Truly a Super Sabre

I’m only a few hours into my Super Sabre and I am quite pleased. Construction is going great and there is plenty of detail to keep me busy. Trumpeter produced a fine F-100.
Today was the first time I was able to devote a higher degree of time to this build. I spent the better part of the morning with the cockpit. I added the usual seat belts and painted some detail on the control stick and ejection handles. I also added an oxygen hose I made from twisting masking tape and then spraying it with flat black. It’s a little crude but I think it adds some more visual to the ejection seat. All in all, I’m very impressed. I have a few more Trumpeter kits I might have to bump up in the pecking order if the rest of the build goes as well as the beginning.

Up Next

It’s been quite some time since my workbench has been vacant. There was a time when I would go weeks if not months between builds. The emptiness lasted only a few days before I decided on my next builds. On top of my workbench, I keep an endlessly growing stack of “this one is next” kits. Out of the pile this time are two companies that I haven’t ventured a build with.
First is Trumpeter. I chose to take a crack at their 1/72 F-100D Super Sabre. I have been itching to build this one for a few months now and I am excited to get building. This kit looks fantastic! I’m even impressed with the cockpit details.
Second is DML. This one looks great as well. I went with a 1/72 Dornier 335-A1 Pfeil. DML put some pretty good detail in this one. It should be a fun build.

J.A.W.S.

For the third and final installment of my triple build, I present the A-10A Thunderbolt II. I never tire of building this plane and there are a few more versions I still need to construct. This one, however, has been on my to do list for quite a while. The J.A.W.S. scheme was an intimidating paint scheme to attempt. There are a couple different schemes within the scheme. I chose to go with Light Ghost Gray as the base color with Military Brown, Olive Drab, and Dark Green for the spotted camouflage. As I did my research, I noticed the sloppiness of the application. In that regard, I decided to put my airbrush aside and paint all the camouflage by brush. It was a little difficult to let go and not have a smooth looking paint job. I think the end result came out great, though.
I used Hasegawa’s “Osan” kit for this build and it went together like a Hasegawa kit should. I had a minor fitting issue with the engine nacelles but nothing huge. Once again in my builds, I find the pattern of inadequate cockpit detail. Maybe it’s just my scale. Luckily I had an Eduard photo-etch set to use.
As for the ordinance, I went a little off track and loaded it up. All the pictures I have seen usually have maybe two Maverick missiles. I just can’t see building an A-10 without loading it to the gills with ordinance. I let my imagination take over from reality this time. All in all, I’m satisfied with this build. Three at once was a little much, but who am I to complain about too much building?

Super Etenard

Talk about a pleasurable build. Even though the cockpit detail was limited, I had a blast scratch building what it lacked. After a little research, I added ejection handles to the top and bottom of the seat along with seat belts. The rest of the kit was superb. Great fitting parts and wonderful decals from Cartograph.
I started this build from an impulse and ended up flying through it. The only setback was not having the correct paint color. I used Model Masters Medium Gray and Gunship Gray. If you are looking for a smooth build with great results, the Super Etenard is it. Academy put another great kit out on the market.

F-4S Phantom

After a busy week of working afternoons, I have been able to complete the first of my three builds. Here we have the iconic F-4S Phantom. Who doesn’t like this beast of a plane?
Assembly went pretty well. No major hang-ups. However there were a few fitting issues. The holes for the horizontal stabilizers were too thin and had to be widened out. Also, the nose cone needed a little extra attention to achieve a decent fit.
I managed to keep myself from painting this one in the S.E.A. camouflage scheme and went with the typical U.S. Navy scheme of gull gray and white. I added Eagle Strike’s VF-111 Sundowners decals to finish it up.
Overall, this was a pretty good build. Not that Tamiya put a bad kit on the market, but I think I’ll try a different company for my next Phantom build.

It’s All in the Details

When it comes to detail, I try to put as much as I can to pull off an “as real as possible” appearance. I am thrilled to report that all three of my kits are ready for the spray booth. Now is the time when I finish all the last minute touches to really bring my planes to life.
Simple things like the Super Etenard’s speed brakes are great parts to show some detail. All I used was a pin vice with a small drill bit to bore out the holes. Smooth out the edges and you have a whole new look. It may not be much, but it looks great when finished.
I also added some detail to the A-10’s rear landing gear struts. I took some wire that I bought from Menard’s and made the brake lines. I plan on adding some more to it but you get the point. It doesn’t take much to really make your planes stand out.

In Over My Head

In the wake of finishing my AT-28 Trojan and Mosquito builds, I started three new ones. Yep, three. It originally started out as two but I couldn’t resist the urge for the third, so I accepted the challenge.
The first kit is Tamiya’s F-4S Phantom. So far so good with this kit. It has an adequate amount of detail to work with along with well fitting parts. I plan on using the gull gray and white scheme with VF-111 markings from Eagle Strike Decals. As it sits, I’m pretty close to completion. I managed to find a good groove and get quite a bit done. A little more sanding and this will be the first to get some paint.
The second kit I’ve chosen is Hasegawa’s A-10A Thunderbolt II. Can you ever build enough of your favorite aircraft? I say no. This is my fourth A-10 build in three years. I’ve held off long enough and I’m excited for this one. I’ve decided to take on the tedious J.A.W.S.(joint attack weapons system) paint scheme. I haven’t really accomplished too much on this one due to the ease of the F-4 build. I have the fuselage together with a little more filling and sanding to go.
The third, and the one I had to add to the mix, is Academy’s Super Etenard. I was looking through all my kits and this one stuck out so much that I had to start it. I don’t have a great tendency of building foreign planes so I am happy for this one to go up on the shelf soon. After I pre-painted most of the parts, it sat dormant for a few days until I was able to make some time. Academy didn’t put too much detail into this kit. The cockpit is bare at best. I had to scratch build the ejection handles on the ejection seat. I also added the usual seat belts. This one has been fun to put together. Today was the first day that I spent any quality build time on it. The fuselage is about done and ready for the wings to be attached. I don’t foresee a whole lot of filler on this kit, although I have been severely wrong before. It shouldn’t be long before this one is completed also.