chukw Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 That's looking quite nice, Joel- excellent interpretation of the finish! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 That's looking quite nice, Joel- excellent interpretation of the finish! Chukw, Thank you so much for your most insightful words. Coming from a master like you, I take that as quite a compliment. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 (edited) Due to popular demand, I'll be going with the tri-color prop tips rather then the usual WW11 Yellow tips. Looks like I went from one paint session to 4 to do the tri-color tips as I have to prime them with a flat white 1st. Just behind the pilot's seat armor plate, there is a access panel in the 1st pane of glass that is to gain access to the emergency rations which I'm assuming is located in the front section of the raft container. I fashioned it out of masking tape, then painted and weathered it. looked a little rough texture wise, and off in color, but once I put on the sliding canopy, and moved back to normal viewing distance as it would be seen in my display case, it looks just fine. Actually you would hardly notice it. Also got around to finishing up the landing light under the wing. I painted it chrome, then made the lens out of three applications of Microscale Krystal Klear. Now on to the wing tip lights, and then back to the engine. Joel Edited July 15, 2015 by Joel_W Quote Link to post Share on other sites
falcon20driver Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Joel, you've built up another real winner. It seems like each build is even better than the last. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Joel, you've built up another real winner. It seems like each build is even better than the last. Falcon20Driver, Thanks for stopping by. I truly appreciate your comment as you've been with me through several of my builds. By far this has been the hardest one yet. But finally I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skystreak80 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Joel that's a seriously cool aircraft you have made mate love it !!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jgrease Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Nice! The subtleties of your builds are quite enjoyable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Joel that's a seriously cool aircraft you have made mate love it !!!! Skystreak80, Thanks so much for your most kind comments. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Nice! The subtleties of your builds are quite enjoyable. John, Thank you so much for your most kind words. The F2A-3 Buffalo certainly has developed a personality all of it's own. I think that one of the differences with this build vs the others that I've posted blogs on, is that this aircraft is not just a particular aircraft, but also as it approximately looked from limited documentation on June 7,1942 during the Battle of Midway. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peterpools Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 JA Just tremendous work. Looking fantastic Keep 'em coming Bro Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 JA Just tremendous work. Looking fantastic Keep 'em coming Bro Pete Thanks for taking the time to stop by, and checkout how the F2A-3 Buffalo is progressing. Sure am glad that you like what you saw. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crazy Snap Captain Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Looking sharp there Joel. Tremendous work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Looking sharp there Joel. Tremendous work. Crazy Snap Captain, Thank you so much for those most kind words. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 Got a little more work done over the last few days. I managed to paint and install the motor mount assembly. Unlike most of the other interior assemblies, this one fit nearly perfectly. Then I started to build the prop. Naturally, I was back to dry fitting till everything fit properly. I finished painting the engine, added ignition wires, then glued on the engine bulkhead that the cowling will attach to. The prop was painted Nato Black. After looking at several more pictures, the vast majority of F2A-3s have Yellow tips, so I went that way. Ok, it was the easier way out. Then I test fitted the engine assembly to the fuselage. Needed some adjustments, especially where the MGs go through the cowl. But in the end, it looks pretty good. Not much left to do other then small details, so I'm so close to the finish line that I dare think about my next build; Eduard's 1/48 scale Scooter. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thommo Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 That front end looks excellent Joel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 That front end looks excellent Joel. Thommo, Thanks so much. Just about finished with the Buffalo, I'm actually standing on the finish line. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Banana11000 Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Joel, I love the work you've done! That's got to be the best buffalo I've seen to date! Keep it up! :) Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 Joel, I love the work you've done! That's got to be the best buffalo I've seen to date! Keep it up! :)/> Colin Colin, Thanks so much for stopping by, and appreciating my efforts. It's been quite a journey to get to this point. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jgrease Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I was starting to get a little shaky waiting for the next update. Great stuff as always! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 I was starting to get a little shaky waiting for the next update. Great stuff as always! John, Have no fear, I just crossed the finish line a little while ago. The Buffalo is basically done. I have a few minor issues to deal with, but at this point I'm calling this build done. Will be doing a final set of pictures in a day or two or three, as I have some wonderful dental surgery to go through starting tomorrow. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Banana11000 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Thanks so much for stopping by, and appreciating my efforts. It's been quite a journey to get to this point. Joel It totally looks like it was worth the effort in my opinion! That's one HECK of a bird you got there! Just out of curiosity, what type of paint do you use when airbrushing? :)/> Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
taggor Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Another beautiful bird Joel! You just seem to knock 'em out! Looking forward to the finished pictures and your next bird! Bravo. -Mark Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 (edited) It totally looks like it was worth the effort in my opinion! That's one HECK of a bird you got there! Just out of curiosity, what type of paint do you use when airbrushing? :)/>/>/> Colin Colin, Thanks so much for your more then kind words. I'm really an old WW11 prop kind of guy. They're so simple compared to today's complex, technically advanced aircraft, which I'm never that comfortable building, just because I don't know what all those abbreviations that everyone uses to describe details stand for. Honestly, at times I'm lost other then from strictly a modelers point of view. As for what type of paints I use for airbrushing, my go to acrylics are the wonderful world of Tamya paints. While they don't have a nearly complete range of a million military FS colors, there are several sites that have the proper mixes so that color challenged people like myself can mix any color easily. I'm most comfortable airbrushing Tamiya acrylics thinned with their Yellow cap Lacquer thinner, but I still use their X-20A as well for small jobs and interior painting. I do from time to time use Model Master enamels, but really have moved away from them. I've just taken the last step to leave the lacquer based camp, as I've been airbrushing Testor's Glosscoat and Dullcoat for more then 40 years without issues. Well, the wife really doesn't like the lingering smell, and I must confess I really don't much care for it these days. So I've gone to Pledge for my Glosscoating when I need to hand brush, and now I use Winsor & Newton's Matt and Gloss UV Varnish for airbrushing that I cut with X-20A 50/50, then a final coat @ 40/60. They're a little pricey, but well worth it. Joel Edited July 20, 2015 by Joel_W Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Another beautiful bird Joel! You just seem to knock 'em out! Looking forward to the finished pictures and your next bird! Bravo. -Mark Mark, Thanks for your most appreciated comment. Actually, my usual build goes about 3 months. I do tend to work about 16-20 hours per week on my current build, as I don't watch much tv other then following my favorite sport teams. I only work on one model at a time from start to finish, other then doing research and buying what I need for the next build so everything is ready when I'm ready to start. No surprises and walls to work around. Will be shooting the final pictures hopefully today. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Well, it's with mixed emotions that I've crossed the finish line and have put to rest my F2A-3 Buffalo build. This build has had several 1sts for me: Building a 1/32 scale aircraft model: F2A-3 Buffalo Building a multi media limited run kit: By Czech. Modeling a aircraft for a specific pilot on a specific day: Capt. William C. Humberd of VM-221 flying MF-15 on June 7, 1942, during the Battle of Midway. Weathering my build as closely as possible to reflect how it most likely looked. There are no actual pictures of that aircraft for that day, rather a very famous painting of his shooting down of a A6M2 Zero, for which he awarded the Navy Cross. As I said at the start of my build, the Buffalo in its final configuration for the Navy and Marines; The F2A-3, was not a well liked combat aircraft. Being slow, and less maneuverable then it's predecessors, was delegated to trainer status right after Midway. I hope that those of you that followed my build, enjoyed my adventures, and my presentation as I went through this often very challenging model. And here are the final set of pictures for my F2A-3 build. Joel End of Part 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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