Czech Model 1/32 scale F-80C Shooting Star

[lgriffin]

Very nice, Lee. I like that a lot. Congrats on finishing it.

Cheers,

Lee Griffin

[Ronnie Murray]

Alright Lee, that is very sharp!!!  I agree that you should atleast bring it to the club contest even if you aren't going to enter it for competition.  Half the fun of attending these is to see so many cool models, forget the awards.  You did a really good job on the model and your classic NMF.

[BenB]

Well done, Lee!

Ben

[Lee_K]

Lee, I guess you could always contact that guy who does the metal airplanes you see in Finescale Model mag. I swear those are pictures of the real deal. Clyde

Ah, the late great Les Sundt.  His natural metal finishes were simply stunning.  Unfortunately, Les passed away a few years ago.  We lost a great one, there.

Lee K

[Ronv]

Lee, Just bring the model for display at the contest, I sure everyone would like to see it.
RonV

[ClydeM]

Lee, I guess you could always contact that guy who does the metal airplanes you see in Finescale Model mag. I swear those are pictures of the real deal. Clyde

[Anthony Leger]

Wow that is a Nice looking result. Can't wait to see in person

regards,

[Lee_K]

Thanks Bill and Clyde.  Clyde, I was going to use the Phil Hale NMF method until I realized that I didn't have any Metalizer thinner.  Had the sealer, but not the thinner.  With no hobby shops close by, I went to plan B.  Next time I order from Sprue Brothers, I'll pick up a bottle.

I'm still looking for the magic bullet in NMF methods.  The Tamiya spraycan lacquer is quite nice, but it's very fragile, like Testors Metalizer.  Someday I'll find something that will make me happy.

Lee K

[Bill L2]

That really came out nice Lee. The finish is just awesome and the contrast between the NMF and the colorful markings is really nice. Any cons in this kit you surely overcame them. I like the first picture. It really captures the profile of the jet.

[ClydeM]

very very nice Lee. can't wait to view this one up close. Clyde

[Lee_K]

Thanks, Ron.  My competition days are over, I think, but I will be bringing it to the December club meeting.

Lee K

[Ronv]

Really Nice Lee!!
You are bringing this one to the contest?
RonV

[Lee_K]

It was an experiment to see if I can get some photos that reflect the true shininess of the model.  So I shot outside in direct sunlight instead of inside under incandescent lighting (my usual method).  Something about my camera that doesn't reproduce silver tones very well.  Thanks for the comments.

Lee K

[Bill L.]

What a piece of crap!  I can't believe you had the guts to post this!!

... but really it looks awesome.  Looks like the real plane.  Only criticism is that you need a sun filter to cut the glare.

[Lee_K]

I finally finished the Czech Model kit released this year by Squadron.  Kit decals were used to depict an F-80C based at Suwon, Korea in 1952 with the 8th Fighter Group.  It's the wing commander's aircraft, hence the striping for the three squadrons.  It was quite shiny in real life.

The kit went together like all limited production run kits: poorly.  The air intakes were particularly bad.  I messed around with the ejection seat to make it look a little more like an F-80 seat rather than the T-33 seat, which is what the kit provides.  The exhaust is from AMS Resin because the kit one is engineered to remain inside the fuselage rather than stick out a 1/4 or so like the real aircraft.  The kit nose fork is molded on the wrong side -- I had to turn it around.  I modified the canopy framing for accuracy.  Natural Metal finish is Tamiya Color TS-30 Sliver Leaf from a spray can, oversprayed with Alclad polished aluminum.  Control surfaces were painted Alclad Duraluminum.  Like P-47s, photographs show that F-80s didn't have a lot of panel differentiation in their aluminum finish.  Clear areas of decals were cut away from all markings and the barest minimum of stencils were used to prevent me from having to spary a clear varnish over the model and there by diminishing the shininess of the finish, unlike my poor B-29  .  Major joins were glued together with CA glue to hopefully avoid the formation of ghost seams later on.  Weathering was done with chalk pastels in the wheel wells and each panel line.













Lee K