SPA Modeler

jeaton01 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 03, 2024 8:42 pm Sorry for your troubles and hope things get better soon for your wife, Stuart. I recommend finding yourself a nice Tamiya 1/72 fighter. I fear you are going to find a lot of not simple between the start and finish of a PM kit.

The belly is deeper on the F-5 than on the T-38 as well, to accommodate a heavier landing gear.

Thanks John - much appreciated. She could certainly do with some luck bless her. Her doctors appointment that she's been waiting 8 weeks for got cancelled out of the blue just before Easter, thankfully we've managed to get another with a different Doctor with only a delay of another two weeks - something to be thankful for - I'm just glad I pay for medical insurance.

I see where you're coming from with the Tamiya kit, and I have three sitting on my bench ready for the off (A FW!90, A Zero and an F-16CJ) when I get the Hawk and Spitfire I'm building done - These PM kits are just a fill in for any spare bench time I have. That being said however, these is something quite relaxing about having a build with such low expectations, and so far there's been nothing in the build that isn't beyond the basic scratch-builder or fill, sand, repeat that all of us can do - what it ends up looking like is anyone's guess though

Thanks for the info on the T-38 - so I really am right in that this is a F-5B kit, rather than a T-38. Does anyone actually make an accurate T-38?

Some more progress to report - The fuselage is together and I'm just working on the seams. The worst part was on undersides thankfully and I should be able to fettle it down to the extent that I don't need a lot of filler.



I've also test fitted the wing and the canopy - neither are too bad a fit. I've not dared look at the intakes yet There are also a fair few sink marks to fill as well.

Stuart, unbelievably there is no such animal in 1/72, the same state of affairs that exists for the T-37. But in the case of the T-38 there are several in 1/48 and the resin Collect-Aire kit in 1/32. There is no T-37 save the old Strombecker/Aurora 1/43 scale kit. Hasegawa has released their A-37 boxed as a T-37 but the wing root/engine nacelle areas are very different between the two airplanes, and there are many other differences.

Cool project Stuart!

Watching this pic, my instant reaction was; "Oh dear oh dear, Stuart is trying to squeeze a Spitfire cockpit into the F-5"



- Kari

jeaton01 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2024 7:31 pm Stuart, unbelievably there is no such animal in 1/72, the same state of affairs that exists for the T-37. But in the case of the T-38 there are several in 1/48 and the resin Collect-Aire kit in 1/32. There is no T-37 save the old Strombecker/Aurora 1/43 scale kit. Hasegawa has released their A-37 boxed as a T-37 but the wing root/engine nacelle areas are very different between the two airplanes, and there are many other differences.

It's a shame that John, it's sad that a lot of important training aircraft get overlooked.

KSaarni wrote: ↑Fri Apr 05, 2024 1:23 am Cool project Stuart!

Watching this pic, my instant reaction was; "Oh dear oh dear, Stuart is trying to squeeze a Spitfire cockpit into the F-5"



- Kari

LOL!!!! It might have looked better if I had Kari!

Good choice in subjects. I did one way back in the late 60s, Testors 1/48 scale. How are those PM kits, seen them around but never attempted building one.

Thanks Jon! (Jon or John?) I've always liked the F-5 as a subject.

The PM kits are pretty rough short run kits, but I think they'll build up okay - they're like building an Airfix kit from the 1960s. I only got them as my local model shops sells them and they're cheap!

I am ambidexterous, Jon or John which ever floats your boat on any given day.....I use both .

Lots and lots of filler

Stuart wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:43 am Lots and lots of filler

But the end results counts !

- Kari

KSaarni wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 7:19 am

Stuart wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:43 am Lots and lots of filler

But the end results counts !

- Kari

True!

As much as I'm enjoying bashing these Turkeys together, I have to say I'm not overly impressed with the decal options. I think they're going to need something to lift them up a bit and hide the fact they have no detail - so I'm thinking desert camo! I've ordered this sheet from the Ukraine.

For the F-5A I'll probably do option 2.



and the T-38, which I'm actually going to build as an F-5B, because that's what it is - option 6.



I'm thinking that it might be fun to get an Airfix RF-5A too... (and an F-14A....)

Here's the sheet.



I've made some progress anyway, the intakes, wings, exhausts and tailplane is fitted. Much more filler and plastic strip to come. The fit of the intakes (and exhaust) is a new layer of hell.



Nice gap above the wings.



Cheers!