International Scale Modeller

OK fine, Ill do this one since you all are so insistent on it.

This one suits me! LOL The best scale there is. And I have plenty to choose from. I wanted to do something a little different. I did just do the Revell 1/48 SR-71. Had I seen this sooner, I would have entered that. So sticking with the non combat theme, I figured this would work well. AND, this version is silver. I am pretty sure I am gonna do the NACA bird.





What, you may ask, is NACA???? It is the predecessor of NASA. NACA stands for National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

Congress founded NACA on 3 March 1915, as an independent government agency reporting directly to the President. Its enacting legislation was attached as a rider to the Naval Appropriation Bill for that year. Unlike NASA, NACA began almost without anyone noticing. It started simply, with a chairman, Brigadier General George Scriven, chief of the Armyâs Signal Corps, a main committee of 12 members representing the government, military, and industry, an executive committee with 7 members, chosen from the main committee, and one employee, John F. Victory. Committee members were not paid and served only in an advisory capacity, meeting a few times a year to direct the aim of the new organization. Initially, the task of the committee was to coordinate efforts already underway across the nation. However, its mission and workforce soon grew to cover a greater role in aeronautics research in the U.S.

In 1958, NACA was absorbed into the newly formed NASA. All operations, research and much of NACAs personnel were taken over by NASA.

I hope you will enjoy your build, i didn't know that Academy provides a U-2 kit.

It's AFV Club, not Academy. Different companies.

Awesome - thanks for dropping in mate

We have black U2s based just up the road from us so really looking forward to seeing on in the NACA colours

Neil, its really basic. Silver. LOL No uber fancy markings or the like. But its different from the usual U2 you see. I also have their U2-D IR equipped version which has a half black and silver, or the light blue scheme for choices. I do have the Testors U2-C. THAT will be a black one. LOL

smokeriderdon wrote: ↑Fri Sep 23, 2022 6:32 am It's AFV Club, not Academy. Different companies.

Yes, sorry, i made a mistake looking a the logo.

So, I HAVE been working on this. I am NOT impressed at all. Now, I know I am not an expert modeler by any stretch, but I know I am NOT screwing up this badly. The fit is marginal at best. The design is questionable in some areas, such as the camera assembly. The landing gear doors are NOT meant to be closed. Not at all. Even though they show the option in the directions. Next one will be gears down. But I question that as the gear bays fit was bad as well. We will see. So a lot of filling with thick super glue and sanding.

smokeriderdon wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 6:11 pm So, I HAVE been working on this. I am NOT impressed at all. Now, I know I am not an expert modeler by any stretch, but I know I am NOT screwing up this badly. The fit is marginal at best. The design is questionable in some areas, such as the camera assembly. The landing gear doors are NOT meant to be closed. Not at all. Even though they show the option in the directions. Next one will be gears down. But I question that as the gear bays fit was bad as well. We will see. So a lot of filling with thick super glue and sanding.

That's a shame! Why are new kits often as bad as old kits often were?

Is this kit a new tooled one or only a re-boxing of an older one? I sympathize with your build, like my Su-25 you'll need a lot of patience to finish it.

Oh, this is a totally new tool kit. And not a cheap one either. Its rather disappointing.

DBMiller wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 9:01 pm

smokeriderdon wrote: ↑Sun Oct 23, 2022 6:11 pm So, I HAVE been working on this. I am NOT impressed at all. Now, I know I am not an expert modeler by any stretch, but I know I am NOT screwing up this badly. The fit is marginal at best. The design is questionable in some areas, such as the camera assembly. The landing gear doors are NOT meant to be closed. Not at all. Even though they show the option in the directions. Next one will be gears down. But I question that as the gear bays fit was bad as well. We will see. So a lot of filling with thick super glue and sanding.

That's a shame! Why are new kits often as bad as old kits often were?

Did this come out about the same time the owner of AFV died. The ones left to run run the company might have pushed it through the design process too fast.

It was released in 2019

OK, I AM working on this. Slowly, but getting there. Its all together, except some antennae, and the top sprayed with semi gloss black. The bottom will get done then if all looks good, some metalizer will go on. I also got a pilot from Shapeways. Unfortunately they have it posed with a control stick in hand. So I removed the stick, cut off that arm to reposition it. Gonna have to sand his back some to get a good fit, but it will work.

And now first bit of aluminum on top. And of course, gotta fix seams. *sigh*

Is looking good

Looking good. What an iconic aircraft.

There's some great U2 footage in the film 13 Days about the Cuban missile crisis. Very good film, well worth a look.

Nice work and yes the aluminum needs a perfect build.

This one is just sucking the joy out of me. LOL I AM working on it between bouts with the wood elf. Trying to fix a seam leads to screwing up the paint further down and then I have to fix that... On and on. *sigh*

Looking pretty good even tho you've had to deal with so many things with this supposedly "newly" released kit. Someone definitely rushed the molds design for this one

OK, I finally got back to this thing. I stripped it down. Somewhat anyway. Did some sanding and re did the black then used Metalizer in steel. Much bettr result I think. I have to mask the nose for the flat black parts then on to decals.

nice paint!

Got the glare panels done and decals on. A LOT of carrier film, but as it is all within the walkway lines, and it didnt silver per se, it looks OK. It just dulled the reflection, which works. The decals arent great. They are thin and tear easily. Which is a problem for ones the size of the wing. That being said, with some patience, a lot of water, and some makeup removal pads to smooth stuff out, they settle in great with no setting solution. As a matter of fact, I would be scared to use anything on them for fear of a complete melt down.

Also, I got a very nice period correct pilot from Shapeways. Well, after chopping its lower legs off, and grinding the hell out of it to try to get it to fit, it is just too tall for this kit. *sigh*

It's come up great.
I often wonder how these manufacturers get so out of scale at times.

digger303 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 11:44 pm It's come up great.
I often wonder how these manufacturers get so out of scale at times.

Thanks. And I am pretty sure its the kit thats not done right vs the figure.

She is done. Thread going up.