Mike J. Idacavage

I would be a very happy camper if both of these schemes would make it on a decal sheet, especially in 1/72. I have been wanting to build a F-22 in the Raptor 01 scheme since its first flight. Have fun modeling! Mike

I agree with airmechaja . My "Go To" clear coat after painting with either acrylics, acrylic lacquers (like MRP) and enamels is Alclad's Aqua Coat. I then do my weathering and follow up with another clear coat such as Alclad's semi-matte depending on what I want the final sheen to be. Have fun modeling! Mike

This is a great looking QF-4E, well done!! Have fun modeling! Mike

Wow, your canopy looks fantastic! I think you nailed it, Dai. Have fun modeling Mike

Great suggestion, I fully agree! Have fun modeling Mike

Modeling the NASA M113s has been a major modeling interest of mine for years. While my personal favorite NASA M113 wears the all white scheme, I will definitely be making a few that wear the yellow/lime colors. Here's a few of the off-the-shelf mode paints that match up close to the colors worn by NASA's M113s. Note that in addition to the lime green in the photo above, they can also look more yellow in some of the photos I found. Here are a few model paints that I have found and have used to paint some test pieces: tru-scale paint TCP-559 Fire Engine Greenish Yellow Gravity G

Outstanding QF-4B build! I may need to look at the Tru Color International Orange when I get around to using my set of Caracal decals. I REALLY like the way your Phantom looks. Have fun modeling! Mike

I want to thank everyone who offered great suggestions on how to attend an airshow that restricts camera bags with a camera. I ended up using a combination of camera vest and a clear bag when I went to the Miramar air show last month. I had zero problems getting in even with my 200 mm lens wrapped up in a towel as a cushion. While I don't have a top of the line camera and ended up having dust and some fibers/hairs inside the camera body (Photoshop works wonders getting rid of that!), I was happy with some of the photos I took. For the non-static display shots, I did need to crop the photos oth

The term resin is used to describe just about any plastic or plastic-like material. Most of the 3D printed parts and kits that are available are made using liquid resins as you can get extremely fine detail that can rival or exceed injection molded styrene or cast resin parts. The vast majority of 3D printed liquid resins are in the acrylate family of materials, think acrylic plastic. Because of this, they will not be able to be glued with classic liquid glues that are used on styrene kits. BTW, while the solid filament type 3D printers mentioned by MoFo above use a single plastic material, th

Thanks O! This is a new approach to me on hauling camera gear to an airshow. A mesh backpack sure does sound more comfortable than the clear plastic backpack that I picked up! Mike

Outstanding!!!!! I am looking forward to this and the rest of the series. Thanks for considering 1/72 Kursad! Have fun modeling Mike

Thanks for the great suggestions habu2 and Ken! I had not thought of using a vest but that makes sense. I had thought of using a clear bag but was worried about having no cushion for my larger lens. Wrapping it in a small towel is a great idea! The best part is that I have several clear bags that I received for volunteering at a few local stadium events. This might be a good time to actually use one! Mike

I have a question for those who have attended the Miramar Air Show in the past few years in San Diego. I was a regular attendee back in the early 1990s when I lived in San Diego. I am kicking around an idea to make some airline reservations and fly out to San Diego and attend the show later this month. I noticed on the show's website that you can't bring in a camera bag as only small clear bags are approved. If I am flying in from the East Coast, I really would want to take my good camera and a long lens to take decent photos especially during the flight demos. I have seen some great photos of

Thanks swimmer25K! Mike

Thanks for posting your completed build! This looks fantastic! I really appreciate you listing the mods you made on this kit as it will be useful whenever I get around to building my Collect-AIre X-24A. I am unfamiliar with the company that you used for the engine - mattersofscale.com. Did they print your engine design or is this something that they make available to the general model building public? Thanks again for showing your great work! Have fun modeling Mike