Alan

My wife recently bought one of these for me for Christmas- I have been a huge Hellcat fan since watching the film "Windtalkers". There is a build up of the kit in this month' s Tamiya Model Magazine. Can't wait to get building it.

when you test fit the cockpit and interior does the pressure of the parts behind not hold it straight?

I thin them using Tamiya thinner- have had no problems yet using it.

I am currently working on this kit myself- fair bit still to do. Yours looks like a cracker. My dad came off with a cracking quote- "Since when did Revell make decent models??" Thought is was a cracker.

In Ireland all Safeway stores have been bought by ASDA. You can get it in Tesco as this is where I have bought it in Belfast- I am sure Tesco Ireland stock it. You will find it with all the floor cleaning products. Look for a clear bottle with a blue lid with "Klear" on it.

you could also try http://www.netmerchants.co.uk They stock lifecolor and vallejo paints.

I have not used the AS range, but I have used the TS range quite a bit on Tamiya rally car models- my son is rally cars on the brain so have been doing quite a few recently.

1/48th Italeri Avenger. Superb kit- I hope they will be releasing more of these AM reboxes.

I am working on the same kit and have experienced the same problem. You will get the decal marking chart from the website mentioned above.

I suppose it all depends what the decal is- I have used both methods when applying. When I did my S-3A a couple of years ago I cut the dotted no step lines up for the upper surfaces- it was a hollow square and there was no way it was going to stay in one piece. I guess another important point is whether or not the cuts will be seen.

The mailman was good to me today- Hasegawa f-18D Night Attack, with Eduard Colour Etch set and Eduard masks.. Just have to get some aggressor decals for it now.

I have 2 of them- an F and a G- overall the kit isnt bad, it is quite an old mold with raised panel lines, but overall looks like a Fortress to me.

Can anyone tell me is Windex the same as Windolene or Mr Muscle???

I have the Aztec A470- it has interchangeable heads, so I have a choice of 6 different nozzle widths. Although it has been often criticised on here it is a great airbrush if you look after it correctly- I have had mine almost 2 years with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I own an Aztek A470, I have had it over a year, I use it every day and I have never once had to buy a new head for it. Why?? I look after it- after every use it gets thoroughly cleaned. Because, like everything else in life, if you do not look after it, it will mess up or break. I happen to like the Aztek- if the needle gets damaged I have only to fork out several pounds/dollars as opposed to buying a complete new airbrush. But this is my own opinion. BTW- I use a mixture of siphon or gravity . For relatively small areas I use the gravity feed

Can you mix it with Tamiya thinners?

Are you using a single or double action aribrush? The reason I ask is I use Tamiya thinners with my Tamiya white. I always spray it on slowly on using my double action airbrush. This means that more air is being mixed with the paint, and quite often if you pass air over it as soon as it hits the plastic, it tends to dry very quickly. For this the paint need to be really well thinned, at least 2:1. This method does require patience , as the white needs to be built up on many passes.

I have an Aztek 4709 airbrush. Over the last couple of days I have noticed that when I use it I get a leak behind the metal rim, under the airbrush. Any ideas what is causing this? There seems to be an outlet there, but I did not notice any leaking the first 6 months I have had the airbrush. Every time it is used it is stripped and cleaned thoroughly.

Depends what Citadel paints you are using. I use these a lot, especially for cockpits and face detail on pilots. The small pots are acrylic, and thin well with Tamiya thinners, the sprays are oil based. One work of warning with the spray cans- whislt they are good for spraying white, they leave a huge coating of white dust everywhere, so ensure you are using then somewhere outside or with a stong extractor on.

without a doubt:- ARC before I found this site I brush painted my models, thought Photo etch was something you did with a camera, and didnt know the difference between raised and engraved panel lines. I was moving my stuff a few weeks ago- I had to give my original model room up to become a nursery. I noticed the significant difference between my pre and post ARC models. Maybe it is because I like to show my models and dont want to look foolish?? I dont really know, but this site is fantastic for making yourself a better modeller.

I have one of these- got it in a box with a compressor. One thing I will say about it- do not tighten the needle in too tight- you will seperate the airbrush head. This happened to mine, but luckily enought it still works. As I now have the A4709, I only use this brush now for enamel work. Alan.

Have to say I bought an Aztek A4709 about 3 months ago, and I think this thing is fantastic. The control I now have is great. SOme people don't like them- I do.

Personally, I would try to preshade them. How raised are they, exactly? The more they are raised, the better chance you have of using a wash as there is something for it to hold onto.

I personally think the best method for painting figures is the Games Workshop method- using inks for the real shadows. Paint the face in basic flesh colour, then put a wash of flesh ink over this- iit will look almost brown. Next, pick up any raised parts and give it a dry bush of flesh again. Once dried start to pick up any highlights using a mixture of flesh and white. Finally, give a drybrush of white or a colour called "bleached bone"- a cream colour. This works for me.

Stealth- get yourself down to CastleCourt and go to the Games Workshop. Buy a tin of "Purity Seal". This is their aerosol varnish, it will set you back £5, but is well worth it. It will dry to leave a satin finish, or gloss depending on how much you spray. You could also shoot some Humbrol Matt Cote though your airbrush for a good matt appearance. When doing the canopies on your F-14 do not spray varnish on them- dip it into a cup of Klear, then set it onto a piece of kitchen towell. Make sure to cover with a bowl or something and this will leave Crystal Clear, dust free canopies. Hope thi