allthumbs

Me also!

1/18 Harrier Aero 1D’s just released… https://www.flyingleathernecksdecals.com/p/fl18-1014-av-8b-corrected-fuel-tanks-for-hobbyboss

I’m looking forward to these. I have a couple of the 1/48 scale tank sets and they’re excellent! A few years back, I went to great lengths trying to accurize both Hasegawa and Trumpeter -1D’s, achieving just limited success. Having several high quality a/m options to choose from now is a huge relief!

Phase Hangar in the U.S. offer this set. Like ResKit, multiple tail options are included. https://phasehangarresin.com/collections/32001-1-32/products/32028-a-4-skyhawk-a-1-skyraider-a-7-corsair-ii-etc-300-gal-fuel-tanks

None of the kit supplied tanks properly depict the center section, which should be cylindrical. Zoukei Mura’s and Hasegawa’s are better than any of Trumpeter’s offerings, but go with one of the newer 3D printed aftermarket options mentioned above if they fit your budget. You’ll be rewarded with better shapes and hollow “see through” tail cones. For now, ResKit set RSU32-0128 is the most versatile of the bunch, as, out of the box, it offer all possible fin and tail cone configurations. https://reskit-models.com/300-gallon-fuel-tank-aero-1d-usn-usmc-2-pcs-without-fin-bobtail-fin-included-3d-printed-1-32?search=Aero

Hi Tom, Cheap Harbor Freight stuff can be hit or miss, but I’ve found this drill to be of high quality: smooth running and quiet, no detectable slop/wobble. https://www.harborfreight.com/06-amp-variable-speed-precision-crafting-rotary-tool-kit-36-piece-57001.html Rich

Marcel, that picture is of a Wright J65 powered Skyhawk. Those NACA vents weren’t present on the later Pratt & Whitney powered Scooters.

Difficult to tell from the photos, but there should be a prominent “bulge” on the P-408 powered Skyhawks’ intakes. https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2011/02/super-fox.html?m=1

I like the colors!

Latest customer update indicates that, for the next month, work on the Thunderstreak and Draken will slow while quality control issues pertaining to the 1/48 Neptune project are addressed. Planned progress levels for the large scale planes should resume in November.

Congratulations on another winner! I’m particularly impressed with the realistic sheen of the paint finish. I read in the WIP that the final clear varnish was polished with paper towels. Can you remind us of what products were used for clear coatings? Rich

Hasegawa 1/32 F-104

Today’s email update from JETMADS indicates that kit production is underway and deliveries could begin as soon December 2024.

Great finishing techniques! Thanks for sharing.

Great tip about repairing and repainting white areas!

Apparently the Panther nickname has been around for some time now, given this article’s date. It’s news to me however. https://www.twz.com/20914/the-f-35-has-a-new-nickname-given-to-it-by-the-usafs-most-elite-pilots

Update… Marcel, after rereading your query, I see now that you were asking a different question about the pylons. Sorry! I did not think to measure the pylons’ toe (to use a tire analogy) during any of my geek sessions, only the camber as outlined above. But if I were to guess, the pylons are mounted parallel to the aircraft’s longitudinal axis. The “toe out” of the fuel tanks seen in the picture you referenced (which I believe to be real, not a photographic illusion) is most likely caused by aerodynamic forces acting against a lack of absolute rigidity in the rack mounting system. Skyhawks used smaller suspension lugs spaced only 14 inches apart for Aero 1D tank attachment to the wing pylons (as shown below), resulting in, I’d imagine, a detectable amount of play under certain load conditions. Interestingly, when the same tanks were attached to the centerline pylon, the larger lugs, spaced 30 inches apart, were employed.

Great observations, and I agree with most everything stated, but the pylons do in fact tilt out slightly (about 2.5 degrees) from the perpendicular with respect to the wing’s lower surface. When you account for the latter’s dihedral and span wise taper in thickness, the angle works out to about 4 degrees when measured against the aircraft’s vertical axis. I confess (crudely) to having crawled underneath a couple of museum examples, in nerd-like fashion, to verify this. Something else I noticed was that the weight of the (presumably empty) Aero 1D fuel tanks was enough to cause them to hang slightly more vertically with respect to the ground (apparent in the pics below). So if you were to measure the angle of the tank’s fins wrt to the lateral axis (ie the level ground ) it would be somewhat less than 4 degrees. As Talon rightly points out, the pylons are not handed, nor are they beveled in any way along their top edges where they meet the wing. This results in a slightly greater pylon to airframe gap along the inside edge of the interface. A couple photos from one encounter…

If you’re a stickler for accuracy, I’d advise against using the kit supplied tanks as a starting point, especially as there are better, more detailed aftermarket options now available. As Thierry mentions, Barracuda does a nice set. But for you, I’d recommend Phase Hangar Resin’s offering, as it includes an option for the cutoff tail piece with the dished bulkhead. https://phasehangarresin.com/collections/32001-1-32/products/32028-a-4-skyhawk-a-1-skyraider-a-7-corsair-ii-etc-300-gal-fuel-tanks

Were these gaps not present on the real jet? I seem to recall they served as expansion joints for the swinging wings. In no way though does this take away from what is shaping up to be a most stellar build. Your skills, particularly with regard to painting and weathering, are outstanding. Rich

You can judge some from the comparison photo ResKit provides in their product description: more to scale, more detailed and accurate, depicting all six unique styles of mounting plates and fasteners. There’s no doubt they’ll look great if - and herein lies the rub - you can manage to install all 74 pieces (and they are tiny) precisely, cleanly and securely. Even using the masks provided, it appears to me a supreme modeling challenge. I do have a set, actually two. But when the time comes, I may try Thierry’s technique first, before really tempting fate. Rich

Delta Dart! I want that, I want that, I want that!

And perhaps a warp free wing (besides the prototypical camber and twist we would expect).

Woohoo!

Decals coming from Caracal Models in all three scales. http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/353857-new-viper-demo-schemeyoure-part-way-there/