This will be my unofficial build review ( i will be writing a build review for this kit after i have finished it, for the main site) for the excellent Eduard 1/72 L-39C Albatros dual combo set, i recently received.
The kit contains 2 L-39C Albatros planes in civilian markings and is packaged with colour photo etch and masks.
So far i have done both cockpits, which contain the smallest P.E i have ever seen. I only managed to lose one piece, but Eduard do supply spares (thank God). It is quite hard gluing the small parts as seeing them is quite hard (even with a magnifying glass), but with patience and probably blind luck i succeeded :-) .
Next will be the four ejection seats which contain more tiny bits of P.E.
Comments welcome.
Andy (++)


P.S i have written an in-box review on this kit, and it should be published in a few days .

thats 1/72? you da man!
are you actually building 2 at the same time then?

Looking very nice Andy.
Hows the old eyesight bearing up?
Cant wait to see the dragon decals on this!
Keep posting,,your doing a grand job lad,,lol.
And when you see how little space this takes up you'll be converted to 1/72 before you know it :-)
Nige

Thanks Phil,
No i'm not da man but i am a madman :-) and ,yes i'm building both at the same time. The kits are identical untill the paint schemes and decals.


Thanks Nige,
The eyesights not to bad, but i seem to be getting tunnel vision looking through the magnifying glass so much :-) .
I want 1/48 back, so much bigger, i'll never moan about the size of 1/48 P.E again :-) .
Andy (++)

andy, you're too modest!

Who me :-) .
Andy (++)
P.S I have just counted, the ejection seats have 11 pieces of P.E per seat, and i have 4 seats, booohooohoo :-)

UPDATE
What sadistic thought of 1/72 P.E :-) .
Here is a pic of the ejection seat, as i already stated there are 11 pieces of P.E per seat, and it took me 5 hours to do all 4 seats .
Hopefully i'll be able to get the fuselage closed up next .
Andy (++)

That's a 1/72nd seat? Wow, wow and wow!! Well done Andy!

Harri

That seat is just something else Andy.
Im not surprised your getting tunnel vision!
Looking forward to following this build from my travels
Nige

Wow, great work with all that PE Andy, looking real good
Mal

Thanks Guys.
Now a question for the future, this is one of the aircraft i am modeling, the "Wild Child", now should i prespray the panel lines or not. My feeling is no as it is a civilian aircraft and they are usually kept in pristine condition and polished regularly, also should i apply a wash to the panel lines.
Thoughts and comments please.
Andy (++)

Andy, I reckon that if I was doing this I would not pre-shade but use a very subtle wash. As I don't build this sort of thing take absolutely no notice of me what so ever
Mal

:-) :-) :-) . As the old saying goes " any advice is good advice ". Thanks Mal for the laugh and advice.
My thoughts were the same as yours on the preshade and to do a pin wash on the panel lines.
Andy (++)

So, have you finished these yet?
Mal

UPDATE
I have now closed up the fuselage and added the wings, and am now at the point where the models now split into separate builds.
The cockpits are a extremely tight fit, and with a lot of fiddling around and test fitting i got it in. A little filler was required at the front of both aircraft as it didn't want to close up completely, even with the help of clamps, pegs and fingers :-) .
The "Wild Child" has some P.E aerials to add and then will be ready for spraying.
Both kits need the intakes put on and the pitots, which will be done just before spraying ( because I'm bound to snap them off if i put them on earlier :-) ).
Andy (++)

thats looking good andy! plus they've got a big glass bubble canopy to show off the seats and cockpit

Thanks Phil.
The good thing about the canopies is that they are hinged in the open position so you don't lose any of the cockpit detail .
Andy (++)

Yep looking good Andy, more jets for the MOM
Mal

Update.
Both aircraft have now been painted. Tamiya acrylics were used and then two coats of Klear were hand brushed on.
The next part is the decaling, something which I'm not looking forward too, as this is the part where it could all go pear-shaped .
Hopefully my next post will be the finished pics.
Andy (++)

Wow Andy, really looking good now
Mal

One down, one to go :-) .
"THE WILD CHILD"



Andy (++)

No problem with those decals then.............cooooool
Mal

2 down, none too go :-) . The only trouble i had with the decals was with the lines, the dragon decals went on lovely.
"ENTER THE DRAGON"




Andy (++)

Nice One Andy!
They both look great but that dragon one is stunning.
Looking forward to seeing these in the flesh!
Greetings from rainy Doncaster
Nige