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  • 3 weeks later...

Back from a very busy time at work.

The museum where I work just opened a new exhibit and I got to work on a 1/1 scale model !

We built a flight simulator that allows visitors to take part in the Battle of Midway. You can choose to fly either for the Japanese and attack the island or for the US Navy and attack the Japanese fleet.

We really played down the game aspect - no "enemy" icons, radar, maps, or scores. Just a dizzying furball of action and explosions and you only have a couple minutes of fuel before you need to turn back for home. The only nod to gaming was unlimited ammo, though you only get a limited amount before a 3 second "reloading" break. Very easy to mistake friendly / enemy so you have to pay attention.

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Still had some "instrument" stickers left to place but you get the idea

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Love it when people play and use the aviator helmets, scarf, and jacket to get into it

People seem to like it and I actually got paid to make a WWII combat flight sim ! Super stoked.

Anyway, back to the Spit.

Painted the sky (why do they call it sky? It's green for God's sake) fuselage tail band rather than going with the decal.

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I'll try doing the leading edge yellow bands with the decals from the kit because I'm tired of masking already. Hope that turns out alright since I usually paint those.

Started putting down the Future coat and will begin decals tonight

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One small complaint about the kit. The canopy masks aren't die cut....? WTH? The tape has helpful printed lines for you to cut the tape but I figured that for sure they would have done the work for me with such a premium level kit. Strange.

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The extra set of canopies are replacement ones sent by Revell for my other 1/32 that I managed to fog up. Will get some wrap up photos of that up soon.

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Decals continue to suck. I'm really disappointed at how easily the kit decals crack. Both of the underwing roundels shattered into a bunch of pieces.

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Even the smaller stencils have a tendency to silver despite the fact that I've put down a couple layers of Future.

Not surprisingly, the leading edge yellow stripes cracked when I tired to apply them, so like the propeller tips (below), I'll wind up having to mask them off and airbrush. A pain but way less frustrating than struggling with a bunch of decal fragments.

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I had been thinking that I would just use the kit decals for the markings after all but with the trouble I've been having I think that I'll go with the Aces of the Empire decals.

Was a choice between Spitfires flown by Beurling and Gabraski....I'm a sucker for Spits from the Polish Squadron so I think I'll go with Gabby's.

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Regardless, she's coming together and if I keep moving forward I should be done by Thursday and the end of the GB.

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Getting really close but don't think I'll get it done before the end of the day.

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Pretty sure that September first will end last for me here in Hawai`i, in that I'm closest to the dateline on the eastern side so I'll keep plugging away....

Edited by nickdanger
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Oh well, not gonna make it. While it's still September 1st here at 157° west, it's getting late and I'd rather have a nice slow weathering and finishing stage than rush things through.

Got the wheels and brakes assembled. Actually never done a kit with OOB brake lines. Looks pretty slick, IMHO.

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Most everything is ready for final construction

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Decided to remove the cracked underwing roundel kit decals and replace them with the Aces of the Empire ones. Vast improvement.

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Edited by nickdanger
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  • 1 month later...

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