Tamiya 1/48 A 10A Thunderbolt

[Guest]

looks good to me

https://images.app.goo.gl/GYjLuT5BCg3Dg3mk7

[Guest]

Cheers Chris.

I get the reason for the profile of it, the flaps wouldn't operate otherwise, but it being open to the wheel bay like that is what puzzled me. It's as though I've missed a part that should close that area off. I guess it's only a model after all :smiling3:

[Guest]

Yeah, that’s what I was looking for but couldn’t see a clear image.
I can’t imagine it is open, in fact the only thing I could find to give a clue are the aires resin ones which look closed.

[Si Benson]

Always fancied making one of these....a deadly flying gun!
Looks like you taking it all in your stride Andy:thumb2:

[langy71]

ooooo An A-10,

built this years ago, and seeing you have a go at it brings back many fond memories of throwing this together with that horrible humbrol cement, :angry:, painting it with god knows what make of paint...probably Humbrol, then zooming around the garden with it like it was some sort of aerial hunter-killer just looking for it's next target..

[papa 695]

Nice work with the joints

[Guest]

Thanks all.

I'm trying to get the main assembly done before I go back to work on Wednesday, and maybe even have it primed. I should manage that if I don't start on the plethora of rockets and missiles! Having learned a lot from my Sea King build I won't be adding the fiddly bits until after paint as I'll only knock them off. I've had to glue some of the aerials back on that thing 4 or 5 times!

Having been impressed by the Mr Hobby primers I've ordered the 3 main colours for this in Mr Color. I was hoping they'd turn up today but totally forgot about the Bank Holiday. No rush though as it'll be a while before I get to that stage.

[Guest]

Got a bit more done in-between the snooker.

Made a piece to close off the gap in the undercarriage housing mentioned above. Was pretty hard to photograph but hopefully you get the idea. I really need to get myself some styrene card as working with random bits of plastic and ancient super glue didn't make things any easier.





Started sticking bits on and doing the usual with the gaps. It seems like any part that was moulded with a curve in it has flattened out a bit, causing inevitable fitting issues.



Tailpiece on. This step is so big that I'm not even going to bother trying to rectify it. It can be a feature!



And wings on. Thankfully these fitted pretty much perfectly.

[Guest]

I really need to get myself some styrene card as working with random bits of plastic and ancient super glue didn't make things any easier.

To be honest, thin card (as in paper) would probably be easier to work with than plastic from packaging. That kind of plastic is usually very difficult to glue, whereas paper is easy enough to stick down. OTOH, if it works …

The model seems to require a lot of filler for a Tamiya kit. I hadn’t expected that, really.

[Guest]

Card, hadn't thought about that. Would have been a whole lot easier.

I'm hoping to try a more modern Tamiya kit in the near future as I know they have a reputation for being a great fit. The only date stamp I could find on this was 1991. If that was the actual date of manufacture then I can forgive it for becoming a bit saggy over the years (like I have :smiling5

[Jim F]

Hi Andy
You're beating it into submission I've had a nose around on Scalemates and was amazed that they didn't have any reviews on this release or the original one, there are many different kinds of filler that require less clean up. For small gaps I use Tippex/Correcting fluid mixed with Liquid cement, for larger ones I use milliput extra fine.
regards Jim

[Guest]

Thanks Jim, sledgehammer to crack a nut, that's me all over! A quick blast with some polyester primer from work would fill any of those gaps, but it would bury every bit of detail on it too!

I certainly need to look for something a little more refined. I've tried the Vallejo putty that many swear by, but maybe it was just too cold out in the shed and it never dried for me. I have some milliput coming from SMS but Tippex & cement sounds interesting.

[Jim F]

Hi Andy,
Small steps first buy yourself a bottle of Tamiya extra thin glue when you have used approximately 2/3 of the glue buy a bottle of tippex/correcting fluid combine the 2 together and you will end up with a shrink free liquid filler that works easily in hairline gaps. Milliput has many additional uses as well as a filler. my preference is the extra fine version which is easier to sand but there are plenty of other uses.
regards Jim

[Fernando N]

Looking good Andy:thumb2:, although this one does require a lot of filler for a Tammie kit.

Speaking of which, I’ve grown fond of Mr. White putty the past years for covering some bigger gaps.
Smells like hell but it sands to a far smother finish than Vallejo putty, although that seems better suited for smaller gaps.:smiling:

[rtfoe]

Hi Andy,
On recollection after seeing you correcting the misfits, I remember some especially the tail section. At the time it was still better than any Airfix kit that I had built. I checked my old Tamiya catalogues and found that this kit came out in 1980. The tooling didn't measure up for the 1991 batch I guess.

Seriously what you're doing is not a bad way to improve skills on a new hobby...just like in the Karate Kid...wax on ...wax off... In time you'll see that filling and sanding becomes integral to the finish just like your spray painting job I presume.
If anything I'm sure this A-10 will finish just as good as your Sea King. :thumb2:

Cheers,
Richard