Zactoman

I'm happy to announce the release of another work of art from my Russian friend Alexander. The AIM-9X Sidewinder: The set includes custom made lenses from MV Products: Also included are seeker head covers (though it would be a shame to cover those cool lenses!): Detailed exhausts including thrust vectoring vanes: CATM version is also included: For comparison, from top to bottom, Trumpeter, Academy and Zactomodels: Available now at Zactomodels! www.Zactomodels.com

Picky, picky, picky! And I was really looking forward to seeing the splitter plates and pylons in action... Yes, of course we want to see your F-4 builds!!! Cheers, Chris

Did somebody say LSD? More pictures >>>here<<<.

Here's a great deal: http://cgi.ebay.com/50-Pc-Blunt-Hypodermic-Needles-Oil-Glue-4-syrenge-/390264180616?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5add8ecf88 The set I received had a lot more than 50 parts included. Plus you get 4 syrenges (not 5 as listed in the lower description. Cheers, Chris

Hi Paul, There are some good pictures of the all green scheme in this thread on ARC (pg. 3 towards bottom of page). I can't help you on color call outs but the colors in the pictures are very clear. HTH Chris

I heard you guys were talking about me here on LSP...Good to see that it's all nice remarks! Thanks so much for the feedback guys! Though I try to keep my product prices as low as I can, that's where I am trying to make my profit, not with shipping costs. I try to set my S&H just high enough to cover postage plus packaging materials. I do try to refund extra shipping right away but sometimes when I get busy I don't get around to it, it piles up and becomes a real pain. Sending me a list so I can send a custom invoice just makes things much easier for me. Cheers! Chris

That brings back some nightmares! http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....t&p=1393720 Have you seen the intake correction and FOD cover I offer? It'll save you the nightmare of fixing that seam... Cheers! Chris

TOFF has a set for the MiG-29 however the insignia look a bit too big for the MiG-23 wings. (I am measuring sheet 321117). Available at Linden Hill: http://www.lindenhillimports.com/toff.htm The insignia measure 1" in length where it looks like they would need to be about .8" for the wings. These might be OK for the tail though. TOFF has a variety of other Hungarian decals available. Perhaps one of the other sheets might have the right size? You might try contacting them or Guy at Linden Hill and see if they'll measure them for you. About the decals. They aren't the greatest quality. The registration on the insignia looks pretty good on the left side of the sheet but is off on the right side. This means the thin white border varies from one insignia to the next. The other decals in the sheet vary in quality. The tiny black stencils are crisp and clean where the large black bort numbers are pixelated with very rough edges. The squadron insignia and ejection triangles are also a bit rough. My sheet also has a few small scratches through the ink including one through one of the Hungarian insignias. The green and red on the decals are factory fresh and bright where #11 is battered and faded. I'd suggest masking and painting if you intend to weather the rest of the scheme as it appears in the photos on Hunavia. On another note, have you seen the missile pylons I've been tooling for the MiG-23? More pictures and info here: http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....t&p=2059822 And, Aphids launch rails are finished and ready to be released (shown here on MiG-21 pylon). Aphids are already available. Dual Aphid launchers are also on my list. I'll also be doing intake and splitter plate corrections at some point. Cheers! Chris

No need to adapt any of my pylons as I am currently working on a dedicated pylon set for the MiG-23.I have the BD3 pylons finished and am starting the larger APU-23 pylon. This will probably be all of the pylons I make for the kit. You can follow my progress on >>>this thread<<<on ARC. I'll be posting new pictures in the next few days. I am also doing launch rails (for both the MiG-23 and MiG-21). I have the APU-60 (single) Aphid launch rail finished (see ARC thread) and will be doing the APU-60-2 (dual) rail. I will also be doing ATOLL launch rails. I am also planning to do an intake correction for the MiG-23. The splitter plates are really wrong on the kit and the intakes could use some dressing up as well. In doing so I will be making them seamless. Then there are missiles... I currently have the Aphid. I will be doing all versions of the ATOLL as I expand the Sidewinder product line. I am considering doing the R-23 (AA-7 Apex) but haven't decided yet (a lot has to do with time...). I'll eventually be doing Soviet bomb racks as well but will probably wait until the Su-25 and MiG-27 kits are available. Cheers, Chris www.Zactomodels.com

Well when you choose two photos with obviously different focal lengths and angles and overlay them of course you get results like you showed. Here I took the two photos that Mr. Song posted as well as 9013 (the Frog) and overlayed the three of them: The drawing that was overlayed was the drawing Mr. Song posted here. The same drawing that they tooled the kit from. With some known dimensions and enough photos a fairly accurate drawing and/or model can be made. Of course you have to study the photos and take into consideration things like focal length and angle...

No immediate plans but lots of stuff on 'the list' for future projects.The only immediate projects are MiG-21 pylons so that I can sell some of the beautiful Aphid missiles that Alexander mastered. Another possible small project might be some new MiG-21 wheels. I really enjoyed making the MiG-29 wheels...

Very few people expressed interest in this product so I've put it further down the list.That and the guy that was mastering the cockpit dropped off the face of the Earth. I've tried to contact him by e-mail and phone with no luck. I hope he is OK... Unfortunately though, I've also dropped this one down the list unless some other pattern maker wants to tackle it for me. Next up for me will be the replacement canopies for the Su-27UB and Su-30MKK. Hopefully after that I'll be able to get back to the YF-23! Please e-mail me with your address.

Now Available: Su-27 Missile Pylons, the full set: For a limited time, those who have already purchased the wingtip pylons can purchase the remaining pylons at a discounted rate. E-mail me about the offer and I will send a custom purchase invoice.

It looks as though it's been confirmed to be 1/32 despite the prototype seeming to be 1/48:http://www.cybermodeler.com/special/2010_acft_scale.shtml Buccaneer family - 1/32 - Future release (look just below the huge list of 109 releases).

While I agree that it is nice that a company corrects flaws in a kit and re-releases it is a good thing, how they go about making the correction is another matter... Due to the circumstances of how they went about correcting the kit, I would not approve. In this thread I asked the questions: 1. Would Trumpeter have 're-tooled' these parts if I hadn't received so much (public) support for my correction set? 2. If they had 're-tooled' them would they have gotten the shapes correct this time around without using my parts as their "main reference"? Bottom line is that I invested an awful lot of hours researching and mastering the correction set and have lost a lot of business (income, food on the table) because of what happened. If Trumpeter were to hand out free replacements for the original issue it would be taking even more potential income from my pocket. I never did receive any kind of compensation, acknowledgement or credit and was never asked for permission to use my parts. I'm a model maker too. I don't make much money and can barely afford the prices they are charging for kits now-a-days. I (obviously) care about the accuracy of kits and am very disappointed when I put out big bucks for a kit and it's all wrong. I'm all for seeing companies correct their mistakes and re-tool their molds if they can and would be all for receiving free replacement parts if I had purchased the kit. I'd even be OK with being able to pay a small sum to order the corrected parts. But I'm also a firm believer in fair business practices. As a very small company I can't afford to take on a huge company, over-seas, in China no less, over copyright infringement. In the past we've seen that they have released kits with some big flaws that could have been avoided with better research and more attention to detail. Now they are apparently seeking free help from the internet modeling community. I do hope that future kits of theirs are more accurate and not fatally flawed and am particularly looking forward to the Intruder kit. I would just encourage them to go about their business in a more respectful manor. To compensate the folks who help with their reference. To hire a more competent staff with a better eye for shapes and details. To hire consultants to check their future releases before they go to steel tooling as well as to check the spelling and accuracy of their decals. Don't rush the kits to market. Get it right first! Trumpeter has grown to become a giant in the hobby industry. They can afford to operate professionally. Are you trying to put me completely out of business?

Here is what is now available (all in 1/32 scale): Russian Missiles beautifully mastered by Alexander Rogal (he also mastered the MiG-29 exhausts) including: AA-8 Aphid Missiles (R-60) - Carried by the MiG-21, MiG-29, MiG-23 and others. AA-11 Archer Missiles (R-73) - Carried by the MiG-21, MiG-29, Su-27, Su-30 and others. AA-10 Alamo Missiles - Including the Alamo-A (R-27R), Alamo-B (R-27T), Alamo-C (R-27ER) and Alamo-C (R-27ET) Carried by the MiG-29, Su-27 and Su-30. 　 Su-27 Wingtip Pylons - These replace the kit pylons which are just wrong... These new pylons allow the Archer missiles to be mounted without having the missile fins hit the undersides of the wings. Sorbtsiya Pods - These ECM jamming pods can be carried on the wingtips of the Su-27 and Su-30 variants. Su-27 Early Tail Stinger - This tail boom is found on early Su-27 Flanker B models. Linden Hill Decals recently released decals for Ukrainian Flankers and included markings for "Blue 08" (you can see this scheme at my website in the ZactoArt prints section). MiG-29 Wheels - Highly detailed wheels including pre-cut vinyl paint masks. Previous products which are still available: Su-27 Flanker B Canopy correction - Corrects the kit canopy which is too bulbous, replaces the IRST and includes detail for the inside canopy framing.　 Su-27 Nosecone - Corrects the shape and length of the nosecone, includes more accurate surface detail. Su-27 Intakes - Corrects the width and shape of the intakes, includes options to display FOD guards up or down and includes much more accurate surface detail. (Note that Trumpeter re-tooled the intakes. For photo comparisons follow the link on my website on the intake details page.) Su-27 Combo - Includes the canopy, nosecone and intakes. A-7 Correction - Corrects the shape of the canopy, intake and nosecone. Includes detail for the inside canopy framing. A-7 Seamless Intake - Cast in white resin. Includes engine face. A-7 Combo - Includes correction set and seamless intake. F-100 Correction - Corrects the intake shape and includes a detailed FOD cover. MiG-29 Exhausts - Highly detailed exhausts for the Trumpeter kit. Includes photo-etch flame holders. MiG-29 Correction set - Transforms the Revell kit. Corrects the nosecone, pitot, IRST, Canopy area, Intake FOD doors and closed intake bypass vents and more. It includes corrected chaff dispensers, stabilator attachments and corrected and detailed exhausts with new engine trunking to fit them. Also included are instructions on how to correct the size and shape of the stabilators, vertical stabilizers and wing-tips. Future releases include: MiG-21 Missile pylons - Full set of pylons with separate missile rails including mechanical details on the undersides so you can pose the model without missiles. MiG-29 Missile Pylons - Full set of pylons and missile rails including mechanical details on the undersides so you can pose the model without missiles. Su-27/Su-30 Missile Pylons - Full set of pylons and missile rails including mechanical details on the undersides so you can pose the model without missiles. Full set will include the wingtip pylons which are also sold separately. Su-27UB canopy correction - Corrects the kit canopy which is too narrow towards the front, replaces the IRST and includes detail for the inside canopy framing. Su-30MKK canopy correction - Corrects the kit canopy which is too narrow towards the front, replaces the IRST and platform which belongs more to the right side and includes detail for the inside canopy framing. MiG-29 (9-13) Fulcrum C conversion - Includes the fatter spine and different wingtips. There's more to come but I don't want to bore you... Please visit my website to see pictures of these goodies and tell your friends! Best regards, Chris Wilson (a.k.a. Zactoman) www.Zactomodels.com P.S. I sent out an e-mail on Friday, 10/9/09 about my new releases. If you didn't receive the e-mail and would like to be added to my mailing list, please e-mail me and I'll add you.

Hi all! Coming soon from Zactomodels: Detailed exhausts to replace those in the Trumpeter MiG-29K/M kits and... A correction set for the Revell MiG-29 kit!!! Which will include the new tailcones, adapters to fit them, a new nosecone, new chaff dispensers and closed intake bypass louvers (and possibly even more!). Check out the thread I've started on ARC. >>>Here<<< I'll be posting more updates with details and pics there... Cheers! Chris

Thanks for the nice comments! YF-23 is a passion (my other woman so to speak)... A-7 canopies arrived Saturday!A big shipment of packages (including your combo) goes out today. The remaining back-ordered A-7s will ship tomorrow. I'm still waiting for Su-27 canopies, so they're still back-ordered, but indivual items such as nosecones and intakes are shipping on a next day basis. Very sorry to all those who have been waiting for their orders... I would say that it's worth the wait though. Tigger does an incredible job with the vacuumforming! I don't know how he does such a nice job. I've tried again and again and can't come close. It's frustrating though as I know he has a high reject rate in striving for perfection...and then there's Zactowoman, Zactomodels 'quality control departmant' , but let's not go there now... Special thanks to you Scott! Scott ordered two sets and knowing that I've been back-ordered and lots of customers were anxious to get theirs, Scott said just send one and not to worry about the second til I was caught up. Very nice of you! Thanks for all the support! Chris

Where is the 'bowing in respect' smiley? Thanks for the inspiration Radu! Spectacular... I still owe you an e-mail...Sorry I've been so busy! Great photo-etch work you've done. (My A-7 photo-etch is almost ready and the artwork was already finished, but thanks for your offer to help!) Cheers, Chris

I recieved a box of beautiful vacuumformed parts from John at Tigger Models today! I just updated my website: www.Zactomodels.com The canopy kit can now be purchased there as well as the nosecone. Intakes are in the works... Happy Modeling! Chris Wilson (a.k.a. Zactoman) P.S. How do you guys communicate without dancing bananas?

Hello all, Well, Zactomodels is finally selling something! I had anticipated releasing the canopy set (as seen in LSP review section) by now, but problems with the vacuumformed piece have delayed release. Hopefully this will be resolved soon. In the meantime, I've made a replacement nosecone which lengthens and corrects its angle. Check out my website for pictures and ordering information. http://www.zactomodels.com/ And for anybody interested in building the 1/32 Su-27, check out the big thread at ARC Trumpeter 1/32 Su-27 . It's now 36 pages long and includes lots of info on correcting the kit, the aftermarket parts available, as well as the making of my canopy parts and nosecone. Chris Wilson (a.k.a. Zactoman) www.Zactomodels.com

Hey guys, Thanks for the kind words about my canopy set. On the subject of discrepancies (and I'm not trying to bash Trumpeter, just pointing out a few things I am planning to change on my build), there was one more small one I thought I'd point out. The dielectric panels are a bit off and as they are painted either green or white, thier shape stands out. The rectangular panel on side of nose is too small and narrow, it should be more square than it is. The panel behind the air-brake should have a larger radius on its leading corners. Apparently later model Flankers have a sharper radius as on the kit. I decided to double check photos and compare to the kit before I posted this. I almost wish I hadn't. I was looking at the missiles hanging under the intakes of the real bird and comparing them to pics of the built up kit, studying the difference in angle. Then I noticed (on the real bird) that the missiles on the wings and the wingtip pylons also angled downward at a similar angle. Looking at the kit, the wing missiles and tip pylons appear level and the intake missiles are angled too far down......Any thoughts on this? I haven't scrutinized the pylons yet. Is the angle problem with them or is it the wing itself? Regardless of any of these discrepancies, the kit builds up nicely. Masa Narita has a great how-to build article with lots of nice pictures of the finished model here: How to build the 1/32 Trumpeter Su-27 Flanker? Also check out Steves (Smig29ub) beautiful Flanker posted at ARC: Trumpeter Flanker finished

Oh well, I have already trimmed my fins just using the 77 and 80 as a proportional guideline, using photos as a visual reference. It's hard to believe that all those internet sites with 77 and 80 are all wrong... And unfortunately, I have already assembled, painted and attached my intakes. I look forward to seeing pics of your corrections. Take care, Chris (a.k.a. Zactoman)

Hi Blackdog(Chris), It's great watching your progress on this bird. You're doing a spectacular job! Thanks for the inspiration... Chris (a.k.a. Zactoman)