Jim Barry

I can't unsee this. Ooooo. Good luck with the rebuild. My Fury is aging, needs some restoration attention but generally hanging in there at age 8 now.

Congratulations Jay. It’s such a treasure and be sure those that followed this are better builders for what you’ve demonstrated with your passion and skill (and patience!!!) . Carry on!

Still playing around with foiling practice getting my game on. I like it and it’s very easy but there’s a ripple that the soft balsa is causing so I probably need a heavy primer base first here.

Major pieces in a place now.(though the tail inserted into steel wire is removable for now) Wings are epoxied in place and have about an inch of brass tube connecting them to the fuselage. I debated whether or not the foiling might go better on unassembled parts but couldn’t really wait to see it in form. I’ll just have to be a more careful. 25 hours in.

Practicing the foiling work ahead. This is not final. I do feel it’s going to work

Great work all around and especially the canopy pull. Thanks for documenting that. Looking forward to what's next! (edit.. I see the Navy B-25 on the bench! Nice!)

Ahh. Right the story of a Thunderstreak flight. (Looked that up

I redid the wings and tail and dry fit them. It’s such a sculpture! probably at 20 hours now

It is amazing, even today! My affection is that a park I went to as a kid had one and it’s just been “the tank” in my mind. My first Tamiya was the Flakvierling 1979.

Thanks! It’s Tamiya. Builds itself lol!

I’m finishing things this year and all kinds of scales and genres. Salute to everyone hitting the bench hard and enjoying our unlimited hobby!

Thank you! Very kind.

Back at the bench after a little break. More details built up, but otherwise quiet. Dan’s Thundercepter arrived the other day and it’s been good inspiration to model towards. The two rare Republican jets will be great to realize https://imageshack.com/i/poZRFFMXj

Loving this!

Impressive! The Beast in more ways than one!

Strong candidate! I have not decided but that one’s hot!

Keeping my eyes on the prize

A couple more hours today (15 total) Trying out Bondo as surface prep. I like it, but you get like 4 seconds to work with it before it hardens (kidding it’s like a 45 seconds) . it sands easily. I’m happy.

Hey easy! I’m sensitive while it’s getting some form. Haha!

A few good hours. I think it’s going well but it’s not very pretty. Faith required! 13 hours in.

Killing it! Man, I don't think I have this much respect for the underside of a plane.

Thanks Andy. It's funny how this project falls on the tail of the Vigilante project, the most modern thing in aviation modeling, 3D printing. There are differences. Dan could print 20 of them and give everyone a huge headstart, but I feel very much this is the Vigilante again (as builder). The metal foil is going to be the thing and I expect from experience that it should work out very well!

Time for wings. This is really not that hard. Cut the shape and sand some airfoil. It’s admittedly a little thin but honestly I’m working on technique/tools/materials more than anything mind blowing. It’s an interesting progression in aviation models from wooden kit to plastic kit. It was so “space age” to embrace plastic. Wood was for grandpa, I don’t know. (And oddly enough that sparks a memory of my grandfather making me a wooden Helicopter.

All blocked in, ready to sand. 10 hours in.

Great work! The books make it so much harder! Lol