AirFix 1:48. 67th fighter-bomber squadron, Chinhae and Hoengsong air bases, South Korea 1952/1953. This from the printing on the box. This took me approximately 18 hours to mask off paint and assemble. I did not keep an accurate account. I just put the decals on today. I think the decals are of good quality and take about 70 seconds to soak before sliding off onto the model. It’s not a bad model, very good instructions easy to follow, no flash, and some cutting down of parts for proper fit. There is one part I cut a lot of plastic off of for it to fit. But, it’s still not up to Tamiya as far as fit, in my estimation. $29.00 at Hobby Lobby. I used Testors paints and glue. It’s funny though, it gives you the option of the landing gear down or not using it and closing up the undercarriage and having it displayed as an in-flight aircraft. But they do not supply a stand. You have to order it separately and bore a hole underneath to attach it. If I had chosen that, I have a stand left over from a previous model aircraft. This hobby is winding down, especially with small parts. I have thought about it before, but the tweezer -toothpick thing is getting harder each year. My dexterity is not too good in regard to this anymore and I am rather unsteady now at 76. Perhaps a snaptite model. I have bought some in the past and some are rather good looking after assembly. But, on the other hand, I really have no more room for models. And at this point, have none I choose to part with.
That looks great. I keep thinking about trying my hand at doing a few model aircraft. Something I've been considering is carving a P47 out of a chunk of Basswood. I wish I had a picture of my bedroom ceiling from by prepubescent days. A B29, ME109, Spitfire, SR71, F86, couple of WW1 biplanes - Sopwith Camel and one I can't remember- all hanging creating one epic dogfight.
Thanks, even though the decals are pretty nice, I hesitated to apply the real tiny ones because all I do is winding up getting them crooked or folded over on the aircraft, and that’s with a tweezer and toothpick. Just too tedious for me. And those tail numbers came in separate sections of the decal sheet, not one continuous number and when I applied them I could have them closer together. The instruction sheet shows them apart but not quite that far. I started putting models together when I was a kid in the late 1950’s. They were only Revell and Lindberg and I think Monogram back then, as I recall. The main body color is called light aircraft gray and I sprayed it on of course before assembly.
I started making plane models age 10. I think it takes a lot of patience to do the whole thing. Painting the model By pics from ww2 photos and for instance Matchbox booklet models, so many different parts and seeing the whole structure come together after all. Quite rewarding. Parents were just glad you were silent.
Not to prolong this, but I have a question. I see on World War II fighters of various models, and on the real aircraft, on the propeller blades on each one, there are yellow markings of an oval design with some printing on them and next to them. Only on the side facing out. What are they for and what are their significance? What do they say on them? They are too tiny to read on the decal sheet and I googled it to no avail. And I don’t mean the yellow paint on the propeller tips, I know what that is for in regards to safety of ground personnel especially. These markings I am referring to are usually in the middle of each blade, especially on the fighters with four blade propellers.
I'm pretty sure those are manufacturers labels. I can't get any photos to upload but Google Hamilton Standard. Or try this link. Hamilton Standard Propeller Logo | Print | Wisconsin Historical Society
