Cloud in the Wind

A worth while suggestion - and one that I hadn't thought about. While it wouldn't be the same, it may be better than nothing.

So, of course there's limited interest in this forum on the topic of UUVs. No worries. I moved forward and selected the Mk18 Mod2 Kingfish for my topic and have spent some time in the Tinkercad design studio. There was one other 3D designer working on this topic but I didn't get a response back on whether he'd offer to sell or share his work - its much better than mine. Still, I think I've captured the gist of the actual craft good enough for construction. I'll work on the slicing for my son's 3D printer this week. At 1/48 scale this 12' UUV will be about 80cm, so there's de

Regretfully, while dusting shelves, I noticed that the pitot of my Blackbird has at some point gone missing. Could have been the kids, the wife or my fat hands shifting things around that broke it, but a thorough search came up blank. Of course I could buy a whole new kit but I liked the build and would rather keep it. Does anyone know of an aftermarket source or have the part in their chest-of-tiny-bits?

As part of my Active Duty UAV collection, I’d like to explore including models of the UUV “fleet” of craft the Navy is operating. Craft like the Bluefin 21 and LUUVD and other derivatives of the torpedo fleet. Not sure what’s out there but if anyone knows, I’d love to help my exploration beyond limited google searches.

Thanks Matt, looking forward to your comparison pics if you get a chance.

Greetings modelers. I'm hopeful that someone has come down this path before me before I start carving up a fairly rare kit. In my stash is a Heller A-10 kit and a RetroWings Cockpit detail set. I got them separately after a bit of searching swap meets and ebay, knowing that RetroWings states that their set is made for LS and Revell's version of the warthog. The fuselage parts are somewhat different, but holding the parts up together, I really can't tell if there will or wont be any scale or fitment problems. Has anyone tried this pairing? and if so, any advice or warning befor

I was able to source some resin pilots from an EBay seller blitz_144. Very pleased with the product. Took some trimming to get the legs to fit but it'll look great once I get it finished.

Hello Aroy. I was hoping to have something for you but when I checked my box of parts I found that I have the front and rear canopy parts 206 and 207 from the Revell EA-6B set, but no wind shield. 😞 I'm afraid they are not interchangeable between the two versions of the AC. Sorry, good luck in the hunt.

Hi all. After looking through my next series of in flight models, I realized that I’m going to come up short in terms of pilot figures. I guess my model cabinet isn’t the only force that’s having recruit deficiencies. 😄 before I start sourcing resin and 3D printed, I thought I’d see if anyone needed to retire some of their aging fliers. I’m looking for modern pilots in 1/144 scale. Thanks for looking.

That's great news. Did he suggest that he might have future plans. Maybe sell his molds or designs?

While I had good results from Tamiya rattle-can sprays, I have with the last couple models moved to airbrushing the overcoats. My process has become as follows Paint Some Weathering Gloss Coat Decal Some Weathering (to affect the decals) Dull coat panel lines and final weathering Dull coat or semi gloss (depending on scale) I've been doing mostly 144 scale kits the past few years, and while it adds a month to mine build time, some of the aftermarket decals are SUPER fragile and need that extra protection IMO. I'm not winning any contest

I’m not sure how much help I can be as my methodology is common and probably already at your skill level. I place masking tape along the intended line then lightly scribe a number of times before going for it. For rivets I premark using a pencil to get the spacing and number. This takes me a few tries though.

I have found these Prismacolor Premier markers particularly good. At 005 they are fine enough to stripe 144th scale missile bodies, though the color range of this set isn't very broad. I got another set of black that have a range of sizes the help with panel line work and some cockpit detailing. I also like my Molotow Liquid Chrome for mirror like finishes on some parts, though some practice is needed to not over-do it. https://www.amazon.com/Prismacolor-Premier-Illustration-Markers-Assorted/dp/B0027AATYI/ref=sr_1_2?crid=ADXCFV3ZP4MF&keywords=prismacolor+fine+line+marker

I found this set on ScaleMates. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hamilton-hobbies-general-atomics-mq-9b-skyguardian-conversion--1326692 not sure where you’ll find it. Kind of makes me want to add a version to my fleet though.