Gazzas

HI Bernd! I am very impressed with your work. And envious, too. I have only just begun my journey into metal shaping. I would be very interested in how you plan to make the propeller boss. Keep up the good work! Gaz

A long time favorite.

What about the Mk. II? I see it's out there, too.

Hi Chris, Great looking Hellcat! I'm impressed by your paint tone variation and your detail painting. I'm too clumsy for this scale. I've noticed EZ line doing some odd things and have a theory that the CA moves up it from capilliary action. I built a WWI plane, and on some of my rigging, things had changed since the day before. best wishes, Gaz

might find PVA cheaper at your hardware store.

Guys, Thank you for the informative answers. Gaz

Joel, Thanks! I plan to pack it into an oversized box sandwiched between blocks of memory foam cut in a way that will keep the landing gear and pitot tube touching nothing but air. I'm still undecided whether I'll brace the box to make it Little more crush resistant. Weight can raise shipping costs exponentially, so I'm leaning toward foam only. Gaz

Oops...photo for discussion only.

Yours don't look much different, mate.

Joel, yes, my father and his wife retired there. I hope to spend most of my waking hours fishing. I'm still putting together the F-102 Delta Dagger I'm building for him. Hope to start applying the decals next weekend. Gaz

Guys, Thank you for the replies! I ended up just tucking it under the right arm after looking at some photos of ejection seat displays with dummy pilots on them. Joel, I'm heading to Alaska for the last two weeks of June. The show I want to place my Starfighter in is in August. So, I had to get busy. Gaz

Hi everyone, I'm building the Master Details 1/32 Pilot with BA-22 parachute (to go inside my Italerei F-104 A/C) and I've chosen the head with visor down and mask on. I've attached the air hose to the mask, but not seen any obvious place to put the other end. I have seen lots of pics with pilots and masks, but the hose is either disconnected, or hidden. Does it slip under an arm, or to a place on the sidewall of the cockpit? Thanks for you consideration! Gaz

Taff, Thank you for your response. Your Sea Venom looks awesome! Thank you for sharing it with me. I'm not sure whether I will use a rod, or a sheet. I've been reading up on acrylic, and it seems I'll have more options with a sheet and a heat gun than with a rod. I'm tempted by two possibilities. 1. The acrylic coming from the afterburner area with the jet ascending. 2. Something more conventional with the base coming from the belly of the plane and forming an arc that goes behind the plane and down to the ground. For some reason, the base coming through the engine bothers me at some level. I can't quite figure out why.

HI everyone, I'm about to start building the Italerei 1/32 F104 A/C. And, I want to enter it in a show in August. To capture the essence of speed, I want to mount it wheels up with only wingtip missiles mounted. I Kinda like this picture: Photo for discussion purposes only Instead of a black support, I was thinking of doing one with clear acrylic, and maybe about as long as the bird itself to get it off the show table. I already have a pilot, so the cockpit won't be empty. It will be foiled and in USAF livery. Does anyone have any suggestions or better ideas that can make this project an eye-catcher? Thank you for your thoughts! Gaz

Very nice looking! Needs complete markings, though. I know, I know...there are rules over there...

Hi Mike, Nice work on the cockpit details. I just picked up the A/C version...didn't like paying full hobby store price, but by the time you add in postage, you're really no better off. And ordered a pilot from Master Details... Keep up the good work!

Micha, Very nice finish! Gaz

Excellent Tojo! Love the paintwork. I think the Ki-44 is one of the coolest looking radials ever.

Excellent build. Love the fogging and yellowing of the plexi.

Very interesting looking build. I like the effects!

Great looking build!

Thanks to all who have replied. I found color pics of the unit as it was deployed to Taiwan, including pics of the pilot, or other pilots in flight gear. It seems that Master Details 32018 is the pilot I want. Gaz

Finding one for sale...that's the challenge.

Thank you for your replies. I have not been idle, I've been trying to find instances when the full suit like you have shown, and instances when the pressure pants with the more conventional helmet would be used. I'll keep looking. Gaz

Hi everyone! I'm looking at my first LSP in many years. I'm building the Italeri F-104 A/C Starfighter no. 2504 in 1/32 scale. I plan to build it wheels-up, so I need a pilot in the appropriate gear for the A version kitted out for high-altitude interception circa 1958, going by the decal options. I don't know much about USAF Cold War gear. My area of study is more WWII. So I really have no idea about which flight suit, which pressure suit...and so on. I'd really appreciate a recommendation. Thank you for your consideration! Gaz