Welcome James - this is looking good!

David, I'm sure you can relate. Our eyes get bigger than our stomachs, or in this case, our brains.

@dirtylittlefokker

@dirtylittlefokker thanks! I edited that post so there is no confusion 🙂 More work to be done this evening! this is great motivation.

Jim

Here is the P-51...it is a bit farther along now but this was after the 3rd repaint.

I won't start another thread but I'll post photos here when it is done. Definitely a learning curve build...there will be another 🙂

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Real work keeps getting in the way, but I made some progress over the weekend. I started the rigging process and ended up using .010 wire. Williams Brothers molded the recesses for the wires in to the wing and fuselage which makes it hard to use stretched sprue. The wire is stiff and easy to work in to the molded wire exits. I also added some white pastel to the exhaust trail to simulate the lead residue. This one is about done, just have to flat spot the tires, finish the tail rigging and mount the canopy. I'll give the exhaust trail a final shot of flat clear and call this one done.

8 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Here it is...and thanks Louis! Depending on what book you read Matty Laird and his crew in Chicago built this airplane in 45 days. That's pretty incredible by any standard. It was test flown by Matty and handed over to Jimmy Doolittle for the Bendix cross country race. Doolittle and 8 others launched from Burbank airport on September 4th and landed in Cleveland long before any of the competition. The weather around Cleveland was less than ideal, descending through rain he didn't waste any time in topping off and heading to Newark to set the transcontinental speed record, shaving off over an hour of the previous record held by Frank Hawks. That same day he flew back to Cleveland so the Laird team could prep her for the Thompson Race. Yellow trim was added to the wheel pants, but using the bigger engine didn't work out so Doolittle raced with the Bendix engine. A burnt cylinder and control issues forced him out but he still gave the Gee Bee Z a run for its money. I modeled her as she would have arrived in Cleveland from Burbank. It probably isn't grimy enough but I didn't want to over do it. I really enjoyed this kit and I will build the Thompson version some time down the road.

I was waiting for good sunlight to take photos...I'll shoot some more if the sun ever comes back out here in Ohio 🙂

11 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Hey James, thanks! fun to be back in the sewing circle 🙂 I am giving acrylics another go, your advice parallels a lot of tutorials I've watched. Viewing a couple youtube channels like 'scale-a-ton', and 'plasmo' has given me a new hope. After I finish up the Gee Bee Z and the Mantz Mustang I'm going to do an Me 109...that'll be the test for the acrylics.

JIm