KUROK

Progress! Riveting mostly done. Fuselage has bee closed up and seam filling is going on. One little enhancement I made: rudder cables installed using thin metal wire. A small hole was drilled in the back bulkhead to pass them through. I think it helps a lot and was easy!

Wow! This was the kit I dreamed of owning back in the late 70s! Looks like a lot of fun...I'll probably add one to my stash, of course.

Great job on a really cool Italian fighter! I avoid any freehand airbrushing because I don't trust myself! You did a great job on that.

Alaska? (edit...Just saw last post on page 2. but I still got the right state!)

Some of the smoothest paint work I have seen! What is your secret?

Really very nice job! I gotta add that kit to my stash.

I love it! Beautiful job.

Great job! Love it! Now I want to do this Airfix kit too.

I was thinking of doing same on my Hasegawa P-40N. The design of the connection areas lend themselves well to clamping the upper wing to the fuselage to get a perfect fit.

Loving that Tomahawk!

Here are my tools of the riveting trade. UMM 1/32 rivet tool...and a thin metal eraser shield from my college drafting kit! It amazes me how the learning curve works. The first wing panel went much slower. This second one also is more accurately done too. Hat is off to Hasegawa. The lines end up where they should according to my drawings!

I'm going through the toil of riveting the wings with my UMM tool. It's not too bad a job...except where I mess up. Then I have to use putty to correct it.... I'm quite happy how the white lines on my green mat have come in handy for marking rivet lines!

Send me a private message so I don't forget.

I'm riding along with you on this one!

Progress.... but slow. Real life keeps getting in the way. LOL! I told myself I would avoid AMS on this kit... but.... The strange, over-done rib tape detail on the control surfaces has been sanded down some. Also, you can see I've added more rivet detail which I hope shows through the paint just a little bit.

Wow! Your paint job is fantastic. The realistic tonal variation is something to behold.

I'd say use some putty like Aves or Milliput to build up the tire's flat spot. Then use a razor saw to mimic the tread. If you have that part aimed downward it will be hard for the casual observer to see any imperfections in the restored tread.

I need more 'cobra!

I have these same decals and I want to build the Tiger one day too. I will watch to see how you fit the decal! Someone did one of these at a model show I saw here in Atlanta. He said the yellow paint you need to match the decal is Tamiya "Camel Yellow".

Little bit of progress on cockpit. Aftermarket placards are easy and really spruce it up. I used the Hasegawa decals on the instrument panel. It took about 15 applications of Solvaset to even get it to snuggle...somewhat. A bit of Dullcote hides some of those sins. I am a cheapskate on supplies... A friend of mine at work knew of my hobby and gave me a few Testors spray cans he had left over in his garage. That was almost 20 years ago. Today, I decanted them into little glass jars that once held jam. I think the seal will be okay but I won't shake these.. and I coated the seal with Vaseline. I lot of paint came out and it seems to be in good shape! Being spray paint, i won't have to thin it much for airbrush.

How smooth/rough was the surface? You were careful to remove finger oils but if the surface was super smooth then the paint just did not "bite" enough. I'd recommend fine sandpaper or steel wool/scotchbrite pad usage to rough up the surface.

That is some eye-watering work on the PE! Cannot wait to see it installed! (p.s. the date stamp...how did you do PE in the future? November 4. LOL)

Lots of work but very worth it. Outstanding to say the least! (yes, P-40s were rarely ever seen with flaps down on the ground)

Thanks! I'd like to add one to my stash. (trouble is, kits are being added to my stash faster than they are being built...)

Looks great, Pete! I have my eye on that kit one day. You have inspired me!