Tomcat continues
One thing I must say about Tamiya, really they know how to engineer a kit. The cockpit is a marvel of simplicity. Just enough detail where aftermarket is not really needed. I did tone down the decals for the screen displays, as really if the jet is just sitting they look black, but I added them anyway, because, well they look cool! As I said though I did tone them down with some clear green mixed with a touch of black. One area that all injection jet kits fail at is the ejection seats, at least modern seats. I opted for the Eduard Brassin seats, but they depict the early seat with ribbed cushions. These are good for Tomcats in the 70s, but as mine will be a 1987 bird I needed to have smooth cushions. No worries, some putty and all is good! Eduards PE ejection handles, are, well...flat...So I did the old twist thread together and will make my own. One thing Eduard for some reason insists on is having their PE seat belts grey. Ok, look at ANY REFERENCE THEY ARE GREEN! So I painted mine green, pet peeve, and annoying. I paid over $20 for those seats the freakin' belts should be the correct color! Come on Eduard! Anyway, after just a few hours work, the cockpit is done and the seats are coming along nicely!
Looking good, Rob.
The 'pit looks good, Rob...I did an F-4 using the Eduard PE set, but it was in 32nd scale (dunno if the seat belts are the "correct" color or not) - š
Looks nice. The belts on modern USN aircraft are universally a green color, I am not sure why Eduard has trouble figuring this out.
http://www.ejectionsite.com/gru7aseat1.htm
Great work so far
Coming along nicely ! yes, the seat belts are green, I helped strap in enough aircrew to know.
Me too, now I will sat the passenger seats in CODs are grey, but those are the only ones I know of.
I was a passenger once on a C-2A and a C-1A another time, both times out to trap on a carrier, what a thrill for a young Airman.
LOL I took several traps when I was in VRC-30, it never got old. I swear it is a come to Jesus moment, when you are low and slow behind the boat, facing backwards, the plane wallows like a pig, tail side slipping, bobbing up and down, invariably someone vomits, then WHAM! Whirrrrrrrrrr. and you are stopped. Man I miss that!
Yes, I forgot about facing backwards !