There are some modelers that
consider this to be a difficult or tricky build. I found that the parts fit very
well, with some minor adjustments. Dryfitting, trimming, filling, and sanding
are necessary to build this kit. I had gaps where the booms met the trailing
edge of the wings, and these were filled with styrene plugs. The canopies are
perhaps the worst-fitting parts of the kit, as they seem a little undersized. I
sanded the fuselage around the canopies, and filled gaps with Micro Scale
Krystal Kleer.
I always use Scotch frosty tape
to mask my canopies. In order to save a little money, I tried a generic frosty
tape. Big mistake! Residue was left on every clear panel. I scrubbed each one
with a Q-Tip soaked in isopropyl alcohol. When dry, I used tape to daub the
gummy mess off the windows. Each pane was then brush coated with Future to bring
back some of the shine and clarity. I will never use anything other than Scotch
frosty tape to mask clear pieces. It has never left residue behind, even on a
canopy that remained masked for over a year.
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I had originally planned to apply
washes to the raised surface detail. I did this on the underside, and I'm not
pleased with the results. It took about four hours to remove the excess wash on
either side of all the raised lines, and it dried much darker than I wanted. I
don't care for panel lines that jump out at the viewer, since they never look
that way in photos of the real thing.
For the upper surfaces, I
used a technical pencil. I don't care for the color (dark gray), so I may try
Prismacolor pencils on my next kit with raised lines.
The AeroMaster decals behaved
wonderfully. The wingwalk stripes were easier to apply than they look. They are
printed in segments, yet join along the straight portions. The angle of the
corners is done for you, assuring proper alignment.
If you like challenges, and can
work with photoetched parts, this kit and the detail sets are a great
combination.
Bill
Visit my website to see other
models of mine, I also build
models on commission. http://www.pix.prettyneatinc.com/
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images below to see larger images
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