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Hobbycraft P-51A


Aptivaboy

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The kit is... Okay, but I figure its a nice dry run before tackling the Tamiya beast. Odd, the plastic is pebbly in nature, and does not want to glue up. I still use tube glue (don't laugh) on large surfaces like wings where long drying times are needed, and on this beastie its needed. The wing halves don't fit properly and the locator pins need to be removed on one side and the wings positioned by hand and then glued up, so you need some wiggle and adjustment time. Well, old fashioned tube glue wouldn't melt the plastic and bond the halves. It took a far amount of work to get them together.

 

Robert

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Trying to seal up the fuselage halves tonight. The basic model may work fine in 1/48th, but upscaled to 1/32d it displays a lot of problems. Fit is a concern around the cockpit and engine halves - lots of trimming ans sanding to get everything to fit. I'll try to get some pictures if I can borrow a digital camera. I'm probably getting a new one for Christmas, but 'til then...

 

Robert

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, the wings are finally on. For the second time. The fit on this beastie is very poor. The wing fillets wouldn't line up. Everything sat too low, so there was a huge gap or step where the wing tops met the fuselage sides. It didn't show up during test fitting - still trying to figure that one out - but reared its ugly head as the glue set. I had to disassemble the whole thing, file and sand, rescribe a panel line or two, and now redo it all.

 

I need a drink.

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Let's see if this works...

 

IMAG0010.jpg

 

IMAG0009.jpg

 

IMAG0008.jpg

 

IMAG0013.jpg

 

 

 

Bad picture quality taken with my brand new $29.99 ultracrappy digital camera. Sorry 'bout that. Please don't mind the cat. Emma the Tabbygirl didn't know she was about to have her picture taken.

 

Robert

 

PS. I tried to post the pics directly, but the board keeps coming back and saying that I'm not allowed to use that extension. sorry you have to click on them directly.

Edited by LSP_Kevin
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PS. I tried to post the pics directly, but the board keeps coming back and saying that I'm not allowed to use that extension. sorry you have to click on them directly.

 

Hi Robert,

 

Somehow you've pasted in a form of the link that requires you to click on it to view the photo (a so-called 'dynamic' image link). You were close though, so I've modified your post with the correct style of image links. You can see how this form of link is captured at the Photobucket end by following our tutorial in the General Discussion forum:

 

How to Link Images to LSP

 

Kev

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Thanks so much. Actually, the "" tag is that the board said was what I couldn't use when I tried to use the image posting function. After using the image posting button and pasting the proper URL, the following format appears: URL. However, when I hit submit, the board says that I'm not allowed to use that code, the .

 

I've looked at that tutorial and even though I follow the directions to the letter, the board simply won't let me post images. When I removed the tag from the front and end of the URL, the links posted. Weird.

 

Thanks again,

 

Robert

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I've looked at that tutorial and even though I follow the directions to the letter, the board simply won't let me post images. When I removed the tag from the front and end of the URL, the links posted. Weird.

 

That's the key Robert: the link you were copying from Photobucket wasn't an image link, it was a URL to a non-image resource. The board forbid you from posting it as an image because it had what we call GET parameters on the end of it (look for the '?' character), which are usually used to execute dynamic code. This is a major security risk for forums and websites, so the forum software rightly forbids it.

 

You'll find that the image link highlighted in the tutorial is different from the one you've been copying. Make sure you select the "IMG Code" item in the list of options that appears with your image in Photobucket. Once copied successfully (Photobucket will confirm this inside the image code field itself), there's no need to use any of the image or URL insert tools here; simply paste the previously copied code directly into the post editing field.

 

Good luck!

 

Kev

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Close mate! You're still adding a second set of 'IMG' tags, probably by using the 'insert image' function here on the forum. No need to do that if you've copied the correct link from Photobucket, as it already includes them.

 

Kev

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Robert,

Thanks for the tips with these HC kits-I have interest and will watch the build. With fitting the odd plastic, sometimes it helps

to "Back up" the seam (especially longer areas) with white plastic strip along the inside, and use superglue.

And with your camera, I have a tip for you. Been using an older Kodak and found that I have better success with focus

and detail with it by standing back and zooming in to the model. Seems the auto function has it easier that way.

Give it a try if yours has any zoom function.

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Its the crappy camera. I guess I got what I paid for - $29.99 at Staples. Everything comes out blurry, no matter what the zoom or distance, and in all lighting conditions. My old camera died, a ten year old digital Sony that still took great pics right before Christmas.

 

Well, she got primered and is drying out on the balcony as I type; its one of the perqs of living in hot Southern California. First, a coat of Tamiya metallic grey. I like using metallics as a first coat since they make imperfections show up so easily. Then some IJN Navy green in a few spots to act as a nice darker undercoat for a few panels. Its the only dark green I have available right now, so I decided to use it. Ultimately, a coat of khaki drab green will go over everything to act as a very faded olive drab. I tend to think that in the hot Asian tropics, these P-51s would have faded considerably.

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Bummer on the camera deal, especially to show your detail work! Still going to follow the build.

Definitely good to use those colors as guide coats.

I definitely have to time my bigger paint projects up here in Washington, but I do have a large

dehydrator that 1/32 kits fit into which helps. I used to have it your way when I lived in Victorville!

Yes, faded top-including insignia, and seemed to have more of a light brown exhaust staining-the

fuel type maybe?

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I'm not sure how I'd fade the upper markings. Perhaps spray some Floquil Dust? I'm going to have to think about that one.

 

She got a coat of Tamiya Neutral Gray on the undersides a few minutes ago. Its so warm that airbrushing at night really isn't a problem, but I'm sure nowhere as hot as Victorville! Ill check for issues tomorrow and maybe do some touchups. I'd like to start masking the canopy tomorrow, but I have a nasty flu so I might stay in bed most of the day. We'll see.

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