SPA Modeler

Thanks, gents. I am looking forward to your updates. I am grateful to you both for your encouragement, technical knowledge and modeling skill sets.



John, I book marked your 2017 K-4 model as a construction resource, and I am also studying your current projects as well. Masterful work, in each case. I will heed your advice about the amount of material I removed from inside the landing gear covers. There are two small parts provided by Heller I am not sure about - maybe these are scissors for the struts. I will take photos of the parts and instructions.

Parts



Instructions



Any thoughts?

Carlos, I will send you some Post It’s if you need ‘em!

Yes that's right, those parts are scissors for the landing gear oleos.

Post-Its are great modeling accessories! Lots of uses including masking.

Keep it going! Deadline is coming up, no?

Thanks, John! The closer the deadline, the harder it is to focus—at least for me. Deadline is Sunday midnight in whatever time zone the modeler resides in. I expect to be taking photos of a completed kit on Sunday afternoon regardless of the status.

My To Do List for the next 72 hours:

PAINT SHOP

(A) Canopy frame - Tonight Started
(B) Fuselage tail camouflage - Friday Done
(C) Upper wing insignias - Friday Started
(D) “265” on both sides - Friday
(E) Landing gear legs and wheels - Friday Done
(F) Tailwheel assembly - Friday Done

CONSTRUCTION SHOP

(A) Drill out ammo chute - Tonight Done
(B) Fabricate armored headrest - Tonight Done
(C) Fuselage to wings - Friday
(D) Landing gear - Friday
(E) Swastika decals - Saturday
(F) Stencil decals - Saturday

You're making great progress Bruce!

Thanks, Stuart!!! I really appreciate your support. 17 days so far; 29 hours total build time!

If you add the suffix “in bed” after any phrase on a fortune cookie fortune, they sound a lot more fun and positive..

You are very wise, my friend, both in knowledge and in humor! Thank you for your support. Things are not quite tense yet, but...

That was just something that I heard from a coworker friend long ago...

Keep up the fire, you’re almost at the finish line my friend

I've been meaning to post on this now for a couple of days but I can't view Post Image shots at work so I have to wait till I get home and by that time I am just gassed as of late. Drilling those ammo chutes out and the paint beginnings are just all that Bruce. I see you've got the fuselage all closed up as well (nice joke about the cigar).

As far as that fortune slip goes.....I had to do a double take at that one. I got that same one a couple of months back as I was dealing with paint issues with the Maverick and should've posted it like you did. I could stand some momentum on mine these days. Looking forward to more updates on this one here keemosabe.

Thanks, gents. You’re both a welcome shot in the arm this Friday as I allocate what will be the biggest single day of work to getting this project done. I have to remember to enjoy the day and stay focused on the best outcome possible, and review the notes and photos periodically to stay on target. All this stuff you both know well!

The hardest piece to make was the armored glass and frame to fit inside the canopy itself. I debated using scrap PE sections but settled instead on styrene. I needed to shape the part to fit inside the canopy without gluing the top of it, which was very tricky.

A photo I used for reference:



Scratchbuilt part - the brass rod is necessary to hold the plate in place, and will (sorta) disappear once the canopy is closed:



Here is a photo of test fitting from last night: