AT-6 FAM

[mexmarine]

Yet another mexican Texan, or should I say "Tex-mex", this time in 1/72 scale.

I haven't decide what scheme to use but there is an interesting one in olive drab/ neutral gray that an AT-6 used in 1942 while on patrol in the Gulf of Mexico, bombing and damaging a german u-boat.

The model in question is Academy and I'm adding some upgrades to it:

Vaccuformed canopy, photo-etched extra details and flaps, resin engine.

I started by cutting of the control surfaces to re-position them.

[Daniel C]

;D

I like it a fellow "multi-tasking modeler"...

Jose could you post a picture of the kit decals, and give your opinion of the kit? I have been interested in the Academy texan.

[mexmarine]

I can only compare it to the other 4 I have from Airfix, and the Academy is really much better: recesed panel lines, and more detail in the interior and engine. The canopy is more crisp, and the decals more thin.

One thing, the engine intakes are better in the Airfix model, and the Airfix comes with diamond thread tires, the Academy ones are linear.

So, maybe I am going to "steal" this parts from the Airfix to accurize my Academy.

[Gabriel]

1/72....?

Are you making any cut to the model, like in the engine or wings..?

Keep on posting that excelent texan..

[mexmarine]

I'm just cutting the flaps to replace them with the PE, nothing on the engine or wings. I separated the control surfaces (aleirons to drop them down and the rudder to off-set it) but nothing else so far.

[Daniel C]

Hmmm, looks like an ok kit, but I am surprised by the "plain" looking engine, Acedemy usually does better with the engine.
Thanks for the pictures Jose!

[mexmarine]

Is time for this plain AT-6 to get some PE details













And for and extra touch: a vacuformed canopy.









More to come by the end of the week.

[Daniel C]

You are doing some fine work in this tiny scale!! Cool to see your very own vac machine!

Is this a PE set made for the Academy kit?

[Gabriel]

Jose

You are doing an excellent job with the model, and that vacum form machine remind me the old modeling magazines from the 80`s....oh those great times...

Keep on posting..

[mexmarine]

Here are some more pics from the cockpit and the engine.

The details are all PE









The rods are metal wire and the cables are from the PE set.
To make those cables look round instead of flat like the rest of the PE, I used gloss black paint to give some volume to them.

[mexmarine]

Let's resume the work here.

I re-made the roll bars, since the ones made of PE were flat.



Next was to install some structures on the landing gear wells.



And also more PE for the flaps



More posts to come next weekend...either here or on Shinoto...or maybe...the Zero...

[carlos]

You are doing real well with that Texan Jose, keep up the good work!!

Saludos,

[mexmarine]

At last, the painting...my favorite part, here are somo shot of the SNJ procedure.









And to make the deco on the cowling, I transfer the decal border to paper and then to masking tape.

[Daniel C]

Very nice..... this will look good when it is done.
I didn't see the color scheme, so I am looking forward to seeing the paint job as it is done.

[mexmarine]

I erased by mistake a couple of photos, so is going to look like there is a gap in the construction, but is not too bad.

Here is the painting on the cowling.



To make the black outline, I used a thin stripe of masking tape and liquid mask.





Here is the end result already mounted on the airframe.



This is a front view of the engine and propeler.



A view of the cockpit before instaling the canopy.



And the simbol of the mexican air force, the tri-color rudder.



And of course, the wheel wells and landing gear.