Lockheed T-33A

This aircraft is not my usual choice for a build. However, I built it is because it was for a club competition - "Build a B@#%@#%". The name of the competition comes from the fact that everyone has to build an old and difficult - by todays standard - kit.

Kits are drawn out of a hat and then given a degree of difficulty rating (1.0 for a kit like this one and up to 1.3 for the most difficult kit) which is then applied as a multiplication factor to the judging score. The difficulty is rated according to the fit of the parts, the quality of the moulding and other intangibles.

The competition rules state that it is an out of the box build - lost panel lines can be re-scribed and aerial wires added, but no other modifications. Kit decals must be used unless they are beyond use, in which case an alternative can be sought for the same scheme.

If you decide to modify the kit or paint it in a different scheme then penalties apply. One of the competitors chose to do a different scheme and ended up with a difficulty rating of 0.9, for example.

Judging follows the normal competition rules - references, build quality, attention to detail, realism, etc.

I scored 77/100 = 0.77 and came second, but the winner scored 73/100*1.3 = 0.95.

Oh, well.

The side of the box shows a couple of novel features.

Firstly, the canopy is able to be opened and closed.

Secondly, the rear fuselage detaches and the jet engine can be removed and placed in a stand.

Also, the inside of the starboard upper wing is stamped "Hawk Model Co., 1964, Made in U.S.A.", which makes it older than me by a couple of years.

I tried a few new things with this build:

• I used SMS metallic paints - Aluminium and Super Silver - for the main colours and which I am very happy with.

• I used Vallejo acrylic Metal Color for the dark panels - a roughly 50:50 mix of Aluminium and Dark Aluminium. These were perhaps more temperamental, with some lift-off with the masking.

• While the decals looked good, I decided to mask and paint most of the markings. I created masks using a Cricut cutter and the same brand vinyl material. I was very happy with these.

The only decals used were the instrument panels, aircraft data stencil and rescue markings under the cockpit, "NO STEP" and fuel fill point stencils on the wing, the tandem bicycle nose art and the wingtip fuel tank arrows.

The latter shattered and didn't want to conform to the curves of the wing tanks and had to be repaired and touched up.

You can see the build log here: https://imodeler.com/groups/work-in-progress-aircraft/forum/topic/lockheed-t-33a

11 additional images. Click to enlarge.