Nick L Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I actually finished this model some time ago, but never got around to sharing it until now. It's not contest-worthy by any stretch of the imagination but I'm pretty happy with it. Of course Continental is now no more (that shows how long ago it was... ) I used the Contrails resin nose for this model. IMO I think it really helps the look, but it's not a drop-in fit. You have to do a lot of trimming and test-fitting to make it look right - if you just cut off the kit's radome and attach the nose it won't sit properly. It took me a while to figure out what was going on, but if you play with it for some time you'll see where to trim. Also, when it is finally attached there's quite a bit of filling that needs to be done. All in all though I think it's worth it. Other changes were to thin the trailing edges on all of the flying surfaces and the pylons, round off the flap canoes and the top of the pylons (these used a ton of sandpaper...), and add some scratchbuilt details (antennas, anti-collision lights, engine strakes, and a small gear door for the main landing gear). I painted the model with MM enamels and used Flying Colors decals for the main scheme. Smaller details (pitot tubes, cargo door decals, the Star Alliance logo, etc.) were pieced together from various decal leftovers. Finally I added some light weathering using pencil dust. Thanks for looking! Nick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Looks great Nick, I have built 2 of these and know your pain... ...Other changes were to thin the trailing edges on all of the flying surfaces and the pylons, round off the flap canoes and the top of the pylons (these used a ton of sandpaper...), and add some scratchbuilt details (antennas, anti-collision lights, engine strakes, and a small gear door for the main landing gear). Just wondering about the sandpaper, didn't you use a file first? Great job :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nick L Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 Thanks Ray. Yeah, in retrospect that would have been a good idea... :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big Kahuna Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 She looks a real beauty Nick. You should be proud. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dunelimo Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Very nice build-well done Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vinny Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Wow! She looks fab! Beautiful build Nick. Well done. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Nick SHE is a BEAUTY anf you did a FABULOUS job on her...Clean and sharp build.. PERFECT! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nick L Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Thanks guys, really appreciate it! ;) Nick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pac-man808 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hi Nick, Nice build... Very clean. I've never built any Minicraft airliners yet (just started to get into airliners), is the 777 from Minicraft any good? From what i've read online, it seems like minicraft are the only ones who makes the 777 in 1/144 scale. Correct me if i am wrong about this. Thanks, William Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nick L Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 Thanks William. The Minicraft kit is okay, but not great. Main problems are the misshapen nose, thick trailing edges on the wings, horizontal and vertical tails, and engine pylons. Other problems are wrong cross-sections on the flap track fairings and engine pylons (squared off instead of rounded). You can fix everything except the nose with some effort (and a big file, or a lot of sandpaper). The nose can be fixed with aftermarket resin, or you could graft a 767 nose onto it if you can spare one. It will still not quite be right but it will look better. The only other kits out there in this scale are the Doyusha and Welsh Models (which is a vacuform kit). The Doyusha has thinner trailing edges and a better nose, but the engines are worse than the Minicraft's, it still has the problems with squared-off pylons and fairings, the pylon trailing edges are still wrong, and the windows and doors are all molded too low so you'll need to fill them in. It's also out of production (last I checked) and much more expensive than the Minicraft kit. I don't know anything about the Welsh kit and I've never seen one built, but I hear it's not bad. If you know how to build a vac kit and can find one it might be okay. Overall the Minicraft is the best value for your money. It just takes a little effort to turn into a nice model. Nick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CUPRAR Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 great build, i used the minicraft kit to build my Qatar 300ER conversion.....many thank chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MaRiO FDZ Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Hmm for some Reason I had missed this post, but I'd like to say NICE work on that 777 :) Take Care Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GraemeT Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Clean and sharp indeed Great job! Graeme Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Vinny Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 She's a cracker! Well done. Very nice build and a classic livery. Vinny Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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