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1/24 EA-6B Prowler


easixpedro

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Wow Peter, truly some amazing work going on here, to say the least. I couldn't imagine having to make every single piece of the kit from scratch.

 

If I may make a suggestion however, Have you considered using MV lenses for the NVG's and flashlight's ?? I think it would make them really pop.

 

Keep up the phenomenal work and I look forward to your next update.

 

Steve

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Wow Peter, truly some amazing work going on here, to say the least. I couldn't imagine having to make every single piece of the kit from scratch.

 

If I may make a suggestion however, Have you considered using MV lenses for the NVG's and flashlight's ?? I think it would make them really pop.

 

Keep up the phenomenal work and I look forward to your next update.

 

Steve

 

Steve, thanks for the input.  You are right, in that they would make them pop. 

 

The down side is like you point out--I'm making everything.  So I have to draw the line somewhere, in that TLAR totally is ruling on this build, otherwise I'll never finish. :)  I've still got some tricks up my sleeve to make them look a bit better, but will stop short of going to town on them.  It'll be tough to see every little detail once they're in the cockpit with the canopy closed.  If I give a good representation, the eye/mind will fill in the rest. But I agree with you--wasn't too happy with the flashlight, so that will get some TLC.  The NVGs will likely stay as they're little wider than 1-1.5mm, and won't be too visible.

 

More soon (I hope).

-Peter

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  • 3 years later...

Well folks...

 

Time to make a decision on this build.

 

I haven't updated it since 2017 and not without good reason. A few weeks after my last post, I retired from the navy, moved, bought a house, renovated it, started a new career and had a book published. Life kind of took over. Well after several months working from home during Coronavirus and trying to occupy myself during countless video teleconferences, I've actually started building again and made a dent in my small shelf of doom.

 

Next up would be this Prowler.  I just pulled it out of the furnace room where it's been quietly waiting (too danged big to display, especially partially built). As I was pulling it out, the empennage cracked and my thumb put a good 2" hole in it. Apparently the plastic is more brittle than I'd realized. I now have to make a decision to keep plowing ahead, or chuck it and start over--perhaps like Ben did with his magnificent conversion of the Trumpeter A-6. I have learned a lot from everyone here and maybe it's time to try some 3D printing as well, to make a better cockpit than my ham-fisted scratchbuilding efforts. 

 

While I hate the thought of tossing away what amounted to 3 years worth of work, I believe I can do better. And I want to do the ol' girl justice. 


Thoughts? (and no matter what, I will eventually make a LSP Prowler!)

-Peter

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I feel your pain.

 

If you are happy with the rest of the build (everything but the cockpit) I say repair it and redo the ****[it in 3D and move forward.  You can also replace what you are unhappy with.  If what you are unhappy with constitutes a majority, it may be time for a redo.  Just my take.  Others mileage may vary.

 

But whichever you do, if you've got the time, I've got the beer.

Sincerely,

Mark

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The only one who can really answer this question is you; my personal opinion is that it's better to start over if you're not happy with what you have done instead of spending more time on a model which may (or may not!) not meet your expectations once finished. Take the lessons learned and start over, that's what I'd do. No matter which decision you take, I am looking forward to seeing more progress! 

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1 hour ago, Starfighter said:

The only one who can really answer this question is you; my personal opinion is that it's better to start over if you're not happy with what you have done instead of spending more time on a model which may (or may not!) not meet your expectations once finished. Take the lessons learned and start over, that's what I'd do. No matter which decision you take, I am looking forward to seeing more progress! 

 

9 hours ago, Dandiego said:

Peter,

 

I started over on my F-90 build. The second attempt was superior to the first. I learned from my mistakes and incorporated that knowledge into the second.  

 

Start over and don't look back.

 

Dan

 

Thanks gents! I had tentatively reached that conclusion in my head last night, but was totally second guessing myself as I went through the builds here and over on Z5. It's a lot of work. Crappy work if I do say so myself (we're our own worst critics right?). Ben you are exactly right in that I'm the only one who can answer that question (even my wife and kids are telling me to keep it!)

 

After watching all the stellar work being done around here, I think I can redo it and do it much better. I'm 99% certain I'll do the Trumpeter conversion as it'll be much easier than building everything myself. 1/32 might also be more manageable than 1/24--this thing is HUGE. Probably weighs close to 10 lbs already, which definitely doesn't help with the crumbling plastic.

 

And just cause I'm bonkers, I'll have to decide whether to do an inflight display, or go big and attempt a scene where it's making the carrier landing and suspended by the tailhook. I figure it can't be any harder than doing it with the Tamiya Phantom (converted to a B because I'm a sadist).

IMG_4971

 

More to follow regardless!

-Peter

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Don't have many. Started this build 15 years ago and finally finished around 2009, and I didn't take too many pics while building. It's now on display in the Tailhook Association's HQ. A friend from San Diego took these pics in their library a few years back, and these are all I have.

IMG_4977

 

IMG_4975

 

IMG_4968

 

 

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A question, at what point will the shuttle come out? I guess when all wheels have touched the surface, or earlier?

I dug out a started 1/48 scale F-4D to give this setup a go, before I'll get a 1/32 scale to make it work.

What a great idea, really inspiring.

 

Kind regards,

 

Robert Jan

Edited by Dutch Man
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/6/2020 at 2:06 AM, Dutch Man said:

A question, at what point will the shuttle come out? I guess when all wheels have touched the surface, or earlier?

I dug out a started 1/48 scale F-4D to give this setup a go, before I'll get a 1/32 scale to make it work.

What a great idea, really inspiring.

 

Kind regards,

 

Robert Jan

It's really a split second snapshot in time. The standard carrier approach has a 600-700 foot per minute rate of descent, so I've depicted it in the millisecond where the hook hits right before the main mounts.  The cross deck pendant (what the arresting gear wire is called), has a pretty violent reaction as it's yanked and the hydraulic battery starts to slow it down. Also the reason why they're replaced after every 100 traps. If it ever parts, things get ugly on the flight deck really quick.

HTH 

Peter

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