dh Hornet PR5

andrewj · October 26, 2020, 02:03:45 AM

Nice project Kit, this has inspired me to dust off one of my unfinished models and complete it , This is [or will be] the FR VII , a high altitude armed recce version with twin Griffons.

PR19_Kit · October 26, 2020, 06:12:52 AM

I LIKE it!

Very much in line with my PR5, which kit and extra parts did you use as a basis?

andrewj · October 26, 2020, 07:06:13 AM

It s an old 1/48 ARBA resin I think , been about for years , slowly deteriorating , I added Griffons from an Airfix Seafire or two.

PR19_Kit · October 26, 2020, 08:44:46 AM

I didn't even know there WAS a 1/48 Hornet, but then I tend to stop looking once the scale goes about 1/71.

That explains the sandy colour of course.

kitnut617 · October 26, 2020, 09:15:39 AM

Classic Airframes does a complete line of 1/48 injection Hornets Kit --- I've got two of them in the stash, just a couple of the very few 1/48 kits I have and intend to build.

andrewj · October 26, 2020, 09:50:07 AM

Classic Airframes and Trumpeter both do Hornets and Sea Hornets in 1/48 , all of which suffer various deficiencies . By far the best 1/48 Hornets were the Dynavector vacforms, the Arba resin ones are long gone from the market .

PR19_Kit · October 26, 2020, 11:59:14 AM

The PSRing on the wings of this one is endless, I'm on at least the 4th session on the starboard wing now.

At least doing it after the first primer coat stops the reaction between the putty and the styrene though. Both extended wingtips are on now too, but I've not even started on the fuselage, although the cockpit sub assemblies are awaiting paint before they're glued in place.

Tophe · October 26, 2020, 08:56:49 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 26, 2020, 11:59:14 AM
The PSRing on the wings of this one is endless, I'm on at least the 4th session on the starboard wing now.

Poor Kit... Maybe I will require the "World Association against Torture" to do something for you...

$:-\$

chrisonord · October 27, 2020, 03:14:29 PM

Ouch, psr can be demoralising, especially when it is the same part again and again. Hopefully it will be sorted soon Kit.
Chris

PR19_Kit · October 27, 2020, 04:13:04 PM

I'm getting there. The starboard wing is sorted now, primed and ready for assembly to the fuselage, and the port wing is on it's 3rd PSR session, so I guess I've one more to go for that one

I've started painting the cockpit too, but it's been a job trying to find pics of the interior. Luckily some guys have built a replica Hornet cockpit and there's quite a few pics of that about.

PR19_Kit · October 29, 2020, 04:33:57 AM

The cockpit's installed and the two fuselage halves are together now.

But I forgot to put the decal seat harnesses in place, so that may be a bit of a problem. They're not exactly all that large.......

The wings STILL need some PSR, and I'm waiting for some De Luxe putty to arrive, my standard Presto is too 'heavy duty' for those very thin wings.

PR19_Kit · October 29, 2020, 07:43:37 AM

I'm more and more disappointed in the job that AZ have made of this Hornet kit.

I've just PSR'd the four drop tanks (All of the eight PR5s could carry four tanks to give them the required range over the Pacific...

) and the joints on them were just the same as every other joint on the whole kit.

The edges just don't mate on the same level, and EVERY one needs PSRing to a lesser or greater extent (mostly greater....) like this :-

kitbasher · October 29, 2020, 08:16:52 AM

Basically a case of shell out £22 for the canopy, fit it to a Skybirds 86 kit and whif the rest, Kit?

PR19_Kit · October 29, 2020, 08:30:52 AM

Quote from: kitbasher on October 29, 2020, 08:16:52 AM

Basically a case of shell out £22 for the canopy, fit it to a Skybirds 86 kit and whif the rest, Kit?

Even the canopy won't fit the AZ Hornet as it is. The top of the instrument panel has to be cut down to get the canopy to sit properly.

But it is a very good looking canopy, thank goodness it's in one piece!

PR19_Kit · October 29, 2020, 03:49:48 PM

It's got wings AND a fin installed now.

Huge progress today as my new tube of de Luxe Perfect Putty arrived, not that I agree that it IS perfect, but it's OK, and I've been able to finish off the PSR on the wings, and do a couple of sessions on the fuselage too.

The wings look a bit 'pointy' but that's because I made them as long as I could, and I'll trim them later on so that the nav. lights fit on the tips, but at 90 degrees to their original position in the kit.

The under-nose panel is glued in now too, and it doesn't fit worth a light either, but it's been filed and sanded and PSR'd so it does fit now!

Those with good eyesight will notice that the canopy rails no longer go way past the rear of the cockpit opening. That's because the PR5s were all pressurised and the canopy was modified to open like a clamshell, with the centre portion lifting upwards through 75 degrees or so.

(It's my backstory and I'm sticking to it.....

)