All three kits are basically in the same place, so I decided to move the Revell lead ship toward the finish line. I added a bunch of small parts to the landing gear and also added the front canopy. It still needs some filler around the edges, but it should be OK. I cleaned up the 3D printed cowling I made and was getting ready to glue them on when I realized that these cowlings were for the late model Hudson, and the Revell is an early model Hudson. This is why I don't like to build more than one. With that sorted out, I also wanted to use a set of props that I 3D printed. I got them painted today, and will assemble them tomorrow. Getting close to the finish line on this Revell kit, so I hope to be painting soon. Cheers everyone.

7 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Thanks, Carl (@clipper). The props and hubs in these kits don't look too bad, but they would require a lot of clean up. I found the files to print the props online for free. They were 1/32 scale, but it is simple to scale them up or down to get what you need. You really need to look into 3D printers. They are not expensive anymore, and the learning curve isn't nearly as steep as you might think. If I can figure it out, I am sure you can, too. I get most of my print files for free online. Designing your own stuff has a steep curve, but I used my printer for a year and a half before I started dabbling in design. I am just doing baby steps in design with a free program call Tinkercad, but I hope to do some more complex stuff soon. Anyway, time to shut down for the night. Cheers.

That is some amazing 3D printed work, George @gblair
I really like how those Hudsons are getting together and the way you are using this printing technique.

Thanks, Matt (@matthewfdyer), John (@johnb), and Spiros (@fiveten). I have been sort of dragging my feet on these because I was getting tired of the "challenges", but I realized yesterday I was getting close enough to start making a final push to the end. I have several models I want to start building. The Vallejo putty will come off slowly with alcohol, Matt, which is why I like it. I wet it first with a little alcohol to let if soften a little, then start shaping with a cotton swab or piece of paper towel dipped in alcohol. It comes off slowly. I still use Tamiya putty and sanding if it is a large seam.

Hi, John (@johnb): Yes, it is the Vallejo putty. It works well for smaller jobs, especially if everything is lined up. I still use Tamiya filler for edges that don't match or if the gap is large.

George R Blair Jr (@gblair)
Wow ! Your 3D printed parts look incredible ! I am VERY impressed with this. Prop hubs and blades, cowlings are all definite improvements over the kit parts. When I build multiples of the same kind of aircraft, I usually try to add little notes in each box if there are any special items that were one off, like the engine cowlings you mentioned. The trick is keeping the right parts in the right boxes... Sometimes I will even make little notes on the inside of a wing or fuselage in an area that will not be seen later. It seems to help me keep the chaos a little more controlled too. I enjoy building kits in this manner because it allows me to build them faster in an assembly line fashion.

I just picked up a neat trick from you by looking at your photos, and that's on painting the tips of the props yellow. I have never lined them all up at once before on a single piece of tape... I will definitely give this method a try. Genius !

I'm looking forward to your next installment. By the looks of things, you will be heading to the paint shop soon. Keep it going my friend.

I got the lead ship (Revell) ready to paint today. I added several small bits, and then spent a glorious 90 minutes adding all of the canopy masks. All of the Eduard masks sort of fit, but none of them exactly fit. I sprayed the nose and pilots canopy their respective interior colors, and then painted the leading edges black. I did a little pre-shading, but I doubt it will show through the painting. I am figuring post-shading. The bottom of this first plane is supposed to be "aluminum paint". Wasn't too sure about that, but I have confirmed in 3 different sources, so tomorrow we do aluminum.

I started working on the next two models to bring them up to the painting stage. Lots of small parts to add, as well as different cowlings and exhaust configurations. Things are moving slowly on the last two. None of these small parts really fit, so there is a lot of sanding and shaping of really small pieces, along with the time to recover them from the carpet. Hopefully I can get these last 2 up to the painting stage by the weekend. Cheers everyone;.

7 attached images. Click to enlarge.