.....Well, Ive been truely impressed by this site so far. Vast knowledge, quick response, and a diverse group of people. So I guess I will tap the knowledge banks some more with yet more questions....

Ok, this one is about Future. It seems to be the modelers best friend. Ive read guys even use it as a clear coat. Now, I have a bottle sitting downstairs and Im looking at how thin it is. Is it thin enough to use straight from the bottle in an airbrush? If it does need thinning, will plain water work? Or, is it best just to brush it on like paint instead of airbrushing it on?

Next, I have reached as far as I can on my Hasegawa build until I get my new parts and paint in. In the mean time I started fooling with an OLD Airfix 1/72 Dauntless kit I bought in a set of 4 from e-bay. As suggested Im going to do a straight build.....or rather straight minus one part possibly. You see, the canopy that came with the kit has some irrugularities in it. There are some deep gashes (cant even call the scratches they are THAT deep.) I dont think I could sand them out, polish then coat with Future, they are that deep. So, do I just "live with it" or can I somehow get a vacuform canopy for it? I checked Squadron.com, but no luck there. Anyone else have ideas or a place to look for new canopies?

And this is a question along the same lines. I have another OLD Airfix 1/72 Avenger (from the same lot of 4 from e-bay) that has canopy problems. This time its not gashes, but rather neat, perfectly round holes (like you sometimes find on kit parts from the machine that punches them out of the mold.) There is NO WAY I can sand these out simply because one mark is square in the middle of the upper gun turret (meaning I have no clue how I would even be ABLE to get in there and sand it.) So, same question as above. Live with it or can I replace it somehow?

If I think of more Ill post them, but for now any help on the above questions would be appreciated.
Brian

Thought of one more quick one....

On the Dauntless. Im going with a full closed canopy on the rear. In this configuration did the Dauntless still carry its machine gun or was it taken out? I want to know if I need to still put them in or not.

Thanks again,
Brian

Hello Brian,
As to your question about Future, yes, you can use it straight from the bottle... Future
This link will cover alot, if not all your questions concerning that... Thats about all I can answer for you, as Im not an airplane guy.. But give that article a good read...Lots of cool stuff in it..

Dave

Hi Brian!

Future is indeed one of modeler's best friend! You can spray it as it comes from the bottle. Just spray with a distance of about 10-20 cm of your model and don't spray on the same area for too long. Best would be to make two light coats rather than one with too much future. You can also slightly color it with acrylic paint (works with Tamiya, I tried) to achieve a subtle "automatic" weathering. I usually use Ocre Yellow or Brown for that.

For your clear parts, apart from replacement ones, I don't see how you could get them right... 1/72 clear plastic parts are usually thick on older kits. Squadron makes a lot of replacement canopies, but I would say since these are your first kits and you are in the learning process... live with it! Save your time and money for further, more ambitous projects. Next year you will ask yourself why the hell you spent extra cash on those old Airfix kits!

The Dauntless, of course, carried his weapon on every mission! A closed canopy don't mean there was no defensive armament! The machine gun(s) were just hidden by two small doors just aft the rear canopy. So if your Dauntless has a closed cockpit, the machine guns were hidden inside the fuselage... but still present!

Jean-Luc

Thanks guys. I guess Ill just have to live with the canopy as is. Im probably going to throw in two of the resin seats I have (I bought for the Hellcat.....they gave me 4 so I might as well use them.) Im not putting those goofy looking pilols in (does anyone ) and want to cover up the ugly plain posts. But thats about as fancy as Im geetting.
Brian

Well... usually not! :-)

Jean-Luc