in parts from Monogram's old "C"... I have (I t