I have been purchasing a kit from the Model Expo swap meet in Melbourne each year with the proviso that it be something that you don't see too often, relatively easy to put together and dirt cheap. This has resulted in My Nanchang CJ-6, and the Sea Venom for the last two years. They have made nice models that look great in my display cabinet and are a cool souvenier from the show.
This year I went `halves' with my good mate Simmo and we decided to get something for each other, based upon the above guidelines. Despite my due diligence in getting him a kit that matched pretty well everything (the Trumpeter Yak -18) I ended up being handed a kit that only matched one of the guidelines (that being dirt cheap). upon opening the kit, I was greeted with raised panel lines, raised rivets, poor mouldings and the punchline was that it had been started!! This kit was the Revell Martlett MK4.... Once alerted to the difficulty that I was going to have doing anything with the kit, I think Simmo felt a bit guilty and went out and got me something a little nicer. This time conforming with all of the rules. Anyway, enough gas bagging, here is the Glider.
Having heaps of fun with this one gents!
The kit comes with two wingtip options, one for the 15 Meter span and the other for the 18 Meter Span. I have chosen the ridiculously long 18 Meter wingspan option.
It doesn't look like it at this stage, but the wingspan on this model is HUGE!
I blended the wingtip into the main wing and then re-scribed the join very close to the original so as to provide a consistent panel line. The real glider has these wingtips as removable pieces to fit into the trailer, so the panel line is supposed to be there.
Onto the cockpit, and it is very well done for such a simple machine.
The kit provides for a neat decal overlay of the kit IP, which is raised.
The tub is equally as nice, and the challenge here was to create a lambswool seat. I painted the seat Extra Dark Sea Grey, them stippled black onto it in small dots, then blended it all back in with dots of the EDSG. The kit also comes with three different coloured decal options for the seatbelts that conform quite nicely with Microsol. The whole assembly is gloss at the moment but will be knocked back with a flat coat at a later stage.
Simple!
The kit canopy has benefited from a polish with Tamiya polishing compounds.
Almost ready for paint!