Matchbox | No. PK-32 | 1:72 | North American F-86A Sabre
![Album image #1 Album image #1](/albums/img/8/4/0/1668840-49836-39-720.jpg)
2022/23: OOB build of the vintage '70s Matchbox 1/72 kit.
![Album image #2 Album image #2](/albums/img/7/4/7/1267747-49836-88-720.jpg)
Smells like childhood.
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Decals and canopy look to be tip-top for a kit from the 70s. Let's hope they hold up.
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Less flash than a lot of modern kits.
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1976!
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Priming and test fitting. Top is fine, bottom not so great. I really don't want to do a lot of sanding and filling on this one.
![Album image #7 Album image #7](/albums/img/7/5/2/1267752-49836-53-720.jpg)
Gluing and some sanding.
![Album image #8 Album image #8](/albums/img/7/5/3/1267753-49836-60-720.jpg)
Base of Vallejo Steel on top of Vallejo gloss black primer.
![Album image #9 Album image #9](/albums/img/7/5/4/1267754-49836-50-720.jpg)
I did start doing the whole masking for airbrushing, then got bored and moved to a brush. You can see where I didn't spend hours on the underside seam - pretend I'm a child again and happy to overlook these imperfections!
![Album image #10 Album image #10](/albums/img/7/5/5/1267755-49836-55-720.jpg)
Adding variables of metallic paint effects using dry brush and Vallejo Metal Color.
![Album image #11 Album image #11](/albums/img/1/0/1/1299101-49836-52-720.jpg)
Getting more metallic.
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There's loads of aged milky residue coming off the decals. I'm bathing them in a dip bowl for this reason. Hand painting undercoat for the canopy and also wheels, flaps and cockpit internals.
![Album image #15 Album image #15](/albums/img/5/0/2/1359502-49836-20-720.jpg)
Overall pretty happy with how the 46+ year old decals have gone down. Bit of a issue with this one... In the end I stopped fiddling, as decal was breaking apart. It's ended up pretty decent.
![Album image #16 Album image #16](/albums/img/5/0/3/1359503-49836-85-720.jpg)
I will trim off the excess tail decal when all is dry. Pin wash next...
![Album image #17 Album image #17](/albums/img/5/0/4/1359504-49836-42-720.jpg)
You can see the carrier film is a bit thick, especially around the nose.
![Album image #18 Album image #18](/albums/img/7/8/8/1373788-49836-14-720.jpg)
Pin wash to panel lines before scoring decals to allow wash over top - hopefully they'll hold up. Also painting black nose tip
![Album image #19 Album image #19](/albums/img/7/8/9/1373789-49836-79-720.jpg)
70p! It's like going to my local Newsagents again on a Saturday morning with my dad. Adding more pin wash - I like the manufactured deep panel lines - added more definition, though I accept it's skeletal and completely unrealistic.
![Album image #20 Album image #20](/albums/img/7/9/0/1373790-49836-85-720.jpg)
Still working on getting interest to the whole metallic finish rather than just a flat tone. I've used Vallejo Metal Color and their pigments also. Then dry brush techniques with barely wet paint standard Vallejo paint, cheap pastels and even some WD40 to grease it up!
![Album image #21 Album image #21](/albums/img/7/9/1/1373791-49836-24-720.jpg)
I leave my canopies loose to allow inspection of cockpit.
![Album image #22 Album image #22](/albums/img/0/4/1/1404041-49836-86-720.jpg)
My Vallejo Chromate paint has 'gone off' - it was a bit thick, will sand and sort out. To be fair there's minimal detail here anyway. I always hand paint undercarriage, but I'm not normally a 1/72 scale builder, so this was a struggle for me with my early cataract! Also snapped the top of the stalk off on undercarriage, so repair is necessary.
![Album image #23 Album image #23](/albums/img/8/4/3/1668843-49836-70-720.jpg)
Finished!
![Album image #24 Album image #24](/albums/img/8/4/4/1668844-49836-35-720.jpg)
Love the markings.
![Album image #25 Album image #25](/albums/img/8/4/5/1668845-49836-40-720.jpg)
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![Album image #28 Album image #28](/albums/img/8/4/9/1668849-49836-36-720.jpg)
The aged decals just about held up 😉
![Album image #29 Album image #29](/albums/img/8/5/0/1668850-49836-97-720.jpg)
![Album image #30 Album image #30](/albums/img/8/5/1/1668851-49836-10-720.jpg)
Commenti
101 6 May 2022, 12:49
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Watching with interest, of course! When I was a kid, Matchbox models were rarely available here in Poland and recognized as top quality ones.
6 May 2022, 15:51
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Cheers for the likes mates! Really great to have all your interest 👍 I'm chuffed! ☺️ This lovely old Matchbox kit will be a longer haul as I'm working on finishing other multiple builds... So this will be an 'in-betweenie' Just to keep me occupied! Thanks again guys 👍👍
7 May 2022, 12:01
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Wow, I remember building that several times…. Talk about bringing back memories … looking forward to this one
10 May 2022, 17:04
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Whoa whoa, I can smell my childhood. Matchbox itself is attractive already, not to mention the nice build.
22 July 2022, 15:52
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Looking at photo 4 and all the tiny sprue attachment points. 46 years ago Matchbox were able to do this. 2022 and still no one else can....
22 July 2022, 16:10
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Great progress so far! How is your experience with the Vallejo Metal Colors?
22 July 2022, 21:08
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Thanks for commenting chaps 👍 Chan Li, that's very kind of you to say. I agree Roy, it's a decently formed old kit that shames some newer ones for sure 👍😆
23 July 2022, 22:40
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Hi Mid Franconian, thanks very much 👍 I find them easy to work with, give good coverage, though I'd advise using a lower PSI as they're thinner. And also they seem to hold up to a bit of a polish/scrape dry brush effect well.
24 July 2022, 09:22
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I did this 20 years ago, I wonder how it will turn out for you, Following!
9 September 2022, 17:39
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Hiya Oleg 🙂 Fantastic! Good to hear. Yeah it's an oldie (like us)! Thanks for the comment, here's hoping I do it some justice. Thanks also mates for the likes 👍
10 September 2022, 18:20
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Thanks Bernd for your interest and comment - agree childhood memories all round on this one - I'm enjoying it also, it's like I'm 10 again! Thanks also to those who've liked - very kind 🙂 I'm getting close to finishing.
3 January 2023, 17:09
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Cheers Gorby 👍 and thanks Guy, appreciated and to thanks others for recent likes, most kind.
17 January 2023, 21:29
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Great looking so far, Neil! The decals look like they held up OK. I have this kit in my stash to do one day, as the Canadair Sabre Mk.1
17 February 2023, 16:00
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Thanks for your kind comment Gordon 🙂 it's like reliving your childhood building it!
4 March 2023, 00:05
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Your skill shines through again in getting this 70s beauty into shape. Impressed again with your metal work 🙂
6 June 2023, 20:10
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Yes, a classic from our (my) childhood for sure!... You're too kind Mr James. Thanks very much for saying that 🙂👍
11 June 2023, 10:49
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Hi Jan and Guy 🙂 thanks very much for stopping by and saying such nice things 👍👍
12 November 2023, 22:36
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Considering how old the kit is, bang on finish. Between your good self and Mr Rump, my neck is killing me, the amount of kits you both put out is giving me severe swivel (Ooh er missus ' ) 👍🤣🤟🥸🤘🤣🖖
22 February, 10:27
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Thanks mates! You're all very kind to take time out to comment. I'm chuffed and pleased as always that you guys like anything I show 🙂 I really enjoyed this one. Made me feel like I was a child all over again, cycling to the newsagents (or Woolworths!) to buy another kit. @Mark - tbh I'm a bit conscious that I keep appearing on the feed lately, apologies to anyone - a lot are not new. I'm just playing catch-up... I bought a folding photobooth thing from a well know auction site and have been updating albums with nicer final reveal pictures... Plus... I'd like to suggest that we could have a Matchbox group build as an annual event? I love a Matchbox kit 🙂
22 February, 11:15
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I think the Matchbox GB should just be immortal. Like the kits!
Open ended, no closing date.
22 February, 12:54
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Thanks Robert mate 🙂 @Roy, agreed. Was it you who created the last one?... Let's do another one. I'll be in for sure! 😁
22 February, 15:03
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Neil mate, don't be conscious about posting. I enjoy perusing the finished product's. If I like it I'll hit the button, if not I'll be bashing some plastic, or my geriatric bod' at the gym, or bashing some pints in T'Club to get over the gym. 🤘🥸🤟
22 February, 22:27
Album info
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Soviet MiG-15 in high-speed dogfights in the skies of the Korean War (1950–1953), fighting some of the earliest jet-to-jet battles in history.
Group Build
![Matchbox 50th anniversary group build in](/events/img/11950-12448-82-p.jpg)
Matchbox 50th anniversary group build
1. Aprile 2022 fino a 31. Dicembre 2023
1. Aprile 2022 fino a 31. Dicembre 2023