A340 Pilot

I'm lucky enough to have acquired an Echelon kit which seem to appear as a result of estate sales. Which mine actually was.
 
Unfortunately it seems the Trumpy kit is likely to be the only release by a major manufacturer for this generation at least. And yes, a Revell kit by for instance the Ju 88 design team would have been light years ahead of the Chinese team in both basics and finesse. 
 
However, as I would really like a short tank triangular fin companion to the heavyweight F6  (why did they never strap 4 x AIM-9Ls a'la Crusader to it in the early '80s? Yeah yeah i know, short life expectancy), I think the most likely route will be via an increasingly rare Trumpy kit mated with Iain's correction sets.

The canopy/windshield and afterburners are the most glaring of the faults of the kit.
Build it with open canopy and add resin in the cockpit, and you're halfway there.
Afterburners? Aires are good, but you have to spend the rest of your life filing and sanding to get them in place!
Ian (32nd Group) worked on replacements, but they never showed up in the marketplace.
 
Stein M 

The canopy/windshield and afterburners are the most glaring of the faults of the kit.
Build it with open canopy and add resin in the cockpit, and you're halfway there.
Afterburners? Aires are good, but you have to spend the rest of your life filing and sanding to get them in place!
Ian (32nd Group) worked on replacements, but they never showed up in the marketplace.
 
Stein M 

Thanks guys!
I'll go for the Nautilus jig. If not available, Thierry's solution will have to do. Willl the pattern mount on the upper or lower surface of the main wing?

Well, there are not a lot of options to solve that. As the angle is incorrect, either you modify the top side, either the bottom one. Obviously, it is always better to modify the bottom one as it is far less visible.
 
So, here is the process:
 
- create a thick cardboard template with a 167.5° angle,
- put it over the middle of the chord of the main wing and fix it with tape (the angle root must be located at the level of the wing upper hinge),
- dry fit the external section with the main one and progressively and cautiously sand the lower edge of both joining parts. It is important to do that on both sides to avoid removing too much of the hinge on one side.
 
This is not as difficult as it looks as far as you use a template and do not rush the work.
 
Hth
 
Thierry

This is kit is often overlooked or forgotten about, however it is truly an outstanding model

Yes, would have thought so, but master Italian modeller Pierpaolo Maglio maintains the "Thunderbird" is the best.
Stein 

Having built several academy hornets, in my opinion, their a very good kit, and on every kit I've done, I've used the Aires cockpit, and wheel well set. Those Aires set are easy to use and fit, with just the main wheel wells requiring a strip of strine to fit correctly, and the level of detail provided is amazing. 
There will be work required to fix panel lines and rivets from the Academy molds, but nothing too difficult, and with the number of after market deals sets available, it's a very good purchase, and a very enjoyable build.

Starting work on Trumpeter Superbug and Growler cockpits shortly.  Look for them in 4-6 months.
 
will feature our “no casting block “ tub casting technology.

Just stumbled across a surprisingly high quality color video of flight operations on the USS Shangri-La, circa 1962.   Nice footage of flight deck action involving A-4's, F-8's and other old school aircraft.  Worth checking out for those are on FB.
 
 

For my opinion I recommend the 1/32 Academy (Kinetic now) F/A 18 (A-D buildable from the Kinetic box) but that's the only one of these listed that I've any experience with. 

F/A-18:  Academy (also reboxed by Kinetic)
F-18E/F:  Trumpeter.  Revell just released an -E, but it’s got a lot of build issues.
Tornado: Revell new tool.  Italeri has announced an upcoming new tool GR.4, but no information on when it’s going to be released.

For the F/A 18E and F then go for Trumpeter.
Some nice am including Aires cans and if you can find them, the Rhino seamless intakes and wheel sets are very good.

 

Planning to bolster my stash with some modern jets.
What are the best kits of 1/32
F/A-18, F-18E and F, and Tornado?
TIA
Stein M 

There's no definitive answer to this oft-asked question because it seemed to vary. But for me, forward of the nav. area is black, the navigator's area and aft interior green.
 

I feel Radu's influence - I have a set of his wonderful, and accurate, Bf-109G drawings, his resin Ar-234 is utterly superb, and following on from the Revell P-51D, we now have the much desired B/C, can't wait!

A model company from however many decades ago - ODK - never heard of them... there's a clear A6M zero listed on ebay with internal details, quite interesting to learn of this one! Looks to be similar to the Monogram Phantom Mustang (minus the working parts) from what I can see in the tiny photos. Can't see any additional info on google and this thing isn't even in the kit database - is anyone familiar with the kit or the company?
 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ODK-A6M5-Zero-Clear-Issue-1-32/113310719231
 

 

 
 
 

The lower panel had controls for cockpit heat and ventilation as well as the wing gun valve charging controls. It is seen in P-40 Es and Kittyhawks of the period.  Photo below is of Kittyhawk AK753...
 

The He 219A-0/R2 did not, the A-0/R6 did.
 
 

The extra 6 inches are above the wing, not below. Because of this, the Merlin Mustangs had to have a cockpit floor instead of using the upper wing surface as on the Allison Mustangs.
Stein M

The extra 6 inches are above the wing, not below. Because of this, the Merlin Mustangs had to have a cockpit floor instead of using the upper wing surface as on the Allison Mustangs.
Stein M

The fuselage of the Allison-powered A is 6 inches shallower than the Packard Merlin-powered B,C and D.

references ready!
 

Dear moderators,
 
Please punish those who have gone rogue on us and mentioned things with tread or car comments.  The next thing we'll be getting will be rivet spacing questions on Panther turret tanks!  ( Aren't the seams all welded anyway, welds don't rust)?  lol.   
 
Bunch of degenerates.     (all humor)...
 
Troy    

I'm also planning to build a 1841 Sqn Corsair IV. Then we are at least 2 on the look out for 1/32 decals! 😀
 
Stein M