Thanks for the nice posts, everyone. The contents of which I've inwardly digested.
Welcome aboard to what looks like a rather short lived flight. Due entirely to the fact that this Academy kit is just superb. All I've had to do is remove the very small bits where the parts join the sprues. First time fit for every single part. One of the best I've come across and
very well recommended.
Fast work that man , these academy kits are usually a clean, trouble free build , very nice to put together . One thing , is the fin fillet a separate piece? I ask because the photo on the instructions and the decal placement drawing both show one but the model hasnt got one .
Tony, your post saved the day. I've developed a bad habit of snipping off bits of the sprues that no longer contain parts and binning them. In a pathetic attempt at my own mitigation, I am used to modelling aircraft that have no fillets or which are moulded in, so missed them completely through not reading the instructions properly, Consequently, I threw away what I thought was an empty sprue. On reading your comments, I rooted around in the (Luckily) small bin in my den and there were the two small halves of the tail fillet still attached to the discarded sprue! So thank you loads.
Tunnocks on me, if we ever get to Cosford, that is!
On with the build.....
I always brush paint my stuff, so using a nice big flat headed brush, I've first coated the aircraft. I had a choice of ordinance. Drop tanks or Napalm. For a change, I went for those abominations, the napalms. These I painted separately, then stuck on after the overall coat of Vallejo
Model Air Aluminium. I then gave the top engine cowl a coat of matt black and before it dried completely, I gently 'Stroked' the damp paint with a wire brush to induce a scratched and slightly worn surface. I've also added some ever so slight streaking to the wing surfaces by laying off the wet paint in the direction of the wind flow. I've also started painting the yellow bits where required.
Here is my Mustang, with it's first coat of Vallejo Air Aluminium.
Second coat to come and then I will touch up any wayward brush marks.
Cheers and once again, a big thank you to Tony!
Ron