One of the benefits of doing commission build scale models is being paid for your work.Of course, that “builder for hire” tag also means you may take on kits that no one else really wants to build. But we do what we have to, right?
Magna Models 1/48 Blackburn Firebrand TF5 is a short run mixed media kit. When I say “short run”, I mean “short run”. I’ve heard the term often used to describe kits that are difficult, and ill-fitting, yet are really not “short run”. But this one…. it’s so short an Oompa Loompa would dunk on it.
The kit is resin, white metal, and vacform canopies. The resin is some of the most “bubbly” I’ve ever worked with. You’d think they made it with Sprite or 7-Up. The pour stubs seem to have been engineered by someone who hates model builders. The white metal is covered in flash, and features lots of heavy texture.
Who wouldn’t want to build this kit? 🙂
Still, I’m making progress. Plan on several days/weeks of just basic, initial cleanup before you can even get started.
I have the very basic cockpit finished and seated inside the fuselage. Lots of gap filling, bubble filling, and simply trying to keep things aligned and straight will follow.
The cockpit tub itself is a one piece resin part, with a white metal control stick and instrument panel. I’d tried to modify a resin cockpit from a Sea Fury, but after sanding it down to fit, so little was left that had any benefit that I opted for the kit parts. Given that the cockpit is painted black, and the opening so small, very little can actually be seen anyway, so I suppose it all works. Which is fortunate.
This one is definitely going to be a four footer…. viewing from any closer will just not work.
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