Javlin

I do clear Denis for the decals and the wash with the wash being oil base will be going Future for the clear.

The base gloss black worked the best it has ever done for me over the last few years sprayed wonderful .The silver I am so-so started with semi-matte silver too flat? went to airframe silver though not polished to bright so back to semi-matte look's OK?I think once I get the panels done and get the red yellow and OD glare panel all well be good.I did get the exhaust panel with MM Magnesium.I opted out of the grey panels and all one color silver saw another build just quite enough delineation for my likes.

Nice Build have not seen that in my local HobbyLobby.So,Greg you have much success selling this kind of stuff on EBay already assembled? Kevin

It's a little late just noticed they had de-icer boots on the wings also I think up into the the middle of the engines if memory serves me right. Kevin No windows at the waist gunner's position.

Denis this is what I use for up to 1/4" most HS have it in stock even Hobby Lobby I think.The plane is coming along Nicely https://www.amazon.com/Micro-Kristal-Klear-Microscale-Industries/dp/B0006O029E

i have not been idle just slowed down between work and household stuff.I am just about ready to start the gloss black for the base to the Alclad Silver I think I may try some of the panels in a gray flat and spray the same silver and see what kind of contrast I get.The wings were tight ended up maybe removing about .010"off of the bottom of the copit assembly to get a better fit other than that it was a good fit with a couple of dabs of SG as filler nothing major.the instructions show the different wing assembly unlike other.

Those rats add alot to her looks Kevin

It took a little while for me to build up these belts to much work and it took about 2 1/2-3 hrs for me to build these four belts but the pit is about to be encase in the fuselage.I want to add that Rabu of https://www.radubstore.com/ was very instrumental in working with Revell in the design of the kit and my hat is off to him this kit just falls together he also designed the belts I used and other AM products.I have already built the duct-work behind the pit and installed pretty much SOP.The wing I will show more of it's totally different from ant other P-51 I've built.

Just how much does Kevin like P-51's these are all recon crates love these all 1/48 and Tamy with AM decals and my 1/32 Hase P-47 "Lil Ceasar"

learned a new feature on GIMP not glues yet just fitted and I like Revells carriage kind of reminds me WingNuts build.

Here's the pic of the decals Greg and the sides are just about done.

Will do tomorrow night called it quits for today factory or aftermarket?I would suggest to anyone who might think about building this one when it comes to the Ip decal punch them and lay I was this close to doing that!! If it looks like crap tomorrow might have to pull out and ole Waldrons IP kit I also found my Rabu WWII seatbelts.I orginally got those belts for the HK 1/32 glassnose B-25. kevin

I bought this kit a few months back to maybe do in a GB but have kind of tired of the time constraints of GB's.So,I have this lag time on the Chikuma awaiting for the railings to come in(forgot to order) hey theirs this P-51 next to the desk and I love the colors.The kit seems good but a little soft on some moldings and some flash though not bad but this is a new kit/new molds?We have plenty of stencils to outfit the copit and he hardware to not require any PE for me atleast.A little History of the "Flying Dutchman" 11 Victory Ace It took less than three months of World War II action for Robert J. "Bob" Goebel to become a Double Ace flying the North American P-51 Mustang. Goebel, the youngest of seven children, was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin. At age 19, he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet, earning his wings and his commission in May 1943. After graduation, Goebel was assigned to the Panama Canal Zone flying the Bell P-39 Airacobra and the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. In early 1944, he was reassigned to the 31st Fighter Group in the Mediterranean Theater flying the Supermarine Mark V Spitfire. Soon after joining the Group in Italy as a member of the 308th Fighter Squadron, Goebel transitioned to the North American P-51 Mustang with the mission of fighter escort for 15th Air Force heavy bombers. While in the 308th, he flew 61 long-range missions from San Severo, Italy, supporting the bomber offensive in Southern Europe. During his combat tour, he destroyed 11 enemy fighters in the air over a 91-day period from 29 May 1944 to 28 August 1944. By the time he completed his first tour in September of 1944, he was 21 years old, had been promoted to captain, had led his squadron of 16 Mustangs into combat 7 times, and twice led an entire group of 48 aircraft into combat. Some pics of this afternoons work.

Pillow torque Build is looking good Denis Kevin

Some of last nights efforts starting on some of the sub assemblies as a break from the deck.I have never done this much on a ship as far as PE goes sometimes I wonder does it really change the look?Will I am about to find out now the ladders are not glued to the side flat I bend the legs top/bottom and affix with a whits glue and I use that same glue for long railing pieces.I rather suck at photography. Kevin The last pic is the glue I use for railings and ladders firm but flexible which ic nice for railings.

Nice Work David !But you know what I like to see the Wall with the builds.Clean and concise. Kevin

Pretty wood last pic reminds me of purpleheart.

it's been an active day that's a good thing mowed the back yard ,two donuts from a local own shop,cruised around along the beach,worked on my cabinet and now some efforts for Chikuma.I got the painting done was about 30minutes and the turret bases put down along with the front and lower center deck are now fixed in place. I bring up crusisn' https://cruisinthecoast.com/event-info/ about 7/8K number of cars register last year that does not count the ones not register probably another 3k today was a big registration day.Pic ....

My father was in the 92BG was the first BG to make it to England was a radio operator I use to look all over the net for pics and was informed by Bill Runnels a couple of years ago he worked Communications at HQ.I think he only went up 3 times always wanted some kind of medal for 5 missions I am glad he lived though it he was good guy.Keep at it Denis I may have to throw in a plane down here I have Revells 1/32 Mustang kind of nipping at me. Kevin Dad's BG.rtf

It's been slow go'in this go round pics tonight show the ammunition boxes installed on the deck and the vents.The vents all had little square grates add to give more definition to them about 18(?) in all different sizes.I have to paint the boxes,fire hoses and vents about another 30/60 minutes before I glue this part of the deck in. Kevin Two pics different lighting.

Just to let you know I have only been slacking a little bit.I ran out of mt Humbrol seeing I hate to order paint like hull red I made the gray I had some old railroad colors I had gotten for cheap and created my own color I think it's called Kure95(?).The color is a tad darker then the Humbrol I was using and I made plenty of it it's Lacquer based.I spent one hour on each piece of deck just painting the grey details X3 then went cutting some of it off for the firehose stations.The firehose stations required me to roll the center(hose) section on different diameter metal rods well you got to anneal the brass or it ain't happening.It happened and I started building the stations and cut off the molded in ones.The Tamyia kit was different in this regard hoses,vents and ammunition boxes are molded in while Hase makes them all separate much more desirable to me at least.You can paint them on the tree with a clean separation on the deck it is what it is. The shots worked no more migraines and pain from T8/9 up to C4 sleeping better .Pics.........Blasted see those specks crap I cleaned my a/c which is literally 2' away and turned it back on and got blasted with fluid and wet dust got some cleaning to do

Thks Mike Chikuma has already hit yard Thks Phil I keep pressing on life is to short and to many kits between my planes and ships( 10-15) I have maybe 200/300 unbuilt.I know a retired Colonel in Mexico from another forum an I have sent some kits free 1/72 and 1/48 planes I'll never get to.He does more with them in group builds than I ever would of. Kevin

Thks fellas for looking in they keep getting a little bit bigger and more time I figure 8-10 wks if I keep at it like in the past Yahagi took 7 wks. Kevin

I'm not using the kit decals because I'm quite sure they won't lay down over the highly textured deck, no matter how much MicroSol I use. Their is another product about 2x of microsol called Walthers I get it at HobbyTown in Mobile AL.Nice filling best method for wings of A/C. Kevin

I finished the Yahagi and now have started the Chikuma moments later literally.Some history..... Chikuma Country Japan Ship Class Tone-class Heavy Cruiser Builder Name Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Laid Down 1 Oct 1935 Launched 19 Mar 1938 Commissioned 20 May 1939 Sunk 25 Oct 1944 Displacement 15,200 tons standard Length 649 feet Beam 60 feet Draft 21 feet Speed 35 knots Crew 850 Armament 8x200mm, 8x130mm, 75x25mm anti-aircraft, 12x610mm torpedo tubes Chikuma was a Tone-class heavy cruiser built at Nagasaki by Mitsubishi. With her large seaplane capacity, long-range scouting missions fitted her well. She was a member of Sentai 6 (Sixth Squadrion) until transferred to Sentai 8 in Nov 1939. She participated in exercises and patrolled off southern China until the outbreak of the Pacific War. She participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor, the event that sparked off the war, as an escort to the fleet carriers; one of her seaplanes flew pre-strike reconnaissance mission over Pearl Harbor before the attack. Immediately after Pearl Harbor, she sailed for Wake Island to assist in the conquest there. During Japan's conquest of the South Pacific in the opening six months of the war, Chikuma played a part in many of the key events aside aircraft carriers. She was also present beside the carriers when they met their end at Midway in Jun 1942. On 24 Aug 1942 she participated in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, and then on 26 Oct Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, both off the Solomon Islands. In the latter action, she was moderately damaged by American dive bombers and was placed out of commission in Japan until late Feb 1943. In early 1944, she was transferred to Sentai 7. She participated in a cruiser raid into the Indian Ocean in Mar, then fought off the Mariana Islands in Jun. Off Philippines, she was attacked by submarine and aircraft on 23 and 24 Oct as she headed toward the eastern shore of the island of Samar; at the battle bearing the island's name, she helped in the sinking of escort carrier Gambier Bay, but was later seriously damaged by torpedoes. Destroyer Nowaki took on Chikuma's crew as Chikuma was abandoned. When Nowaki was later sunk, all but one of Chikuma's crew survived. https://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=37 I give you Chikuma next to the IJN Light Cruiser Yahagi....