gunpowder Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 I bought this last week from Hannants. Yes its an expensive kit , no its not an easy build. The molding it great and the kit looks beautiful in the box. The problems arise when you try to put said kit together! So far its really had be pulling my hair out and swearing , BUT its been one of those kits i just cant put down. The instructions on this particular kit are not amazing. For instance the wing is supposed to but inserted through the fuselage after being built up into a single piece. Sounds OK in theory and im sure it can be done , but after attempting it a few times i decided to just cut a section of the fuselage underside out and insert it from underneath , just like the Mosquito. This also allowed me to insert the cockpit rear bulkhead from underneath too as there was no way it was going in through the top. Once that battle is won next up comes fitting the nacelles. Oh Lordy Lordy that really tried my patience. They need some serious grinding and sanding to get them to fit , and this is the part where i sent HPH and whining childish email about their "bad" kit. I have since sent an apology! Looking at the sea hornet instructions it appears they have addressed alot of these issues with that kit. Getting to the stage im at now has made it all worthwhile. its a thing of beauty. Im sure there may be some more fit issues ahead but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. I was originally going to build the camouflage version but i think it really needs to be silver to show off those lines and curves. Jan_G, red baron, Alain Gadbois and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmayhew Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Holy crap that's a lot of filling and sanding It looks like you scratchbuilt the whole thing yourself I guess on the one hand there is 'for this money i shouldn't have to put up with this sh*t', and on the other there is 'ok so find me another kit of subject xyz then and go build that one instead (yup you got it, there isn't another kit...)' so I sympathise with your pain, and just pray to God these guys never release anything that i really want to build! Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpowder Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share Posted September 25, 2019 It looks worse than it is. I primed it in grey primer so I knew where to fill properly. I just lightly sanded the primer back last night.the surface detail is beautiful. nmayhew, scvrobeson and Out2gtcha 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpowder Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share Posted September 25, 2019 You are right about the cost though. My other build the Tamiya 1/32 mosquito. Even at full retail the mossie was still cheaper and compared to the Hornet it’s a rolls Royce of a kit , but I would say even a novice can make the mossie look great. The Hornet on the other hand is a much bigger challenge so technically the sense of achievement should be greater when finished. We shall see Out2gtcha and nmayhew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kagemusha Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Great to see a Hornet being built, such a beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericg Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Have built a couple of HpH kits, and it seems that they leave the test building of their kits to the end consumer, which is a little bit disappointing. monthebiff and nmayhew 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Palimaka Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Oh man. That is a lot of filling and sanding, and sounds like a lot of problem solving. Good job on figuring out ways to make it work. You have to really love an aircraft to make the effort. And I would have to say, the Hornet is worth the effort. One of the most beautiful aircraft ever to fly. You're doing a great job, can't wait to see your progress. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Nice! Looking forward to seeing this one to paint. As Eric said, after building a couple of HpH kits I can attest to the cost, buft mostly to the way the kits test the modeler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpowder Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share Posted September 25, 2019 They are certainly a test. I am seriously considering buying their sea hornet too but I think I will wait for a second Hand one on eBay or something red baron, R Palimaka and Out2gtcha 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadBaron Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Very cool!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpowder Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share Posted September 25, 2019 Last bit of sanding done.......almost. Its all smooth , smooth ,smooth! Primer is all sanded back revealing the lovely surface detail. Ah yes...... Out2gtcha, sandokan, scvrobeson and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Not far now till paint!! Looking great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpowder Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 Had a break for a bit , got irritated with the model , left it alone , now i feel refreshed. Nearly all of the rubbing down and filling done now. Wingtip lights added and blended in , tailplanes test fitted. Looks really nice under a layer of Tamiya Primer. I do think i have decided to do the camouflage version now though. lovely surface detail BTW the engines are not canted outwards , its the camera lens Doctorgaz, R Palimaka, LSP_Kevin and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpjack Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Hi Gunpowder Noted Hornet expert David Collins has a thread on the Classic Airframes Sea Hornet here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234983720-classic-airframes-dh-sea-hornet-nf21/ Well worth a look see for tips as your getting to the finishing point- especially on which panel lines should be there and which should not. from my own experience, David is very helpful in sharing his knowledge. BTW for those unaware, the full restoration of a Sea Hornet to flying condition is in hand in New Zealand, http://warbirdsnews.com/aircraft-restoration/de-havilland-sea-hornet-airworthy-restoration-project.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crobinsonh Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Lovely work on the Hornet - such a beautiful aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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