dai phan Posted May 31, 2024 Share Posted May 31, 2024 (edited) Greetings, I know it is a bit early but this is one of upcoming projects. I already ordered some decal sheets for the bird. Dai Edited December 19, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted September 29, 2024 Author Share Posted September 29, 2024 Howdy, Just placed order for 3 kits from Poland. Dai Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted October 17, 2024 Author Share Posted October 17, 2024 (edited) Hi all, Mine have arrived ! Dai Edited October 17, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 14, 2024 Author Share Posted November 14, 2024 Greetings, The build will be started this weekend. Dai Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 14, 2024 Author Share Posted November 14, 2024 (edited) Hi all, I just ordered two beautiful sets from Bullseye. Dai Edited November 14, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 16, 2024 Author Share Posted November 16, 2024 (edited) Greetings, Started the build tonight. So far good fit is noted but the illustrations on where the parts go are wildly inaccurate. I had to dry fit many times to know where the parts fit. Dai Edited November 16, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 16, 2024 Author Share Posted November 16, 2024 (edited) Hello all, Continue on with build. Step 14 and 15 are not needed in my opinion unless I miss something. These are the backing plates for the gun panels. If you install them on the inner side of the fuselage then the gun panels outside will NOT sit flush as they interfere with the backing plates by a large amount. I had to remove these plates on steps 14/15 in order for the outside plates to sit flush. These backing plates may be for the open gun barrels version but still they interfere with the sitting of the outer panels. I welcome any comments who had built the kit. It should be noted on steps 16 and 17, the use of the parts 14 and 15 are reversed. Step 16 you should use part 15 instead but still not needed as it interferes with the fit. Dai Edited November 16, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 16, 2024 Author Share Posted November 16, 2024 (edited) Hi everyone, The new decal sheets have arrived. I really like the quality of Bullseye's offering. I have to use the scheme with closed gun ports. Dai Edited November 16, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 16, 2024 Author Share Posted November 16, 2024 (edited) Hello friends, Continue with the build. The engine tube is oversized making closing of the halves impossible unless some serious trimming is done. I ended up cutting in half. Even if the tube is of correct size you really cannot see the turbine blades that far down anyway. My method allows the halves to close without work and less nose weight is noted. Oddly the kit's IP decals have the yellow dials rather than white. Dai Edited November 17, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 17, 2024 Author Share Posted November 17, 2024 Greetings, Dry fit everything together and so far good fit is noted. Rather than glueing the cockpit tub to the intake trunk then to the fuse per instruction, do the following. Glue the tub to one halve first making sure the tabs are locked in place. Then glue the intake trunk onto the halves making sure you have positive lock. There are 8 tabs total and if you glue the tub to the trunk then to the fuse, you may not get them all to line up properly. Also if you do the closed gun ports version, forget the backing plates on steps 14/15. They interfere with the outside panels fit and even if they do not, you cannot see them after the fuse is closed anyway. Dai Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 17, 2024 Author Share Posted November 17, 2024 (edited) Hi all, Here are my thoughts so far. The kit is way over engineered. More parts does not equal more details. The speed brake comes with 3 parts per halve and this can be easily molded into the fuselage. With 3 parts you have to clean up the seams and that does not add any additional details to the kit. The upper wings you have to glue in the slat bases and this requires cleaning up the seams resulting loss of fine surface details. Again this could be easily molded in one piece like on the lower surface. Why on earth the seam line on the dorsal fin ends on the SURFACE on the right side? This mean seam clean up and loss of details. The appalling thing is the 2 piece flaps and ailrelons. The seams are on the SURFACE rather than at the trailing edges. This means seams clean up and detail loss. The fuselage halves are comprised of 2 haves and 2 inserts. This means there are 4 additional seams to clean up rather than one single seam if the halves are joined together in 2 pieces. I think the rationale is prevent detail loss of the center section but this in my opinion is way more work than needed be. I am just an average modeler and I just want to provide my perspective on this kit. I do not understand the rationales in engineering of this kit. Dai Edited November 18, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Geoff M Posted November 18, 2024 Share Posted November 18, 2024 Thanks for your perspective on this kit. I will look out for these issues when I get to mine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 18, 2024 Author Share Posted November 18, 2024 (edited) Howdy again, Continue on. The foward belly pan does not fit well. I had to sand the front gear tub in order for me to get the panel down. The panel was pivoting on it. The rear belly panel barely faired a little better. I had to use thin CA with accelerator to force things into place. The engineering on this kit really defies conventional and logical thinking. If you come across after market flaps, ailerons, rudder get them and do away with multi piece assembly that creates more work and does not add anything detail wise. One piece rudder, flaps makes way much more sense in my limited modelling skill. And for the love of God please do not end your seams on the SURFACE if you can please !!! This kit features the finest scale like surface details I have ever seen on a kit but sadly destroyed by unconventional engineering, I had to place back many rivets lost. Dai Edited November 18, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 18, 2024 Author Share Posted November 18, 2024 4 hours ago, Geoff M said: Thanks for your perspective on this kit. I will look out for these issues when I get to mine. Do away with gun panels backing plates. They prevent the seating of the outer panels. Read my posts and get after market control surfaces if you can. Dai Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 19, 2024 Author Share Posted November 19, 2024 (edited) Yo all, I like the PE slat actuators. Will need to do some sandings around the PEs to remove excess CA before painting. I wonder if they are too thin for scale? Dai Edited November 19, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 20, 2024 Author Share Posted November 20, 2024 (edited) Hello all, Oddly the left aileron trim tab is missing on the kit. Perhaps the A5 version does not have one? Dai Edited November 20, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 20, 2024 Author Share Posted November 20, 2024 (edited) Some photos to depict tonal variations of the NMF. Dai Edited November 20, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 20, 2024 Author Share Posted November 20, 2024 (edited) Greetings, Someone also cut off the exhaust tube in order for the halves to come together like I did. I would cut off right before the speed brakes. He cuts too close to the exhaust and that will show the backing plate. On mine since it is so far down the fuse you cannot see any backing plate at all. The black circular thing is the backing plate painted back. Dai F-86A of the 94th FS - F-86 Sabre STGB - Britmodeller.com Edited November 20, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 21, 2024 Author Share Posted November 21, 2024 (edited) Hello all, Primed the model. Not much putty was used. Will need to rescribe some lost panel lines and replace missing rivets. Dai Edited November 21, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 29, 2024 Author Share Posted November 29, 2024 On 11/19/2024 at 9:34 PM, dai phan said: Hello all, Oddly the left aileron trim tab is missing on the kit. Perhaps the A5 version does not have one? Dai Hi all, My mistake. Make sure you install the aileron with the trim tab on the LEFT side! Dai Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 29, 2024 Author Share Posted November 29, 2024 (edited) Happy Thanksgiving everyone... Started painting today. The PE slat actuators require extreme care when CA in place or you will end up with ugly cement joints. I had to go back (and will go back) with thin sanding sticks to smooth out all the joints. I think plastic actuators molded in the slats will do just fine. The MK6 has the resin actuators and I think they look better then the PE parts as I think the PEs are too thin for scale? Dai Edited November 29, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted November 29, 2024 Author Share Posted November 29, 2024 (edited) Greetings, I see the main landing gears have these large bars that is cemented into the wheel wells ( I had to trim in order to make them fit into the wells). With other areas being over engineered, I find it odd the main gears are under engineered. May be the A version landing gears have these "bar" features? Forgive me for my naieveness. Dai Edited November 29, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted November 29, 2024 Share Posted November 29, 2024 Looks great Dai... can't wait to see the final product. -Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted December 2, 2024 Author Share Posted December 2, 2024 (edited) Greetings, Main color applied. I use Mr Color SM 201 with 70% thinner. Ordered Eduard PE set to add some additional details. Dai Edited December 2, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dai phan Posted December 3, 2024 Author Share Posted December 3, 2024 (edited) Hello all, I have 2 extra kits so I may do another one in this very interesting scheme. Dai Edited December 3, 2024 by dai phan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.