Airfix Curtis Tomahawk II

Airfix Curtis Tomahawk II

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Discussion

Mutley

Original Poster:

3,178 posts

258 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Time for an update, obtained a vacform canopy, and tried to work with it. Not overly happy with the result, but I can show with the canopy slightly open (probably not accurate with reality) Should have gone with getting a replacement from Airfix.

Varnish and markings to be done




Mutley

Original Poster:

3,178 posts

258 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
quotequote all
Finaly finished. I was getting to a point of wondering if I would ever get back to the build. I did enjoy this build, and I think if I were to build one again, I would select a later marque



Things I have learnt the hard way, (sometimes that is the only way to learn)
1. Mask properly
2. Prime for acrylics
3. Don't lose things like the canopy (found after I replaced it)
4. be careful with things that stick out (ie the guns)

anything else?

Edited by Mutley on Sunday 29th March 22:06

Eric Mc

121,788 posts

264 months

Sunday 29th March 2015
quotequote all
Well done for getting there in the end.

I built the old 1960s tooling P-40 a couple of years ago -




dr_gn

16,140 posts

183 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
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Mutley said:
Things I have learnt the hard way, (sometimes that is the only way to learn)
1. Mask properly
2. Prime for acrylics
3. Don't lose things like the canopy (found after I replaced it)
4. be careful with things that stick out (ie the guns)

anything else?
I think for an inexperienced modeller, it is really a very good effort. If I'm honest, yes, the canopy does spoil it quite a bit, but I don't think you should change it. Compare it with your next build and hopefully you'll see yourself progressing. Yes, inevitably the time you think you are saving by taking short cuts (maybe masking, or not waiting for a new canopy in your case?), is almost always lost re-doing things.

For me the key things that can make a good model into a great model (obviously apart from mastering basic building and finishing techiques) are:

1) How well transparent parts & framing appears.

2) How well machined or metallic parts such as guns, pitot tubes and u/c legs are represented.

3) Surface detail fidelity.

Any of those things done badly show up like a sore thumb. If you can perfect them, then you're laughing.

I recently bought my son an old Matchbox Skyservant (the build thread is on this forum). I chose that model for him partly due to the simple windscreen, which needed very little masking. Luckily he's chosen a Matchbox Northrop F5, and F-104 Starfigter for his next builds - neither of which have complex canopy masking.


Mutley

Original Poster:

3,178 posts

258 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Eric, your P-40 looks great, cables/rigging is something I want to learn

dr_gn said:
I think for an inexperienced modeller, it is really a very good effort. If I'm honest, yes, the canopy does spoil it quite a bit, but I don't think you should change it. Compare it with your next build and hopefully you'll see yourself progressing. Yes, inevitably the time you think you are saving by taking short cuts (maybe masking, or not waiting for a new canopy in your case?), is almost always lost re-doing things.

For me the key things that can make a good model into a great model (obviously apart from mastering basic building and finishing techiques) are:

1) How well transparent parts & framing appears.

2) How well machined or metallic parts such as guns, pitot tubes and u/c legs are represented.

3) Surface detail fidelity.

Any of those things done badly show up like a sore thumb. If you can perfect them, then you're laughing.

I recently bought my son an old Matchbox Skyservant (the build thread is on this forum). I chose that model for him partly due to the simple windscreen, which needed very little masking. Luckily he's chosen a Matchbox Northrop F5, and F-104 Starfigter for his next builds - neither of which have complex canopy masking.
Doc, thanks for your comments, appreciate the time taken to make them. I admit I was never happy with the replacement canopy, and finding the replacement after finishing was a bit of a kick. But never mind. Agree that errors stand out, just need to not make them, and yes, the P40 will be kept as a lesson.

I followed your Skyservant build, and your son has made a lovely plane, all credit to him - and you - for the build.

I know I'll get there with my builds, slowly and with patience, I just have to set reasnable progress steps. I can't be making Doc models in my first year of building

Eric Mc

121,788 posts

264 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Digging out old Matchbox kits (some of which are available from the current Revell catalogue) is not a bad way to get some quick experience.

There is a very good build in this months "Model Airplane International" of the 1973 Matchbox 1/72 Messerschmit 109E.

Sadly, the 109E currently issued by Revell is NOT the Matchbox tooling bit their own even older (and poorer) offering from the early 1960s.