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1:48 Hasegawa Canadair Sabre 5


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After finishing my large 1:32 scale Starfighter for the Missile With a Man GB, I wanted a quick project before the On Canadian Wings GB starts. I figured I get a bit more practice for that GB as I plan to do at least one more Sabre and hopefully a couple of other RCAF aircraft. So, I started one of the many Sabres I have in the stash as a bit of a stress reliever. I started it on Oct 5th or 6th. I have no in progress photos because I didn't think about entering it in the GB but I figured, "What the heck!" I'm at the stage where I'm applying the Leading Edge Models Sabre 5 / 6 stencils. As with my other Sabre in this GB, the Leading Edge stencils are leaps and bounds better than any kit supplied stencil decals. The main markings will be CanMilAir set #303 - 430 'Silver Falcon' Squadron, 2 Wing, Grostenquin, France, late '50s. Paint is RAF Dark Green and Dark Grey over PRU Blue, the standard RCAF Sabre colours in the late '50s and early '60s.

http://www.canmilair.com/products.asp?cat=63&pg=13

I hope to be finished tomorrow but I will be done by Saturday at the latest. Once the decals are on, it'll get another dose of Model Master Glosscote. As usual, Mr. CanMilAir will get the first photos of the finished build and then I'll post them here.

Thanks for letting me play again.

Mike

Edited by AX 365
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Thanks J.

The stencils and decals are on and coated with Solvaset. Everything is curing as we speak. It'll get a second coat of gloss tomorrow morning. I'll attach all the fiddly bits (gear, wheels, pitot tube, doors, landing light lenses, etc) after the gloss coat dries. Should be done by tomorrow evening or Saturday morning.

Mike

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Thanks HOLMES. I like this scheme as much as the red / white diagonal tail stripes of the 421 Sqn Sabres.

Having said that, this build has taken a bit of a dump. Things were going so well too. One of the landing gear locating pins snapped off inside the mating hole inside the wing. I hope the liquid cement melts the plastic sufficiently so that it bonds the pieces together. I think it'll hold. If not, a piece of tiny brass rod inserted into tiny holes drilled into the strut and the broken tab in the wing should be enough reinforcement. I hope to not have to do that.

I have to say that the decals looked really good until disaster struck. This has never happened before and I don't know why it did this time. I applied a coating of Microscale Liquid Decal Film over the decals, as suggested by CanMilAir (and as I always do), and applied the decals as I normally would over a nice gloss finish. They settled nicely with a bit of Solvaset. I sprayed a second coat of Model Master Gloss Coat this afternoon and went I went to check on the finished product about 45 minutes ago, the two blue / white diagonal tail stripes with the silver falcon head in the middle, one Red Ensign on the tail and one roundel on the wing have wrinkled, and quite badly at that. The second gloss coat wasn't sprayed on thick or liberally either. I tried to salvage it with another application of Solvaset but it didn't work. Oh well...It looks good from a distance but up close, it's quite disappointing.

I'll take some photos later this evening or tomorrow (in order to let the gear leg thoroughly dry) and send them off to Bill and then I'll post them here.

Thanks for looking.

Mike

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I just took some photos and have sent them off to Bill at CanMilAir for his first viewing.

Here it is. I'm a bit bummed about the tail stripes but there's nothing I can do about it. At least the problem isn't noticeable from a distance...

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More in the next post.

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The kink in the pitot tube is supposed to point outboard---not inward

Just sayin'

nice to see a Canadian camo Mk5

Tony

Thanks for catching that Tony. I don't know what I was thinking. All my other Swords have the pitot tube installed the proper way. Fortunately, the tube is a snug fit into the wing and no glue was required. I simply took it out and put it back in the right way.

Thanks again sir.

Mike

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phantom / HOLMES,

Thanks for your kind words.

Tony,

Thanks for your second bit of info about the wing roundels.

Which is the next squadron to be represented?

Mike

Edited by AX 365
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Thanks for the kind words, A.S.

I solved the wrinkled tail stripe dilemma. Unfortunately, I had to ruin the already applied tail stripes to rectify the problem.

As many know, my long term Sabre project will see me build Sabres to represent all 12 squadrons of 1 Air Division who flew Sabres. One Sabre in each wing will be 1/32 scale while the other two will be 1/48. For 2 Wing, my 421 Sqn Sabre is 1/32 scale. My 1/48 scale Sabres for 2 Wing will represent 416 and 430 Sqns.

I have a set of Leading Edge Models 2 Wing Sabre decals in 1/48 scale. I will build the 3rd 1/48 scale Sabre of 416 Sqn using this sheet. I have subsequently stripped the CanMilAir tail stripes from my 430 Sqn Sabre and used the 430 Sqn Sabre stripes from the above mentioned Leading Edge set to replace the ruined CanMilAir decals. While the Leading Edge Decals stripes are good, the definition of the 'Silver Falcon' is significantly better on the CanMilAir sheet. Oh well. Such is life.

Thanks for looking.

Mike

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Mike

That's it. I fail to check on a GB for a week, and I miss the whole story.

Great recovery. I see now what you were telling me about Monday morning at Udisco. Let me say that it sounded worse than it looked (you made a face almost like you'd missed an empty net in overtime when you told me the story).

I like the clean build, fantastic paint job, and stencils. Well done!

I have a 1/32 sheet for one of the Wings, of which I will be using some decals, but there may be something there you need to complete your meticulously-planned series of Air Division Sabres. I'll send you an e-mail tonight with a description of what I have; if you need something and I can spare it, you're welcome to it!

ALF

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