VFA-103guy Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 (edited) Title pretty much says it all. Every once in a while I like to build something Air Force-ish, and the SR-71 seems to be my area of interest this month. I've gathered quite a few refs for building one, and now just need a kit. Anyway, is the Testors 1/48 kit any good, or does it require a crap ton of aftermarket to bring it up to par? Oh..and I'm in search of a kit as well. Either the 1/48 A-12 or SR-71 is fine. Edited February 22, 2008 by VF-103guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 Brian.....I have the 48th scale kit. All raised panel lines. I bought a True Details cockpit for mine as the kit cockpit is sparse. It's gonna be a big model though. I do know there is a wheel set for it from True Details as well. That's about all the aftermarket I plan on putting into mine. Well, the panel lines don't really concern me as much as the fit does. I know it's going to be a big model, so I don't want to be spending the rest of my life filling seams...I have hasegawa F-14's for that. ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brian P: Fightertown Decals Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 No other option in 1/48. Kit is really good for it's time. I would say the True Details cockpit and wheels do great things! I had the pleasure of helping w/ some cockpit reference for it back then. Waldron (IIRC) did a cockpit/canopy sill set that was a nice touch. The biggest amount of work is the long seam from the upper and lower body. Nothing a little plastic shim and putty can't handle. And the jet is most impressive when built! I was lucky enough to be at Beale for the retirement ceremony (final time) and one of the more infamous last launches! I've always had plans to build that jet and since those decals may be tough to come by, I'm leaning back to doing an SR-71 sheet. -brian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 No other option in 1/48. Kit is really good for it's time. I would say the True Details cockpit and wheels do great things! I had the pleasure of helping w/ some cockpit reference for it back then. Waldron (IIRC) did a cockpit/canopy sill set that was a nice touch. The biggest amount of work is the long seam from the upper and lower body. Nothing a little plastic shim and putty can't handle. And the jet is most impressive when built!I was lucky enough to be at Beale for the retirement ceremony (final time) and one of the more infamous last launches! I've always had plans to build that jet and since those decals may be tough to come by, I'm leaning back to doing an SR-71 sheet. -brian Thanks for the tip! I bet it was something to see fly. We have an A-12 here in Huntsville, but it's been roller painted over and some slap-happy turd put NASA markings on it. Anyway, I remember a friend of mine having the kit when I was a kid, and I always wanted to build it. Part of my motivation for wanting to build this kit is I'm experimenting with a new fading technique for black finishes.. ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJHEFF Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I'm leaning back to doing an SR-71 sheet.-brian That would be cool, seing how the decals from "some" other company is going to be hard to find! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 That would be cool, seing how the decals from "some" other company is going to be hard to find! ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 The kit is Testors/Italeri tooling from the late 1980s and fit is on par with that period. Filler will be needed, but it is pretty accurate. The mold did get damaged sometime in its life, so later pressings have some weird looking water spots on the main fuselage parts. But, a little buffing and some primer should clear that up. One could have a lot of fun with painting this with new fading techniques. I've been pondering how to do a wet lower look myself, showing say an SR after return (or after fuelling) where it is weeping fuel from the splits in the bottom of the body as the seams open up when the plane cools down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Keith Diamond Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Can't add much to what's already been said, but I've built two of them, and absolutely loved them. It's big, but it was real fun to build and looks wonderful on my shelves back home. I built them years ago, so it was OOB. If I were to build it again, I would throw in the TD pit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neeko Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I built one OOB when I was still a teenager and went home with some awards from a Contest at the EAA in Oshkosh. The cockpit could use some TLC, but the detail on this big kit I think is pretty darn good. The problem areas I found were primarily from the breakdown of the upper fuselage parts and how they all mated together to cause some ridges. Also there were some seams on the underside of the chines that I had to be very careful with so as not to destroy the raised detail... All in all I loved building that kit and will happily build a few more in the future! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Walker Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 (edited) Sorry, edited out my post as I misread yours as 1/72, not 1/48. This should help though: http://www.modelingmadness.com/reviews/mod/kusterssr71.htm Edited February 22, 2008 by David Walker Quote Link to post Share on other sites
umgriz Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I've got one available....pm me if you are interested. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trigger Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I'm leaning back to doing an SR-71 sheet. Very cool. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Either the 1/48 A-12 or SR-71 is fine. The kit was released in two forms: SR-71 and YF-12 (no A-12, although instructions were included for the "conversion") Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 I've got one available....pm me if you are interested. I may just do so. I have a bid on one on e-bay, so if it falls through I'll be contacting you. I'm hoping to score one in about the $20 price range....I'm kinda broke these days.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trigger Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 The kit was released in two forms: SR-71 and YF-12 (no A-12, although instructions were included for the "conversion") IIRC, not only was the A-12 a single seater, but the nose was narrower/slimmer too? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mkimages Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 IIRC, not only was the A-12 a single seater, but the nose was narrower/slimmer too? Yes. In addition, a detail that seems to get missed a lot is that the top of the fuselage is straight (looking from the side) all the way to the windscreen on the A-12, while the SR-71 has a "bump" where the rear cockpit starts. Both aircraft used the same canopy, though, which is flat on top. The Testors kit's canopy is slightly curved instead. <_< Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neeko Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 The Testors instruction book for the SR-71 has some basic suggestions and some profiles for converting the -71 to an A-12... Still would be a job though. I'd love to make the M-21/D-21 someday... If only I had more closet space! <_< Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 The A-12 in addition to being a single seater with a slimmer nose also had the shorter fuel dump pipe of the YF-12. So it will take a little slimming in the back unless you are willing to kitbash the pair. I also believe that the sensors mounted in the A-12 were mostly in the Q-bay (the area the second crewmember occupies in an SR-71) as opposed to the chine regions of the SR-71. Of course, when the second crewmember was added, they had to get creative, but by then cameras and sensors got smaller, so they were able to fit the equipment in the nose and the chines more effectively. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Youngtiger1 Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 (edited) A good friend of mine flew the SR-71 out of Beale AFB back in the 80's until they retired her. I told him that I would build him an SR-71 with Tail # 960. It was the jet he flew during Libya Raid in 1986. It's was nice to see that CE did created some new/cool SR-71 sheet (which will be hard to find now) but it was sad that they did not cover the SR-71 (960) with most Combat hours. She's resting at the Castle Air Museum for now and every year they do open cockpit day. Last year I was there with my good friend visiting his old love affair. It was nice to that folks at Castle and the USAF kept her restored. It was an awesome feeling to be in the presence of the Lady in a long Black dress. Anyway, I'm getting way for the point of this post the Testor 1/48 is and old kit but it makes into one heck of a model. All we need is now are some new decals that can be easy to get. Mike ps; can someone explain me how to post photos here? I can share couple of photos from my visit to Castle. TIA Edited February 22, 2008 by Youngtiger1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Incaroad Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Hi Brian. I'm not trying to steal this thread but thought some photo's of the 1/48th Testors kit might be appropriate. I built this kit in 1985 and did a few things to it to enhance it a bit, front wheel well was rebuilt, Cockpit was enhanced with a few items I scratchbuilt, re-scribed completely and made the intake and probe covers. The problem with the kit for me was the long seam on the bottom around the chin, wings and the like, as others have suggested. Overall it built like most kits that I was building at the time, Monogram mostly. Here are the photo's I took after I re-built it (had a little accident with my glass display case) for the AVG group display at the AVG contest last November. It's nice lookin when you finish regarless of how difficult it is to assemble. Cheers, Larry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spruemeister Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 You guys and your SR-71 builds are to be commended. Gorgeous!! The beast is such an appealing subject. There seem to always be plenty of the 1/48 kits on ebay, but Squadron lists it on their site as well, although prabably a bit more than ebay seems to bring. They HAD the cockpit too not to long ago but its now showing out of stock. Wheels are available too. I've been begging to have resin one piece inlet spikes and inlet interiors made, but so far no one seems interested in them. Granted it would not be an easy project, but it would solve the biggest short fall of the kit in my humble opinion. With CE resin exhausts, TD resin cockpit and wheels, CE decals, and if you're lucky enough (I am) to have a set of Tally Ho's photo etched nacelle bypass grills, it would be an eye popping model. Rick L. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neeko Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Larry that model is UNBELIEVABLE!! :blink: Where did you get your references for the covers? I guess I'll be ordering another one today myself! Hmmm I am gonna have to figure out a good line to tell the wife so she doesn't send it to the can prior to me coming back off of det! Of course, Brian I will be blaming you for the purchase... :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Incaroad Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Hi Nick! Weeeelllll sometime ago I was at an Edwards AFB open house and the Blackbird was on display. I snapped a boatload of pictures or at least what I could see and used that as my reference for all the covers. The Aerofax book(s) were out as well and used them for other items... It's a big mutha too but mighty impressive to look at both in model form and in real life! Thanks for the comments and for all your help on the F/A-18E!!! Cheers, Larry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spunk-Y Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Damn those are some nice builds you guys have there. I think mine will stay under my bed for a while, I tried to order the CE sheet with the Nighthawk tail art, but I think my brother and I where on his black list, he canceled his 1/32 British f-4 set. So no new decals for me, I hope you have some good refs brian, and you come out with a nice sheet. and still hoping some new resin sets come out soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 Holy Crap Larry!!! That build is just freakin' awesome!!!!!!! Man, I hope I get that one I bid on pretty cheap. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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