Fred's Fighting Feline **Finisher Failure**

[fredk]

A Grumman Panther.

This one;






I'm not long back in from a 140 mile 'taxi' run. Just under 3 hours. Took so long because of diversions due to over-night road works on the main roads.
I need a bit of time to get organyized.
I plan to start this at about 03.30

Plan is to get it to the undercoat painting stage then get some sleep while that paint dries. Paint the blue, sleep, then decals and finish off the details

[dknights]

I maintain that USN a/c from late WWII and the 50s are some of the best blitz subjects due to the overall GSB finish. You've made a particualrly good choice with no prop and an easy canopy. I have confidence in you that you'll get this one done.

[fredk]

First; food was organized.
Smoked sausage, Edam cheese, salt & vinegar crisps, two cherry tomatoes and a mug of coffee.



A bit of a panic. Before starting I put fresh thinners in my brush jars. Sorted the knives and tweezers.
Checked the glue - none! My usual Revell one was near empty and the reserve, a Humbrol one was little better despite having never been used.
No real problem methought. I have two fresh Revell glues - but can I find them? Nah.
I had to put Humbrol thin glue into the Humbrol needle pot.

I ate as I worked. I started at 03.20.
At 05.00;


Main parts done. Cockpit installed and painted, decals for instruments placed. First coat of white on the HVARs. Mounts for the HVARs attached to the wings. Wings' joints rubbed down. The fuselage joint needs smoothing once the glue has set. The airbrakes on this are made to be deployed and not shut so I need to fettle them so they are closed. No filler used yet.


and..........yes...........I remembered to put lead into the nose. Hassy says to put in 3g, I think I put in 5 or 6 g.

[dknights]

Looking good. Verry advanced early in your blitz. I have every confidence you will make it.

[jssel]

That one has been on my blitz list for a long time. One of Hasegawa's best IMHO. Very quick progress. Bridges of Toko Ri was just on TV a couple of days ago.

Keep 'er going Fred.

[Old_Tonto]

Wow fast work. It looks like a lovely kit.

[fredk]

Checking in.
By 07.00 it was ready for undercoat paint, but sleep got the better of me. I'm not long up
I'll continue with this shortly.

[DavidWomby]

Wow - this is a fast one.

David

[iggie]

Nice work so far Fred; interesting breakfast too.....

[fredk]

Restart at 15.55,
This was the way I left it at 07.00. Ready for painting. I had to put a smidge of fillers around part of the nose cone. It was a perfect fit but it shifted slightly after I stuck it in place, due to the lead weight I'd put in it.




45 mins later - matt black enamel undercoat/primer brushed on all over and on all the small sticky out parts except the HVAR which got a second coat of semi-matt white


The black is fairly dry, but needs more time to be handle-able. Then it gets the silver on the wings' leading edges and the u/c parts.

Thanks for looking in

PS. I decided to do this one [first] as Grumman Aircraft is the subject at my model club's next meeting in a few weeks time. No time like the present to build it.

[jssel]

Looks very smart

[fredk]

By 18:10 I chanced doing the silver.


Time now I think to mask that, over paint the silver which is beyond its designated area with matt black - acrylic this time, then start on the GSB
I think this might be the time to use the Tamiya Tape for Curves - round the noses and tails of the wing tanks and nose of the fuselage.

[dknights]

Go man, go!

[jssel]

Nice Fred. And Tamiya tape really works well.

[fredk]

A fail.
The matt black didn't dry fast enough. I tried masking it but the handling removed some black paint, which I then tried to over coat but it made a mess. I need to let it all dry thoroughly and then micro-mesh it down smooth