Hasegawa 1/72 T-38A Talon Thunderbird

Started by George Schembri · 45 · 3 years ago · 1/72, Hasegawa, T-38A, Talon, Thunderbird
  • Profile Photo
    George Schembri said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Thanks Allan (@kalamazoo) & Tom (@tcinla)

    I'm afraid to put this down because I'll probably not go back to it - just like the original build.

    Looking at the decals though, I guess there are noticeable difference between an F-5B and a T-38A.

    The 'back spine' decal doesn't line up well. Issue is that if the front portion is lined up with he front canopy, then there is a big gap behind the rear canopy which actually gets bigger when the canopy is in place. If I line up the 'spine decal' with the trailing rear canopy I would need trimming in the front and then it would not reach far back enough. UGH --- or it could just be the decals? I don't know.

    Does the T-38 have more similarities with a F-5F than an F-5B - or is the T-38 just a completely different aircraft?

    But things are moving along.

    I wasn't sure just how thick the Decal Film can be applied, but now I guess I wasn't applying enough and some serious cracking indicated the decals were still fragmenting when dipped in water, so I applied multiple coats; however, I later found that even with thicker applications the decal film dried up and was barely noticeable. One thing I did observe was that trimming of the Decal Film was required or else excess clear decal film tailings were experienced.

    I am thinking of making a stand and showing the model 'in flight' so the colourful bottom is visible. I am tying to hunt down some thin acrylic rods to extend out of the rear exhaust. I think I have a nice wooden base that will look okay.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

  • Profile Photo
    John Healy said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    This is looking really good, George. I don’t know how I missed it til now. I remember that kit. I built it in 1976-77. The plastic was molded in white but the box and decals were the same. Can’t wait to see yours finished.

  • Profile Photo
    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Even with your remarks, it looks REALLY great, my friend @georgeswork!
    Looking froward to see her flying over your wood base!

  • Profile Photo
    George Schembri said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Thanks Spiros (@fiveten) & John (@j-healy).

    As Tom(@tcinla) mentioned at the beginning, I'm pretty sure that no one (except me) is gonna be able to tell the differences between this F-5B and a T-38.

    I tried looking around for a decent wood base or clear acrylic rods but with a lot of stores still in lock-down my options were limited. Then it hit me that I was probably looking at things too complicated.

    I need a decent base with some weight - so I figured I could use a Hockey Puck - one of many in my son's hockey bag (sacrifices must be made!).

    The puck will be painted White using some lacquer spray paint. Then I searched for some T-Bird Logos which incorporated the T-38 and shrunk it down to a 2.5" diameter and cut out with my Fiskars Whole Cutter after printing.

    I intend to print the logo on a colour ink-jet using adhesive sticky paper and apply it to the hockey puck.

    Instead of clear acrylic rods, I just grabbed a white coat hanger, cut some lengths and bent them on the workshop vice and drilled some holes into the back end of the model (Exhaust not installed yet).

    Here is what I have in mind for the 'in-flight' pose.

    Not yet finished but not too far from being completed.

    5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

  • Profile Photo
    Tom Cleaver said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    looks good @georgeswork!

  • Profile Photo
    Allan J Withers said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Nicely posed George.

  • Profile Photo
    Robert Royes said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Beautiful George!

  • Profile Photo
    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    That's some amazing improvization, my friend @georgeswork!
    This will be an awesome base! I too prefer displaying planes at bases the way you did, with some kind of wire attached at the exhausts: looks more dynamic. Of course it requires a sufficiently heavy base, as is the case here.
    Looking forward to see it finalized!

  • Profile Photo
    George Schembri said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Thanks guys (@tcinla) (@kalamazoo) (@roofrat) (@fiveten)

    I got the base painted and got access to a colour ink-jet printer. The Fiskars Hole Cutter worked great!

    I'm just wondering with Font to use for the 'Northrop T-38A Talon 1974 - 1981' portion. Here are some samples of FONT I can use.

    Also, should the years read '1974-1981' or '1974-1982' ?

    From what I searched, the T-Bird Team got F-16's in late 1982 after the terrible 4 plane accident suffered in Jan 1982 preseason training.

    I might actual have some sections of a clear decal sheet and do an Ink-jet print onto the decal transfer.

    3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

  • Profile Photo
    George R Blair Jr said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    This is really looking great, George (@georgeswork). You are a brave man to do a very small model with markings like these. For your needed font, I have had a lot of luck simply searching Google for what you are looking for. I have found free fonts for Microsoft Word for WW2 Luftwaffe, US Navy, and US Air Force.

  • Profile Photo
    Allan J Withers said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Your chosen font and date look good to me George !

  • Profile Photo
    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    I also agree: your chosens look great, my friend @georgeswork!

  • Profile Photo
    George Schembri said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Say ‘Hello’ to my little friends!
    Can you tell I built a few Matchbox kits in the past?

    4 attached images. Click to enlarge.

  • Profile Photo
    Spiros Pendedekas said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Hi guys!
    Some Airfix and Hasegawa also, my friend @georgeswork?

  • Profile Photo
    Erik Gjørup said 3 years, 7 months ago:

    Hello little friends. That turned out very well @georgeswork. Liked the finished plane in headlines!