Academy 1/48 Hunter FGA-9

[AeroplaneDriver]

Since I'm in one of my frantic building phases and I have another 5 days off, I decided to dive into the Academy Hunter I've had for a few years.

The intake assembly is so complicated I half expected a wormhole to open up once it was together, but alas no.  

It will be an inflight build, originally planned as a USAF or RAF Vietnam machine, but I decided to go along a different path instead, and build it as something I've never done before.

It will be an inflight build to get around the undersize wheels.  I'm probably oging to scratchbuild the back of a MB Mk2 seat to overcome the 1/72 scale seat included with the kit.

I'll ppst some pics once I have something interesting enough to justify it.  Until then I'll just say it will be a very different scheme for a Hunter...

[AeroplaneDriver]

Just a quick progres update:  The fuselage is together with the frustrating intake assembly.  I closed up the main landing gear doors before assembling hte wing halves so I could glue the doors in from inside.  With a little gap-filling CA they fit pretty well, sith just some sanding to clean up the outside.  

Next step is fitting the wings to the fuslega, which is taking some trimming and lots of dry-fitting thanks to the intake assembly.

I've read builds and reviews that have said this can be a frustrating kit, but I always looked athte box of finely detailed parts and thought 'how bad can it be'?  Now I can see where the frustration comes form.

By itself, it's probably not that bad of a kit apart from the handful of well-known problem areas, but building it right on the heels of a 1/72 Revell Hunter seems to highlight what Academy did wrong.

I'm sure I'll do another, since I love Hunters and Academy is the only game in town for 1/48, but I think my next one will be build gear-down with resin replacement wheels and some intake covers so I can leave the damned intakes in the box!!

Anyway, pics shortly once I assembly gets a little more progress.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

You just don't pause for breath do you, Nick    - Good for you  

Ian

[AeroplaneDriver]

Construction is complete, with the first coat of paint about to go on.  This is a frustrating kit, because it wouldnt take much for it to be really good, but it just doesnt quite get it right in a lot of spots.  Having said that it really wasnt that bad of a build.

Since I'm doing an inflight build I painted up a pilot from a Hase F-86.  I didnt have a MB Mk2 seat in the spares box to replace the nice, but way undersized kit seat, so I took a Monogram Mk10 seat and modified it to represent a Mk2.  The pilt and seat are far from perfect, but they work OK with a closed canopy.

Here are a couple of pics of the pilot and seat.  I'll be posting more as the paint goes on.  Someone may guess the end user of this Hunter from seeing the pilot.

[Captain Canada]

Looking good so far !

No idea as to the user, tho......

 

[AeroplaneDriver]

One more pic for tonight as the camo gets underway.  

Two more hints that should give away the end user of this Hunter:

1.  I originally thought of this as an entry to a recent GB, but didnt have the time to get to it then.

2.  Its pilots will know it as the 'Ryoushi', not Hunter.



More tomorrow!

[bluntie]

Wow ! liking the look of that!   are you masking your cammo or is that freehand?
 

[lancer]

JASDF by any chance??

[nev]

Orange flightsuit is a dead giveaway, and I love it.

Kudos to you for challenging the Academy Hunter Nick.  What's next, the Italeri 1/48 Raptor?

ps, did you get the 1WGB prize I sent you?

[AeroplaneDriver]

Bluntie-THe camo is masked with blu-tac, the same method I used on my delta-wing F-16.  I'll post a step-by-step later.

Lancer & Nev-Spot on fellas!  This will be my firs ever Japanese aircraft in 33 years of modeling.

Nev-Sorry, I meant to send a thank you PM, but forgot with work and the holidays going on.  That kit very nearly got pulled from the stash this week, to become a USMC version to sit alongside my USAAF P-47.  Thanks!!

[Rafael]

Should be a pretty airplane when finished. That scheme is really beautiful.

Please, AeroplaneDriver-San, be our Sensei and teach us how to work with O-blu-tac to achieve that ragged/veiny look!!!


Konichi-wa and Sayonara
Rafa-San

[nev]

Nev-Sorry, I meant to send a thank you PM, but forgot with work and the holidays going on.  That kit very nearly got pulled from the stash this week, to become a USMC version to sit alongside my USAAF P-47.  Thanks!!

Phew!  JHM never got his present from the year before, I was starting to panic...

[BadersBusCompany]

Well Bugger me!
Suitably impressed.  

[Rafael]

Holy Sweet Flying Baby Jesus!!!

Thanks, O-Sensei!!

Rafa

[bluntie]

Nice one AD, thanks for sharing that :salute:  i'm looking forward to seeing the finished article.