BOOM! Thats the sound of my head exploding...Armed to the teeth! No need to call in support...How did Americans go with the "MM" sizes?
Now, if you don't think that's enough firepower, you replace your 40mm with an Elco Thunderbolt gun mount with 4 x 20mm and 2 x .50 caliber...
I just got a chubby...Sorry TMI Does the man sitting in the seat actually get paid? Or does he do it for free?
Quick question ? I've put in a request for a Tamiya 1/48th scale P47 Thunderbolt for my birthday. Considering it'll be my 69th and the fingers and eyesight aren't what they used to be, just how intricate should I attempt? I've seen some outstanding models but I'm nowhere need that level. On the other hand - I've got nothing but time. What's left anyway.
For one, you can’t go wrong with a Tamiya aircraft kit, some of the best. I have done a few of their kits. And that one you want is a nice looking airplane. I am partial however to the Corsair and P-51 Mustang. I have been doing kits since the late 1950’s and I never was and never will be a top notch model builder. And now, at 79, I am just about done. I have said that about two years ago, the last model reflects this. I am basically out of room and I do not care, for now, to part with the 10 I have. First, study the instructions so you have a good understanding as to what they are describing. It’s not like years ago when each operation was printed out in words. It helps to wash the parts in a mild soapy solution and let them dry thoroughly for better paint and decal applications. With Tamiya you should have very little if any flash on the parts and their fit is usually top notch. I have always found that the landing gear instillation can be the most troubling……..sometimes. It pays to take your time and let the glue dry between steps, especially if touching a glued part can cause it to become loose. The best cement and most forgiving as far as smudging should you get it somewhere you don’t want it, is TAMIYA EXTRA THIN CEMENT. Can be ordered through Amazon. I use a sprue cutter and modeling knife which you can buy at a hobby store like Hobby Lobby. I have a well lit area and still use a flashlight to find any small parts that might fall on the floor. I also use a tweezer and toothpicks. The paints, whether or not you paint it historically correct or not, should be applied as much as possible while the parts are on the sprues. Some parts to be glued should have that certain painted part scraped clean at that end for better gluing results. I always use Testors small bottles of their assortment of paints and an assortment of brushes and since I never have mastered an air brush I just use the small cans of modeling spray paint for the wings and fuselage. Have some thinner handy for cleaning brushes. As far as decals I usually let them soak in a dish of warm water for “about” 25 seconds before sliding them off onto the model. Some come off easier than others. To each his own. Here is a Corsair by Tamiya that I made, 1:48 scale……the color is Krylon blue midnight ink…………
And, I may have been wrong with that original copyright date but that is what I thought I saw stamped on the sprue. They are long gone in the trash now. But here is what the internet displayed as far as box top art and the dates released. Sometimes things get mixed up there. The first was 1965, the other from 1979.
I built a few model planes in my early teens and a couple of ships. I wanted to return to my youth I guess and try some more. Funny thing is I talked to an old high school friend a couple weeks ago and lo & behold, he had picked up an old Revell B29 kit at an auction - cheap. He said he knew I was "into" airplanes Best thing about this I had a B29 hanging from my bedroom ceiling! That and after 50 years we only got back in touch a few months ago. We're meeting up this Summer for lunch. His wife and mine were both teachers so they should have something to talk about too. Thanks for the advice. I will definitely follow it.
The cover art shows a New Mexico class battleship in the background although as @Half Track noted, the 207 served in the European theater. The New Mexicos were in the Atlantic in 1941 for "neutrality" patrol but returned to the Pacific in January 1942.