Subject: Re: Artical submission
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Troy Hoskins" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 13:07:41 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Troy Hoskins 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 11:07 AM
  Subject: Artical submission

  Steve, this is my first attempt at an article. I was prompted by todays update where you said you needed more stuff and thought I'd give it a go. I've read and think I understand the process but please give me tips and offer corrections if you need to. Outlook Express is my default email program so when I use your email link that's where it goes. Unfortunately, Outlook Express does not function properly for me. Probably some sort of program thing I've never set up because I don't know how. Instead I chose to use one of my other accounts. I hope this does not cause any problems. I've included many more pics that I could not fit into the limit you asked for but I feel like they are important to the article. Maybe I didn't build the article right to include the pics but I figure you'll know best how to make it work. If you need anything from me about this article let me know. I have more stuff I could put together for you. Have a good one and thanks for running a top notch site! 
  Troy

  Gallery Template #13

  This template is for modelers that want to custom create their article.  Copy and paste any of the "image placement boxes" below as much as you want to create any article configuration you want.  Limit yourself to no more than 26 photos per article, but to use more photos you have to supply more text to keep things balanced.  If you use higher numbers of photos, then your article will be using smaller "thumbnail photos", so it will be common for you to use 3 or 4 thumbnail photos side by side and not using the 2 thumbnail photos side by side as much.  Try to limit your article to 2 or 3 full sized photos.  Gray frames are to help you visualize the raw HTML code.  These gray frames will be removed when I load your article to ARC.  Remember to indicate where each photo goes.... 01.jpg goes here....02.jpg goes here etc etc.

  1/32 Dragon P-51 

  by Troy Hoskins

        Steve Bamford will insert  

  full sized version of photo 01.jpg here 
  Ah, yes. The now nearly infamous Dragon Mustang. I was excited when this kit came out. Inspite of a few choice reviews I decided to aquire one and be my own judge of it's merits. I'll not go into specifics but I'll say that my take on the kit was that it presented me with a perfect base for my own skills and creativity to go wild. Two months of modeling time went into what turns out to be my second most ambitious project yet, the first being a Banner Arizona with two large photo etch sets that still haunts my dreams. 

  Being that the kit was very new on the market there were no aftermarket correction sets available at the time of the build so everything I wanted to correct or build came from scratch. Now off to some details! 

        Starting in the cockpit I found the floor was to narrow. Who needs resin?! My quick fix. Click on image below to see larger image
             
              .02.jpg

    A little paint and some Mike Grant gauges add life to the floor. Click on image below to see larger image
             
              03.jpg 

        The instrument panel is really nice and came to life with some decals from the kit and Mike Grant.  Click on image below to see larger image
             
              04.jpg 

    It's been said that the kit's gunsight is one of the nicest parts of the kit. I agree. Click on image below to see larger image
             
              05.jpg 

    Additional detail was added to the seat. Wrinkles, supports and the kits PE belts. Click on image below to see larger image
             
              06.jpg

  Click on images below to see larger images

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 07.jpg

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 08.jpg

       

    The kit comes with the option of having both gun bays open. I wanted to display the guns but the detail was poor. I decided to open just one of the gun bays to save myself some repetition and redundancy of work. Plastic stock and rod were used here all the while looking at reference pics.  Click on image below to see larger image
             
              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 09.jpg

    The guns look great but all that nice detail is hidden once assembled. I didn't care for the blast tubes molded on the front of the wing so I came up with my own solution. I used aluminum tubing to make the tubes. Chucked up the tube in my Dremel Stylus and run it against sand paper to thin the walls.    Click on image below to see larger image
             
              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 11.jpg

             

    There was no detail whatsoever on the gunbay doors so I had to do something. More plastic sheet and bits and some left over PE bits added life to the gun cover door. I wish I'd have found a decal for the info placard on the inside.  Click on image below to see larger image
             
              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 12.jpg 

  Click on images below to see larger images

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 10.jpg

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 13.jpg

       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 14.jpg

       

        Next came the engine compartment. Though Better than the Hasegawa kit engine the space is still lacking for detail. I added various hoses and lines along with some control cables to busy up the area. Thanks goodness for reference photos!  Click on image below to see larger image
             
              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 15.jpg 

    The kit exhausts needed the walls thinned some to look more to scale. Test fitting also showed that the exhausts sit back way to far into the cowl when installed. I shimmed the pieces to bring them out of the cowl.  Click on image below to see larger image
             
              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 16.jpg

  Click on images below to see larger images

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 17.jpg   

    The landing gear and bays are another area where I felt compelled to make changes. The gear legs got a rework and I eliminated the silly springs and glued them solid. The kit tires are a real challenge to use and didn't fit the wheels at all. I made them work with CA and a few choice words.  Click on image below to see larger image
             
              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 18.jpg

        The gear bays were the biggest challange of the kit since I decided to completely rework them to correct the rear of the bay and the hose detail for the coolant lines. Unfortunately, in progress pics of this have gone missing so all I have are completed pics. Dragon forgot to include door actuators so they had to be made.  Click on image below to see larger image
             
              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 19.jpg

    Here one can see the corrected rear of the wheel bay.  Click on image below to see larger image
             
              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 20.jpg

  The rest of the kit went together as usual. The over done rivet and line detail was muted with many, many coats of auto primer from a spray can and the wing panel lines were filled with Mr. Surfacer 500. The gear doors needed corrected so I filled the offending depression with CA and used the Dremel to make a new slot. Rivets finished the modification. 

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 23.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 24.jpg 

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 21.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 22.jpg

         

          
        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 25.jpg here  

  Photos and text © by "Troy Hoskins"