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I
built this kit for the 3rd Jakarta Annual Model Expo &
Competition 2002 – considered the unofficial Indonesian “nationals”, the
only competitions here in Indonesia where the “hardcore”
modelers get out of their sanctuaries to compete all-out. For more
pictures on the above competition, please check the following link :
www.isms.150m.com/e_jakartaexpo2002_win.htm
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model was completed in about 120 hours in a 1.5 month period, excluding
research. It was entered in the Aircraft-Modification category, and won the 1st
prize. Modifications done to the kit are the scratchbuilt bomb bay and the
flaps, which are installed in the lowered position. Weapons comprising AGM-84s
and Sidewinders come from the Hasegawa Weapon Sets, while the single Mk.36 mine,
like the real thing, is a converted Mk.82 bomb. Six Mk.46 torpedoes are
installed in the bomb bay. These come from 3 Orion kits (two of them still
waiting on my shelf :oP). This Orion
is practically armed-to-the-teeth and ready for action! |
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on image below to see larger image |
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Construction
For
a kit this big, I can say that this kit has very good fitting, with only very
small amount of putty required. The main wheel wells do not exist though. If
only I had more time, I would have scratchbuilt the wheel wells.
The
bomb bay and flaps are scratchbuilt from styrene sheets, including the housing
for the flaps, while details are from styrene sheets, wire and stretched sprue.
No aftermarket products are used in this model.
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Click on images below to
see larger images |
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As
for the bomb bay, it was very difficult to find references. So, based on very
limited pictures gathered from books and the Internet, I did some
“guestimating” on some of the details.
Painting
& Decals.
The
white part of the fuselage is painted using Tamiya’s acrylic flat white (the
only acrylic paint that I use) and left for 1 week to dry, before starting the
Light Gull Grey (Humbrol 129), again left for 1 week to dry before further
handling.
Decals
came from the kit. As a USN hi-viz buff, I just can’t resist the big blue
marlin on the tail. As usual, Hasegawa cannot print white and the white portions
of the decals look more yellow than white. It is thick but conform nicely over
the raised panel lines without using any wetting solution. One thing that made
me pull my hair, is that these decals tend to curl easily. I screwed up the wing
walk decals and have to get the decal from my other Orion kit.
Weathering
is done using 4B pencils, grind into powder and applied dry using a small
pointed brush.
Main Reference
World
Air Power Journal vol.43
Iwan
(Jakarta,
Indonesia )
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