RichB63

30 years ago Yukio Suzuki produced a superb set of 1/72 scale technical illustrations for Bunrin-Do's Famous Airplanes of the World feature on the Thunderchief (Number 4 in the series). The 5 view drawings, which depict a late F-105D, are very detailed and seem to accurately capture the subtle ogival radome profile alluded to above. Here’s a look at the book’s cover... hope this helps, Rich

Amazing; awesome; sublime; superior; stupendous! I’m running out of superlatives to describe your work, as I suspect others are too. Heck, I don’t even know what half those words mean! 🤨🙂 Super inspiring stuff Elmo...a real treat to behold. Rich

Brilliant! The scratch building effort really paid off in my opinion. Your hinges look much better - in keeping with the fidelity to detail of the overall project. Question: are the hinges cemented in place over the wing’s grey primer coat? Or do you first remove paint over the contact area?

Fantastic stuff Elmo! Your patience, execution and attention to detail are second to none - really inspiring work. Rich btw: I think that the purpose of those wing leading edge spikes was to grab the barrier net during an emergency landing aboard the ship. Others might know for sure.

I can’t offer an informed opinion on the paint, but another decal option exists in the F-104 NASA boxing released by Hasegawa in the early 2000’s...https://modelingmadness.com/scott/korean/preview/hasegawa/09427.htm It might be hard to find, but the Cartograf decals included in this edition appear to be very well done and provide markings for early bare metal finish Zipper. Rich

Excellent! You’re a world class “scribe” - those engraved panel lines, fasteners and other surface details are so extremely realistic. Great job on the fuel vent too - lots of ingenuity on display here. Thanks for sharing.

Extraordinarily fine work Elmo - the wing looks amazing. From the seamless blending of resin to styrene; to the resculpted DECM leading edge cuffs; to those razor sharp wing fences (have you cut your finger on ‘em yet?); to the ultra fine rivet and fastener detail...a real feast for the eyes!

White panel numbers for Phantoms in 1/48...http://www.hobbydecal.com/detail.cgi?number=st48042v1 http://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/hodst48042v1.htm

Some more readily available options... Microscale (new edition) http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=cd9c9c19fd4c4de38e26eb99724cdab6&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=AC48-0052&Store_Code=MD&search=Phantom+data&offset=&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=&range_low=&range_high= Warbird Decals http://store.spruebrothers.com/product_p/wbd480 Unlike the old Microscale offerings, the Icarus sheets and the hard to find Afterburner Decals Phantom stencils, the products referenced above do not include the tiny “panel numbers.”

Hi Luigi, Fewer than a dozen Electric Intruders received the ALQ-126 “beer can” antenna mod as part of a late life improvement program called RECAP. This is the same antenna found on EA-6B Prowlers, for which better reference photos exist. There were no other changes to the EA-6A tail pod itself. At at first glance, the EA-6A and EA-6B tails appear identical. But there were shape differences, particularly at the rear. From behind, the “A” tapers to a narrow triangular cross section, while the “B” forms a bulkier five sided rear face, which Revell incorrectly copied for their 1:48 EA-6A kit. A look at the EA-6B Prowler tail with ALQ-126 (but note the overall tail’s broader cross section compared to Electric Intruder)

My set just arrived in the mail (early Tigers). And it looks terrific. AG 510 is now on my shortlist of big Intruder projects. Great job, as usual, Ziggy!

CO, The Tomcat looks great: very clean and precise work. A few questions... Regarding the Hasegawa Trytool Finishing Films...how strong is the adhesive? And do they take well to compound curves, say like Bare Metal Foils do? Or are they better suited for flat surfaces, like the front windshield pane? And finally, have you decided on a markings scheme for your Tomcat? Rich

Superscale did one also, although it's long out of production. Unusually, the sheet contains markings for an F-105 too. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/1026483-superscale-international-48-242-f-15-eagle-and-f-105-thunderchief Rich

I received my Hypersonic Models A-3 Skywarrior Engines set last week, exactly 7 days after placing my order -- fast service in my opinion, considering the distance involved -- London to Phoenix in this case (over 5000 miles, across an ocean and most of a continent). I chose the "unregistered international air mail" option which brought the total cost, all up, to 41.00 USD. Considering the retail price of the Trumpeter kit is approximately $100.00 USD, it's a hefty investment for an aftermarket product. But I'm glad I made it. As others have pointed out, the set is exquisite. I'm convinced now that it will make a big difference, both in terms of accuracy and detail, to what is, in my estimation, the weakest link in the Trumpeter A-3 series: its engine pods and pylons. Once I get set up with a new image hosting site (good riddance photobucket), I'll post some pictures, for comparison's sake, to illustrate just how enhanced a product Jeffrey has bestowed upon us. So, for all you whale aficionados (and "watchers" too)...buy with confidence! Thanks once again to everyone for their help and advice...much appreciated. Rich ps. Darren, I did not manage to make it out to NE last week unfortunately. But I'll be browsing the SB website for your Skywarrior accessories nonetheless. It's an impressive product line to be sure!

A link to your PB album? That would be nice. But your fan base here was secretly wishing for more -- something grander, as befits your work. Me? I'm holding out for the book. You know, one of those oversized coffee table tomes featuring glossy color photographs. A simple title, something like Elmo's Intruder, would do. And, of course, we'd all pay extra for an autographed copy. Think about it, will ya? Rich