Gnaturally I have no tricky title ....

[JohnRatzenberger]

Sorry, Brickie, the best I could do

Anyway, here's the basics ....



Some sprue, too hard to see ...



The S&M Silk decals ...





And my intended product, from the inside cover of the Gnat Warpaint .... Fortunately the S&M Silk sheet gives me all the serials and such to roll my own ...



All I have to do is answer the question: Why would you ever do a model in two of the worst colors to get coverage with ?

I think, but don't hold me to it, that I'll do this gear up, on an acrylic rod, pointing straight up, very much like the boxart when stood on it's end as I've done above ....

[JohnRatzenberger]

Yes, the day-glo scheme is neat, but several folks mentioned doing that so I thought I'd look elsewhere .... I do need to do one sometime.

[JohnRatzenberger]

As today is Monday the 14th, the official start date, I thought I would start on said official start date by spraying my two parts sprues with Tamiya Fine White Primer. I have no pictures of same, it is boring, but I will note that the primer did not get into the panel lines, and would not unless I really hosed it down, which I did not. Apparently I have invented pre-shading in reverse.

[JamesPerrin]

Fortunately the S&M Silk sheet gives me all the serials and such to roll my own

That's my problem with this sheet, you've got to make up all the serials yourself. It will be far easier for to just print your own complete serials. I really just want the Sqn badges and at £12 is wasn't worth it and you can buy the Warpaint guide for about the same price.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Well, I do have a start .... Intakes on, IP/intake-blankers on, main gear wells on; interior semi-assembled, wing bottoms glued to top, Hu11 & Hu126 in appropriate places.



I have to agree with other remarks, the intakes require a bit more effort than they should. I did, as others, a bit of sanding & carving, different for each side, and got them in. A beginner might try to force them and could bend/break the fuselage at that point.

I was OK with the panel lines on the P-40B, but I'm starting to take issue with those on the Gnat even though they appear a tad thinner; perhaps it is the comment already made that there are so many of them that the effect is a bit overwhelming. I think I will go the filler route.

Next up is some detailing/highlighting of the cockpit so I can button it up.

[JohnRatzenberger]

A bit more paint in the interior, but mostly I decided to fill some panel lines. It seems to me there are too many and that is why they look so bad -- there should be major & minor lines. So I'm filling all the "acess panel" type lines and a few others, leaving the "major" ones alone. Once I get that, I'll revaluate & see if I want to do more.



I also spent some time with the interior fit issue and think I have that taken care of, much like Bruce & James did. I also started on the underwing pods, and as Paul & James noted, they aren't great but fixable.

IP decals are on and they look great !

[JamesPerrin]

Looks like an outbreak of chickenpox Good idea though.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Gnats Gnuts

I test fit the fuselage, seats, and wing ... once, twice, thrice .... I made all the little mods so that it would fit just right.

I put glue on the seat assembly, close up the fuselage, let it dry, and when it comes time to fit the wing, it's like I hadn't done a thing. Seat appears sitting back just a bit. Out came the sanding sticks, plastic flew, words were muttered, and it now fits ....



I think that the instructor seatback will not clear the fuselage on ejection and I'm having concerns about the canopy going on ....

Other than that, how was the play, Mrs Lincoln ?

[splash]

Have you decided what colour it will be yet?

Regards
Splash

[JamesPerrin]

Mine has done a similar thing John. I think I'll need to give the rear bulkhead a few swipes.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Have you decided what colour it will be yet?

Regards
Splash

See (gnaturally) the first post ...



Although I have to say the silver & fluorescent is making some pretty seductive 'come hither' looks at me ...

[splash]

Have you decided what colour it will be yet?

Regards
Splash

See (gnaturally) the first post ...



Although I have to say the silver & fluorescent is making some pretty seductive 'come hither' looks at me ...

Sorry me being thick and not reading it, even though you did pictures for slow buggers like me

I should look great in red/white and grey. I looked at those colours and chickened out with all the masking it would take.

I must say, now I have built it in the silver/day-glo I do like it, but the red/white/grey is also very seductive.

Regards
Splash

[JamesPerrin]

I'm solving the dilemma by planning to build most of the in service schemes.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Well, we've reached part way imitating the box art ....



In the final stages of assembly I managed to break off and lose the blade antenna from underneath. Why they molded it on I'll never know -- the two on top look fine as separate parts. My replacement is just a simple strip, not fancy contour. My main gear door didn't go where it should and I have a slight bump under the fuselage.

I'm now at a fork in the road. You've seen my preferred scheme and my desire to do a silver/orange bird. I do have two kits, but after this one I'm not sure I want to take on the 2nd one, at least not soon (I bow to James' dedication). A day of ensuring I have it cleaned up and then I'll commit to one scheme or another. I think I'll put a coat of silver on, just to catch flaws, and kill some time ...

Oh, BTW, I test fit the canopy and it fits -- but then again, I test fit the wing also ...

[MerlinJones]

They aren't all that expensive, John...and the old-tools should be cheaper...and easier.
Regards,
Bruce