F-86F-30 Sabre

Kit part for seat loose fitted into cockpit. Lots of details on both, but Eduard wants it all removed.... 

Photo-etch started. 

Preparing for the first steps. 

Internal lumps are an eyesore, so let's see if they can be removed. 

Majority filed down. 

Not perfect but much better. 

Progress in various areas, including some detail painting. 

Some filling to do, before painting and assembly. 

Trying some experimental painting, and finding the pre-wash may not have fully removed mould oil. Hmm.... Let's see what can be done to remedy the situation ? 

Trying to paint the PE panels, where several tiny switches still to be added.  

A few levers added, and knobs painted red just to make them visible. 

Eduarda dials or use the kit part for the instruments? Let's see how I get on with the kit part and some paints ... 

Eduard PE and foil for the instruments. 

Looking reasonably acceptable, so will use this and not the PE. 

What do you reckon, guys? 

All that power, and it will all be hidden. Ah well.... 

The cockpit floor now has the seat, joy stick and console added, so has been mated with one half of the fuselage. The engine will be fitted next. 

Taking shape, as main sub-assemblies installed.  

Forgot to add two tiny PE parts to the instrument panel... Steady hand, cleaned glasses, and in they go! 

Parts for the trolley. 

And there we have it. I'll use white for an undercoat to the final yellow. The mould seam mark has since been removed. 

Fuselage closed up and seams rubbed down smooth. All fitting really well, and lots of space in the nose for lead weights. 

The next PE tiny pieces coming together too. More adaptation of kit parts to be done next 

Wings on, but gaps will need to be filled.  

So, the next PE challenge... Transform the perforated flat rectangles into replacement gun barrels! I'm going to try to use an old glue nozzle as a roller on a soft surface, to start the curving process. 

Well, the rolling only got so far. Then I just used fingers to encourage the curve around the steel nozzle. This left an even gap along the full length. So, by gently rolling it in my finger tips, the gap reduced and miraculously a tiny tube was formed! Now for the next ones.... 

Four new barrels done, and first old barrel removed. I've left a couple of mm, and thinned it down to form a spigot over which the new barrel will slide and be secured. 

Looks like this might just work! 

Masking access panels, etc. 

Black on the panels will hopefully darken some panels. Silver next, overall.  

Painting in progress. 

Looking okay so far.... 

Coming together slowly... 

More details added, and painting continues too. Undercarriage installed together with panels and struts. Plenty of lead in the nose, and she's not a tail-sitter! 

Painting round the nose and cockpit, plus the guns' muzzle panels. 

Painting at the rear end too. 

Ammunition feeds to be added next, then tidy up the paint... 

Final modifications for PE replacements...  

Nose painted. 

Nose painted.  

Nose painted, and hopefully matches the yellow of the decals. 

Top surfaces were glossed before starting the decals. Unfortunately these are the thickest decals I have ever encountered, so I'm not expecting them to settle into the panel lines...  

Ammunition feeds added, painted, then a black wash. 

Decals and stencils added, then clear coat. 

Canopy only loose fitted at the moment. More PE to add inside first. 

Disaster.... I think one decal wasn't fully dry before clear coated. All the rest are fine though. 

Hatches still to be added. 

Last few pieces to be added. 

Last of the PE added in the cockpit, so windshield added too. Access hatches added, with view of MGs etc. Only the pitot tube to add. 

An overall light grey filter applied, to reduce the contrast and make the yellow look less plastic. Also added a dark panel line to a few places, so less uniformly silver. 

And now all finished. 

Well, time to pose for the final shot for this one.