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Hasegawa 1/72 F9F Panther
- Thread starter hamchuck
- Start date
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
That is why I tend to do a lot of trolling for photos and info. I bought the Valiant book for the Me 410 (which cost more than the model I am building) BUT, I also have the HPH 1/32 Me 410 kit. I have also followed a couple of builds of that kit, one which went fairly good and one where the guy had a ton of trouble with it. After looking at my personal HPH kit, I suspect the guy was dealing with builder skill issues rather than kit issues though that kit IS going to be an outright CHALLENGE.
Anyway, fixing FUBARS is always a learning experience. Some are good, some are bad, some are a real pain in the pants seat. If you learn and increase your skill set, it is a win.
As to Bob's aversion to Eduard, I do get it, but have learned to do the research, then do the build plan.
Anyway, fixing FUBARS is always a learning experience. Some are good, some are bad, some are a real pain in the pants seat. If you learn and increase your skill set, it is a win.
As to Bob's aversion to Eduard, I do get it, but have learned to do the research, then do the build plan.
Yeah Paul, hope everyone else do their due diligence and see how bad Eudard's customer service is like I did. They put in a box an Academy kit with their resin that didn't even fit and when I complained about it, the answer was "Yeah, we know. Sorry.".
Yeah that stinks to me Paul.
I don't mind challenges Paul, even ones I throw my hands up but as they say, don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.
Yeah that stinks to me Paul.
I don't mind challenges Paul, even ones I throw my hands up but as they say, don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.
hamchuck
Active member
Back at this one, finally. Part of it was just life but also I was waiting for an order of some brass that arrived incomplete anyways.
I got the cockpit put together. The directions for the photoetch would have you sawing the kit head rest off and adding it to the photoetch seat. I just couldn't see how that was going to work. So I used epoxy putty to make the headrest. It looks a bit lumpy in close up photos but at normal eye distances it looks alright. I also made a parachute? life raft? for the seat bottom, as per one of my references photos. I also used some of the brass that did show up to improvise a sheet metal brake and bend some brass reinforcement stringers for the back of the headrest.
I couldn't get the completed cockpit to set right in the fuselage. It wouldn't stay where I wanted it and when it did, I saw it was sitting too low; the seat should sit higher out of the cockpit. So I used a brass strip to make a sort of spring to keep the seat shoved up closer to where I wanted it. Even so, it still sits lower than I think it should but it's the most I can do with it.
I did some minor re-shaping of the PE armor plate as it was too squared off. Also, there's an inaccuracy somewhere in the dimensions because there should be more room between the seat and the armor plate that I was going to fill up with details using square tube that didn't arrive.
So at least it looks like an airplane now. I'll add some detail to deck aft of the armor plate, and I managed to lose the neat little gunsight that was in the photoetch kit, so I'll have to put something together for that. After that, I can start priming, sanding, and painting.
I got the cockpit put together. The directions for the photoetch would have you sawing the kit head rest off and adding it to the photoetch seat. I just couldn't see how that was going to work. So I used epoxy putty to make the headrest. It looks a bit lumpy in close up photos but at normal eye distances it looks alright. I also made a parachute? life raft? for the seat bottom, as per one of my references photos. I also used some of the brass that did show up to improvise a sheet metal brake and bend some brass reinforcement stringers for the back of the headrest.
I couldn't get the completed cockpit to set right in the fuselage. It wouldn't stay where I wanted it and when it did, I saw it was sitting too low; the seat should sit higher out of the cockpit. So I used a brass strip to make a sort of spring to keep the seat shoved up closer to where I wanted it. Even so, it still sits lower than I think it should but it's the most I can do with it.
I did some minor re-shaping of the PE armor plate as it was too squared off. Also, there's an inaccuracy somewhere in the dimensions because there should be more room between the seat and the armor plate that I was going to fill up with details using square tube that didn't arrive.
So at least it looks like an airplane now. I'll add some detail to deck aft of the armor plate, and I managed to lose the neat little gunsight that was in the photoetch kit, so I'll have to put something together for that. After that, I can start priming, sanding, and painting.
What a neat idea, spring mounted cockpit. Comfy ride. 
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
I like the cockpit! The build is looking good so far.
hamchuck
Active member
Yeah, it helps with the carrier landings. Bit of a headache when it gets out of phase in turbulence though.What a neat idea, spring mounted cockpit. Comfy ride.
centaur567
Well-known member
Your doing a great job on one of my favorite airplanes!! Gary S.
hamchuck
Active member
Thanks! There's just something I find cool about it, even more so than the F-86.
centaur567
Well-known member
I think it's those wing tip tanks that puts it on top. Apparently they added better aerodynamics to the wing. Gary S.
hamchuck
Active member
Well... 
.
I noticed that the nose decals would have to go over the gun barrels, which would have been tricky. I could have slit them during application but I decided to push my abilities and try to drill out the barrels and replace them later with brass tube, since I have the right size on hand.
Yeah, that didn't work out. I'm definitely no Plasmo.
So, there's three solutions:
1: I ordered a Quickboost nose with separate gun barrels. It's meant for the Hobby Boss kit but maybe I can make it fit.
2: I also ordered a complete replacement kit. Yes, I got an entire kit just for the nose cone, but it's cheap or I wouldn't have done it.
3: I could try to salvage this one. Not awfully likely, but why not try while I wait for the other stuff to arrive.
Also in the meantime, I finally received the Arma Hobbies flight deck section. The fun part will be matching the flight deck as I see it on the Oriskany in "The Bridges at Toko-Ri." I'm about as good at matching colors as I am at drilling gun barrels.
.I noticed that the nose decals would have to go over the gun barrels, which would have been tricky. I could have slit them during application but I decided to push my abilities and try to drill out the barrels and replace them later with brass tube, since I have the right size on hand.
Yeah, that didn't work out. I'm definitely no Plasmo.
So, there's three solutions:
1: I ordered a Quickboost nose with separate gun barrels. It's meant for the Hobby Boss kit but maybe I can make it fit.
2: I also ordered a complete replacement kit. Yes, I got an entire kit just for the nose cone, but it's cheap or I wouldn't have done it.
3: I could try to salvage this one. Not awfully likely, but why not try while I wait for the other stuff to arrive.
Also in the meantime, I finally received the Arma Hobbies flight deck section. The fun part will be matching the flight deck as I see it on the Oriskany in "The Bridges at Toko-Ri." I'm about as good at matching colors as I am at drilling gun barrels.
You'll work it out. 
. It you were in the States, I would drill one and cast it up for ya. Aires is good stuff!
hamchuck
Active member
Color me surprised, with some minor cleanup this might actually work. I have a wad of blue tack in the nose cone so I can pull the barrels out, re-pack it a bit and then reinstall the cone on the fuselage. After painting and decaling I can just stick the gun barrels back in and not worry about getting glue on the paint or decals. It will also let me tweak the alignment. Wouldn't want my pilot to have his rounds all over the place.
Nailed it!
hamchuck
Active member
You know, I was going by the size of the barrels that I removed without thinking to check if they were in scale themselves. I can't find the outer diameter of the AN/M2 20mm barrel, but 20mm in 1/72 is .27mm. The tubes I had in were .9mm, so yes, those will be too big. I have .5mm on hand, so I'll use those. I also see now that the kit had them sticking out way too far.Nice save!
What size tubing? They look a little big.
Not that a nose full of big cannon is a bad thing.
Thanks for pointing that out!
