Uncarina

I don’t want to sidetrack John’s build but that’s a great idea! I could also see Quinta making wheel well 3d decals. Cheers, Tom

Oh I am so looking forward to this John! I built the kit in Wolfpack markings as a foray into 1/48 as well but not with the Quinta set. I am very intrigued! In any case, you’ll knock this out of the park for sure. Cheers, Tom

I love it! Cheers, Tom

Great work Stokey Pete and Ernest! Having just finished an SU-33 cockpit seeing the SU-27 certainly looks like the real deal, and Ernest, you did a great job simulating the wood effects. Cheers, Tom

Welcome back Brian! Those are inspiring photos, and it looks like you had a well-deserved wonderful journey. Sorry to learn about the tooth, but glad it wasn't worse! Cheers, Tom

Ernest and Jeff, that’s a great comparison of the evolution of radial design, and your builds are both so very good! Cheers, Tom

Magnificent John! Riveting, painting, weathering, it all looks like the real deal. Well done! Cheers, Tom

What a fantastic gallery! All great work. Cheers, Tom

Thanks John, and I look forward to seeing your work as always! Yes that’s their approach, which is shared by GWH, AMK, and Kinetic. The challenge when the detail is comparatively high relief is initially placing the decal so that it “floats” above where you want it until the decal softener has a chance to take effect. I usually wait for 10-15 minutes before gently pressing with a dampened Q-tip, then applying more softener as necessary. If by the next day I see silvering or any areas where the decal is still raised I’ll slice with a knife and apply more softener. Cheers, Tom

Happy Birthday! Cheers, Tom

I finished the cockpit, so a few last photos before everything is sealed up: Cheers, Tom

Thank you Dennis, I appreciate it! Cheers, Tom

Thank you, I appreciate it! I’d say for a first release Minibase really nailed the decals for alignment and a scale look, considering the depth of the cockpit from most viewing angles. Applying them was a lot easier than having to detail paint everything, and better than photoetch. Cheers, Tom

Richard, I’m really glad you think so! I was a bit nervous about not making it tight enough, and to keep the edges uniform over such a large area was a definite challenge. Cheers, Tom

Thank you Jeff! Building the cockpit is one of my favorite tasks in assembly, and I wanted to capture the detail included in the kit before it all gets sealed up. Cheers, Tom