I built the model gear-up, as that's how the client requested it. There were some issues with the gear doors fitting, as the model was designed to have them open, so extra filling and fitting was required there. Construction was done with Tamiya liquid cement and a lot of clamping. Gloss white was used for the initial outside color, as I wanted to skip the gloss coating step before applying decals, but that didn't work too well (gloss paints are much more difficult than flat to get a smooth finish), and after painting on the stripes I still had to gloss coat everything. This was my first time using MIG weathering pigments on a build and I liked them. They tend to blend in a bit too well on dark paint for my liking, and I'm sure part of that is my need to experiment with them some more, but they show up quite well on the white finish. The weathering is light, and appears even more so in the photos.

The kit is essentially out-of-the-box construction, all I added were the components for the display base, piping made from brass wire, and two conduits in the cockpit made from guitar string.

The entire build process can be viewed on my blog.

Overall I had fun with this build, more so towards the end than at the beginning. There were times when I wanted to just put it away for a few weeks and work on something else, but having a client waiting for it kept me motivated. I may build another one of these someday for myself, and possibly light it. Thank you to Jamal Taylor for cutting the wood base for me, and to Ray Guzman for printing out the nameplate.

~April 2012