AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

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Gary Brantley
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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by Gary Brantley »

BlackSheep214 wrote:
Medicman71 wrote:Awesome work on a beast of a kit. I did one and it fought me the whole way. The yellow paint looks perfect!
And yellow is a bitch to airbrush. A hard color too to get perfect.
You know, I don't recall any problems with the yellow paint. Except matching the color when I needed more; I lightened the yellow with flat white and a couple times I had to mix up another batch. It wasn't too difficult to do that but I did have to try more than once to get it matched. Being a former professional painter helps out sometimes. :wink: (and sometimes I just get lucky!) Oh, and I first painted the entire aircraft flat white to help that yellow cover.
LyleW wrote:Speechless. That is a beauty. I think I have 2 or 3 in the stash.
Thank you Lyle! Let's get those bad boys built! :grin:
jkim wrote:Too bad about the nose weight not being enough but that can't hide the great results that you achieved with this build. Really impressed with your treatment of the single color scheme, especially yellow. I agree that yellow is one of the most difficult colors to get right but your finish looks just right. Nice and smooth with great delination around the details (cowling flaps, leading edge intakes, cockpit frames, etc).
Yes, I was a bit disappointed when she rocked back on her heels. And that balance must be awfully close, because she will sit right for just a few moments before tilting back. I do think that just a bit of that plumber's putty would've done the trick. Oh well. I would try to ease some past the nose-gear but that's tempting fate I think. I would likely knock off the gear door first, and then the LG itself...oooh, and wouldn't I wish I had left good enough alone then?!? :lol:

Thanks John for your comments! That means a lot to this old guy! :shoutout:
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jkim
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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by jkim »

Would adding some tack to the nose wheel be enough? A small dot of clay or putty?
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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by Floki »

That's beautiful in yellow!
March as one, Don't look back
Odin's sons... Attack!
Unleash hell! Do not repent! Warfare grants us no lament
Let your weapons slash and tear This is no place for fear
Hold the lines! Move as one! In unity our victory's won
Our shields will form a mighty wall
United we shall never fall
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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by jeaton01 »

Well done, Gary. Lovely model!
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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by Stikpusher »

That is a beautiful yellow ‘Cat there Gary! And, as always, the airport photos just are icing on the cake. You have created another gorgeous build! :shoutout: :shoutout: :shoutout:
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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by KSaarni »

Gary, that is a heck of a build of a true beauty !
Again, combined with excellent pictures!

I wonder if anyone ever has succeeded to squeeze enough of weights in the Tigercat, so it has not been a tail sitter ? :hmm:

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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by tempestjohnny »

Gary I can't add to whats already been said. I've built it and it's not an easy kit
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Gary Brantley
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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by Gary Brantley »

jkim wrote:Would adding some tack to the nose wheel be enough? A small dot of clay or putty?
That might work John. The point of balancing is so close as is, just barely isn't enough to keep her front gear down. Late last evening, I placed her in her spot in the display cabinet after attaching that barrel to the underside rear with a small dab of Alene's Tacky Glue. The barrel is hardly noticeable way back there so I guess it's okay. I know I breathed a huge sigh of relief getting her in there without any harm! :wink: But, really, there were so any such sighs all throughout the build! I need a simpler project now! :lol:
Floki wrote:That's beautiful in yellow!
Thanks Clint! Much appreciated dude! Yeah, she's easy to spot in the cabinet; that yellow just fairly screams! :grin:
jeaton01 wrote:Well done, Gary. Lovely model!
Thank you so much John! I appreciate that a lot! :grin:
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Gary Brantley
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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by Gary Brantley »

Stikpusher wrote:That is a beautiful yellow ‘Cat there Gary! And, as always, the airport photos just are icing on the cake. You have created another gorgeous build! :shoutout: :shoutout: :shoutout:
Carlos, thank you for the wonderful comments! It does mean a lot to me; we go back a long way don't we, so many years back in the FSM forums? Yes sir, that airport is my true "secret weapon" when it comes to photos. That setting always makes them look better than they are I think! I've been fortunate to be able to use it for all these years and hope that continues for a while longer. I'm planning a trip to the Rockdale, Texas airport, twenty miles from here, to get some pics of my completed Tamiya Meteor F.1 and another model that's never been photographed before, an AMT Henschel Hs-129B.

They have a great old, rusty WWII-vintage, Quonset-type hanger there that works really well for photos. I've used it on my P-39, MiG-21, F-5 and Cobra helo, as well as a few pics with my Typhoon. I want to wait for a cloudy day to get the atmosphere just right! :grin: And it's pouring rain right now! :giggles:
KSaarni wrote:Gary, that is a heck of a build of a true beauty !
Again, combined with excellent pictures!

I wonder if anyone ever has succeeded to squeeze enough of weights in the Tigercat, so it has not been a tail sitter ? :hmm:

- Kari
Thank you Kari for those kind comments sir! I really am glad that you liked her! And yes, I have seen a couple builds of this model that did sit correctly. A little of that weighted plumber's putty in the nose cone and this one would too. I hate that I forgot about it in all my anxiety about installing the Landing gear and tires. Someone also suggested to me that white-metal engines would help provide much needed ballast too! Next time, eh? :lol:

tempestjohnny wrote:Gary I can't add to whats already been said. I've built it and it's not an easy kit
Thanks Johnny! I appreciate that encouragement. No sir, it isn't an easy model to build is it? I think I got lucky in several ways...my late Dad used to tell me, "Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then." I think he was right too. :wink: :lol:
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Re: AMT 1/48 Grumman F7F-2N Tigercat "Big Bird"

Post by LyleW »

The photos are always a treat. It is special to have a place you can go like that. Nothing like that around here anymore. Oh well.

I did manage to get enough weight in the nose, but barely. I also melted one side of the nose and had to repair that.
To make each build less crappy than the last one. Or, put another way, "Better than the last one, not as good as the next one!"..
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