E-2C Hawkeye (WIP)
![Album image #1 Album image #1](/albums/img/0/8/8/1580088-29367-62-720.jpg)
![Album image #2 Album image #2](/albums/img/5/0/8/1584508-29367-98-720.jpg)
Preparing the cockpit for paint, some scratch on the seats according to reference photos
![Album image #3 Album image #3](/albums/img/3/7/9/1586379-29367-30-720.jpg)
Decals settle well but they are not a bit aligned with the plastic relief and they have the most terribly simplified drawings I have ever seen! The yellow was painted by brush with Vallejo, based on pictures of the real cockpit.
![Album image #4 Album image #4](/albums/img/3/6/1/1587361-29367-42-720.jpg)
Covering ejection holes and imperfections with Evergreen strips
![Album image #5 Album image #5](/albums/img/5/9/6/1588596-29367-92-720.jpg)
Started adding lead weight - everyone tells me this is a notorious tail sitter
![Album image #6 Album image #6](/albums/img/5/1/3/1589513-29367-98-720.jpg)
Tail assembled
![Album image #7 Album image #7](/albums/img/5/1/4/1589514-29367-71-720.jpg)
Fuselage closed, puttied and sanded
![Album image #8 Album image #8](/albums/img/4/9/2/1595492-29367-61-720.jpg)
All clear part have annoying lines running right through the middle!!! ?
![Album image #9 Album image #9](/albums/img/4/9/3/1595493-29367-26-720.jpg)
Starting to erase the lines: first sanding and then polishing from Tamiya; a real pain! ?
![Album image #10 Album image #10](/albums/img/4/9/6/1595496-29367-93-720.jpg)
Work so far
![Album image #11 Album image #11](/albums/img/9/3/9/1596939-29367-32-720.jpg)
Painting the gold tint with a thin mist of Gunze MMC 217.
![Album image #12 Album image #12](/albums/img/9/4/1/1596941-29367-41-720.jpg)
Clear parts glued in place; fit is… poor.
![Album image #13 Album image #13](/albums/img/1/0/6/1600106-29367-68-720.jpg)
Engine nacelles parts pre-painted and ready to assemble
![Album image #14 Album image #14](/albums/img/1/0/7/1600107-29367-97-720.jpg)
Typical older Kinetic molds fit
![Album image #15 Album image #15](/albums/img/1/0/8/1600108-29367-99-720.jpg)
Some squeeze needed here
![Album image #16 Album image #16](/albums/img/2/2/1/1600221-29367-82-720.jpg)
Wings assembled; fit is not great
![Album image #17 Album image #17](/albums/img/6/1/4/1612614-29367-70-720.jpg)
This is now a huge mess of putty and sanding and it's taking its time...............
![Album image #18 Album image #18](/albums/img/3/8/8/1643388-29367-52-720.jpg)
Putty, sand paper, putty, sand paper, putty... I believe it is ready now... I think...
![Album image #19 Album image #19](/albums/img/2/0/9/1702209-29367-96-720.jpg)
Started to apply Gunze H315 (FS16440)
![Album image #20 Album image #20](/albums/img/2/1/0/1702210-29367-40-720.jpg)
Started to apply Gunze H315 (FS16440)
![Album image #21 Album image #21](/albums/img/9/3/4/1745934-29367-30-720.jpg)
Lost one of the propeller bases; due to awful support from Kinetic, I had a friend make me a resin copy of the piece
![Album image #22 Album image #22](/albums/img/4/2/2/1746422-29367-52-720.jpg)
Lost one of the propeller bases; due to awful support from Kinetic, I had a friend make me a resin copy of the piece; filling the bottom with Mr Surfacer to level it
![Album image #23 Album image #23](/albums/img/4/2/3/1746423-29367-71-720.jpg)
Lost one of the propeller bases; due to awful support from Kinetic, I had a friend make me a resin copy of the piece; filling the bottom with Mr Surfacer to level it
![Album image #24 Album image #24](/albums/img/4/2/4/1746424-29367-53-720.jpg)
Both propeller are ready
![Album image #25 Album image #25](/albums/img/8/6/1/1754861-29367-64-720.jpg)
Plane painted with Gunze H315, with some marbling effect
![Album image #26 Album image #26](/albums/img/4/3/4/1758434-29367-56-720.jpg)
Red going down, Tamiya X-7
![Album image #27 Album image #27](/albums/img/0/5/3/1761053-29367-18-720.jpg)
Black applied, using MRP-005 and metallic parts of the engine painted using brush Vallejo Gungrey 71.072 (front) and airbrush AK Xtreme Dark Alluminium AK 480 (rear); varnished gloss with Tamiya X-22
![Album image #28 Album image #28](/albums/img/7/8/6/1763786-29367-18-720.jpg)
Discovered the front decal is too large. so had to mask and paint; in fact, I believe most of the decals for this plane are oversized...............
![Album image #29 Album image #29](/albums/img/7/8/7/1763787-29367-88-720.jpg)
Moving forward with (oversized) decals
![Album image #30 Album image #30](/albums/img/1/1/0/1765110-29367-59-720.jpg)
Oversized numbers in the propeller blades
![Album image #31 Album image #31](/albums/img/1/1/1/1765111-29367-46-720.jpg)
Numbers removed
![Album image #32 Album image #32](/albums/img/1/1/7/1766117-29367-17-720.jpg)
Moving forward with the numerous stencils; decal quality is very good, but relative sizes and placement instructions are awful
![Album image #33 Album image #33](/albums/img/9/8/3/1769983-29367-96-720.jpg)
Some brute force needed here
![Album image #34 Album image #34](/albums/img/7/6/3/1770763-29367-97-720.jpg)
Bits and bobs
![Album image #35 Album image #35](/albums/img/7/6/4/1770764-29367-55-720.jpg)
Progress so far
Коментарі
50 23 October 2023, 19:02
![](/profiles/img/65866-287-s.jpg)
Looking fantastic 👍
Oversized decals in 1/48 appears to be a common problem with Italeri aircraft kits in 1/48. Despite the printing quality (Cartograph) it appears that Italeri are incapable of accurately measuring them for fit before sending off to Cartograph for printing. I have encountered similar decal fit issues with their 1/48 F-14A, Mirage III, Mig 21, S-3 Viking etc. Given that most (if not all) of their kits released these days are reboxings of older tooled kits; having to replace the decals as well is just a no go for me and so I now avoid the brand completely.
19 July, 18:45
![](/profiles/img/21997-347-s.jpg)
As you may know I love wooden propellers by I must admit that your propellers looks fantastic 👍
19 July, 19:34
![](/profiles/img/29367-876-s.jpg)
@James, I was not aware of this issue; I only started noticing when I started to apply the first decals and looking at the reference photos - there are 2 or 3 photos of this specific aircraft; now it's to late to go back, but I am alert for the future; @bughunter, I love this typo or propeller, like the ones we can see in the A400M, they are very beautiful and elegant and powerful at the same time!
20 July, 12:02