The two build in question were the Comet Miniatures 1/72(allegedly) Thunderbird 1 (https://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=484&t=24853) and the Academy (former Hasegawa) 1/72 MiG-27 Flogger-D (https://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=484&t=25024). The Flogger was my late starting back-up when I realised that I had greatly underestimated the engineering issues associated with the TB1 - from that I can now see some of the appeal for the forum Blitzbau...
Ae we discussed during the build-up to the GB, the swing-wing era was a limited period that last between a time when swing-wingery became technically feasible and only a couple of decades later, when the technology was overtaken by newer developments that rendered such complex mechanical solutions less necessary.
When I reviewed my stash for contenders for the GB, TB-1 leapt out straight away but I was surprised at not just just how many swingwings I had but how many I had multiples of as well...So this thread will be for the completion of TB1 and the Flogger and then for the gradual completion of my other qualifying swingwing kits (and any others that happen to fall into the stash)...
Since the end of the GB, I've taken some time out to get the house all squared away again and get back on top of work/life balance stuff. Both builds are at the stage of final filling and sanding before hitting them with some colour. Not really too much to show as it's just been a process of fill, sand, prime and repeat with the final surfaces taking the longest...
Most of the tidying up of TB1's main fuselage is around the leading edges of the wing gloves.
...and just tidying up the seam on the forward engine compartment. Although included on some parts of the model the slot for the wing to retract into did not extend over the filled area of the compartment and I'll probably represent this with a simple matt black stripe on each side...
Most on the filling on the Flogger has been around the rear fuselage where the upper and lower fuselage halves meet - lessons for the next one will be to brace the interior so that the external surfaces meet uniformly; after this, the sanding challenges were all around the complex curves of the closed landing gear doors - the way to do this in future would be to fill the bays with two part filler and press each of the three dorrs into the filler until they are flush...
