Lancfan's PM Models 1/72 Argentinian AF Dagger **FINISHED**

[lancfan]

Here is the box and sprue shot ready for the weekend start.


David.

[Chris]

Good luck david, its a popular kit these days!

[Old_Tonto]

Yes good luck with this one.

It has form!

[DavidWomby]

Amazing that 3 of us ended up choosing the same awful kit! Have fun.

David

[Chris]

If you look at teh completed past mirages, I built the same crummy kit!

[DavidWomby]

I think we have to give credit to guy who did the PM box art for theses kits. He must have made it a sales success despite the kit inside :-)

David

[Chris]

The artwork is from aviation artest extrodiner Don Greer, one of the best of all time.

[lancfan]

Work will start on the cockpit and the side air intakes before joining the fuselage halves
together.
This shot shows at the top, the standard fuselage half with the Airfix sonar dustbin from the Sea King kit and a small housing from the spares box. Below that is the opposite fuselage half modified with those parts to make a more realistic side air intake.


When dry fitting the fuselage halves and the canopy I decided that there isn't much point in including too much extra cockpit detail as this will just not be visible, I have found a suitable ejector seat from the spares box which will replace the kit item but apart from adding the firing handle to this new seat that will be all that I intend to do with this model. The seat has been painted and is here in place and the nose weight has been cyanoe'd down behind the cockpit.


The fuselage halves are now joined together.


The fuselage shrinkage marks have been filled as has the area forming the wheelbays, sanding the roof of the wheelbays altered the wing seating at the leading edge, this was corrected with small pieces of plastic card (inset image).


The wing has been joined to the fuselage and the seams have been filled and rubbed down, the
small area between the two wheel wells was short shot on my kit and this has been replaced with plastic card.


The next tasks were to make and fit the ejector seat firing handle, paint the cockpit
coaming/surround and fit the canopy. The model was then primed.


David.

[DavidWomby]

Looking good there. This kit is kind of fun, isn't it?

David

[lancfan]

Looking good there. This kit is kind of fun, isn't it?

David

Yes it is, it may be a little under developed and even poorly imagined but it does build well and can scrub up well. These kits are very good tooth cutters for the novice modeller and I hope they reappear soon.

David.

[Chris]

Looking good David.

[lancfan]

Thanks Chris,no pictures today but the main colour scheme is almost complete and will post shots of this tomorrow.


David

[Old_Tonto]

Thanks Chris,no pictures today but the main colour scheme is almost complete and will post shots of this tomorrow.


David

Looking forward to it.

Mine seems miles away from any paint.

[lancfan]

The basic airframe in camo. the gloss varnish comes next followed by decals & final assembly. Below the model are the decals that I will use, one definate problem with many of the PM kits is the standard of the decals and as I have a spare set of Mirage 3EA transfers from the Airfix falklands set- much of that sheet will also be used on this model.


varnished and partly decalled, the model now needs the remainder applying and correcting prior to matt varnish, final assembly and weathering. Because the PM decals were far too bright I opted to use Airfix Falklands set decals but found these to be overly thick, of poor adhesion and off register- not at all my expectations of the Airfix brand- some days you just don't get to win!


David

[DavidWomby]

Great scheme. Those coloured identifier bars really make it look different.

David