Feeling Snarky

This is the re-released old Revell Snark, box-scale approx 1/81. Biggest task was sanding off all the rivets and raised decal-placement mouldings. Revell provide white decal stripes for the markings but I wasn't sure how well they'd fit so they were masked and painted. The build article is in this month's (March 2013) issue of Airfix Model World. 

Last flight of the Eurofighter

It's been a while. Not because I've not been building, but the last few completions have been for a magazine which prefers its article subjects to be not posted publicly until the magazine has been published.

The 1/32 Eurofighter was finally finished, or at least to a stage where it could be shipped to the customer in the UK. Fragile sub-assemblies such as the undercarriage and weapons were left off for the client to attach himself. FedEx did its job and delivered the model safely and I was relieved to hear that my customer was extremely happy with the outcome – I'm just waiting for him to e-mail me some photos of the fully-assembled model.

Euro 2012 Part two

Work continues on the Revell 1/32 Eurofrighter. For a modern-tool kit released in the last 4 years it's a shockingly poor fit.

The wing-root on top; it's even worse on the underside.

The wing root trailing edge – not just a gap but a step as well.

Lots of filling and sanding required to achieve a smooth tail transition.

Besides the sloppy fit there are numerous sink marks all over the airframe, the slats and airbrake seem to be the worst affected:

The fit problems are further compounded by Revell offering a multitude of options: open/closed airbrake, extended/retracted step, extended/retracted refuelling probe, exposed/closed engine bay etc. The kit has clearly been designed to show these options 'open', but closing them leaves large gaps and steps. Because my client wants the model to represent an aircraft on the flightline, none of the exposed options are applicable (except for an open canopy). Progress is being made, but it's slow and tedious...

Euro 2012

Some years ago I built a 1/48 F-18 for a pilot, and at the beginning of May he contacted me again to request a build of the Revell 1/32 Eurofighter. Although it's neither a scale nor subject that I'd normally work in he offered me a fair price and I agreed. Along with the kit the client sent Aires resin sets for the cockpit, engines and wheel bays (with the stipulation that I was to use them only if it didn't create huge amounts of extra work). The aftermarket cockpit is so much nicer than the kit's that I felt obliged to use it, and it did fit without too much surgery.

Yet to be added are the joystick and HUD. The canopy/windscreen have a prominent seam line running their full length which was removed with sanding and polishing, followed by a dip in Pledge.