I finished up a few details on the Hun last night. Now the tricky part is going to paint the red and white trim on the drop tanks and add the NMF. I was dreading this part, but after getting the Gee Bee under my belt, I feel as if I'm ready for anything!

One modification I have to make for the kit (only necessary if having the canopy open) is to make abridge piece for the kit part the goes in the aft end of the clamshell. It's not wide enough to fit between the canopy rails. Easy enough, and it's the only parts fit related goof I've found. The other goof was on the decal sheet from Super Scale. The fuselage bands are supposed to look like they are here (matching the four colors on the unit badge on the tail). Instead, the blue and green areas are black on the sheet. It took about an hour the change the colors and clean up all the pixels at the edges of the bands at maximum zoom on my computer, but now I can print corrected bands for anyone who wants them! I did deep-six the decal for the bands on the tail, choosing to instead paint them along with the wing tips. I the cut the arrows out of the decal and applied them individually. I just wish I had done the same thing for the nose band as the decal is a little lighter than the Guards Red I used everywhere else.

As for the tanks, I think the trim will be painted and then the remainder of the tank will be foiled just for a change of pace. (Okay, I'm lazy and don't want to remask the trim on the tanks!)

The blued areas at the tail were an experiment. It worked well, but it got a little darker than I wanted too far towards the front. I wanted it to fade to barely visible quicker, but oh well. I have three more Huns to do and the shouldn't be identical in this area anyway!

Also in the background is my Revell AT-AT. I had always passed it up because it was a Snap Tite kit. It actually is very impressive, (and quite large, especially when compared to the old MPC kit) although the head will require a little love to get closer to movie accurate. Also it may become motorized...

7 attached images. Click to enlarge.

I think they are actually closer to fully closed for dry power. In after burner it went to a fully open position. I don't know what they did with no hydraulic power. The F-14 usually has on open and one closed when parked.

Actually it should have the F-102 style exhaust nozzle, as the one featured in the kit was prone to failure and it would constrict asymmetrically causing a vectored thrust effect so they were removed and the other style nozzle put in its place Monogram has always included both types, so you are virtually unlimited as to which D model you want to represent. I don't know why Trumpeter didn't as well. They do give you both style air brakes though and the assembly is way easier than Monogram's Hun. I still love 'em both though!