Hey, Abrahamson, my landing gear works!….
Built this one, with my Dad, more than once in the dark ages, always fighting the working landing gear. Well, this one works (when will it give out? The shadow knows). Built right out of the (old) box, axles melted over to hold the wheels on, and painted the way they tell you to. I didn’t use their thread to rig it though, please don’t tell. Yep, Monogram was the Cat’s A– back in the day, if you ask me this is a great example of mold-makers art.
5 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Joe Caputo said on September 16, 2013
Yep, and the wheels fold up on my Albatross, too ! It doesn’t matter much, as it could never leave the ground (or water) with all those raised rivets ! It was a fun time !
Craig Abrahamson said on September 16, 2013
I’ve never built the model you have there…never have taken a shine to anything with multiple wings – but that’s just me (that’s a nice-lookin’ build, though).
Tom Cleaver said on September 17, 2013
Sadly, the huge problem is that this was done from the earlier release, the Gulfhawk II, so the wings are not F3F wings but F2F wings, about two rib spaces short on either side of the centerline. The two ways I know to fix it is to (a) have two kits and cut, saw, and glue the wings to the right span, or (b) hope that Mike West at Lone Star Models still has some of his resin correction sets.
Yellow Wings decals has a good sheet for it once you get it fixed.
bob mack said on September 17, 2013
that’s gorgeous…leave it be
Paul Wilsford said on September 17, 2013
what did you use for rigging. Stretched sprue?
Bill Koppos said on September 17, 2013
Piano? wire. They sell it in hobby shops in plastic tubes, 2 ft. long. I believe it’s .05. Just about perfect for golden age stuff.
Mike Maynard said on September 17, 2013
Nice finish, I built the Gulfhawk when JFK was in office, I recall it was a fun build, landing gear and all. While Tom C is correct, your plane looks great. I’m all for accuracy, but I find that just building an old model from ‘way back “out-of -the-box” can be rewarding in it’s own right.
Ulrich Schütt said on September 17, 2013
That is one beautiful build…… REALLY AWESOME!!!!
Bill Koppos said on September 17, 2013
Thanks all, Hail Monogram!
George Williams said on September 17, 2013
Good job, as always, Bill, your dad taught you well.
Rob Anderson said on September 18, 2013
Ok, is this a conspiracy to get me to go to ebay and spend $$$ Amongst you Craig and Tom??? Nice nice job, on a kit I traded away a few years back and now wish I hadn’t!
Bill Koppos said on September 18, 2013
No no no no evilbay. Do you have any model shows near you? One can almost always find old Monograms, Revells, etc. at reasonable prices. My kid found the F3f at an antique shop for 20 bucks.