This is my first plane kit which I updated with photoetch parts. I used Eduard parts for the exterior, interior, Armament and seat. Express masks were used for the canopy and windshield, and for the national insignias too. Trumpeter’s kit is really huge and has very nice rivet details; a bunch of weapons, including a full load of Mk117’s, fuel pods, Mk82’s, Standard and Shrike ARM’s are included. Decals from TwoBobs are really nice and fit perfect.

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The only problem I encountered was the main gear; I’ve read about it in ARC chatrooms and in other modeller’s gallery reviews. I wasn’t able to receive a white metal parts set for the gear, so I decided to scratch-build and enhance the main gear, using metal tubing and wiring and a lot of special Super Rapid glue. For balancing the plane, I put some metal parts in the closed bomb bay and a big one I glued right behind the radar. In the end, the modified gear really made it! I don’t know how the real “Thud’s” main gear could withstand the aircraft’s combat weight. I decided to further enhance the Vulcan-gun, using some different wires; I didn’t exactly replicate the real thing, but it looks quite nice; a little touch-up for the the SEA-camo scheme I applied using Gunze-Acrylics.

But before painting the camo I did a coat of Tamiya Metallic Grey as a base coat - giving me the opportunity to do some final sanding - next layer was a lot of Tamiya Smoke in every rivet detail. After SEA-camo and spraying the national insignias I weathered the entire plane using water based paint. Then a Revell Gloss coat prepared the surface for the kit decals; I used the ones for Major Don Kutyna’s “Polish Glider”. For a nice finish I applied a layer of Modelmaster Flat coat.

To have a plane sitting on the tarmac, ready and re-loaded for a next combat raid, I let the canopy in open position and added a full set of Eduard’s photo-etch Remove-before-flight tags; they look very nice. After taking the pictures with my Olympus digital camera I realized that I may be did a little too much weathering, I really don’t know. But the plane indeed looks combat-proven, doesn’t it? However, it was a big amount of work, putting all those PE-parts on this huge plane; just for the cockpit and the seat I was working on all a week’s evenings...

Daniel

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