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F7F-3 Tigercat - BuNo 80405 - VMF 312 MCAS - El Toro, CA 1946


Out2gtcha

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It's your build man. Do it how you see fit. I'm still enjoying the hell out of watching you build the Tigercat, kit problems and all.  I have a feeling is someone ever tried to do a modern Harrier in 1/32, I'd be just as engrossed in it as you are with the Tigercat.  And that means talking about the good and the bad.

 

 

 

If I ever get enough spare cash floating around to afford the Tigercat, I would like to build one, using your build as a guide.  Sometimes it's nice to have someone else blaze the trail for you

 

 

 

 

 

Matt  :frantic:

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Ok, you didn't buy some $10 vac kit here. People need to know and youre honest and objective and not kit bashing. Then members can take the good with the bad or not take it at all. What we don't want is lipstick on a pig type opinions. Not that this kit is a pig, quite far from it, but pointing out its short falls is not to be frowned on. I'll likely buy it too.....

 

 

Ron.

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Thanks LOADS gents; I mean it. This is exactly what I needed.

I want to be brutally honest about the bad and the good with this kit. I just kind of feel like the bad has overshadowed the very good parts of this kit at the moment.

 

As Ron pointed out, this is not a cheapo vac kit, but a kit that is generally about 3 or more times the average cost of a 1/32nd kit. I think my aim from now on is to build the kit, fix any issues that arise pointing each out, but also pointing out the valuable, and good things about the kit as well, which I feel I have not done such a great job on. There are in fact a lot of great things about the kit, and now I find myself really enjoying the detailing part and actually the scratch-building part amazingly enough.

 

 

As with most any of my builds the detailing Im doing is not all 100% accurate, but as I have found neither is the OOB HpH detail. Most of it is to get more a busy feel, based off original unrestored pictures, and some unrestored museum airframes.    I hit the nose gear well pack again last night, continuing to add detail to it. I feel its probably best to get this kit of stuff out of the way first, then I will move on to start the rest of the nose gear scratch-building. 

 

 

 

Well once again the LSP community has come to my rescue. I really dont want to be negative about a kit that has such wondrous things to offer, I just want to make sure Im doing it the right way, and bringing along the positive points as well. 

 

More pics soon, and thanks again all for the encouragement! 

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Thanks LOADS gents; I mean it. This is exactly what I needed.

I want to be brutally honest about the bad and the good with this kit. I just kind of feel like the bad has overshadowed the very good parts of this kit at the moment.

 

 

I wouldn't worry too much about what you are writing. Most threads here involve chopping great chunks out of kits and replacing them with after-market stuff. No-one seems to take this as condemnation of the kit in question

 

What you are doing with the front leg is more or less what I would do with any kit. You are comparing what you have to photos of the full sized aeroplane and if it doesn't satisfy you, changing it. It looks like the kit will build perfectly well if you ignore the angle of the leg, and many folk would just build it anyway because that's what satisfies them

 

It isn't easy to say a lot about the good bits of any kit. How much can you write about something that is correct and fits?

 

Looking forward to the next instalment of leg surgery. Lots to learn here

 

Richard

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Thanks LOADS gents; I mean it. This is exactly what I needed.

I want to be brutally honest about the bad and the good with this kit. I just kind of feel like the bad has overshadowed the very good parts of this kit at the moment.

 

 

Agreed.  Like everything in life there is both good and bad.

If I had more spare time I would definitely pick one up. 

I need to work on my stash some before I get more...

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Thanks guys, that reinforces what I was thinking in most situations too actually. 

 

What you are doing with the front leg is more or less what I would do with any kit. You are comparing what you have to photos of the full sized aeroplane and if it doesn't satisfy you, changing it. It looks like the kit will build perfectly well if you ignore the angle of the leg, and many folk would just build it anyway because that's what satisfies them

 

 

Thanks Richard! 

 

 

Funny,

I actually think I found out what I did on mine wrong, but it still doesn't explain why the HpH example fit. I think I drilled the hole at the angle in which the OOB hole was started. I think I was supposed to drill it at whatever the correct angle was, its just the instructions didn't mention this. 

 

I will continue to correct mine by ever so slightly bending the hardened steel rod impregnated in the main gear leg. Once my brass secondary brace and torque arm are scrached it should lend a lot of needed strength in that area. 

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Posting your experiences and relating how you felt about them cannot be wrong ... it is, after all, your build thread ... your money spent ... on your model.

 

While some opinions may not reflect those of others ... this too is a matter of opinion (some like rubber tyres on kits some hate them!) ...

... If someone is going to get their nose out of joint because you express an opinion/experience/frustration with something ... it can't be helped ... just move on.

 

Also ... poor product quality is poor product quality and poor customer service is poor customer service ... adding a teaspoon full of sugar (or 15) doesn't make the experience any sweeter ...

... and it deserves to be called out for what it is ... 

 

As Ron said ... it isn't a cheap $10 vac kit ... it's supposed to be well molded, well engineered, super detailed and accurate otherwise why fork out $300+ ??

 

Potential buyers of any kit, of any medium, want to know the good, bad and ugly ... that's why I, for one, read reviews before I make the decision to purchase ANYTHING.

As a rule ... the larger the cost - the more critical the analysis.

If sales fall short as a result of poor press ... maybe the feedback will help change kit issues - or supplier attitudes/behaviors? ...

 

Personally ... I'm loving your work ... not that I could weave the magic you have ... but I appreciate the MacGyver in you!

 

Rog :)

Edited by Artful69
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Thanks Rigor, much appreciated.

 

This is basically how I feel. Although I love hearing about the good points of a kit when looking at reviews myself, when I'm down to buy a new, expensive kit, im really looking for the bad things.

This is not to say I dwell on the negative,its just that the bad stuff (depending on how bad) usually has more influence on me buying or not buying a kit than anything else.

 

Hint a new e- book Kev

No need for a hint there. ;)

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Well gents, its onward and upward with the big twin kitty!

 

Ive really got a renewed sense of enthusiasm for the air-frame again, and I guess party knowing and accepting what has to be done, has put my mind more at ease, and some of the disappointment has turned to renewed vigor for modeling my all time favorite aircraft, in my all time favorite scale.

 

Its also you guys. Knowing that the place I am at most on the net is appreciative of the good and bad in a model, even if the latter outweighs the previous in parts, is a good feeling when you are forging new territories  with a new kit. 

 

Gathering up some pics of some nose well pack detail................BRB 

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So with Rays idea I may also have a much better way of sorting the wing out too when that time comes. I think it may actually save a lot of detail in the end, but I have to look over my wing sections. 

Basically I just have been moving through the nose gear well, and its modular nature complete with holes for the hydraulic lines lead wire, has made detailing much easier. The large hose is from a 1/24th scale race car detail set, and some of the other detail parts are small watch parts. 

There is still a lot to go here, and as soon as I finish the detail parts, Ill be moving on to start the scratch build secondary nose gear support, hose, lines and attachment/hinge points. There is nothing perfect here, and the new Nikon D3400 images with (currently) rented lens is coming around, and the macro images are not nice to me:

 

DSC_0029-XL.jpg

 

DSC_0030-XL.jpg

 

DSC_0031-XL.jpg

 

DSC_0033-XL.jpg

 

DSC_0034-XL.jpg

 

DSC_0039-XL.jpg

 

DSC_0032-XL.jpg

 

DSC_0037-XL.jpg

 

DSC_0038-XL.jpg

 

DSC_0040-XL.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Its pretty crazy how much better it looks in person. The pics are great, and the new DSLR is coming around but it does expose every single flaw anywhere. 

All for tonight lads, as Ive got a 3 day weekend this weekend, a new rented wide angle 18-55 lens for my D3400, two RFIs to shoot with said D3400, some article writing to go over, and Ill be back on the Tigercat nose gear well too.

 

Cheers till your older! 

 

 

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