ccoyle

The answer to your question is somewhat subjective. If the kit is old, which it looks like it is (my guess is anywhere between 1945 - 1965), it might have some value to a collector, even though it is more of a novelty than an actual scale model kit. I don't collect kits, so I can't determine how much that value might be. Now, as to whether you should build it, that too is somewhat subjective. The kit appears to be highly simplified, in which case it would not be nearly as difficult to build as an actual scale model kit. On the other hand, is the kit a good design? That I can't answer -- only building it will tell. Building a poor kit design can be very frustrating, but if you got the kit for free and aren't afraid to possibly booger it during the build process, then what is there to lose? Sorry I can't offer more help than that. Cheers!

Somebody had to say it! This is an exquisite model and a wonderful testament to the suitability of card as a medium for fine models. Very well done, sir!

Wait . . . there's PE details inside the cockpits at 1/350?? Mind blown. 😮

I have to do this for my card models, except that for each model I have to whip up 4-6 different colors, and it's not an exact science, due to the fundamental difference between pigmented paints and pixelated printing. The problem is worse for weathered models, because then each color doesn't consist of a single shade. Cheers!

"Isn't that much" is a matter of opinion. If it will keep you up at night, then fix it. Personally, it wouldn't keep me up at night. 😉

Wheels (I lost track of what chapter this is.) The main gear wheels are each made of five laminated discs. The outer discs were dunked in shellac to prepare them for rough handling and sanding. Here's the laminated wheels. And here they are after final shaping, painting, and having their hubs added. That darn paint has a tendency to pick up all kinds of dust. And here she sits on her new shoes, including tail wheel. Still bits to add, but since each won't individually make a huge visual impact, I think this will be the last update until The Big Reveal. Cheers!

And a fine result, too. Congratulations!

We got maybe three inches of snow. That's enough to get the locals excited and paralyze commerce, but it's less than what we were accustomed to in California and substantially less than the 8-12" in the initial forecasts. I have titled this photo "The Wrath of Izzy."

If you have to go raiding for thread, look for quilting thread. It has far less fuzz than regular sewing thread. Congratulations on completing your model!

A bit of further progress. All gun blisters complete, along with the oil cooler and air inlet. The latter was a booger to build. I wound up with a part left over. 🤔 Work on the landing gear is in progress. On the left are the port strut and door. On the right are the parts for the starboard strut and door, just for comparison. Not hard work, but kind of tedious. Once these are done it will be time for wheels.

Is it just me, or does the T-26 look like it would be very cramped to fight/drive in?

I was doing a bit of shopping this morning. I think they may be trying to tell me something. 🤔 Side note: Yes, the frames in the product photo are obviously not for a Zero. It's quite common for photos of laser-cut elements in listings to feature a generic set rather than the actual product.

Noted and done. I have no experience with the Falkonet kits, but I can vouch that the Master Korabel kits are awesome. Just be advised that at their usual 1/72 scale, the parts in such small boats can easily be broken. If you're inquiring about the 1/24 scale Falkonet kit, we have a finished example in our gallery here.

It's amazing how much of a visual difference is made by killing a white spot -- compare the starboard wing to its port side counterpart. On the real plane, the bulge you see was made necessary by the addition of the drum-fed Hispano 20 mm cannon; the bulge, along with another on the bottom of the wing, covered the gun's ammunition drum. The early cannons were not a resounding success -- while they fired a heavier shell, the drums carried only a small number of rounds -- about 10 seconds' worth, if I remember correctly. In any case, pilots rarely got the whole 10 seconds of fire thanks to the gun's tendency to jam, often after only a few rounds.

I discovered that after two coats of satin varnish, the matte printing still looks . . . matte.

So, as I said, work continues rather slowly. Over the last few evenings I have been working on the canopy and armored windscreen. The clear portion is a pre-formed canopy from Halinski; the armored windscreen is cut from sheet mylar using a supplied template. As many higher-end kits do, this kit came with both inner and outer canopy framing. Before fixing the frames to the canopy, they must first be edge-colored, as per usual, but with a slight twist. Because of the thickness of the clear plastic, some slight amount of the plain white reverse side of each frame will be visible, more so if the inner and outer frames are aligned less than perfectly. Therefore, the back of each frame must also be painted. What's tricky to remember is that the back of each frame should be painted with the color that is seen from the opposite side of the plastic, i.e. the backside of interior framing gets painted with the exterior color and vice versa. I don't always remember to do that last part correctly. 😬 Using the canopy glue from Evergreen has had its own learning curve. I have found that it adheres paper to plastic quite well, especially if it is allowed to set the entire recommended 24-hour curing time. Once cured, it resists a substantial amount of deformation, which typically happens when the flimsy canopy parts have been cut apart and require extra finishing (this flimsiness led to a few boo-boos during trimming and sanding). The glue does not dry completely clear, though, so a lot of care has to be used to not get it everywhere when applying it and putting the parts together. Its working time allows parts to be moved around a little, but not very much -- it tends to grab pretty quickly. With all that in mind, I'm somewhat pleased with the result, though I have no doubt that later efforts will be better. I have test-fitted the canopy to the fuselage and so far it looks good, but I will not attach it until later. In the meantime, I have been toying with the idea of spraying satin varnish on the model to give it a slight sheen. I have done some research online regarding just how shiny RAF wartime finishes were. As I suspected, the paints used on preserved Spitfires are applied with more of a view toward long-term preservation rather than keeping the few remaining Spits unobserved by Luftwaffe eyeballs, and glossier paints are more durable. However, I also read that the small size of scale models makes them appear to be more matte in appearance than their real-life counterparts, so a bit of shine may be in order. Not wanting to do a test spray on the model itself, I am conducting a test on the next best thing -- the kit's cover art -- and will report back on what I discover. Cheers!

Hi, Mary-Ann. Sorry to hear about the loss of your relative. The easiest way to off-load a large quantity of modeling materials is to find a local club to donate them to (Google "ship modeling club" + the name of your nearest large city); clubs often auction off such things to raise funds. Another helpful tip would be to post pictures here, if you can obtain them -- these would be more likely to tempt local modelers. Kind regards, Chris

Technically, I have three models "in progress" in addition to the one I'm currently working on. In reality, there's only a slim chance that I'll actually finish any of them. Once motivation is lost, it's very difficult to get it back -- at least for me.

The highly simplified "camera" is recessed inside the wing and not visible, much less noticeable, unless you look directly at it from head-on. Most people will not even spot it if they view the finished model later, and 9 out of 10 publishers wouldn't even include such a detail. But, you know -- Halinski.

I know the kit, and it's a good one. Here's a link to a finished one to inspire you. I mentioned in an earlier reply that this particular aircraft is one of the most famous Spitfires flown, and if to underscore that point, I saw this very aircraft depicted in a suggested YouTube video last night. EDIT: I just now noticed that the video has been viewed 3.3 million times! 😮

Ch. 21 Wing, Pt. V: Fillets As the chapter title suggests, wing fillets are done. These are always fiddly, because they curve in three different directions, so it's a relief when they are finished and haven't turned out too badly. The small port in the wing root is where the gun camera is located, and yes, the kit has separate parts for a gun camera, albeit a very simplified one -- never did a kit with a gun camera before.

It is good enough. Welcome aboard!

Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the Dewoitine kit I mentioned above can be built either with or without Vichy markings. The Vichy machine would of course be more colorful -- but then it would be, you know -- a Vichy machine. It will be a tough decision, but not a soon-pending one.

Since it's a Mantua product, I'd also be extremely leery of the part that says "comes with an extensive description that explains step by step how the model should be built." 🤨

You can fix this, if you'd like. When you add your picture in the reply window, simply double-click on it to bring up our on-board resizing tool. Just make sure to check that the box for maintaining current proportions is marked -- I often forget that bit.