sigtau
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Posts posted by sigtau
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24 minutes ago, longmc said:
Same here. I ordered in December when they had the special shipping deal. Original invoice said air mail. A week later, I got my shipping invoice that stated surface, 2-6 mos. Feels a bit like a bait and switch, but it is what it is. nearly 4 months and still states it's waiting for pickup in china.
Yep, same here, I didn't catch the fine print until after I placed the order. It was only airmail if the items were in stock at the US warehouse.
Here's what my order details state at the moment. Sounds like it hasn't even shipped out of China yet. I can accept surface shipping being slow. But not showing proof of any sort of shipment after 4 month is unacceptable. I requested proof of shipment AGAIN in my last reply to their customer service. I also asked why can't my order be fulfilled from their USA warehouse inventory.
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9 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:
Those dates are similar to mine. I order my kit on Dec 12 and think got the shipping notice in early or mid January. The shipping notice had the ship name. If they said it was shipped, they should be able to provide the name of the ship that the container was loaded on and you should be able to track the ship using the ship name via their AIS transponder on various websites.I ordered the same day. Their customer service won't provide any tracking info that's usable. Just that it's in a shipping container, on a ship, somewhere on planet Earth.
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1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:
Are you sure that was shipped by air, or surface? The addition the container wording usually implies surface shipping. I ordered the new SUE/SEM boxing in mid-December and it didn’t arrive until mid-March, for a total of about 3 months. I don’t think I got a shipping notice until the container was actually ready to be loaded on a ship, sometime in January, I think. They can put your kit in a shipping container on xx day, but until the container is full, gets trucked to a port, and gets loaded onto a ship, it’s not leaving China. I had the ship name and an estimated day it was supposed was loaded onto a ship, with shipping to the US taking two-three weeks. I was able to track the ship on the web. It didn’t get to the first Chinese port until mid January, a couple of days after they expected it. It stopped in a total of 3 Chinese ports, then went to South Korea, before arriving in Washington in late February. It didn’t get to FedEx’s hand until March 10 (assume the delay was in unloading the ship, then Customs, and then getting around to unloading the container), and then got to my house on March 16.Was the screenshot you showed of U.S.A. stock taken now, or at the time you ordered it? I didn’t think they had any US stock six weeks ago, if that’s when you ordered it.
I ordered in early December. Part of the order was shipped from their US warehouse, with two of the F-16 kits shipping from China via surface. LM originally sent me a China post type of tracking number that ended up being dead. No other useful information was provided. Several back and forth messages with their customer service saying it's been shipped, dating back to early January. No FedEx tracking numbers or updates provided.
The screenshot was taken this morning. I think the inventory numbers were updated in the last week or so.
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On 2/7/2023 at 5:33 PM, Raymond Chung said:
If you choose the flat surface shipping, the parcel is on the container which almost arrive US this week and it will be forward to you by FedEx.
if you order with more expensive airmail it is shipped by HK POST via USPS as last delivery.
at LuckyModel we suffered from the 3 years pandemic policy which affect every aspect of shipping. But seems the ocean freight starting to resume but air traffic capacity till not in full restore. But for sure the good old times cheaper air mail and 7 days delivery would not be possible in short period of time. But you never know.
So....six weeks later, still no shipping notice. Customer service keeps telling me the same thing "DO22/1200461456 has been shipped with our container to the US last month"
Clearly, that container has long since arrived......
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2 hours ago, Glynn Jacobs said:
Thanks for the fast responses, fellas!
Gator 52, I hadn't seen the Reaper birds with the Snipers either. I was hoping maybe The Dark Knight might have gotten the Sniper before she left the Reapers.
A-10 Loader, appreciate the site info.
I now have to switch squadrons again, just don't care to much for the 7th CG/CC markings as much!
Take Care,
WARDOG
I'm guessing you have the Caracal 48092 decal sheet. Any interest in selling the Dark Knight 7th CG/CC scheme from that sheet?
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On 2/1/2023 at 12:01 PM, RCarlson said:
I see these listed on Air-Graphics website, but out of stock currently. I think they are a new item from them, but am not sure.
https://air-graphics.uk/shop/ols/products/ac-412-cfm-56-engine-set-4-engines
Has anyone tried this set? I can't find any photos of the actual parts, just the instructions from their website.
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Wow, you went all out on this set. Looks awesome, nice mix of schemes.
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2 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:
Yeah I think thats another scalemates cockup that people believe because they dont know any better.
Looking at that they released the F-111A, FB-111A, F-111C, F-111F and EF-111A all in the same year!
Scalemates isnt always right.
Scalemates is correct. I built the Academy kit when I was a Junior in high school....Spring 1992. There's also the fact that the copyright date is 1990 on another copy of the kit I have in my stash.
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13 hours ago, ElectroSoldier said:
Scalemates show the F-111F as a 1999 release but I dont remember seeing it in the UK until 2000...
Amerang was the sole UK importer, it was a rare kit in the UK, and as was common for all Hasegawa kits of the time regardless of how good it actually was it was sought after and well regarded.
Original release was 1988.
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/academy-minicraft-1675-general-dynamics-f-111f--1093151
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14 hours ago, Crash Test Dummy said:
My local (now gone) wouldn't stock Hasegawa until the mid-90s as they were too expensive to sell according to the owner. From what I recall their basic F-16s were a relatively affordable $20 back then compared the F-14 ($60) and F-15 ($45) kits. I recall seeing the F/A-18 being around $75 on store shelves when it came out.
I got my first F-16C kit around 1991. Due to the currency exchange rates, and the ripoff Marco Polo importer, they were crazy expensive for the time. It was around $30 USD for the block 40 night falcon version back then. The F-14 kit was crazy expensive back then as well. My entire Christmas that year was composed of the F-16, F-14, and the Academy F-111F. Plus all the Verlinden super detail sets for those kits.
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I'm so late to this one, but the colorful VP-19 markings with the red bird would be awesome.
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The Tamiya non-standard color catalog is why I moved beyond them, even for armor. Even the colors that are supposed to match real world colors are not quite right (NATO 3-tone armor colors are an example of this issue). And their custom mix recipes in their kit instructions are not trustworthy.
If you really like the Tamiya formula, the AK real colors brand is very similar. They come in FS/RAL/etc. colors. Color accuracy is debatable, but I've had good luck with the colors I used from their line (WW2 through modern armor). I also think the Mr. Color Acrysion (SP?) is a similar formula.
Mr. Color and MRP lacquers are now my go to paint brands for FS and Russian matched aircraft colors. No mixing, no worrying about having enough leftover custom mixed colors, ready for masking in under an hour, etc. I will use Tamiya for specific colors that are not available elsewhere, only buying them if I absolutely have to.
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On 2/8/2023 at 8:54 AM, Pete Beck said:
I outfit all my aircraft with the Eduard ordnance sets....mainly modern 1/48 USN/USAF. I have been trying to build up some stock and have found that most of the sets are out of stock everywhere. Anybody know what's going on?
Check out Reskit. They don't quite have the library of options that Eduard has, but they are more consistently accurate. For example, reskit is the only aftermarket company that makes accurate ejector racks. They make the legacy MER and TER, along with the F-16C TER. They also make the BRUs typically found on F-18s.
The Reskit GBU-12s are way more accurate than the Eduard GBU-12s. Reskit also makes a very nice AIM-9 series, although they do take some time to build. The Eduard AIM-9s aren't bad, but are very difficult to remove from the pour stubs without damage.
Reskit also includes decals, but accuracy might be hit or miss. I recall having an issue with their AIM-9X markings being inaccurate, so I stole some from the Tamiya F-16C kit.
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On 2/14/2023 at 3:14 PM, Ed DeVivo said:
Greetings all. I have these 1/48 Aires ACES II seats for a 1/48 F-15... In terms of the photo etch seat belts, I am pretty much lost. The instructions really have no rhyme or reason to them, to a point where Im borderline angry with who made them. They make little to no sense... I guess if it comes down to it, I can Google images visually look at the real belts and wing it I guess, but Im sure this isn't the correct way.
Are there any of you who have done this, or know of any video of somebody who has done this? I found a guy online who did a Minibus su-33 and seeing him doing the belts, make all the sense in the world.
Any thoughts or tips Id really love to hear. Thank you all..
-Ed
Another option is to buy a set of the Aires Quickboost F-15 seats that already have the seat belts molded in. I used the Aires F-15E cockpit set for the Revell kit and decided I wasn't going to even attempt to mess with the overly complex PE belts. The Quickboost seat is the same base seat, just with belts added. If you are also doing an F-15E, you will need to use the PE canopy breakers from the main cockpit set.
Another option is to check out Quinta products. Their cockpit sets typically include a full set of seat details. I've found their belt are easier to work with than PE and are easy to apply after painting the seat. This is a Kinetic F-16A build with an Eduard seat. The Quinta set was meant for the kit seat, but fit the Eduard seat fine.
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12 hours ago, serendip said:
The only difference I can see is the nosewheel with eight spokes on the 'G, twelve on the 'F and eight on the 'D also. It would appear (appear being the key word here) that D equals G.
Is that correct anybody?
Seems like a case of check your references. I think the 8 spoke wheel is the early one and the 12 spoke is the later version. Most reference photos I see for the D through G models have the higher spoke count.
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Which type of MRP paint, Lacquer or Water based?
What color is it?
What color of plastic or primer are you are applying it too?
Are you mixing completely prior to painting?
I use MRP lacquers for about 85% of my paint work. I've only had one issue with a bottle of dark ghost gray being too thick to spray correctly, so I had to thin with Mr. Color Leveling thinner. I get full coverage in 2 coats, which is the same as I do with heavily thinned Mr. Color lacquers. I spray it on top of Mr. Surfacer 1500 primer.
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46 minutes ago, erik_g said:
At least some of you have the kit. I preordered from Luckymodel last summer, and it has been sitting in their warehouse for three months now because it is waiting to be picked up by their carrier. Or so they say. Have anyone else had problem with Luckymodel? Maybe they don't ship to Sweden/EU anymore? I have trouble finding the kit in stock in any european shops.
I bought one locally, then ordered two direct from Luckymodel in early December. I have the same issue with the two I ordered direct. They sent me a tracking number and then nothing. I've asked them why it hasn't been picked up and the reply I get is they are short staffed. I just got an update today saying that the kits are on the way in a container and I'll get the final tracking number once they ship from their US based warehouse. Perhaps there's a similar thing happening in the EU?
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24 minutes ago, Gary F said:
Sigtau, are you seeing warpage in other areas of the kit that may be affecting your fit?
I got one of my new C kits out to look at some of the issues you’ve mentioned, especially the fuselage fit you mentioned. Mine seems to fit fine… the main fuselage shell parts … but I’m also not seeing any warpage either, so wondering if warping in your kit is the major issue. Even that lower aft U shaped part fit very well to the lower fuselage. I glued it and was really pleased with the fit. I’m actually trying to do a v1 kit before I fully work on the v2 kit. The v1 haas beaten me numerous times w poor fit, wrapping, and just so much work to get anywhere, but I finally seem to be overcoming past issues so maybe I’ll get the v1 done and then try this new kit. It’s really nice to see the upgrade with the new kit while working on the older one. Hope the other v2 kits aren’t warped and you get better build experiences with those.For warpage, I believe the worst of it was the upper forward fuselage. It was slightly squashed down, causing the wings to not be level.
The aft fuselage "U" shaped part had an issue Raymond described as a molding problem. It looks like as the part was ejected from the mold, the forward edge curled outward. Or the main lower fuselage curled inward. Ether way, it created a step that had to be filled and sanded flat.
The other warping issue I ran into was the avionics doors on the nose. They are molded separate and the fit is super sketchy. They don't have positive mounting surfaces to ensure they sit flush with the bottom of the nose. And I was left with gaps on the bottom where they meet up on either side of the two small antennas. When I mounted the nose, I had to leave the bulkhead out to get nose cone properly centered vertically and horizontally. I was left with small steps all the way around that required filling, reshaping, and rescribing. There's probably a better way to tackle it.....maybe next time.
If you use the early A vertical tail top piece that is molded solid, it's too thin and will leave steps on both sides. I masked and used putty to feather it into the main part of the v-tail. This prevented completely obliterating all the nice detail on the v-tail.
With the LEX joint between the top and bottom fuselage parts, I found the lower fuselage wasn't sitting flush in the recess of the upper fuselage. I ended up thinning the edges of the lower fuselage in this area to prevent a step at the joints on either side. I also had to thin the two lower wing panels to minimize the steps at the leading edge and where they meet the sides of the lower fuselage. If I recall, the starboard side was worse and required more thinning.
Today as I was finishing prepping for primer, I noticed there are some nasty steps at the wing roots on the fuselage top where a mold insert is obviously is planned. I'm probably just going to leave it because it too big to fix without destroying all the fine surface detail in that area.
I have two more kits still on the boat coming from Luckymodels. I hope those fit better that this one I got here in the US.
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Thanks Gary!
It's unfortunate the fit is so meh with this kit. The problems have persisted with nearly every major assembly step. The biggest overall issue is steps at nearly every joint. Some can be mitigated with reducing part thickness or shimming. But many require obliterating detail in order to level the joints.
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On 1/31/2023 at 9:56 AM, fulcrum1 said:
Built the Hasegawa F-16 kit and am currently building the 1/48 Tamiya F-16. Big T is a much better kit, but not as quick of a build as the Hasegawa offering. With the new Kinetic kits coming out I doubt I'll ever buy another Hase again expecting all the blocks to be covered.
I'm currently building a Tamiya and the new Kinetic kit side by side. The Tamiya kit is far superior to the new Kinetic offering. The only area that the Kinetic kit has Tamiya beat is the wheel well detailing. The surface detail on the Kinetic kit is on par with the Tamiya kit. But the overall fit and accuracy of the Tamiya kit can't be beat.
If you throw Hasegawa into the mix, I can honestly say the fit on that kit is better than the Kinetic kit. Obviously the Hasegawa falls way short on detail and accuracy for later lot C model air-frames. But the Hasegawa kit is going to go together quicker and will likely be more fun to build. Also, the Hasegawa kit currently has more aftermarket options for upgrading the cockpit, wheel bays, exhaust, etc.
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7 hours ago, JeffreyK said:
Thanks for the plug though 🙂
Any test build photos available?
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2 minutes ago, Quixote74 said:
What's the source indicating the Fightpath set as OOP? Their website still lists them:
https://www.djparkins.com/product.php?productid=17944&cat=248&page=2
Indeed, I ordered two sets from them last year, shipped to the USA with no issues.
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On 1/28/2023 at 4:29 AM, Raymond Chung said:
Well I think this is a building experience, I show the same assemble part and I don’t find it, except few parts like D74 with a 3 second sanding.
My "building experience" clearly needs work. I guess I'll just have to do better next time converting and detailing the cockpit of your kit to a block 10 configuration. Mixture of kit parts, modified Quinta F-16A set for the V1 kit, Eduard seat, leftover Eduard PE bits, scratch built instrument panel, HUD/video recorder, sidewall details, etc....... Still need to install the yellow spider shaped canopy lock and finish up a few minor finishing touches.
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7 hours ago, Raymond Chung said:
as for the D37,D7, I try 3-4 times and everything fits well. And I try this morning again and incomplete install the D73 will make the gap between the lower fuselage and then create your issue of installing the D37,D7.
I forgot to mention I also had to remove some material from the shelf on D31, show with the red lines in these photos. Everything seems to fit fine after I made that modification. D31 seats up fine to the forward intake halves well.
I also forgot there was an issue with wide gaps on either side of D7 where it sits between E1 and E2. To solve that issue, I removed a small amount of material from the mating surfaces of E1 and E2. It resulted in a very nice fit of D7, but that may have caused D31 to interfere with D7. Note the uneven gap where the forward bulkhead D31 meets part E1. By solving one issue, I may have caused myself another.
F-14D Super Tomcat AMK/SIO?
in Jet Modeling
Posted
Not a review, but a good set of photos of the painted 3D printed parts.
https://www.modeliukai.lt/lv/sio-models-f-14d-super-tomcat-148-k48003
Anyone calling them rough is exaggerating. They actually look as good as most 3D printed aftermarket items. I have the MIG-31 SIO kit and the 3D printed parts are OK.