Well, this kit is deceptively challenging, but in a good way - and I have a few words of advice to help every one else build theirs.
Rear engine ports - I think if I had mastered this kit, I would have made a "cap" that would have finished off the ends of the engine ports. I had to do a lot of time consuming puttying and sanding, and I actually shaved off some of the detail and replaced with strips of styrene to make it sharper. I recommend doing this to save time. Things line up pretty well - this is a great kit.
Be careful here too - a few air bubbles popped up when I wnet digging - no biggie, and they are filled now.
The ends of the wings are also a little tricksy. One of the two has the correct angle to fit at the right curve. The other would point too far downward, so I used an angle attachment on my small belt sander to make the part match. took 5 seconds - but be careful that you get these ends lining up correctly. They meet along the top of the top curve, but by the time you get to the trailing edge of the part, it's sitting below the main body's bottom hull. Photos of the real deal support this though, so it's correct - the model is from a real one, after all.
The bottom is easy.
Lights look rad.
SO the only "real" problem on the kit is the canopy. All pics I've seen of this KIT hide the fact that the canopy has a gap in the area where it meets the body. I've talked to Jesse, and he's aware of it. All you have to do is add some mass to the back louver, mainly at the bottom. Here's a before shot, an after shot, and a comparison between the part as you get it out-of-the-box, and how much more I added to it.
Great kit - just took a few days longer with the putty than I thought it would. Still highly recommended. Next up? Paint.
Rear engine ports - I think if I had mastered this kit, I would have made a "cap" that would have finished off the ends of the engine ports. I had to do a lot of time consuming puttying and sanding, and I actually shaved off some of the detail and replaced with strips of styrene to make it sharper. I recommend doing this to save time. Things line up pretty well - this is a great kit.
Be careful here too - a few air bubbles popped up when I wnet digging - no biggie, and they are filled now.
The ends of the wings are also a little tricksy. One of the two has the correct angle to fit at the right curve. The other would point too far downward, so I used an angle attachment on my small belt sander to make the part match. took 5 seconds - but be careful that you get these ends lining up correctly. They meet along the top of the top curve, but by the time you get to the trailing edge of the part, it's sitting below the main body's bottom hull. Photos of the real deal support this though, so it's correct - the model is from a real one, after all.
The bottom is easy.
Lights look rad.
SO the only "real" problem on the kit is the canopy. All pics I've seen of this KIT hide the fact that the canopy has a gap in the area where it meets the body. I've talked to Jesse, and he's aware of it. All you have to do is add some mass to the back louver, mainly at the bottom. Here's a before shot, an after shot, and a comparison between the part as you get it out-of-the-box, and how much more I added to it.
Great kit - just took a few days longer with the putty than I thought it would. Still highly recommended. Next up? Paint.
