SPA Modeler

Today i set up my table in the living room so i could watch the Bengals while i build. I was super paranoid about getting everything to fit within the fuselage! In addition to the fit for the cockpit, the nose gear bay, and the engine i had added a floor for the intake to the fan, a bulkhead in front of the fan, the half round to fill that spine, and several tabs to help the fit. Bet i putzed around for 2 hours with little stuff and checking fit before actually committing to any glue





here’s the view looking put across the intake ramp i built…



So to give the most time to align all these things I used 5 minute epoxy for all the fits


and finally here’s the cockpit in-situ. A bit dark in the living room today given it’s snowing like crazy out. Had to use the flash.






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Prep is the secret to success! Looks good.

Slow progress, but progress for sure on the Thud. I have the basic mods done to backdate the A/C. The last big one is the spine. That long electrical/hydraulic cover along the spine wasn't there originally. I filled it with quarter round styrene before gluing the halves. Then carved it down with a razor saw and my UMM chisels. Now a little filler and some sanding is brining it all together. I think the shape is there now.




And then in between dry times I filled the nose clamps with black CA and profiled the whole thing. I am a lover of black CA now for sure. I found with it I can hit it with accelerator right away and it still sands great.


I might be close to starting primer work by Sunday

2 weeks of on again off again work on the spine and I’m finally ready to start putting the details back on. The rivets that were still visible I’ve redone with a blunt needle. Next on to the panel lines and some of the more complex shapes. There’s an oval access panel just where the spine starts up again on the forward side that will be a bear to redo.
This was the intermediate point.


All this is super smooth, sanded to 2000 grit and ready for primer.


And now that the major surgery is done i was able to fit the tail. I’ve got to blend in that small portion of the spine to the tail so figured on doing that before final primer.

Excellent work on the spine surgery! The early F-105D was had such clean lines!

Well done! Cockpit looks great.

Stik that’s a great shot there. I don’t have that one in my reference and it shows a lot of fine detail, especially for weathering the silver lacquer paint. Thx!
Lyle appreciate the kind words buddy! Glad you ran thru here

That progress is very impressive! Very well done indeed.

As for that oval access panel on the spine, could you perhaps cut a scribing template out of aluminum can metal and use that for a guide?

TheMongoose wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 1:23 pm Stik that’s a great shot there. I don’t have that one in my reference and it shows a lot of fine detail, especially for weathering the silver lacquer paint. Thx!
Lyle appreciate the kind words buddy! Glad you ran thru here

Indeed, you guys might give me 105 fever. I have the Revell (Monogram) 1/72 D and G. Maybe next year I'll tackle one of them. Maybe next year there will be a Vietname GB

Mongoose, you putting quite some effort into that thud. Can't wait to see the finished product!

A fabulous bit of kit bashing there - it's coming along really well!