T-33A Cuban-1/48 Testors---NO LONGER IN PROGRESS-KIT TRASHED

[spruecutter]

I decided to hold off on the Fw190A-8 and do something different. I built this kit when I was maybe 10 or 11 in the mid 60s. I think I can do better now. I have decals for a Cuban T-33A from the Bay Of Pigs conflict in 1961. I saw some modeler did this recently and it sparked my interest. The only thing I need is to add better seats so I am looking at a set of True Details F-80/T-33 resin seats. The camo for this plane is interesting, grass green and dark green over gray. I just finished painting the engine, shame that I am closing it and won't display it.

 

[spruecutter]

Here are the decals and a small profile picture by Chuck Acree of the Cuban camo for their T-33A in 1961.

 

[Down Time]

Fun to revisit, I have a pair of Colonial Viper kits to build from the original Battlestar Galactica series. Monogram release, did them when when I was a kid, these will be done better than decades ago......

 

[spruecutter]

Slow but steady work. I will be at a standstill soon, need to order resin seats. I forgot how much fun this was 60 years ago, strange but I remember just before this vividly building "The Mummy" in my room and the music coming from my 2 older sister's room from a transistor radio. Some new group singing "I want to hold your hand"? Strange how the mind works. My choice of "putty" back then was Revell tube glue! All my painting was done with Pactra little square bottles of paint and a hairy old brush!

 

[spruecutter]

I'm on the hunt! I will find one and buy it. I am reverting to my childhood! I did The Mummy, Phantom of the Opera, and Creature from the Black lagoon, I may have done others but these stick in my mind. I think the Creature is the coolest looking, but I remember the Phantom really came out nice and was an excellent paint job for a pre teen me.

 

[blakeh1]

How times have changed. As a kid I used to try painting with those Testors glass bottle enamel paints using a pant brush.
Needless to say I was always frustrated I could not get a nice brush stroke free surface like on all the kit boxes
Oh the wonders of an airbrush

That's why now it is nice to revisit those model we made a mess of when we were younger and give them a proper build

 

[spruecutter]

I put the cockpit together as far as I could go then decalled it. I then super glued about 30 grams of lead in the nose, glued the cockpit in and closed up the fuselage halves.

 

[spruecutter]

I did a test fit of the engine to fuselage to tail, it doesn't work. The engine pushes the fuselage to an oversized shape so the tail won't fit. I could sand the engine down but I decided as long as it is going to be closed to delete the engine, the tail now fits the fuselage perfect. I removed the tail pipe and glued it into the tail section just sticking out a wee bit. I then traced the tail section onto a .015" sheet of plastic and made a piece to blank out the exhaust cone so you can't see through the tail and into the fuselage, painted the side facing the exhaust tube black. All is well and work continues on.

 

[spruecutter]

I have the wings glued up, the wheel wells were non existent, see through to the inside of the fuselage. I added some card stock to make the wheel wells boxed in. I also scribbed lines on the card stock to add some detail. I need to scratch build retraction struts for the landing gear, the kit supplies none.

 

[spruecutter]

The tail cleaned up nice. The fit of front to rear fuselage seems pretty decent, so far.

 

[spruecutter]

I had to fix a few issues. The boxed in wheel wells were not accurate and not down tight. Also the wells are gray, the same color as the bottom camo on the Cuban plane so I replaced them. I corrected the scribe lines so they are evenly spaced and in the right direction. I then taped the wings to the fuselage to hold the wheel wells tight to the wing openings, the wings are not glued in, yet. I also noticed some unevenness in the fuselage seams so I puttied them. The nose wheel well has a cross member in the mid way point from side to side so I added that to the nose wheel well. The nose well is way to shallow but I am not concerned as I am never going to look at the bottom, LOL.

 

[spruecutter]

The seams are sanded and intakes installed, now to putty the gaps on the intakes.

 

[spruecutter]

I drilled the holes in the gun trough and started filing out the troughs while I wait for the putty to cure.

 

[Down Time]

Moving along quite well, looking great!!!

 

[Pantherman]

I drilled the holes in the gun trough and started filing out the troughs while I wait for the putty to cure.
View attachment 98218

Watching paint/filler to dry. Fun times!
Pantherman

 

[spruecutter]

Before I retired I use to watch the grass grow, almost as exciting!

 

[Jim62]

I'm on the hunt! I will find one and buy it. I am reverting to my childhood! I did The Mummy, Phantom of the Opera, and Creature from the Black lagoon, I may have done others but these stick in my mind. I think the Creature is the coolest looking, but I remember the Phantom really came out nice and was an excellent paint job for a pre teen me.
View attachment 97984

I built Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy and a witch at her caldron, as a kid and have a Phantom of the Opera in my stash. Be advised lots of flash. Look here but I'm not sure you can order them from there, I know Hobbylinc.com carries a few Moebius kits.
https://moebiusmodels.com/ourkits/monster.html

 

[spruecutter]

Thanks for the "monster" information. I think there are 2 versions of the "Creature"? One standing and one swimming? I964 is a long time to try and remember back to, I remember the basics but the "details" are fuzzy!!!

 

[spruecutter]

Go here to find some neat stuff!

 

[spruecutter]

Wings and tail are on. Looks like I have a few goodly sized gaps, I see more puttying in my future.