combat models a-1 skyraider...

[zerosystem]

just finished watching rescue dawn, i know an actual skyraider was supposed to be portrayed but thats another story.

 

was curious as to which version the kit is of (site just says ad-1 skyraider) and what might come in the additional detail set?

 

thanks,

 

peter

[Out2gtcha]

Hope it comes with WAY better/correct detail than my CM F7F did................... So bad Im not sure Id ever buy another CM product again personally.

 

Brian

[Jack]

Hope it comes with WAY better/correct detail than my CM F7F did................... So bad Im not sure Id ever buy another CM product again personally.

 

Brian

 

 

i hear ye, still "combating" the CM F7F, but i guess the TLAR rule will have to be applied sometimes.

Did you actually built the Cat?

 

 

Jack.

[maverick728470]

zerosystem,

The spad is ok as for any vac 32nd scale kit from combat.But as of late and to jeff robert's who now runs and has the mold from the former owner who passed a few years.The spad is some what better than the first run of the kit and better as to the parts on the carrier sheet.Have not built one.But that could change as to getting one.Larry

[Fred Yarema]

I saw the male plugs for the Skyraider (the late John Rucks was a friend of mine and lived nearby) - they actually were better than most of the later Combat molds - done by a different mold carver. I don't think female molds were ever made from them so you would only get drape molded parts - no surface detail - like an I.D. kit (which I prefer - can scribe better panel lines myself - female vac-molded panel lines suck even from the best vac kit producers.) I drape mold (male molds) all my scratchbuild models - the plastic stretches out less - thicker plastic results - then I scribe all the panel lines. There still is the old 1/40? scale Revell kit - think I still have one in the basement.

[JRutman]

I saw the male plugs for the Skyraider (the late John Rucks was a friend of mine and lived nearby) - they actually were better than most of the later Combat molds - done by a different mold carver. I don't think female molds were ever made from them so you would only get drape molded parts - no surface detail - like an I.D. kit (which I prefer - can scribe better panel lines myself - female vac-molded panel lines suck even from the best vac kit producers.) I drape mold (male molds) all my scratchbuild models - the plastic stretches out less - thicker plastic results - then I scribe all the panel lines. There still is the old 1/40? scale Revell kit - think I still have one in the basement.

I agree with Fred about the panel line issue totally. I had done the scribing on the Combat Spad kit and took a long time to get it as correct as possible. John Rucks was very sick at the time and when he was making the female mold he dropped it and it got messed up. I tried to fix the stuff as best I could but it was not nearly the same quality as the first one. I have not seen the version that is now avaiable but as Fred said,you will have to rescibe the whole thing anyway.

JR

[Out2gtcha]

Did you actually built the Cat?

Jack.

 

The TCat is my favorite all time plane so, as soon as I saw it I bought it. Have not been brave enough to start it yet........or ever maybe. The extremely complex main gear of the F7F, is represented on the CM vac kit with 2 wihite metal dowl rods.

 

The 3 view plans are abolutely great, but the vac parts themselves are pitted and very rough in almost every area. Im definitely no vac expert but I have seen my brothers skyshark 1/48th from some Japanese company I cant remember, and its NICE, like a vac kit should be.....

 

Im not really sure Ill ever start the F7F kit, hoping agains hope someone comes out with a 1/32 injection molded kit....

 

Cheers,

Brian

[Fred Yarema]

I agree with Fred about the panel line issue totally. I had done the scribing on the Combat Spad kit and took a long time to get it as correct as possible. John Rucks was very sick at the time and when he was making the female mold he dropped it and it got messed up. I tried to fix the stuff as best I could but it was not nearly the same quality as the first one. I have not seen the version that is now avaiable but as Fred said,you will have to rescibe the whole thing anyway.

JR\

 

Yeah, I remember discussing years ago (probably with you or Cunningham) about producing a line of vac kits similar to I.D. kits - but female molds for good fit up - no panel lines and thicker plastic for scribing. Just a real accurate "shell" that you could fill up with your own details or "someone" could provide detail sets. Might have been worthwhile twenty years ago - vac builders are just about extinct now and Trumpeter is "going down my list" (a well used phrase of the late John Rucks!).

[Jack]

Im not really sure Ill ever start the F7F kit, hoping agains hope someone comes out with a 1/32 injection molded kit....

 

Cheers,

Brian

 

 

Brian, PM sent......

[Glenn R]

Hi Peter,

I have recently built the Combat Models Skyraider, it's not a bad kit, but some of the parts are rather thin and need re-inforcing, otherwise, it's a standard vac-form.

I converted mine to a Royal Navy AEW.1 as you can see.

 

 

 

Regards,

Glenn.

[zerosystem]

thanks for the replies gents, very helpful. not too worried about panel lines just yet, just want to start with a good shape as a foundation to build on.

 

great build Glenn, howd you manage the radome and canopy fairings? carved balsa block? also did you use their detail set or just build your own?

 

peter

[Jack]

thanks for the replies gents, very helpful. not too worried about panel lines just yet, just want to start with a good shape as a foundation to build on.

 

great build Glenn, howd you manage the radome and canopy fairings? carved balsa block? also did you use their detail set or just build your own?

 

peter

 

I'd be interested to know the radome construction as well, if you don't mind.

Have this Skyraider in the stash, but it'll have to wait.

 

HTH

Jack

[GrahamF]

Yeah, I remember discussing years ago (probably with you or Cunningham) about producing a line of vac kits similar to I.D. kits - but female molds for good fit up - no panel lines and thicker plastic for scribing. Just a real accurate "shell" that you could fill up with your own details or "someone" could provide detail sets. Might have been worthwhile twenty years ago - vac builders are just about extinct now and Trumpeter is "going down my list" (a well used phrase of the late John Rucks!).

 

A female mold is more complex to make, but I could do it if someone had a 3D file of the fuselage and wings, once the data is in

my computer I could 3D machine a mold quite easily, but as you say somebody has to do the rest.

It would be worth it in the interim, I am quite sure that CNC machining can produce stunning molds.

 

Graham

[Fred Yarema]

A female mold is more complex to make, but I could do it if someone had a 3D file of the fuselage and wings, once the data is in

my computer I could 3D machine a mold quite easily, but as you say somebody has to do the rest.

It would be worth it in the interim, I am quite sure that CNC machining can produce stunning molds.

 

Graham

 

Easily? If a 3D file doesn't exist, someone has to draw it. I'm an engineering consultant and work on a CAD station all day long. A complex 3D object requires a 3D program like Solidworks ($8,000.00 plus) and may require tens (hundreds?) of hours to perfect (our consulting fees are in excess of $80.00/hr). Then if I don't have a CNC machining center ($150,000.00 to $450,000.00), I would have to send it out to a machine shop ($60.00/hr at least) - might wind up costing several thousand dollars for a female vac mold. Of course I can sell a few dozen kits at $50.00 max. to get back my money spent - WAIT! something isn't adding up here! I'd better stick to carving them by hand for my scratchbuilt stuff and give up any hope of selling vac kits to the very few who are willing to put them together any more.

[Glenn R]

thanks for the replies gents, very helpful. not too worried about panel lines just yet, just want to start with a good shape as a foundation to build on.

 

great build Glenn, howd you manage the radome and canopy fairings? carved balsa block? also did you use their detail set or just build your own?

 

peter

Hi Pete,

I used some of the detail set, but the rest came from the spares box.

The canopy and radome were vac-formed from balsa masters, the radome was done in two halves.

Regards,

Glenn.