NavyMech06

I noticed the same thing with mine, though every line drawing i can find shows that the angle of the inner wing is correct. I thought my cockpit was just too wide, forcing the wings down, but apparently its supposed to look like that. you did a much better job with your invasion stripes than i did though.

Anybody know if there's any 1/32 kits of US Navy and USAF ordnance support equipment? I've got a Strike Eagle and a Hornet in the works and both come with a HUGE amount of extra ordnance and launchers that I'd like to display in one way or another. basically I'm looking for missile racks and bomb skids. I've seen resin power carts and tractors. but I can't seem to find much else.

We all go through consumables, I'm talking about microbrushes, cotton swabs, rubber gloves, etc, but how do you guys keep your sanding sticks and polishing pads from getting overly junked up and staying nice without decreasing their life. I'd like to clean up some of my favorite sanding sticks and micromesh pads, but I'm worried using thinners or spirits would ruin them and I really don't want to buy more if they're still servicable.

very nice site!! I only browsed it a bit, but i'll definitely have to take a better look at it.

Nice looking model, I remember this aircraft during my first deployment in 2009 with CAG-8 on the Teddy Roosevelt. Always liked the look of the Prowler.

So I've been on the forum for a while now, mainly doing research, learning new techniques, widening my resources, and have seen my models go from paint bombed chunks of plastic to some fairly decent pieces. My most recent project has been the 1/48 Hasegawa P-38L and I'm doing the OD over bare metal. my question is, now that I've got a decently faded and mottled look on the OD green, the bare metal on the underside just looks laughable. I haven't really seen a whole lot on giving bare metal an oxidized, used look. I've been all over the ARC forums, LSM, Brittmodeler, and really can't find a whole lot. You can find plenty on giving the model a nice paneled or grained look, but not a whole lot on weathering it down.

just realize there are differences between the "A" and the "C" models as well, i'm not sure which model the CF-188 is, but if you want some photos of some well worn Charlies I can hook you up, we don't have any Alpha's where I work anymore.

It may sound bad, but I just take my cans of paint outside and drill a small hole right above the lip on the can. just wrap the drill with a plastic bag so you don't get paint all over it, ask me how I know. I've tried the decanting by attaching a straw and spraying into a jar, my finger gave up after a few minutes and I got paint everywhere, with drilling, all you get is a little paint on your bag around your drill, walk away till its done degassing, drill another hole, and pour it in a jar. not the safest way to do it. but it sure is easy.

I'm having that same problem with hair spray, two or three thin coats, let it dry overnight or more and still crackle.

So I picked up the Tamiya Corsair and the Brassin engine and cockpit sets about a month ago and recently decided to start on the resin. This is my first time working with resin and was surprised how brittle it was. Is this a normal characteristic to resin? or is it just Brassin from Eduard? Both the engine set and cockpit have parts that I've looked at the wrong way and they've broken. I love the detail they bring but I'm not entirely sure I'm sold on the benefit of using resin if its this big of a pain to use it. Also I've come to the realization that I HATE CA glue. I always end up making a mess of things. The thin CA goes everywhere when using the tips, I can never get enough on the part when using applicators, the medium stuff just glues my fingers to everything, my Touch-n-Flow clogs up if its in the same room as CA glue, accelerator or kicker just gunks up the area i'm gluing. I know there's a way to do it since I see it all the time on models around here. Sometimes I think I get the hang of it, set the model down, walk away, come back and its in pieces glued to the cutting mat. Is there some kind of initiation because I'm definitely down to drink the Kool-Ade.

The overspray? LEAVE IT!! I'm a mechanic on F-18's and our corrosion guys do it all the time!! The damaged decal for the port engine bay formation light? LEAVE IT!! Our formation lights look like that all the time. Otherwise not much advice for the resin cockpit bits. With having 7 years of maintenance experience on these bad boys, you've created one of the best looking model Hornets I've seen!!

Ron thanks for the information, it was helpful, Marauder i'll have to talk to the keeper of the checkbook but i'll probably take you up on that offer. And Racer that actually sounds like a good deal, I'll PM you for more info on it, though i did some research and the stearman was outfitted with a Lycoming nine cylinder as an aftermarket engine later on in production, though it was about 1/3 the displacement of the r-985. i need to scratch a cowling for the model anyway since the kit is one piece and its terribly out of shapre. On another note, the wingspan on the model is 1/4 inch short of 12 inches, so...looks like its close enough. and i think i'm going to go ahead and scratch together the interior. i picked up most of the military manuals for the UC-43/GB-2 so i've got a lot of reference. unfortunately i CAN'T find any photos of the wheelwells. Nobody seems to want to take photos of the wheelwells, they just want the gorgeous profile that the D17S presents. Now if i can find a real one for less that 200,000 dollars i'll sell my wife and kids and be happy.

My favorite civilian aircraft would have to be the Beechcraft D17 Staggerwing and I was fortunate to pick up the Staggerwings Unlimited kit on Ebay the other day. Unfortunately it is completely bare of any interior detail and the engine leaves a lot to be desired. I haven't taken any measurements to see how close they got to the 1:1 but i'm not really worried about that, as long as it looks close when its done I'll be happy, my problem is whether I should keep the kit as close to original as I can since its a rather hard kit to come by, or should I go all out and scratch an interior and engine for it. I'd like to like to put as much detail as I can into it but I don't want to bugger up a kit that I can't easily replace. Also would anyone know where I can get an R-985 Junior Wasp in 1/32? I've found one in 1/48 but that's all I could find.

Last time I was at Hobby Lobby, sorry if they're not in your area, but I ran across this little tool in the bead jewelry section as I was looking for small gauge wire and they had a tool that touched up the end of a cut wire. I didn't find it on the Hobby Lobby site but I did find it here http://www.beadalon.com/pc_product_detail.asp?key=B6EA2B0E98E0490EB64A3E5442061F6E, I might have to pick one up. At least you wouldn't have to worry about snipped ends anymore.

So I've been working on a WNW Pfalz DIIIa and I have a detail kit from HGW. I'm having a lot of trouble with the HGW decals and rib tapes. They are so thin that they rip incredibly easily, especially the rib tapes. Even with a quick dip in water they want to come apart as soon as I touch them. Has anyone else had this problem? The decals lay down nicely and they are beautiful once they go down, but holy smokes are they hard to work with. is there something I'm doing wrong with them? I'm afraid to use any Micro-Set or Micro-Sol due to how fragile they are.

it amazes me that this happened, I don't think it was my normal mailman. my usual guy just sticks my packages in my spare vehicle when i'm not home. It is comforting to know that WNW has the customer service you hope for in a company that makes such quality products. The Felix will be my third WNW that i'll own. Ive almost finished a Snipe and I just got started on a Pfalz D.III, and I love their models.

Well, back in December I purchased a Felix(early) and have been biting at the bit ever since folks have been starting theirs here on LSP. About late January I saw on USPS that it had reached the States. Unfortunately delivery has been attempted once according to the USPS website, but no proof was left and the website states that it is still in transit, SINCE FEB 9. I had to embark on the USS GHWB for two weeks and now the USPS has no idea what has happened to my kit. I emailed the guys at Wingnut yesterday so i'm hoping to hear some good news, such as its been shipped back and they have it. otherwise I think a grown man might cry.

Has anyone tried Plastidip? or is it too thick?

That's a pretty good question, i'm a mechanic on F/A-18A-D's and the trailing edges on the flaps, ailerons and stabilators aren't even an eighth of an inch thick. I can't imagine how thin that would be scaled down. Nate

I just tried Bare Metal Foil for the first time to mask a canopy the other day, and i'll agree its great. Frame lines show really well and its easy to get a straight cut with a nice new blade. However, when i took it off, it left an adhesive film on the canopy and I was wondering from the folks here that use this technique, how do you remove the film without damaging the paint around it? Do you clear the model before you remove the mask? wouldn't that make it difficult to remove the mask? That would make sense since now that i removed the mask i can't put a flat clear on it without remasking and doing it badly.

Jesus I just took a look at it, that model makes me want to paint mine black and stick it in a closet with no lightbulb!!

Thanks for all the help guys, I've looked on google and a lot of the images don't really get you close enough. i guess i'm going to have to bite the bullet and go with my wife into her squadron. Shes currently stationed at the H-60 Fleet Replacement Squadron at Norfolk Naval Base and i'm at the Hornet FRS at Oceana. I just REALLY hate going to Norfolk, its the devil. If anyone needs photos of FA-18 A-D or E-F i can get them, I have 7 years maintenance experience on Hornets so if anyone has any questions let me know.

I'm a new member and have spent the last month or so joyfully taking in the talent and experience that this forum provides to those of us that are trying to make the next step from out of the box modeling. The roadblock that is in front of me is trying to find reference material. I'm in the process of building the new 1/35 scale MH-60S Seahawk, and i can't seem to find a single piece of material on this model. I can find plenty on earlier model Blackhawks and Seahawks, but with the many variants out there, its turned into a nightmare.