DutyCat

Well, I had to use what I could get, and I bought em years ago when I started the project. They were a major PITA to work with. I do have a set of high quality decals....Leading Edge, Cutting Edge, or whatever that I am going to use on the Revell orbiter, and then that is it....I am done with large scale shuttles.

We called it "Mach Tape" and was applied to the leading edge of some subsonic aircraft to minimize the effect of rain erosion. It was never bright yellow, but more of an off yellow. Humbrol Clear Doped Linen is a excellent match. Later, the yellowish tape gave way to a light tan with a slight cream tint. I used Humbrol "Mast Oak" as an approximate. Later still, they started to make it in clear, so what you see on the jet was a clear satin look on the leading edges of an otherwise flat aircraft. I would say if you are going with a 80's classic gull gray/white scheme, definitely go with th

Ah yes, I've been quite familiar with your work sir! The use of putty for the blankets is a incredible and the level of detail is fantastic. Is it much heavier with a putty skin? I don't think I'd have the level of patience for such work but the effect is great. Well, I did not weigh the before and after, but it clearly adding anything would make it heavier. Also not helping was all of the extra internal bracing I did, and the resin cap. However, offset against that is the fact that I did not put in the payload bay, so I saved a little bit of weight there.

Link?

Well, I know it is not Revell, but have you seen this? 1/72 Monogram Atlantis Stack. and this? Shuttle Wars There are some techniques you might find useful. I will get around to finishing the Revell kit in a year or two.

Wow, that is pretty different from the prototype. A bunch of little changes.

Interesting how the high quality artwork "values up" the model. I have an old Hase reboxed 1/200 Monogram Russian TU-16 Badger from a bygone era.

Thanks. Some of the new airliner kits are being engineered with slide mold technology, so intake seams are not the issue they once were.

Here is link to my just completed Thai Airways 747-400 Dragon Boat. It was a challenging build. The kit has all sorts of engineering shortcomings, and the markings are so numerous that they present trouble as well. If you are off even a little on decal placement of a major graphic, it snowballs through the rest of them. Thai Airways 747-400 Dragon Boat

That does look pretty close, I admit.

It is what it is. This type of award system is favored by some, especially those who struggle to win/place. If your model is judged against a standard vice competing against "elite" builds, then the odds are perhaps greater that you will win an award. On the other hand, at a traditional show, you can win/place with substandard work in a lightly contested category. I know builders who specifically target and build in categories that are not going to have as much competition. Some classes get no entries at all, or just two or three. Does a crappy model up against one or two other crappy mo

So good info there!

I see a lot of titles mentioned here are historical....all fine and good. I am going to go in a different direction, as I am just as much interested in the future as the past. At the very top of my list is Robert Zubrin's The Case for Mars-The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must. This is a study of various ways to put together a Mars mission and establish a viable permanent presence. It contains lot of practical science and Zubrin emphasizes that as daunting as the technical challenges are, political will looms even larger. Buzz Adrin's Mission to Mars is also good. It is a lit

I have not compared them side by side, but Dark Gull Gray, the standard cockpit color, is IIRC, a bit darker than the underside color of the Mod Eagle scheme.

I am not going. I know it is not all about awards, but I I hate the way they do awards at that show. I am much more of a traditionalist....1,2 3, within a category. I also generally avoid two day shows, except for the regional, because it blows the entire weekend. But good luck to them. It is their show. They can run it the way they choose.

The tiles look beautiful, and will be worth every penny. The issue is going to be fit of a flat piece on a compound surface, unless you have the knowledge and skills to design them to compensate for the curves, I imagine that would be difficult without access to Monogram's mold engineering specs or an ability to measure the curves accurately. In any case, even if they have to be cut into sections and adjusted, they should still be workable and will really look nice. BTW, I am working on a fresh mold for the Beanie Cap. Poured the top half tonight. I should have some new ones available be

I can put a link in no problem. I am trying to avoid people having to click for the sake of one photo. If I have a entire thread, I do a link. The BBCode does work on my blogger posts, however.

Ok, this seems to be working. The BBcode did NOT work, but the Embed code did? I have no idea what the difference is supposed to be. Anyway, here Is my 2nd place shuttle from Columbia. *Edit* Crap, that didn't work either. It showed up on my monitor when I dropped it in, which is a step forward, but not in the actual post. This should not be so difficult. Nothing is working. HELP!

Oh, I think I found it, but it is showing as a broken link. What would cause that? https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8667/28697114710_8071fccde6_h.jpg' alt='28697114710_8071fccde6_h.jpg'>DSC_6504%20by%20Gil%20Gregg,%20on%20Flickr[/img]

Yes, exactly like that. Where are you finding that code/option? I am missing it somehow.

Personally, I like the "shark" scheme, although the splinter scheme has always been a winner as well. But I have already built a splinter scheme on a T-50, and I have one more kit in the stash. Next time it is shark. Here is a link to my splinter T-50. The only thing I kinda jacked up was the color contrasts in the natural metal areas. They are way too pronounced. Zvezda Splinter T-50