Keep On Keepin’ On

Trying to stay in the model building mode, I am taking on any project that I can to further these build along. The F-16 and F-15 really need to be completed and I plan on addressing that soon. In the meantime, the F-22 was first up.

Not a whole lot completed with the fuselage halves being affixed to each other. My little hiccup with the intakes resulted in a bad fit. So filling and sanding will take place next.

The Focke Wulf saw its underside and engine cowling get sanded yesterday. The port side wing had a horrible fit so I broke it loose and made some adjustments. Primer will be the next step here and we will go from there.

Revell has given me a project in the P-70. It’s been a good lesson in sanding, I guess. The spine of the fuselage was sanded yesterday and wasn’t on par in any sense. Another round of filler was in order which was promptly applied after the belly was sanded down. I am hopeful that the primer will show positive results on the belly so I can focus on the spine. The wings will be an upcoming addition here soon. I expect some resistance and I would like to face it as soon as possible.

Follow Instructions

As a somewhat seasoned model builder, I tend to take the instructions as a basic guide. I am confident that “I know” what I am doing most of the time and that pride in myself has steered me into a pickle. I didn’t have a whole lot of time to devote tonight at the workbench which was a bummer. Playing the part of responsible home owner by mowing my lawn was first on the agenda when I got home from work.

Second on the list was getting a little farther with the F-22. The fuselage halves were what I really wanted to get joined together tonight. The lower half of the nose section needed to be attached to the rest of the lower fuselage half before I could get started. Or so I thought! While trying the ever important dry fit, I noticed that the nose section could not be attached as it was intended to. Going back and studying the directions, I observed that the air intakes are to be installed AFTER the nose section. Doh! Lucky for me, the intakes came out with some ease and with my tail tucked between my legs, I proceeded to do things the right way.

While I didn’t get exactly what I wanted to get accomplished, I am very thankful to move past this hiccup with somewhat ease.

Lets Try This Again

I’m not sure what it is lately but I just can’t find the time to get my butt moving on the mass of unfinished airplanes that adorn my workbench. When I do manage a few moments, I can’t muster up the motivation to actually sit down and pursue my ultimate goal of finishing them. The intentions are there and good, so I have decided to re-route my priorities.

The F-16 & F-15 builds have received the royal treatment for too long, creating a sort of motivation vacuum of sorts. I am not thrilled with how they are turning out and I just can’t seem to get a flow going. They are both in final assembly which shocks me that I can’t get them finished but it’s time to let them sit until I can be happy working on them again. Until that happens, I have three other builds that are desperately awaiting some progress.

With my new course set, I began with the Focke Wulf. We have some work to do with this one and I have a solid game plan in place. The lower halves of the wings were the last thing to be addressed so I picked up there. The upper halves were attached with some angst and a lot of adjusting. They’re on and I can work with them now. The seam in the nose was also sanded and I will get some primer on today. Depending on the outcome of my sanding, I will flip the aircraft and work on shoring up the imperfections of the wing installation.

The P-70 and its mile of sanding was next up on the workbench yesterday. The upper seams look like I can pass by soon. The lower seam is going to be a project. Lucky for me, I have played this game before. I refilled the lower seam and covered the cockpits with Silly Putty. From there it was out to the garage for primer. I will bring it in this afternoon and get back to sanding.

The F-22 was last on the workbench docket for some much-needed interior assembly. The wheel bay, air intakes, engines, and weapons bays were assembled and installed. Academy really showed up with this kit. There are plenty of builds within the build to complete and I like that. I will evaluate where I stand and hopefully get both fuselage halves together today.