chris_slee

Mornin' All

I'm getting back into this wonderful hobby after a break of about 25 years. This is my second effort since I started again at Christmas. (The first effort, a SBD Dauntless doesn't bear speaking about.)

As you can, see this is an F6F-5 Hellcat. It's the 1/72 Revell kit - a nice, well detailed kit that went together really easily. Any hints or suggestions you can give me for next time (either a Zero or an F4U Corsair, I reckon) about technique, obvious flaws, etc, would be greatly appreciated.

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rjwood_uk

nice model mate. bloody good for your 2nd one in 25 years!

the only critisism i would have is that the blue is too dark. i know the USN changed their blue colour over the years but for a scale effect i think it should be a bit lighter.

nicely done though.

as for the zero or F-4U. which scale/make?

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dsamuel

Hi chris,

That looks great. I especially like the crispness of your canopy frame lines. I'm currently struggling with a 1:72 mosquito. The canopy frame lines are so fine that maskol won't work. I've resorted to painting them with a cocktail stick (and later scraping off any excess).

1:72 is a bugger isn't it.

Cheers,
Dave

chris_slee

Thanks for the comments.

If I choose to do a Zero next, it'll be 1/72. If I choose a Corsair, it'll probably be 1/48. I have this idea that for planes I'm merely interested in 1/72 is enough. For planes I'd kill my granny to fly I'll do them in 1/48. (I've never really liked 1/32 as a scale.)

As for manufacturer, I've no idea. If I make a Corsair, it will almost certainly be a model of Greg Boyinton's 'Lulubelle'. Who makes a 1/48 scale one of these?

What is this maskol you speak of, oh wise one? Tell me of it's secrets? Painting canopy frames by hand is a real chore.

GEEDUBBYA

Howdy Chris,

The Hellcat looks great. I couldnt help but notice you mentioned the SBD dauntless and i was curious, would it happen to be the testors 1:72 scale model?
The reason I ask is, although I am sure it is a good effort on testors behalf, I built this model about 3 years ago when i really started getting back into plastic modelling. The results were horrindous lol.
There is a testors 1:72 scale T-6 Texan also that i was not pleased with after i built it.
I originally chalked it up to being "rusty" with my modelling skills, but have since determined that it wasnt me, but that these particular models dont lend themselves to the 1:72 scale very well....they just dont look right lol.
Anyway, I went back to my old scale of 1:48 and have built the same aircraft and was tickled to death with the outcome.
So reflecting back, i think that possibly my "mind" just didnt like the scale of the model, making me think the 1:72 scale models didnt look right. Now i still have these two 1:72 scale models and they still look funny to me...but not as bad as they did when i built them.
So you asked for a suggestion and i would say try going up a scale from 1:72 to 1:48th .
Being a larger model with more detail i think you will be really pleased with it after completion.
For some people, storage space is a factor and the same is beginning to apply to me but i have a rule of thumb that i try to go by which is....fighters I build in 1:48th scale and bombers, transports and other larger "real" aircraft i build in 1:72.

Hope this suggestion helps,

Greg

Bunkerbarge

Lovely job there for such a long break. Nice detail, nice bit of weathering and a very nicely done cockpit.

The decals are very nicely applied but when they are so dramatically white have a think about weathering them slightly. With such nice panel lines going through them a wash would look very effective.

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chris_slee

The decals are slightly weathered and there is a black wash through the panel lines. I think the problem is that since the base colour is so dark, anything else either blends into it or stands out starkly. Perhaps I should dirty up the decals a little more and try a medium grey panel line wash. I'm just a bit conscious of "over-weathering." Let's see how the next one goes.

The SBD Dauntless was also a Revell kit and was 1/48 scale.

Thanks for all the advice and comments. Much appreciated.