F-86F Skyblazers 1/32 Italeri (Kinetic)

[plane_mc]

Here is my current project, the F-86F-30 from Italeri. 

 

 

I live about 45 minutes away from where the aircraft on the box art is kept.  I have been watching it fly and sit in the Valiant Air Command Museum for quite a few years.

 

 

 

After the annual airshow this spring, I decided I needed to build a version of it.  This won't be a completely accurate version of this F-86, but it will be representative of it.  I haven't decided if I am going to make the markings as the plane is now, or when it actually flew with the Skyblazers.

I picked the kit up a couple of months ago and have slowly been working on it.  The only aftermarket that I am adding is a set of Harold's resin wheels and HGW seatbelts.  I know the kit has some inaccuracies, but I am going to live with them and hopefully get a kit built! 

I didn't get any pictures until just recently, so some of my work is undocumented.

I started by closing in the back of the gun ports and re-drilling them, trying to make them a little more accurate.  I am not going to have the gun bays open and the gun ports will have the plugs in them.

 

 

Next I worked on getting rid of the seam on the intake and exhaust.  I also thinned down the back of the exhaust to make it look more scale.  I don't want to use the intake and exhaust covers unless it really doesn't look right after I get them painted.

 

 

 

For the cockpit, I used some sheet styrene and styrene rod to add some details.  I didn't go crazy, just a few that I noticed in pictures.

 

 

 

I did the same thing with the seat, just added a few details with sheet and rod.

 

 

 

 

to be continued. . .

[plane_mc]

continued. . .

 

I also drilled out the various vents on the rear fuselage and opened up the 2 intakes on the bottom of the rear fuselage.  I accidentally drill the vents wrong, so I had to fill them and start over.

 

 

 

That's where I stand for now.  The progress is going to be slow, but I will try to update as I go.

 

Thanks for looking.

Mark

 

[shark64]

Clean build.

So much history with that plane.

[Guest]

NICE ! I like it.....Harv

[plane_mc]

Thanks shark64 and harvey.

[dodgem37]

Good stuff, Mark. Looking forward to following along.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[plane_mc]

Thanks dodgem and maru5137

Edited June 3, 2015 by plane_mc

[plane_mc]

Here's a small update.  I have been working on this as I have time, just not making progress as quickly as I hoped to.

 

I got the fuselage halves glued together and have started working on the seams.  The engine is also together and what will be seen has been painted.  I will be gluing the front and rear fuselage halves together so the engine will not really be visible except through the intake and exhaust.

 

 

 

 

I also got the wing top and bottom pieces and control surfaces glued together.

 

 

 

 

I decided to add sway braces to the pylons, I still need to add the bolts.  The drop tanks are also glued together and I am working on cleaning up the seams.

 

 

 

That's all for now, hopefully in a couple of weeks the updates will be coming closer together.

 

Thanks for looking.

Mark

 

[Azgaron]

Looking good so far! Nice choice of markings!

 

HÃ¥kan

[Guest]

SMALL update ? Looks good so far.....Harv