Bede BD-5/5J Snowbirds (CT-175/175A)

[PR19_Kit]

Robert,

What are the 4 versions in the Arii re-box kit?

I have the original LS version and it has parts for a standard prop-driven BD-5 and for a BD-5J as well. There are two sets of wings, one long and one short, so you could build a short-winged aerobatic BD-5 but then you'd not be able to make a realistic 'J' as they only came with short wings.

I made a 'J' and the V tailed prototype out of my pair.

[kitnut617]

It's just two sets of the LS offering Kit, two prop driven and two jet powered, the prop version has the long wing.  The decals that Bill Burns did up for me has one scheme for a long wing and one for the short so I'm just going with the two types for this build.

Incidently, you can buy the decal sheets through CanMilAir:
http://www.canmilair.com/products.asp?cat=19&pg=12

[kitnut617]

Next stage of the plan was to fit some figures into the cockpits as I'm going to have them displayed as 'in-flight'.  Even though I had a number of small 1/72 pilots of various description in the spares box, I still had to modify them as the seats in the kit are a bit over scale I think.  I've twisted a couple of the heads so that they will be looking at the lead aircraft once they get posed on the stand.

The next thing to do is finish the cockpit with a coat of paint, paint the figures (I think some Roundel Red for the flying suits with white 'bone-domes') then get the canopies on, I've some polishing to do then which I think is going to be time consuming.

[kitnut617]

Front offices are done, next is to get the canopies into some sort of respectability, they're a little opaque.  I'm going to pose the four in a diamond formation, the prop ones at the lead and trailing positions and the jets out on either side, I've swivelled the heads of the outer guys to look towards the lead aircraft.

I've just noticed I got ahead of myself, I forgot to paint the figure's gloves. The lead guy has his right hand on his mic' which will be more noticeable once they're painted black.

[Taiidantomcat]

That is just amazing! Four!! 

[JayBee]

Hi Robert,

the one I am building is the original LS issue and the canopy is nice and clear.
What pilots are you using?

JimB

[dragon]

We can tell you don't drink stong coffee too often.
This is one reason I can't do anything less than 1/144

[kitnut617]

Thanks guys, I'm going to try to finish these asap, but I've just found out we're having visitors this weekend   and I have to go into Calgary today to meet a client 

Jim:  The figures came from years of dropping funny looking objects into the spares box, I pick out the ones that had a little bit of pilot resemblance but which kit they came from I've long forgotten, sorry.  As I said the seats are a bit over-scale and I had to shave a lot off the figures anyway to make them fit under the canopies, so I didn't want to use the nicer ones I have.  These canopies aren't as bad as first thought though, one coat of clear gloss on the insides has changed them remarkably and I might be able to get away from doing any polishing to them after all.

Robert

[kitnut617]

That is just amazing! Four!! 

Thanks tdtc, they're not very big, here's a pic comparing them to a two pound and two dollar coin

[thedarkmaster]

liking this entire project a lot, good work and nice idea behind it     

[kitnut617]

All I got done yesterday was to get one canopy on and started to polish it, but even that hasn't gone very well.  Visitors are here now so that's it for the moment but I'm going to finish this no matter what over the next few days or so.

[Captain Canada]

Looking good ! Just make sure each pilot knows weather he's in a long wing or a short wing.....could make a 9-plane formation interesting !

[John Howling Mouse]

Keep it going, Robert.  Looking forward to seeing these beauties all finished (as I'm sure you are, as well).   

[Jeffry Fontaine]

So who is going to do a Raspberry Ripple BD5? 

[dragon]

Wait!
If it is the SNOWBIRDS, shouldn't it be more than four planes?