1:48th Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star

[Loiner]

Apart from posting the battleship photos recently, it's been some time since I added anything, so here's my latest effort. Those with longer memories may recall I only posted WWII and a solitary WWI aircraft previously, the interest has now expanded a little to the early '50s and over to the Korean conflict, with USAF 51st FIW in this case.

This model is the 1:48th Hobbycraft kit of the T-33, and is quite a nice kit I have to say, nicely finished surfaces and not a bad level of detail all round. I was pleasently surprised with this kit. There were problems with painting though as I tried using Alclad, which didn't go too well, it went on alright with a nice finish, I was quite pleased, then on adding a layer of varnish it disappeared just as quickly, must have been completely dissolved!!! Tamiya flat aluminium to the rescue

Next addition can be seen in the background of one of the photos, the ultimate aerial elite force of that conflict: the newly arrived F-86 F, which I intend putting together is some sort of small two plane Korea diorama which I'll add to this thread in due course. Anyway, part one below, the T-33 ...

 

[T Bolt]

Very nice! I just won the bid on the Academy version of this kit today. Nice to know it's s decent kit.

 

[Coors9]

Nice lookin' bird....

 

[Gnomey]

Nice work!

 

[Airframes]

I like that very much, nice one ! The Academy sabre kit is a very nice kit too.

 

[Crimea_River]

Like what you've done with that.

 

[Loiner]

Thanks guys.
I've made a tentative start on the Academy 'Sabre' kit. It does look a superb kit; nicely done surfaces and details, and loads of extras including two pilot figures (one seated in the aircraft and another stood) which are both very nicely sculpted, and extra internal details are included like an option for the guns bay panel opened up and a full engine modelled for an option of the rear fuselage removed for maintenance with supporting trailer, and fully comprehensive set of decals with two main options (both within the 51st FIW).

 

[Airframes]

Yep, it builds well too, and looks great when finished. The only area I can remember needing a little attention was where the intake trunking joins the nose intake. Just a little filing maybe, to prevent a 'step'.

 

[mrf17]

Great save on the NMF. It turned out very realistic. Good job!

 

[Wayne Little]

I like the look of that nice presentation!

 

[Matt308]

Sure is!

 

[Andy70]

Very, very nice.

 

[brucejscott]

Sweet!

 

[Nachtjäger2]

Good job!

Carlos

 

[Hotntot]

Very nice. Good recovery on the Alclad. What was the varnish?

 

[Loiner]

Ok, new one is ready; F-86F just landed and taxying past the T-33 shown earlier in this thread -

*** photos to be edited and re-loaded ***

 

[Airframes]

Nice one! Get rid of the weeds in the joints of the concrete though - the air base was mainly surfaced with a vast amount of PSP, with the taxi tracks in new concrete.

 

[Loiner]

Fair point on the excesive foliage, I borrowed a display base from one of my WWII displays for the photos, but even so the weeds look very excesive (more so in the photos) so will slim them down quite a bit.

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff. The overall base and setting is fine, but my eye was immediately drawn to the weeds. If you decide to make a new base, I've got colour pictures of the dispersal areas if you need them; mainly PSP, with sand-bagged revetments, concrete taxi way to the runway. However, there were some areas of concrete and, in my case, I cheated with my Sabre, and put it on a 'concrete' base - saved the expense of PE or resin PSP !

 

[Wurger]

With all here.