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Hobbycraft CT-133 Two of a Kind


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Well, I wanted to get modelling again before the new year, I just squeaked in... I had left my CT-133’s on my modelling table last spring for my usual summer break, which turned out to be a fall & summer break... Anyway, mostly thanks to you guys and the ARC On Canadian Wings Group Build, I managed to kicked myself and get going again.

I have had the Academy/Hobbycraft kits for a few years now, managing to scrounge a long list of aftermarkets as well. But I kept waiting to get some good three tone camo decals to do a European based CAF aircraft. I am still waiting, but I know Dave Koss is working on some. Hopefully they will be out by the time I am ready to apply some decals...

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But what really got me going was my last project where I managed to overcome my fear of natural metal finishes and completed a CF-5D in an all metal scheme using Alclad. I just loved this stuff, and god knows there are a lot of metal schemes for the T-Bird. So here is a list of what I managed to amass over the years:

• Airwaves Photoetch set AW4040 T/RT-33

• Eduard Photoetch set 48 193 T-33A Thunderbird

• True Details resin wheels (early style) 48089

• KMC Resin Intakes

• KMC Resin & Photoetch Update Set 48-4008

• True Details Resin Seats 48042

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Now, as things move along, I will try and point out the benefits/accuracy/usefulness of these bits as the build goes along. Of course, I am not an expert in CT-133’s and do not claim to make the most accurate models, in fact, I am pretty lazy, and more of the school “... if it looks like a...†you know the rest !

As I did for my twin Voodoo build,

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....0&hl=yvesff

I will make two models of the CT-133 simultaneously, I still have not settled on the final paint schemes yet, but more than likely, one will be in all metal and the other in European camo.

Some years ago, I managed to get my hands on a set Canadair Limited technical documents describing in details both the CT-114 Tutor and the CT-133. Along with the photographs I managed to gather over the years, these were very useful in determining the accuracy of the model and detail sets in question.

Although relatively accurate in terms of dial placement, the KMC resin instrument panels and unusable due to the poor raised detail of the resin casting for these pieces. The Airwaves set panels are also pure fantasy for a CAF bird. The kit panels are actually pretty good and I settled on those and the Eduard set panels with the acetate backing for instruments. I will glue these to a faceless panel from an old Hawk kit. I am thinking of adding Mike Grant instrument decals to the kit panels...

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As for the tubs, I used the KMC and the kit tub. The KMC is obviously a lot more accurate (although it seems to be missing a few knobs and switches...) according to the drawings but you can use the photoetch to enhace the kit part a little.

KMC Tub

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Kit tub

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Stay tuned, more to come...

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I have had the Academy/Hobbycraft kits for a few years now, managing to scrounge a long list of aftermarkets as well. But I kept waiting to get some good three tone camo decals to do a European based CAF aircraft. I am still waiting, but I know Dave Koss is working on some. Hopefully they will be out by the time I am ready to apply some decals...

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Dave said those were going to be out months ago, perhaps he changed his mind after Beclher Bit's released their sheet. You can do all the schemes on that sheet up to the late greys. I think there is an option for three different European camo schemes including artwork. Both of the above options are on the sheet.

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Dave said those were going to be out months ago, perhaps he changed his mind after Beclher Bit's released their sheet. You can do all the schemes on that sheet up to the late greys. I think there is an option for three different European camo schemes including artwork. Both of the above options are on the sheet.

This is not good news, the scheme I have been waiting to do all these years is the aircraft in the foreground with the Kiwi tail art. Belcher nor CanMilair produces that. I have sent references of this particular airdraft to Dave and that's when he mentionned he was about to release this particular scheme so I am going to ask (beg !) Dave to go ahead with his sheet.

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I have it all ready done, I just haven't released it yet.

Cheers,

Bill

This is not good news, the scheme I have been waiting to do all these years is the aircraft in the foreground with the Kiwi tail art. Belcher nor CanMilair produces that. I have sent references of this particular airdraft to Dave and that's when he mentionned he was about to release this particular scheme so I am going to ask (beg !) Dave to go ahead with his sheet.
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I have it all ready done, I just haven't released it yet.

Cheers,

Bill

This is the Kiwi tail art I am looking for, if this is the one you have done, when will it be out and are you taking pre-orders ???

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This is the Kiwi tail art I am looking for, if this is the one you have done, when will it be out and are you taking pre-orders ???

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yes this is the one. I just have a couple of small details to wrap up. If you are in need of it asap, I can bump it to the top of my list.

Bill

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This is not good news, the scheme I have been waiting to do all these years is the aircraft in the foreground with the Kiwi tail art. Belcher nor CanMilair produces that. I have sent references of this particular airdraft to Dave and that's when he mentionned he was about to release this particular scheme so I am going to ask (beg !) Dave to go ahead with his sheet.

I am not sure if Dave has stopped it, I only speculate that he has. He was releasing stuff fast.

Are you sure the Kiwi tail art is not on the Belcher sheet? I thought I saw it on the sheet that Ihave.

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Time for an Update:

02 January 2011

I finished installing the inlets today. Not an easy task, the KMC inlets are not really an upgrade that I feel is required so I decided not to use them. They do include the light on the right side intake seen on Cdn T-Birds (which will have to be added if you use the kit intakes like me) and they are as difficult to install as the kit inlets. It is very difficult to position the inlets correctly as they tend to protrude out of air tunnel too much, I think I got one out of four correct... You also need to fill a lot of gaps so inlet air does not escape inside the fuselage !

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I finished detailing the Eduard and kit instrument panels, sandwiching the Eduard acetate instruments in between the sanded down KMC resin panel painted white and the Eduard photoetch part. The kit panels are being glossed up to receive Mike Grant’s instrument decals.

Eduard Panels

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Kit panels with Mike Grant instrument decals:

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I painted up both the KMC and the True Details seats, both are pretty good, but they fail to show the correct attachment point of the seat belts right in the middle of the head rest. I chose to leave them as- is as this is a pretty difficult modification for my little talents. I added the ejector handles at the base of each seat with 0.030†lead wire painted up yellow and black. KMC furnished very nice sticks and throttles which I painted. The seat and cockpit assembly are very black and need careful drybrushing for the details to show up. I may add a couple of hydraulic lines also. As a side note, the True Detail resin cockpit set still available today is a copy of the KMC set I am using.

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Edited by yvesff
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I finished installing the inlets today. Not an easy task, the KMC inlets are not really an upgrade that I feel is required so I decided not to use them. They do include the light on the right side intake seen on Cdn T-Birds (which will have to be added if you use the kit intakes like me)

That would be the gun camera window on the right intake wall, right. sorta looks like a little bump with a window.

I painted up both the KMC and the True Details seats, both are pretty good, but they fail to show the correct attachment point of the seat belts right in the middle of the head rest. I chose to leave them as- is as this is a pretty difficult modification for my little talents.

The mod to put the shoulder harness through the head rest is a late mod from the 90's. If you're doing an earlier bird, your seats are fine as they are.

Looking good !!

Cheers, Tony

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Time for an Update:

08 january 2010

I installed the Eduard instrument panels on the useless KMC resin panels. I needed to remove a significant amount of resin on the front face of where the rear instrument panel would sit. Otherwise, it would sit much too close to the seat and would not leave room for the stick. I glued only the rear panels of both the KMC and kit cockpit prior to gluing the tub assembly to the side of the fuselage. Installing the photoetch rudder pedals was also tricky as they would interfere with the panels. The seats, sticks and front panels will be installed at the end of the build. Both tubs were then glued to the sidewalls, I glued the rear panel on the KMC tub and the front panel of the kit tub as, contrary to the other panels, these cannot be installed once the fuselage is closed.

KMC Tub

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Kit Tub

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Next were the speed brakes. One of the biggest drawbacks of the Hobbycraft kit, as opposed to the Monogram F-80 kit, is the absence of speed brakes. Considering 95% of all the CT-133 pictures I have seen show these open, I believe these are a must.

Prior and Post sped brake cut up.

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Eduard gives photoetch to represent both the speed brakes and the fuselage fairing box. Airwaves gives you some detail which goes on top of the plastic part which you need to cut out from the kit. KMC gives you a very nice resin speed brake and its actuating arm in photoetch but nothing for the fuselage fairing box.

From left to right; Eduard photoetch (1st three top and bottom), next two, KMC resin at bottom, kit part with airwaves photoetch at top, KMC photoetch actuating arms far right, top and bottom.

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So I took out my trusty CMK razor saw and removed the speed brakes from the kit fuselage following the recessed panel lines. I copied the Eduard box fairing with plasticard for use as my second option. Once installed, both these boxes require plasticard additions to the sides and aft to box everything in. To summarize, I will have, one Eduard photoetch fairing box and a copy in plasticard. A set of resin speedbrakes from KMC with photoetch actuating arms and a set of thinned down “kit†speed brakes with Airwaves photoetch details.

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Edited by yvesff
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  • 2 weeks later...

Another update:

20 january 2010

Started to glue the fuselage halfs together, found out I had to install the front instrument panel on the KMC resin tub, otherwise I would not be able to do it afterwards. I also had to cut out the top left hand side of the panel so it would fit under the canopy coaming. I glued using Tamiya liquid glue (green cap), very nice stuff, going a little at a time.

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Dry fitted the exhaust pipe, if installed as per kit instructions it fits too far inside, so I cut it off so I could fit it more rearwards after the fuselage halfs are glued. I removed the flaps from two horizontal stabilizers, preparing them to receive the KMC resin flaps.

I used plasticard to box in the flap and speedbrake housings, took out the Tamiya putty and 400, 600 and 1000 wet or dry sandpaper and started removing seams... I put both fuselage aside and started clipping the photoetch.

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I used the KMC and Eduard photoetch and the KMC resin detail of the canopy sides and canopy sill, bending, sanding and gluing as required.

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I sanded down the canopy clear part, wet sanding with 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12000 grit sand cloths. I then waxed one with Model Detail carruba wax with a cotton rag, for the other, I dipped in Future twice. Once dried, I covered them with Tamiya tape so as not to scratch them while handling them to glue the photoetch parts.

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I prepared all the doors, flaps, whwwls and landing gears for painting, these will get a coat of silver.

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  • 3 months later...

24 april 2011

After a brief 2 month delay due to the flu and other commitments, I managed to get back to my T-33s. I spent a great deal of time with Tamiya putty, filling and sanding , mainly the wing joints but also numerous defects from what you can tell are aging Hobbycraft molds. I sprayed Alclad gray primer, out of the bottle using a well ventilated spray booth and a good respirator mask (that stuff is strong !). I re-checked the seams, applied Gunze Mr Surfacer 1000 with a tooth pick where necessary, re-engraved some panel lines, let dry 24 hrs, re-sanded, re-sprayed, re-checked, I did this 3 times. Once satisfied, I used an old cotton T-shirt to "polish" the primer and get a good surface for the first coat of Alclad.

My plan is to finish one model in all metal 414 squadron scheme, and the other in the European camo scheme of 1GTTF. I am still waiting for Dave at Leading Edge to issue these decals (which he said where done). So I will set one model aside and concentrate on the all metal scheme for now.

The first shade of Alcald was Aluminum, this was sprayed all over. I soon found out it was not replicating the polished aluminum look I was looking for so I masked a few panels with Tamiya tape on the wings and fuselage (15-20%) and sprayed the rest Polished Aluminum ( I also used White Aluminum in other areas). That was much better. When I removed the tape however, I had three places where the Alclad was removed all the way down to the plastic. This was the start of a time consuming task of retouching peeled off areas as I sprayed more panels different shades of Alclad. I found that even if you sand down the peeled off area with 3200 to 12000 grade sanding cloths, the peeled area still shows through once you paint it over with Alclad. However, if you spray a coat of future prior to the Alclad re-touch,let dry for 6 hours, then magic happens, and the following Alclad coat completely hides your mistakes.

I guess I will be more careful in washing and sanding down the bare plastic model prior to the Alclad primer application the next time.

I painted the wing tips and tip tanks with Tamiya Red, masking with Tamiya tape whose tacky surface was rubbed a few times on my fingers to remove the tackiness. The length of the red on the wings was scaled off of a drawing from Pat Martin’s Canadian Forces markings book.

Alcald Primer

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Alclad Aluminum

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Alclad Polished Aluminum (70%) Aluminum (25%) White Aluminum (5%)

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Underside

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  • 1 month later...

Now that the Group Build is officially over, time for an update, forever the procrastinator...

If the Moderators would be so kind to move this thread to the "in Progress" section it would be most appreciated.

15 May 2011

Today I painted the flat black (Gunze) on the tip tanks, vertical tail and nose. I also trial fitted the tanks on the wings, the fit is tight. Doing this I found out the red paint is barely clinging onto the Alclad. So I decided to take no chances and I will overspray the whole model in Future. This will be needed protection for the follow on decal and weathering application. I have done this before and found it did not tone down the metal scheme too much. I removed the paint from the tip of the tanks with an X-Acto (this tells you something about the paint adherence !) I used Model Master Aluminium with a paintbrush to paint the tips and tail of the tanks. The underside of all moveable surfaces as well as the gear legs were painted Alclad White Aluminium.

20 May 2011

The model is now ready for decaling. The Leading Edge decals are pretty thick and the glue not very sticky, so you need to proceed carefully to ensure proper adhesion and no silvering. A good coat of Future helps. Taking no chances I also diluted a bit of Kristal Kleer in some Micro Set and applied to the model at the decal location to ensure enough glue is present. The glue dries with a bit of a hue but a coat of Future removes all of it. I also applied Future on the model where the decal would go. The decals are very good with only the 414 sqn badge on the tail oversized a bit. The anti-skid black panel and front anti-glare panel decals were applied last, after the Future coat to retain their semi-flat sheen.

A final coat of Future was spayed on the entire model and the small bits to get ready for a wash. I used 4000-6000 grade sanding cloths to take the sheen off of some panels. Aeromaster flat was re-sprayed on the black of the tip tanks.

Most all of the bits are now ready to be attached, but this is still a lot of work with also the antennas, cockpit sills, landing and position lights, etc... and final weathering

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