AdamR

Good stuff. Thanks, Jennings.

/facepalm. Of course. Perfect. Thanks, O2g.

Anybody know a good method to replicate those little bell-shaped fittings/insulators/whatever on that '109's antenna wire?

I feel sympathy for HK because of the hit they are going to take from WNW's release. It's tough. However, I don't have any criticism for WNW over this decision. HK's mgmt. are big boys. They know to be in an international business like kit manufacturing is to swim with sharks.

Exactly.

Heh. Ditto.

Ditto. If I have to fight for space in the kitchen, I will!

Get some slabs of semi-rigid foam (not the rigid kind you can snap in two with your hands). Cut it into 4 rectangular slabs the depth and width of the shipping box and clamp each wing between two pieces. Make 2 more pieces to clamp the aft fuselage. The whole construction should fit snugly into the shipping box with the model touching nothing but foam. Do not add packing peanuts: they can break pitot tubes, antennas, etc. Pack the shipping box inside a larger box with packing material separating the boxes top and bottom and all sides. I've used this method successfully.

One of the lower-stress kits I’ve built. It’s nearly as nice to build as Hasegawa's A6M5, which is danged near perfect from a fit engineering standpoint. It’s a pleasant building experience. I’ve built two and another one is in the queue.

Hellcat P-38 That’s it: I’ve run out if patience! No more Mr. Nice Guy! All mfrs. must cease other operations until you release new, LS, high quality kits of these two. My credit card and I are ready!

I have the same problem with Future-type floor polish when using it to dip canopies. However, I find if I immerse the part, remove, inspect for contaminating bits and repeat (while it’s still wet, I mean) until I get a clean "dip," I can usually get good results. It usually takes no more than three or four dips, max.

The ammonia in Windex will fog some kinds of clear plastic. It is a definite no-no for use on Plexiglass, for example. Is it okay for clear polystyrene?

Nice! The world always needs more '190s.

I feel like it’s a puzzle of some kind...

Even a B-26 in 1:32 would be quite a space hog for me. I have an HK B-25 stuck on half-built because I would have to redesign my whole display area to accommodate it. Pardon the LSP heresy, but I’d rather see new tool kits of the bombers in 1:48. It’s a shame that the only kits we have in that "reasonable" size are relics of the '70s.