GB-46 1/48 F-14A Tomcat - WW2 Eastern Front / Twin Engine A/C, Transports and Gliders

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Looks like you're getting the upper hand Don

 

[Donivanp]

Finding little divots and fit issues all along this puppy but it coming together. Using Mr. Surfacer 500 and Tamiya Surface Primer and a toothpick I'm getting filled in and sanded down.

 

[Crimea_River]

My Il-2 is looking similar. I just use the Tamiya stuff as the "misters" are hard to get here.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Donivanp]

Well I gone and done it. While putting the cockpit in for dry fit one of the panels popped off and flew. Can't find it, so I ordered a PE cockpit set off ebay. It's from DreamModel and it doesn't look to bad came in today and I'll work on getting it in so I can put the forward fuselage together. Did I mention a heck of a lot cheaper then Eduard.

 

[rochie]

Looks good Don

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Looks good so far!

 

[Donivanp]

I take back what I said about this kit V Kitty Hawk! Hasegawa screwed the pooch on this one.
I've spent most of the day fighting with the forward fuselage and attempting to make it and the aft together. They did not put any alignment tabs on either the forward or aft fuselage section and in fact the aft section is open and the forward has a wall, bulkhead at the mate. They would not align at all, there was a huge step at the top or the bottom as the aft would not expand to the high (depth) of the forward.
I ended up having to cut out a section of the forward aft bulkhead and add card stock to the top and the bottom to even come close, and even then I have a lot of work to clean up. The good news is the Phoenix pallets will help cover up some of the bottom mate issue. I had to use super glue to even get it together. Gosh what a mess. It's been like wrestling with the devil himself.

 

[rochie]

Wow, that looked like quite a struggle

 

[Wayne Little]

Wow, some serious rework going on.....

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

I don't expect that from Hasegawa.

 

[Donivanp]

I don't expect that from Hasegawa.

Yeah neither do I.

 

[Airframes]

Must be a Monday Morning kit !

 

[Donivanp]

Must be a Monday Morning kit !

I hate to throw a build but If I do this I'll have to change kits. I think I may be able to do what I want with a mix build but this Hase, (I just can't say it) it a throw out. I've got a Hobby boss and and Academy as well as a couple of Monovells, I'll look to see where we go from here.

 

[Donivanp]

No matter how much I fought with it I could not get it to mate correctly. the right side is way off from the left! I was hoping that the AIM-54 pallets would cover it up but it to far out to save. This one fell of the John F. Kennedy and deep sixed. I may be able to save some of this to go into a different one. we'll see. I'll look at the Hs 129 and C-2 while I contemplate this fail.

 

[Donivanp]

Look what I just found!
Academy 01659 1/48 F-14A Tomcat Kit First Look
"I don't know if you remember, but the early Hasegawa 1/48 Tomcats had an engineering flaw in the lower intake trunk parts that meant that there was no way the kit would fit together without some work. I wound up tossing one of these expensive cats into the trash after discovering the flaw for myself. Hasegawa has since fixed their molds, but there are still some of these flawed cats floating around the hobby swap meets and eBay. "

 

[Crimea_River]

Well at least you know it's not you.