Kitty Hawk T-28 Trojan, trainer no more.

[dmthamade]

Hello all!! Would like to enter te GB with the Kitty Hawk T-28B/D Trojan in its fighting version. Not much aftermarket into this one, i do have an Eduard PE set and the AOA decals Trainers no more. Has a large variety of aircraft, most all being armed versions. Still have to decide which i'll do. Armament still has to be decided, will be kit stuff and/or stuff from the Zoukei-Mura  U.S. Aircraft weapons set #2. Also have the AMS Resin K-14 gunsight, not sure if this is correct, will have to check references. Lots of builds for this kit online, so well covered as far as stuff to be aware of.

 

Don

 

[dmthamade]

Figured out how to download pics to Imageshack, new computer, little different.

So the K-14 gunsight is incorrect, calls for a Mk.8 gun sight. The Eduard brass set does have a sight included, they are very small parts and require folding, i'll see how that goes...the weapons set has some nice choices for a loadout. I'm favoring the SUU-14 dispensers, LAU-68 rocket pods, or Mk81 slicks with fuse extenders. I also have some BLU-10B Napalm cans from AMS, they are bigger than the kit parts with more detail, might use them. The kit includes two different gun pods as well, along with other stuff. Lots of choices. I did settle on a T-28D from the 222nd Tactical Fighter Squadron of the Royal Thai Air Force. FS 16473 overall, does have come brighter colors for the roundels and fin flash, plus a leaping bull as a squadron symbol. I've used AOA decals before, worked great, looking forward to starting.

 

Don

[dmthamade]

Premature enter key. The Belts i might use are the Finemolds set. They say for WW2 use, some of the resin seats i've seen use this style and the Eduard PE set also use this style. The kit PE belts are different, more research needed.

 

Don

[dutik]

Nice AM collection 

 

Mk.VIII: Master Details or Quickboost. I guess MD is more detailled.

 

Regards

- dutik

[dmthamade]

On 9/3/2025 at 3:50 AM, dutik said:

Nice AM collection 

 

Mk.VIII: Master Details or Quickboost. I guess MD is more detailled.

 

Regards

- dutik

 

I did have a look at the master details part, but is incorrect. The sight i can barely see in pics has a rectangular/square glass, the Master detail is round. Quick boost is tyhe same. Did find some pics of a Mk.8 Mod4/10 that looks like what is included with the Eduard set, will see how i manage it. The harnesses, i've seem two different setups, one is like the Finemolds set, typical WW2 USAAF stuff. Some builds show them on a seat with padding, don't think this is correct as IIRC the pilot had the chute on when they boarded the plane, sitting on the chute. The seat would have no padding.  Kit harness has more/different lower harness, i think this is for the Stanley Yankee Extraction system, also used a different seat. Started in on the wheelwells, nose well was straightforward. The main wells in the wings had incorrect numbers shown. Not a big deal, common sense will get it done. Model is a well known tailsitter, and Kitty Hawk USED TO INCLUDE weights. Not on this release, they don't even tell you weight is required!! I attempted this kit years ago, so i do have the old instructions, wrong part # placement is there...

 

Don

[dmthamade]

Tinkering with the build last night, the AOA decal placement sheet showed the outline of the black side panel outlined in red. I copied the pic at 200 per cent. Gave me a pic where the fuselage half lined up almost perfect. Cut out the black panel, taped it to fuselage half, a perfect fit. Just have to paint black first, apply tape mask, then color coat. These thing go beat up in combat, so there will be a lot of weathering involved. Don't know if i'm the last in the world to know this about the mask, if so, ignore.

 

Might have to tweak this a bit after the engine cowl is in place, but an ok start. Have to say, the panel lines at the end line up exactly...

 

Don

[dmthamade]

Progress!! I managed to get the engine assembled and painted. Relatively straightforward, but there are a hella lot of big ejector pins...everywhere!!! Built all the stuff after the engine plate and firewall. I'm building this with the cowl closed up, so all of the stuff behind the engine was painted flat black. The engine was painted with various metallic shades, them washed with Tamiya black and brown panel line washes. Read a lot about the tail sitting problem with the kit, Kitty Hawk was nice enough on the first release to include weights, which were not enough to level the kit, additional weight was needed. This release there are no weights included AND they don't tell you weight is needed!! I'm not going to bother with weight, the kit nose gear looks a little thin to hold the weight, i'm going straight to a tail prop. I added two decals to the engine, one on the oil pump(?) and one on the prop governor.

 

 

Next, i'm going to start on the pit, my absolute least favorite part of building.

 

Don

[geedubelyer]

That's a really nice looking engine Don. Good job 

[dmthamade]

No pics, but i've been slowly toiling away at the 'pit, my favorite part of building (sarcasm). Find a lot of dry fitting, sanding and scraping is needed for getting a good fit, flash in the  holes for alignment pins is present everywhere. They have molded gust locks for front and rear pits, there is only one on the real plane, in the front pit. They also have the recess molded backwards, so the gust lock faces the wrong way. This also positions the joystick too far forwards in both pits. It has a "tower" part for both pits mounted behind the seats. Any reference i can find show this present on the rear pit only, with a orange light on top. I have the Eduard PE for the build, I used the instrument panel parts instead of the kit decals as the grey color looks off. Didn't use the console parts either, as they look one dimensional and there are many very very teenie😄parts to install, something i don't have the skill or patience for. Didn't use the kit decals here either, grey looks wrong. I painted them black, picked out some features in silver and red. Doing battle with the seats right now, not really winning that fight, i really dislike PE...Hopefully will have pics up sometime this weekend.

 

Don

[geedubelyer]

It sounds like a slog Don 

Keep at it. 

 

Cheers,

Guy

[dmthamade]

Slow progress!! I've completed most of the pit, seats are being a PITA. I think i'm resigned to using modified kit parts. The basic pit assembled ok, the ejector pins are all over the place!! Not small either. Another gripe is the rear instrument shroud looks to be short in length. Found pics after it was assembled. Found some pics that showed a console below the instrument panels as well, think these are on the bomber/CAS variants. Also found a couple of pics where there is a tower thing behind the pilots seat, was definitely a trainer version. Kit pit seems like it can't be done as a warplane, more like just the trainer version. Did find pics of the Aires pit, it does show the the rear shroud being longer and the what looks like the consoles. Gunsight looks like the MK14 sight..Some pics below. I weathered the pit with washes and MIG Pigments and Windex. Looks a little overdone, but the enviroment they were used looked a little basic, found vids with them operating from dirt strips, 

[quang]

Looks like you know a lot about T-28. Good luck with your build!

[dmthamade]

OK, a little more progress. The Trojans were retrofitted with armor plating behind the pilot and observer seats. Not a lot of clear pics on this part, i did manage to get one clear pic off a video  on Youtube. BTW, there are a lot of videos on Youtube that show the Trojan in operational use. Problem is, they are all very grainy and fuzzy. Sat through a lot of them, most are in Thai, Cambodian?, not much to understand, video shows some. The seat harness was moved to the plate, original configuration didn't work, That's what the additions near the top represent. These were done with Evergreen stuff.

[dmthamade]

[geedubelyer]

Really like the patina you're achieving Don.