Wow, this one has been on my shopping list for sometime.. you're off to an incredible start, that 'pit looks phenomenal.

Great choice, David (@davids_models). Looking forward to this build. The OV-10 was one of those planes that always seemed to be around when I was a young airlift pilot in the 1970s. They are so ugly that they are cool. Should be a lot of paint schemes to choose from.

Great job so far, David. Those extras make a big difference.

This week I am getting closer to finishing the OV-1C Mohawk. I started by detailing the fuselage with photo etch accessories. On the bottom of the fuselage is a loop antenna. The kit antenna was difficult to separate from the tree due to how thin it was. It broke in two different places. I placed the pieces on a piece of tape the used some 32 gauge wire and made my own. I cut the mounts for the for the kit antenna and attached them to the fuselage then drilled a hole to fit the new wire antenna. With all the wings attached and landing gear mounted I placed the aircraft on the gear. As expected I added enough weight to the nose to keep the tail up.

Next I built up the replacement resin propellers. The resin set came with a jig to attach the blades at the correct pitch. I then decided to make this a ground support version using incendiary and high explosive rockets. I made the drop tanks and rocket pods using photo etch details.

A fellow modeler mentioned that the canopy fit very badly. So I dry fit the canopy sections to see why they did not fit. It turns out there are multiple issues. The main one is the overhead console. It mounts at an incorrect angle and is too long. I sanded down the ends and the top to match the curve of the photo etch panel. I then mounted it with the console to be flush with the top of the rear bulkhead. This allowed the top part to line up correctly. Next came the windscreen which also has a console across it. Even with the overhead console trimmed it still went past the edge of the windscreen. I marked where the center console meets the windscreen console and mounted the windscreen console .03 inches back from the edge. Everything lined up. I then base coat painted it using green drab for the late Viet Nam scheme that was used. Once painted, I looked over the side doors of the canopy. They were horrible. One side looks like the mold had a hot spot or did not cool evenly and caused distorted lines inside the plastic. Both of them also had a lot of scuffs on the outside surface. I sanded them with 2000 grit then polished them with Meguire’s PlastX. Aside for the distortion on the one side due to the mold process, they came out great. Here is the repairing and polishing using https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/how-to-repair-clean-and-polish-clear-parts/

I am now getting ready to start adding the decals.

You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/

10 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Your Mohawk is awesome, David (@davids_models). The glass on the sprue looks like it has actually been in combat. I know Roden quality is up and down sometimes, but this glass looks like a restoration project. Looking forward to the decals. Your paint scheme looks exactly like the Mohawks I used to see at Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso when I was a kid.

I have finished the Mohawk. This was a difficult kit to build. The fit requires a lot of work especially the canopy sections. The decals were also difficult to get them to sit down. They did not soften easily with decal set/solvents. Even with a base coat of Future they did not adhere or conform well to the surface details very well. The photo etch and resin accessories worked and fit well. If you build one of these the instructions state to use 19 grams, you need closer to 24 grams to keep it from sitting on the tails. Aside from the difficult issues it is a good representation of a unique aircraft. Thanks for following along.

You can see all the photos and details from the start to finish in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.